Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I want to pay tribute to all my colleagues who are leaving this place. Senator Helen Kroger—I called her by the Greek name, Eleni—and I have had a good friendship. I still owe her a yiros at Yianni's Yiros on Hindley Street, so I hope she can take me up on that when she is next in Adelaide. She has done a great job as Chief Government Whip and she has made a significant contribution to this place. I wish her all the very best.

Senator Mark Furner is the quintessential good bloke—a decent bloke. We worked together on committees and I genuinely wish him well in terms of his potential future career as a state member of parliament.

In relation to Senator Don Farrell, I am genuinely disappointed that he will not be back in this place. That reflects, as it does in respect of Senator Kroger, the voting system we have. There is a need for some genuine reform in our voting system—the will of the people was not directly reflected at the last election. It was, in a sense, subverted by a bizarre preference system that I think needs some reform—a reform that should not go against minor parties and Independents having a fair go. Back in 2001 Senator Farrell was the man, along with Robert Atkins, who saved 1,500 jobs in Harris Scarfe in South Australia. He made a significant contribution then, and, having worked with him, I am sure the fact that he will not be returning here will be a real loss to this place. It was a real loss to the people of South Australia that he did not get an opportunity to be the member for Napier, for a number of bizarre reasons. He is a Labor stalwart and he deserved to be the member for Napier, and he could have made a contribution to public life through the state parliament. I respect his contribution enormously.