Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the government, I extend best wishes from all members of the coalition parties to Senator Rhiannon. Senator Rhiannon, as acknowledged in her valedictory remarks, has a distinctly different world outlook from members of the coalition parties and has a very different ideological perspective. There've been only few and far occasions upon which we've all voted together. Nonetheless, I think I speak for all members of the coalition when I say that we respect the sincerity with which Senator Rhiannon holds her views and we appreciate the way in which she goes about her work and her advocacy for the views and the causes that she holds dear. We particularly acknowledge the kindness, the regard and the consideration that Lee has shown in dealings with members of the coalition parties and indeed with all senators and members, especially through the different committee duties upon which there have been shared assignments.

Whilst Lee and I have been in the Senate together for seven years, I think it was probably during a brief spell of being on JSCEM together, reviewing the conduct of the 2010 election, that I was best able to see, in the early days of her service in the Senate, her approach of regard, consultation, cooperation and seeking to advance issues as best we possibly can, when and where there is agreement.

On behalf of the government and the coalition parties, I thank her for her service to the Parliament of Australia, to the Senate and, in a previous life, to the New South Wales parliament. We extend our best wishes and thanks to Lee's family and friends for their giving of her to serve in these places and to undertake public life, and we wish you, Senator Rhiannon, many, many happy years of continued but hopefully not too successful campaigning in the future!