Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise tonight to pay tribute to Senator Cory Bernardi as he ends the circle in the same way that he came into this place: in fine form and with great distinction.

In 2006, I was just a member of the Liberal Party. We had our WA state conference—Senator Cormann will know this well—and the guest speaker for our state conference, which is always a very privileged position to have, was a person called Mr Cory Bernardi. He was from South Australia, the great state, and he was coming to address us—he was a federal vice-president of our party at the time—in relation to conviction politics. I didn't know much about Mr Cory Bernardi at the time, but I do remember that there was a buzz of excitement as this person walked into the room. He was tall, he was dark—and I believe Cory has often said, 'And I'm also handsome.' So yes, Cory: tall, dark and handsome.