Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've just got a little bit of work to do, Members, before we leave. Before I call the Leader of the House and the Prime Minister and do the Leader of the Opposition—for all of us to do the end-of-year comments—I just want to inform the House that present in the press gallery today is Steve Quick, who's retiring after almost four decades in the federal press gallery, remarkably working for the same company, Channel 7, for his entire career. Steve began his career as a camo in 1988 at Old Parliament House, working his way up to eventually run the Channel 7 bureau at Parliament House alongside his colleague Mark Riley. I understand that Steve is highly respected by his colleagues in the press gallery, and will be greatly missed. On behalf of the House and all members, I thank Steve for his service and wish him all the best for his retirement.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—Can I join with you, Mr Speaker. We had Steve Quick, along with his colleagues from the gallery, at the Lodge last night, and there his colleagues got me to present him with the work they had done putting together a compendium of handwritten messages expressing their love, in some cases, for Steve and for the extraordinary work that he has done. Steve has been in the gallery since 1988. He has been at Seven the entire time, which is quite an advertisement for Seven, it must be said, when you have that longevity and consistency with one employer. I know that, in that time, he has trained his camera on nine prime ministers, and he has covered 13 election campaigns and around 40 budgets, in different ways, across that period. I think, after all that, Steve has well and truly earned a wonderful retirement.

One of the things about the pictures and the coverage that go into the lounge rooms, or the still pictures in newspapers, is that quite often the operators don't get seen. This is unlike Mark Riley, of course, who is the most prominent of the Channel 7 presenters. However, the work that they do behind the scenes is just as important. One of the things that I've found is the unequivocal courtesy and respect that every single camera operator in this building has, whether they be the still photographers or the people who shoot moving pictures and record us. They are incredibly dignified in the way that they conduct themselves. They are always there before the press conferences, because they're the ones who set them up, and they leave afterwards. When everyone else—the people in front of the camera and the people asking the questions—has gone, they're still there. And they are then going to the studios to make sure that the pictures make sense and to put it all together.

Steve: I pay tribute to you, mate, and I thank you for the work you have done and the engagement I have had with you. I also think this tribute symbolises the respect held by all of us in this Chamber for the people behind the cameras.

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

on indulgence—Thank you, Steve. I popped up to the bureau to say a personal thank you to Steve Quick earlier today. I did notice that he had a Liberal mug on his desk with 'Stronger Economy, Stronger Coffee' written on it—which I thought was very appropriate, and I associate myself with the mug.

I also made the very good points that the Prime Minister has just made, which is that we see the journalists and we relate to the journalists, but we don't often appreciate the incredible work that is done by the cameramen and camerawomen. Steve shared with me that he's going to spend a bit more time on his hobby farm close to Canberra and look forward to retirement, but I suggested that he had a lot of wisdom that could probably be passed on to another generation, and we look forward to seeing it, in some configuration, back in the building.