Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to use this first adjournment of the year to thank the now departed Secretary of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission, Dr Jacqueline Dewar. This is a contribution I wanted to make last year but, as you would well recall, we were tied up in the latter part of the year dealing with the CPRS legislation and we were not given the opportunity to make this contribution on my part and on behalf of the committee—and, of course, Senator Parry is here this evening.

18:52:13 Dr Dewar is taking leave to join her husband, David, in Maroochydore and is taking with her a son and daughter. She is going up to that great socialist republic of Queensland! I have been the chairman of this committee since 2007. Along with the rest of the committee, I believe we have had the distinct honour of working with a most gifted and dedicated servant of the parliament.

The committee conducted what must be the penultimate parliamentary inquiry into the impact of serious and organised crime on Australian society last year. I do not believe the issue was given the attention it deserved until Dr Dewar and her professional team invigorated the committee and focused it. I never quite realised the extent and penetration of crime in Australia. I am not sure that many of the committee members did, but we were educated. Of course, some members of the committee are well aware of it. We did get the underbelly exposure that was vital for us to make the deliberations and conclusions we did. I put this down to Dr Dewar’s perseverance and good-natured approach to any obstacle. More important for us was the high regard in which she has been and remains held by the law enforcement community. Through that standing, the committee was able to secure extraordinary cooperation and assistance from these agencies. Few servants of this parliament can, I believe, feel that their legislative efforts to fight the baddies in society have been significant.

We have two bills before us tomorrow that will seriously affect the efforts and activities of organised crime in our country. We on the committee are very proud of the crusade we embarked upon and the unique outcome we expect shortly. This has been due overwhelmingly to the professional, erudite and honest endeavours of Dr Jacqueline Dewar. We all wish her well on the next part of her journey. This one here lasted many years. May the next one be as fulfilling, adventurous and rosy.