Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

'Chocolate crackles,' I hear on my right, but they are not quite chocolate crackles. Member for Hebert, don't you even know the difference between a fabulous product and a chocolate crackle? I think your education leaves something to be desired. Julie helps us run this very well. Regarding my electorate staff, Steve in policy is just an outstanding individual and Samantha and Michelle keep my office running and support my constituents while I am away. Every member in this House has people who work tirelessly in the service of our community, and that is a great part of what we do—the service for our community. They do a great job.

Deputy Speaker, I thanked you when I first started this speech, but I want to thank all of the deputies and even the new Speaker. I think he has done a particularly sound job in this place. I want to thank not just the Speaker but the Speaker's panel in its entirety. We need to wish all of the families a very happy and safe Christmas. To the Clerk, the Deputy Clerk, the Serjeant-at-Arms, all the deputy serjeants and the clerk assistants: thank you so much for an exemplary service. Every member in this place owes you an enormous vote of thanks for the way in which you do your jobs for each and every one of us. There is a great deal of respect in this place for the work that you do.

There are countless people that I see around here, whether it is those who work in all of the different administrative departments as well as those like Alan, who helps out making sure our offices have all of the equipment that they need, or Bill, who deals with stationery. We have a range of cleaners. We have people who work tirelessly in the bottom part of this building. But I see all these happy, positive faces on a regular basis, and they certainly make our lives so much easier. To every single person, whether it is in Hansard or wherever you are in this place: you provide an extraordinary service not just to the parliament but to our nation.

Every day I come in here quite early. Inevitably, when I come in in the morning I look up and see that beautiful flag, and every day I get a shiver. All of us who are here are helping with the democratic process in this wonderful country that is Australia. It does not get any better than that. Every day, no matter which side of politics we sit on in this place, it is a privilege to be here for each one of us, and we get to make amazing decisions for this nation. I thank every member of this House for all of their work not just here but in their electorates, and I really want to acknowledge our families. As each member knows, it is our families who make huge sacrifices. It is being acknowledged constantly but, as has been said previously, we are the ones who put our hands up. We are the volunteers, in a sense; they are the conscripts. It can be a very tough job for them.

I wish every member a very happy, healthy and safe break. I have just been to the lifesavers of Australia event. Thousands of lifesavers around our beaches and a whole range of community volunteers in emergency services will be called on over this period of the break. They will do an extraordinary amount of work. I refer to the fires last year in the southern part of my electorate. There were over 100,000 volunteer hours for that particular fire—an extraordinary contribution. I wish every member of this House, all of the staff, everyone who helps to make this work, a very happy and safe break over the Christmas period. I really look forward to seeing all of you again in the new year. I hope it is a very happy one, and I look forward to seeing every member at that time. Frank, if you are watching: have a wonderful Christmas. Buon Natale.

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