Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, as you know, the Australian Senate is one of the greatest democratic intuitions in the world and it has been my absolute privilege to be elected to this place. I thank all those who have given me this incredible opportunity—the people of Queensland, especially of the North; and the Australian Labor Party, its members and affiliates.

I also thank my family. The sacrifices that our families make to allow us to do the jobs we do are huge, and so I thank all my family, but particularly my daughter Alice and my partner Bradley.

And to undertake this role I have been supported by so many. I want to place on record my thanks to all the Senate staff; to Rosemary Laing, and before her Harry Evans, and all your team, including our attendants. You are incredibly talented, thoughtful and defend this institution to the hilt—my thanks. I thank all those in the library, Senate services, our cleaners, our gardeners, the COMCAR drivers—you make this job so much easier.

The Senate's committee structure sets this institution apart from other houses of parliament. Our Senate committees do great work and lead the national debate in many circumstances. I am particularly proud of the inquiry I instigated into Australia's system of services for people with a disability. The committee recommended that we put in place the National Disability Strategy and laid the early work for what we now know as the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

When Senator Andrew Murray brought his reference about people who had been institutionalised as children to the Community Affairs Committee when I was the chair, I was nervous we would not be able to provide a resolution to the issues that came before us. But the groundbreaking and nationally significant report—Forgotten Australianshas changed people's lives and continues to resonate today.

It is said that the best work of the Senate is when we deal with issues of conscience, when strongly-held views can be debated with dignity and respect. Such was the case when we dealt with the complex issues around stem cell research and removing the ban on the use of RU486. In all those debates, it was notable that it was the women of the Senate who took the leadership roles.

Mr President, I have spoken earlier about my work with the disability sector. This work—both in opposition, as the shadow minister, and then in government—when I had the absolute privilege to work with one of Labor's greats, Jenny Macklin, has been extremely satisfying. I can leave this place knowing that the broken and discriminatory service system is progressively being replaced with the NDIS—a scheme which values people for what they can do and engages them to be productive members of society.

I want to place on record my thanks to all the people with disabilities, their families, carers and advocates, without whose energy and perseverance, we would not have been able to bring into being this monumental reform. And so I say to the government: do not let people with disabilities down.

Another legacy that will sustain is the work we did in government to reform the organ and tissue donation system in our country. Again, it is due to the urging of the transplantation advocates that we were able to make the enormous changes that have resulted in so many more Australians who have been able to receive a transplanted organ which has improved and, in some cases, saved their lives.

Australia's health system is a complex one. Working across states and territories, and the public and private sector was no small task. I must place on record my admiration of the skill and talents of Australia's Public Service. We are served extremely well.

Mr President, in my first speech I noted that that 'bleaching could become a regular occurrence on the Great Barrier Reef by the year 2030 resulting from a rise in ocean temperature of just one degree.' Unfortunately, I was right. In the past few months we have seen the worst coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef yet recorded, particularly in the northern sector from Port Douglas to the Torres Strait and into the Coral Sea. As scientists from James Cook University, AIMS, the University of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority have been at pains to point out, bleached coral is not the same as dead coral. We all hope that many of the affected areas will recover. It will be months before the extent of the damage is known; nevertheless, scientists fear significant mortality in the northern sector.

The impact of the interaction of El Nino and climate change has shocked and saddened so many of us. We have known for decades that this is a real threat. Just how many warnings do we need? So, Mr President, one of my saddest days in the Senate was when the Greens, for the second time, refused to support our carbon emissions trading scheme, the CPRS. We well remember the integrity of the two Liberal senators who crossed the floor to support that initiative. Though the CPRS had its flaws, it would have established a comprehensive emissions trading scheme to underpin Australia tackling our disproportionate contribution, per capita, of global carbon emissions. The price of the Greens political party's holier than thou approach was to provide succour to the denial of the science of climate change and gave license to the preposterous and dishonest scare campaign that we saw from Mr Abbott and the coalition.

A cap-and-trade mechanism to drive real carbon will happen. It is inevitable. It is absolutely necessary. Direct Act is an inefficient and woefully inadequate response to the challenge. Australia has lost time. We have lost investment momentum in renewables and we have lost international respect. Many other countries have dealt with this responsibly and calmly, and I know that a Shorten Labor government will do just that.

Another personal disappointment for me is the dallying that we have seen around the question of marriage equality. The parliament has not done its job to reflect the momentum for change that has built in our community. I am fearful of the hurt that may well result from the holding of a referendum. Please think of those young people who are dealing with questions of their sexuality who are vulnerable to hurtful words that may be spoken in the heat of a debate that, frankly, we do not need to have. And so I say, vote Labor and we will bring on the vote.

I am very fortunate to live in Far North Queensland, and I work with a diverse community. In my first speech I talked of the circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and expressed hope for improvements in their quality of life and prospects. I am sad to say that the gap across all measures has not closed at all enough. I encourage you all to increase our efforts to improve the lot of the first Australians. I acknowledge in the chamber Mayor Fred Gela from the Torres Strait Regional Authority. Fred, it is a real privilege to have you and your councillors here.

Over the years I have been supported by fabulous staff both in my electorate office in Cairns and in Canberra when we were in government and. In the Labor Party they are renowned and rightly carry the title of Team Awesome—albeit self-titled. So I thank every one of you and all my staff over the years, including Heather, who is in the gallery today, for the work you have done and for your dedication to the work of the office but, most particularly, for your dedication to the people we serve—those whose voice is less loud and less heard.

Colleagues and friends, I wish you all the very best and I look forward to welcoming a Shorten Labor government.

Opposition senators: Hear, hear!