Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I know you withdrew. It would have only enhanced my reputation had you not withdrawn, Senator Arbib. Despite your very brief television acting career, which is something that we do have in common—and I will tell you about that privately afterwards—I would merely say that we probably both have a face for radio, and leave it at that.

Mark, your time here has been all too brief, and I say that genuinely because you are one of the people who has made an impact in this place. You have been very effective within your party in shaping how your party has developed, for good and for bad. You have also been very effective in your portfolios and you have taken them really seriously. In our conversations we have talked about a number of things, but we both have a passion for sport and I know the sporting bodies right around the country, both elite and grassroots sport, really appreciated you being their sports minister because they told me so. They said, 'Mark Arbib's not a bad fellow.' That is what I said, actually—that was as good as it got! No, they said you are a good sports minister. You have been a good sports minister, and sport appreciated it, so if you follow that path later on I know you will do a great job.

I will miss the engagement in question time—not that I interject in question time, of course, Mr President! It was always an effort to try and find a chink in that armour to get under your skin, Mark. Maybe once or twice I managed to do it, but you shrugged it off with good grace. You always laughed and you always had a smile. That was the best thing about it: you took your business here really seriously but you never took yourself too seriously, from our perspective. I admire that and I really appreciate it.

I wish you all the best, whatever you do. I hope you get to spend a lot more time with your family. I hope they are happy to have you home. Maybe you will want to make a comeback here—after four years or so they might want you to make a comeback, Mark, you never know! Honestly, I wish you every success. I thank you for your contribution to the parliament. We have had lots of arguments over many things but we share many things in common as well, and a commitment to the betterment of Australia. Good luck!