Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I think about the disappearance of MH370, the continued search for that plane and for the bodies lost and never recovered, for MH17 and the Australian lives lost in that terrible tragedy, the 300 souls who went down in that flight, and the crash site investigation that continues in the most difficult circumstances, where separatists continue to make it difficult for international investigation crews to have access to site. I think about the conflict in Syria with more than three million refugees now living in neighbouring countries and more than six million internally displaced facing winter with no food and no shelter. The World Food Program has had to stop giving vouchers for the month of December. That tiny amount of money that refugees were getting from the world food program was not able to be distributed this month. I think, of course, about the 200,000 people who have died in this conflict so far. I think about the rise of Islamic State and what it means for the Middle East and what it means for our world.

When I speak of these conflicts in the Middle East, I want to think, particularly at this time of year, of our defence personnel who will be serving at this difficult time away from their families, missing their partners and children, but are there for the very good reason of protecting the lives of civilians in the most brutal circumstances. Of course, I refer not just the defence personnel who are serving in the Middle East but those who are serving around the world.

I think of the rebuilding of Gaza, which continues now after the difficulties experienced there this year, and the terrible tragedy that you see in many African nations, the kidnapping of schoolgirls by Boko Haram in Nigeria, which really sparked something in the international community and yet is just one example of the terribly brutality that many people in Nigeria and neighbouring countries are facing, and the Ebola crisis, which has already claimed 5,500 lives.

On the other hand, we have had some terrific successes internationally. I am proud, as the Prime Minister said, of the way that Australia showed itself during the G20 meeting to countries around the world as a developed, sophisticated nation with a developed, sophisticated Brisbane on show for all. I want to congratulate Prime Minister Gillard, Prime Minister Rudd, and Treasurer Wayne Swan for bringing the G20 meeting to Brisbane when they did and for elevating the G20 to the body that it is.

At this time of year, I also want to say a few words about our press gallery friends—those who cover us so enthusiastically in good times and in bad, those at the ABC who have lost their jobs this year, and in particular spare a thought for Peter Greste and his family, a man jailed simply for doing his job, the job that so many in our press gallery do every day, so unjustly detained in Egypt.

Previous speakers have gone through a very comprehensive list of those we should thank in the parliament. So I will do this very quickly: our Clerk, David Elder, and his staff; all of our parliamentary staff; the cleaners Anna, Joy, Maria, Lutzia; the gardeners; the library staff; the Serjeant-at-Arms, Bronwyn Notzon, and her staff; all of our attendants led so ably by Luch; our Hansard staff; parliamentary security staff; the AFP; our wonderful friends at Aussies, who know all our names—incredible; the staff cafeteria; Comcar drivers and travel booking staff—I think I probably spend more time talking to Comcar drivers than I do my own family some weeks, and I always enjoy their company very much. To my colleagues on this side, I want to say that it has been a year of remarkable discipline, cohesion, goodwill and friendship. I want to thank all of you for the support that you have shown Bill Shorten and me. I want to thank Bill for being such a wonderful leader to work with, and his family, Chloe, Georgette, Rupert and Clementine. I wish them a wonderful Christmas, and I am sure that they will be happy to have Bill home a little bit more often than usual. Tony Burke, Penny Wong, Stephen Conroy and the other members of the leadership team, it has been wonderful to work with them, and I wish them and their families a very merry Christmas. I also want to say that all of us rely phenomenally on our staff. This year I am losing a longstanding staff member in Jill Lay, but I have been served exceptionally well by my staff, all of them in the shadow ministerial office and the electorate office. I know that all members of parliament join me in wishing a happy Christmas to their staff and thanking them for their work this year.

All of us are here because we get permission from two groups of people. We get permission from our electorate and they vote for us every three years. They put their faith in us to come and represent their best interests in this parliament. I want to thank all of the community organisations and individual constituents of my electorate who care so passionately about their nation and who contact me a lot to tell me about how they believe we should change our nation for the better. I thank them for their ongoing faith and trust in me—my Labor Party branch members, community groups, schools and others who make that work possible. I want also to thank my family and our families. We choose public life, and we are very lucky if we have partners who support that choice. It is often harder on families than it is on us. They bear the criticisms much more acutely than we do and, for those of us who have kids, I hope our kids miss us as much as we miss them—it is not an easy life for a family to choose. Again, on behalf of all of us, I want to thank our families and wish all on this side and on that side a happy Christmas and New Year.

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