John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the conclusion of yet another very busy parliamentary year, I take this opportunity on the last sitting day for 2011 to acknowledge and express my gratitude to a number of people. Firstly, I thank the Clerk of the Senate, Rosemary Laing. I would like to once again thank her for the dedication and professionalism she consistently displays. I also express my appreciation to Richard Pye—who, in his first year as Deputy Clerk, has shown the same high standard of professionalism and commitment as his predecessors—and to the other clerks at the table. I thank all other senior officers of the Department of the Senate for their ongoing support and advice and I also thank all senators.

I would like to make special note of the Deputy President and Chair of Committees, Senator Stephen Parry. I wish to acknowledge the excellent working relationship we have established since the beginning of the new Senate term—and, Senator Parry, I genuinely mean those words. You have been an absolutely great support to this chamber and to senators in the running of the business of this chamber. I also acknowledge the work of the temporary chairs of committees, who run this chamber on a daily basis.

I wish also to thank the Usher of the Black Rod, Brien Hallett, the Director of Senate Services, John Baczynski, and the staff of the Black Rod's office. I make special mention of and thank both Ian and Peter at the transport office, who look after our transport needs so efficiently. I also express my appreciation to the COMCAR drivers, who are always pleasant and helpful, no matter what hour they drive us home. The chamber support staff, and in particular the chamber attendants here, do a marvellous job for all of us, as do the mail attendants. The Senate IT staff have assisted me and others on more than one occasion in getting the technology we are provided with to work. I thank the staff of the Clerk's office, the Table Office, the Procedure Office and the Committee Office—their hard work and dedication to this great institution and their patience and forbearance ensure that this place runs smoothly.

I also extend my appreciation to the staff of the Department of Parliamentary Services, most of whom work in the background providing the essential services which enable the parliament to function—maintaining the building and the parliamentary precinct and keeping us all safe. In particular, I thank the grounds staff and gardeners who, in looking after the courtyards and gardens, make Parliament House itself such a showpiece for the nation. In addition, there are those who work in security and protective services for the Parliament House itself. There are also the Health and Recreation Centre staff—for those who know where the Health and Recreation Centre is. I noticed that there were a few chuckles there. I presume those chuckles came from the people who do not know where it is.

I thank HRG, who make the travel arrangements, sometimes under great pressure, for all senators and staff. I thank the cleaners who keep this place so immaculately clean and tidy; IHG, who provide the primary catering services to all building occupants and visitors; the Parliamentary Library and the Research Branch under the direction of the Parliamentary Librarian, Roxanne Missingham; the International and Community Relations Office for their outstanding work with outgoing and incoming delegations and in managing our interparliamentary relations and interparliamentary assistance program; the Parliamentary Education Office, who, here in Parliament House in 2011, taught over 90,000 young Australians from 1,619 schools about our parliament.

I would especially like to thank the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and his staff as well as the Clerk and officers of the Department of the House of Representatives. I welcome the election of the new Speaker, Peter Slipper, and the new Deputy Speaker, Anna Burke, and look forward to working with them. I must also give special mention to the staff of my office as well as my electorate staff in Queensland and I express my thanks to all other people who work in Parliament House and in electorate offices right around Australia.

As you can see, there is an absolutely extensive list of people that we owe our gratitude to, that we owe our thanks to, for the smooth running and operation of this parliament—and it is so often lost, unfortunately. In conclusion, I extend my best wishes to all colleagues and staff for the upcoming festive season and I look forward to seeing everyone back here in a refreshed manner in the new year.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Thank you, Mr President. I thank you for your remarks and endorse your thanks to all the various personnel who service the Senate and its senators. I will not attempt to repeat the list because yours was very comprehensive. I guess the best thing to do is to say 'ditto' rather than naming everyone again.

I do want to thank all those who support us, particularly the Clerk. To Rosemary, I apologise once again for our behaviour this year and know that next year I will have to make the same apology, as always. Thank you very much to the clerks—they exhibit the best traditions of the public service here—the attendants and everyone else who supports us.

I wish all senators and their staffs the best for the Christmas period. I hope they have a safe and enjoyable time. This job gives you many opportunities and many privileges. I for one always remember and acknowledge the great opportunities we get. But the one great downside of this job, serving the Senate, is the time away from family and friends. It has always been the bit I have found the hardest about this function and I think all senators probably find it the same. I think people ought to take the opportunity to enjoy the break and to spend time with family and friends. I have certainly ordered government senators to take a break. No-one ever retires saying, 'I wish I had spent more time at work.' They usually say, 'I wish I had spent more time with the family.' So government senators are under instruction to spend some decent time with their families but to come back to work twice as hard in January.

