Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to add my remarks to these end-of-year statements. It has been an intense and demanding parliamentary year, but at this stage it is worth remembering and pausing to think about why we are all here. Every one of us, regardless of where we sit in this place, has been given an extraordinary privilege by the Australian people. When we walk through the door as new members of parliament, we come here with our hearts filled with hope, determination and strength, because we do want to make Australia a better place. While we have different philosophies about how that should happen, we all come together in this common purpose. It is indeed an extraordinary privilege. Representing the communities that we all do—150 across this country—is an honour that I know none of us takes for granted. I want to acknowledge that fundamental truth to begin with.

To the Prime Minister: can I thank you for your remarks and for the courtesies that you have extended across the aisle over the year. We don't agree on a lot, but the ability to engage constructively in the national interest, required very much by our democracy, is appreciated by me. I wish you, Jodie and Nathan a safe and peaceful Christmas.

To the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party—who hasn't made it back after the suspension—I thank him for his hard work as deputy. I thank the Manager of Opposition Business, the member for Mitchell, for his energy and support. I thank, of course, the deputy manager, the member for Page. In particular, I thank the Leader of the Nationals for forming the strong coalition that we have throughout this year and for our joint purpose and effort—

An opposition member: Stronger than ever.

I like that—stronger than ever. I thank you, DLP. I thank the whips, who are often not seen and often not heard but incredibly effective. I thank the member for Casey, who is universally incredibly respected—perhaps not yet feared as much as he should be. Member for Casey, that will come! I thank the member for Fadden, who manages the Federation Chamber like clockwork—my appreciation to you. I thank the member for Bowman, who keeps everybody in check every day and is much needed by me and the team.

I thank, in the other place, the extraordinary Senator Cash—who is unwell but very much still engaged in the business of the other place—Senator Ruston and Senator Duniam, who are absolutely invaluable in a chamber that the Prime Minister and I would agree is something of a mystery but nevertheless very important for our democracy.

I also acknowledge my colleagues in the Liberal Party party room—every single one of you. Thank you for your hard work, your conviction and your good humour throughout the highs and the lows of this year.

To my crossbench colleagues: I note that while we often differ sharply in policy, I value the civility and the conversations that we have had and the things we do have in common, because all members have things in common. The diversity of perspectives in this parliament is a reminder of the strength of our democracy. We vote every three years, but we are Australians every single day.

I acknowledge the people who keep this place functioning. When we have a late night in our office, we often see them quietly moving about the corridors, doing incredible work: the clerks; the attendants; the Serjeant-at-Arms and her staff; all of the parliamentary staff who work long hours so we can do our jobs; and the AFP, who protect us and our families with professionalism and kindness. Thank you. It's a service that is never taken lightly.

I acknowledge my own staff, led by my chief of staff, Dean Shachar, and every single one of my staff—because we say that it doesn't matter where you sit in the office; you're equally important. You might be the smiling face when the doors open in the morning or you might be the person who very rarely comes out of the area where you work, but you're still contributing, and it is not easy. So, I thank all of my staff. I thank my electorate staff, led by the incredibly capable Nicki Waldron, and my staff in Griffith as well, led by Sally Argent-Smith. Being an electorate officer is often no fun at all. You feel as if you're between a priest and a doctor. You don't know who's going to walk through the door, but you're always representing your member and your member's interests. It is a very important role. Sometimes, when our electorate looks to parliament, it seems like all the excitement and all the action is here—maybe some days it is—but I never miss an opportunity to say a very deep thank you to the people who work in our electorate offices.

Above all, I want to thank and acknowledge the families of all of our members—our spouses and partners, children and loved ones. They carry a heavy burden so that we can be here. We miss milestones. They live with uncertainty. They put up with the demands of political life with far more grace than we deserve. To my own family, my three beautiful children, Paul, Georgina and Isabel, the greatest gifts of my life; to my six grandchildren, who I'm looking forward to seeing over Christmas—we get emotional when we talk about our families.

We talk about ourselves a lot in this building, but we should never forget the Australian families who are beyond these hallowed halls who look to us for leadership and support. I always say, at this time of year, that I want to think of Australians who are working hard, who are struggling, who are doing it tough. And I want to I think of the Australians who are in separated families because, for them, Christmas can be pretty bloody awful. We understand that, and we care about that. In terms of the connections that you all can make with people who, for whatever reason, are putting on a brave face over Christmas but you know behind the brave face there's a bit of distress and uncertainty—make sure that you reach out to them.

Of course, to the incredible emergency service workers—our police; our nurses; our doctors; our paramedics; our Defence Force personnel, standing by for so often what we see is an event that they're called out for over Christmas, serving here, serving abroad, unable to come home—and to the volunteers, who come out at Christmas because they know how much they're needed, we owe a debt of gratitude.

Christmas, of course, at its heart is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. To Australians of Christian faith: I wish you a blessed and holy Christmas. And to all Australians, whatever your traditions or your celebrations: I wish you a safe, peaceful and restorative break.

To you, Mr Speaker: I wish you a very merry Christmas. I look forward to returning in 2026, refreshed, energised and ready to continue to serve the people of this great country.

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