Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

on indulgence—It gives me great pleasure to rise and to also express my thanks predominantly to Warren as my boss but also to Andrew as my colleague. Most politicians note Shakespeare's advice:

There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.

Warren has taken the political voyage for which the benefit has not been so much for himself but for all of us. Lyn, his devoted wife, has been on this journey every step and for every iteration.

Warren has personified decency, self-control, attention to detail, leadership, strength and has carved a path for his constituency through the annals of our recent parliament. Warren has delivered by acumen more than brute force, and the people of South Burnett and Wide Bay in Queensland can call him a favoured son of their land, who has returned that favour with honourable public service.

From the turmoil of the demise of the halcyon days of the Joh Bjelke-Petersen era, Warren was instrumental in reconciliation and rebuilding, without compromising his political faith. Widely respected and to a greater degree by those who know him well and to a greater extent by those who work with him, he has managed to deal with the divergent forces which can often tear at the fabric of any coalition. But Warren also did not shy from the fights and the internal opprobrium that he had to absorb on issues such as the single desk, live exports and ensuring that foreign investment is in our national interest. He was responsible for one of the first major appropriations on the Inland Rail between Melbourne and Brisbane and the start of Badgery's Creek. He has dealt with the trials and tribulations of MH370 and, in the past, issues such as the Cormo Express.

As part of the shadow cabinet in 1994—by far the longest serving minister in cabinet—he has the laurels of a person who has exceptional parliamentary talent and all that that requires. The question that is only fairly asked by the public—and they should know—is: what are these talents? For Warren I believe it is his Lutheran attitude to detail. It means that Warren does not 'wing it'. If he gets the file, he reads the file. He will read yours as well. He does not rise to the bait of the personal barb. Find me the person who says that he knows the time when Warren was not a gentleman in his words, his conduct and his actions and I will say that you are talking to someone who is making it up and obviously does not know Warren. This is an exceptional trait. As so many people fall off the dignified pedestal to become cranky and bitter, Warren has never, ever done this. Warren's capacity to hold a confidence is legendary. As we have said, there are probably three people who know what Warren is thinking on sensitive issues: Warren, his wife and his God. Part of the National Party lexicon is that sometimes you wonder if he tells God!

The taciturn nature that comes from this man—a man who grew up on the land, making his way with his hands and dealing with the providence of the soil, building an agricultural lifestyle, with service to the district in his positions on the local council at Kingaroy and farming groups, being a strong member of his local church community—means that the formation of Warren Errol Truss is one of pragmatism, diligence, with strong and abiding core values and a commitment to family and this nation through many things, including public service. So, Warren and Lyn, Andrew and Maureen: the boy from Kumbia, the boy from a family of nine children in Epping in Victoria, have proven once more today that it is not so much how you ride the horse but how you dismount that is remembered in the political annals.

When I was over in the US with the member for Blaxland—before I came into politics—I asked whether Abraham Lincoln, from a log cabin in Hardin, Kentucky, would make it today in the United States. It was a salutary statement that they said: 'Probably not. The political dynamic has changed.' But we still should be proud, incredibly proud, in this nation that the Deputy Prime Minister came from Kumbia, that the Minister for Trade came from Epping—that this is the nation that we have. We are not owned by major political donors. We are not owned by major political forces. It is the greatest nation on earth that allows people to progress through the social stratification of our nation to hold one of the premier offices in our nation.

I said to the National Party just prior to coming here that Warren will quite obviously for our party be in the pantheon of the great leaders. We pride ourselves on stability. We pride ourselves on the fact that in 100 years we have had 12 leaders. Each one of those leaders and the ones that stand out are known for a special trait. For 'Black Jack' McEwen, it was obviously toughness. For Earle Page, it was his tenaciousness and cunning. For Anthony, it was his strength. But for Truss—and he certainly belongs there—it is not a mimic. It is not something that is put up blindly. Truss has something that is unique to everyone else. When they think of Truss, they will think of decency—a decent man, a gentle man, a good man. For Andrew Robb, I pity the next person who has to be compared to you in the trade portfolio.

To both: you have been an adornment to our nation. I wish you all the best and may you spend the rest of your years—and may there be many of them—in the company of your wife, your family, and always spare a thought for what further service you can deliver to us. All the best, and God bless.

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