Mr President, thanks to you and to Senator Parry for your work on behalf of the Senate. Best wishes to all senators, to their families and to staff. We will see you back in February—and you have to me to thank for having a slightly longer break. I have argued many times that we have been coming back too early in January. All the best, everybody.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—As we enter the festive season and look to the occasion we celebrate—the birth of Christ—and the new year, as we stop to reconnect with our loved ones, it is good to thank those who have assisted us. Mr President, without you there would be complete chaos. To the Leader of the Government in the Senate, thank you for your professionalism and cooperation—on most occasions! To the clerks, we would be lost without you. One question I do have is: why do you always have to be right? To the Black Rod, the Table Office, the committees, Hansard, the library, Broadcasting, the attendants, the drivers, the cleaners, to all—thank you for what you do to make this place work.

To the listeners of parliamentary broadcasts, we hope that the PBS and you save money on sleeping-pill prescriptions. To reporters and journalists, we wish you a happy new year and hope that you might be able to report more favourably upon us in the future. To the managers and whips of all parties, I thank you for the way you work so professionally to ensure that this place operates as it should. From time to time during question time, as I look across the chamber, my heart goes out to Senator McLucas, with her health issues, as it does when I look behind me and see Senator Judith Adams or when I look across and see Senator Fisher. Their strength and stoicism in difficult circumstances have been truly inspirational.

To my deputy leader, Senator George Brandis, and to the Leader of the Nationals, Barnaby Joyce: thank you for your cooperation and esprit de corps. As a coalition I believe we work exceptionally well. To all my colleagues I say thank you for giving me the privilege of being your leader in this place. It is a privilege to serve as leader of such a great bunch of men and women. I thank our spouses and families for their wonderful support. My wish is that the true spirit of Christmas will be visited upon all of us, with health and happiness for 2012, and God bless.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of my Greens colleagues, I wish everybody in the Senate and in the parliament and all the people of Australia season's greetings. I hope they have a safe and happy summer and a bountiful, prosperous and very happy 2012.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the National Party, I wish all in this chamber a very, very happy and healthy festive season. I echo the remarks from others before me on the extensive list of people that we need to thank for the smooth running of this place, particularly Dr Laing, Richard Pye and all of those here who ensure that smooth running. This place is a little bit like a duck: it looks very smooth on the top but those paddling feet are going like crazy underneath, and it is all those support staff who make this place run so smoothly. I will not echo all of the list that the President read out. I will just say that we concur in thanking all of those people, who assist all year round in making sure that we in this place can do our job.

I often think that, with more than 20 million people in the country, there are only 76 people sitting here in this chamber. It is for us an honour and a privilege to be here. I thank those people across this nation who have put us all here and wish them a very happy, healthy and safe festive season. Senator Evans and Senator Abetz raised the issue of family and friends. I certainly cannot wait to get home to my husband, David, and my sons, Will and Henry, and I know everybody else in this chamber is looking forward to getting home to family and friends after what has been a very long year. But there is no doubt, as we move towards Christmas and reflect on the year, that what we do matters and that we are incredibly fortunate in this nation to have such a wonderful democracy.

I thank my colleagues for all their collegiate times and the collegiate work we have done together on this side of the chamber. We are indeed very fortunate to have the collective coalition family that we do. To colleagues right around the chamber: a very merry Christmas and a very happy and safe festive season.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I just echo the positive remarks made by all my colleagues. I think it is fair to say that it has been quite a year and a hell of a week. It has been an ugly week, but I would like to think—in fact, I am sure—that all of us are here for the right reasons. We all want to do the right thing by this wonderful country of ours. We have different views, but I think, whatever differences and disagreements we have had this week, we can learn in the new year to make things a little better, because fundamentally we are a pretty decent bunch. We want to do the right thing. I feel privileged being in a chamber where I think every one of my colleagues works hard and wants to do the right thing by this nation.

To the Senate staff, the messengers and everyone who is involved in the running of this place, and to Hansard: you make us look a lot better than we actually are, so thank you for that. I wish everyone the best for the festive season, and I hope they spend as much time as they can with their loved ones.