Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

There is often from commentators a fair bit of cynicism about these speeches at the end of the year, where people misread them and think the fact that we say nice things about each other and then go back into debate with a fair bit of passion is somehow a contradiction; it is not. As you have said yourself, Madam Speaker, on many occasions: it is right and proper in this place that when we argue, we argue hard. We have pretty much as many different views as exist in our nation within this building. They all seem to find their way in here, one way or the other. And it is right and proper that there is a debate where people passionately bring that to a head. It does not change the fact that we genuinely wish each other well at a personal level and it does not change the fact that the speeches which are given today are given in good faith—notwithstanding what might happen and is probably very likely to happen in this room only a couple of hours from now.

Madam Speaker, 2014 is your first year as Speaker and my first full calendar year as Manager of Opposition Business. I think we have both worked very hard on each other's profile this year, and with a good deal of success. What people will not be aware of, though, for all the battles we have had on procedure at different times is that when it comes to a personal level—and in various ways many people would know this has been a particularly difficult year for me in some ways—that none of that has ever translated to the arguments here, within the chamber. The genuine good will you have shown outside of the chamber has been appreciated, not only by me but by all members in various ways. I have said that privately; it is important to say that publicly as well. The member for Chifley, I know, does recommend the introduction of a video referee in parliament. As the patron of the Canterbury Bulldogs, having had to put up with everyone cheering for South Sydney during the year, I found it does not really make that much difference whether we have a video referee or not. I would love to back in the member for Chifley but find myself unable to do so.

I acknowledge the work of all the presiding officers—the Deputy Speaker, the Second Deputy Speaker and the other members of the Speaker's panel. With the Leader of the House, I appreciate the recognition that he has given to my office and, in particular, to Ewan Kelly. I return the acknowledgement to John Bathgate for the work that comes from the Leader of the House's office. There are many times when we do not let each other know what we are doing; but, when we do, it is always straight and it has always been honoured. If there has been a moment when someone from either side has started to broach the breaking of one of those agreements, it has been fixed relatively quickly, which I think is important.

I should add that the Leader of the House is alone among the members of this House who I have thought of in terms of what I should buy him for Christmas. There is a reason for this. Many who watch the talking pictures segment of Insiders would be aware of the work of Mike Bowers. He is not allowed to take the photographs in the Senate during divisions that he is able to take here. To our credit, under the new parliament, we got rid of the satire rules and freed things up a lot. The parliament has been the better for it. The Senate has not made all of those same changes. Mike Bowers has had to resort to building a Lego model of the Senate.

He is currently building a Lego model of the House. In order to be of assistance, I understand that members are allowed, if they provide their own Lego piece, to choose who they will be in the new House of Representatives. For myself, I decided Han Solo was about as flattering as a Lego figure could be. I have found for the Leader of the House a police officer character where you can choose a happy face or a grumpy face. I have chosen the grumpy face at the moment. Madam Speaker thankfully has not noted that they are both sitting on the front bench over there at the moment, side-by-side. They will be finding their way across to Mike Bowers to be part of the chamber that he is building.

The work that is done by the whips and their teams on both sides in keeping parliament working is impressive and has a similar relationship of honesty and trust to the way the parliament works with the Leader of the House and myself. I want to acknowledge the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. When the Leader of the House refers to the challenges that people would feel over the previous parliament, certainly there has been an extraordinary level of unity that we have found on my side of politics that we were not blessed with the same way for much of our period on the government benches. I want to acknowledge the work of Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek in building that unity. I should probably also acknowledge those opposite. At times, they have helped with the unity of our side as well, in a fairly direct way! I would also acknowledge my deputy in this role, the member for Isaacs.

Of course, it is impossible to give one of these speeches without acknowledging the role of the clerks. It is interesting that the people who are listening in probably have no understanding at all of why the praise is so strong. But the work of David Elder, Claressa Surtees and the Serjeant-at-Arms, Bronwyn Notzon, is extraordinary, honest and trusted. I think the clerks are probably the only section of the Commonwealth government and any of its institutions that has never leaked and they probably have the best stories to tell. It is a real tribute to their professionalism. I thank the attendants, the Hansard staff, the Parliamentary Library, everyone at Aussies, the COMCAR staff and the wonderful cleaners.

I will simply add to the words that have been said on a number of occasions already about our personal staff. My personal staff, to my surprise, have turned up in the House for this. I am grateful to see them all there. There are many times away from home when your personal staff are your only point of trusted reference at different moments. They are right there on the best and worst days when we are here. I want to acknowledge the role my personal staff have played. I also want to acknowledge a thought that was given last night by the Leader of the Opposition at another function. He also acknowledged that we always talk about our family life and the pressure on them. Many of our staff have very, very similar pressures and extended times away from home. It is important that we be mindful of that as well.

There is a new group that has found its way into participating in the work of the parliament that we never used to have to acknowledge, because they did not exist. I do think it is worth acknowledging the change that we have had with social media. It has now been an extraordinary way for members of the public to participate, to comment, to cheer, to scream and to have every sort of reaction in a way that reaches quite personally to each and every one of us. The power of that, if it was ever seen, was seen by the simple action not long ago of Paul Taylor with a cricket bat. We now have a world where we do not only go via the media in order to get messages out. The acts of an individual citizen can inspire a nation and can find their way all the way around the world. In that, I acknowledge that it is a difficult year for many in the media. The job losses have continued to be a challenge for many people there and it is always felt when people are seeing the job at risk, even though no-one is arguing that they have done anything but the best professional work.

In conclusion, in acknowledging my electorate, I am obviously grateful for the opportunity to be here. But there is also an interesting thing that I have always seen in my part of Sydney, being not just a multicultural but a multi-religious community. Australia, thankfully, has never gone down the path of the United States when it comes to trying to make sure that we do not offend any religion by pretending to celebrate nothing. I have never understood why the United States ended up with the key phrase only being 'happy holidays', even though for each different faith there are celebrations that are happening at different times that have a much deeper meaning. But if what someone is celebrating is a holiday, then by all means it is the appropriate term.

But just as my friends and people in my electorate will wish me a happy Eid and just as colleagues within the parliament will wish me a happy Hanukkah, I hope we never stop short of being willing to offer a sincere wish when it is something that we believe passionately in and something that we hold dear. I will extend quite directly and honestly, in that same spirit, all the best for a merry Christmas.

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