Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the interests of time, I would seek leave from the chamber to incorporate my remarks in relation to Senator Humphries, given that he has had to leave the chamber.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

VALEDICTORY SENATORS HUMPHRIES AND JOYCE

I also rise tonight to pay tribute to the significant contributions made by my colleagues Senator Gary Humphries and, Senator Barnaby Joyce to the Parliament of Australia, during their time as members of the Australian Senate.

HUMPHRIES

I turn to Senator Humphries.

In my time in this place I have had the privilege of serving with Senator Humphries on the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Senate Committee.

Senator Humphries has always demonstrated professionalism, competence and an extraordinary understanding of Parliamentary practice and procedure in his role as Deputy Chair of this Committee.

All Australians, but Canberrans in particular, have been the beneficiaries of the many political achievements of Senator Humphries both when he was the Chief Minister of the ACT Parliament and of course during his time in the Senate.

When you speak with colleagues about Senator Humphries one thing is clear: throughout his time in the Senate, he has worked diligently and with great distinction.

Gary— it has been an absolute pleasure to serve with you and I know that given you live in this great Territory where you live and breathe politics every day, there is no way your service to public life can possibly come to an end and neither should it. You still have much to contribute and I look forward to continuing to work with you albeit in different capacity.

I congratulate you on your long and distinguished service to the Parliament and people of Australia.

I turn to the fantastic Senator Joyce. What do you say about Senator Joyce in the short time that we have? In the time that I have been in this place Senator Joyce has demonstrated, as other speakers have said tonight, what can only be described as a uniquely flamboyant style. It is one that will be greatly missed from here. Senator Joyce will not recall, but, when I was senator elect, I had the honour of having dinner with my colleagues on a Wednesday night at a restaurant in Kingston. I did not know anybody other than Senator Cormann. I was seated next to—low and behold—the famous Barnaby Joyce. I had heard about Barnaby, but I had not had the pleasure of meeting him. All I can say is your warmth towards me and your enthusiasm in relation to me becoming a senator for Western Australia I will never forget, and I thank you for welcoming me with such open arms.

Barnaby, there is no doubt that you have worked with great distinction and flair. I too considered my comments before Mr Windsor's announcement earlier on today. I believe all of our comments in relation to the decision you made to leave this place and to take, without a doubt, what is going to go down in history as one of the most courageous decisions a politician has ever made shows this chamber, the people of Australia and, in particular, the people of New England that, without a doubt, you are a man of principle, a man of integrity and a man who is not afraid of a challenge. That will stand you well when you go to the other place. Barnaby, you do not take the easy path in life. You are a man who is prepared to fight for what you believe in, even when there is no guarantee of success, and, prior to Mr Windsor's announcement today, I think we all knew there was no guarantee of success in relation to the fight in New England. But the mere fact that you were prepared to take on that fight commands the respect of all of us in this chamber, and, in particular, the respect of the people of New England.

Barnaby, you are a conviction politician, there is no two ways about that. As someone who sat beside you on the opposite side of the chamber on the vote on the emissions trading scheme in 2010 and was part of a team that ultimately changed the course that this country was going down at the time, I say to you that, whatever happens in the future, there are some bonds that just cannot be broken. Crossing the floor in this chamber with you and the other senators whose names are forever recorded in Hansard on a great matter of principle is one of those bonds. As you leave this place to go to the other place, I remind you of some of the words of Kipling that you quoted in your maiden speech:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

…   …   …

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!

Good luck, my friend.