Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker on indulgence: if I my add some brief words to the acclamation to the Father of the House. Christopher Wren's son wrote of him, in St Paul's Cathedral, 'Si monumentum requiris, circumspice', which translates: 'If you seek his monument, look around you.' Philip Ruddock's family is here—Heather, his daughters and his grandchildren—and you see the love of that family. That, indeed, is a great monument. But there is a larger monument that Philip Ruddock has built. We are the most successful multicultural society in the world. It is the work of millions. It is the work of all Australians. But there is no Australian who has served in this parliament, who has done more to create that great success—the world's greatest multicultural society—than Philip Ruddock, and we salute him.

We salute you in your modesty. You have spoken to us—you could have taken up all the time until the budget—and almost all of your speech, with characteristic modesty, was about the thanks you owe to others. We thank you, Philip Ruddock. Thank you for your service to Australia.

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