Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, it is the end of what has been an extraordinary parliamentary year. It has been the most challenging of years—certainly that I can recall in my time in this place, and we have seen many things occur over those 14½ years. It's a time where individuals working in this building and those who have worked here have been challenged, perhaps more than any other time, and have challenged us, and rightly so.

I want to begin my remarks tonight by acknowledging survivors of bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault and abuse through this parliament, through parliamentary workplaces and right across the country. It's a year in which their heroic voices have been heard, in which changes and actions have been taken that are so necessary to occur and in which I trust and hope that all have learned to listen a little harder, think a little more and ultimately ensure their behaviour meets appropriate standards. Yesterday when I addressed coalition staff I said to them that they should all show respect and expect respect. That is something we should all take out of this year as we move forward in terms of the lessons from this year. We should ensure that all act in such a way.

It's a year where the country has continued to be challenged, not just by distressing stories but also by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We started this year, I think, with great optimism, prior to the delta variant striking, becoming the dominant strain and having impacts across nations all around the world. In this city it had an impact that had not yet been seen in relation to COVID-19 and caused a prolonged lockdown here in Canberra, as it did across Sydney and Melbourne. That had particular repercussions for many of the people upon whom we rely: the people who run and operate this parliament across parliamentary services, the people in COMCAR, the people in all the parliamentary departments and other departments of state across Canberra who had to keep the wheels of government and the wheels of parliament turning—notwithstanding the dramatically changed circumstances in which they worked and changed circumstances that become ever more challenging as they dealt with both the personal and the professional challenges of COVID, of lockdowns, of restrictions and of working from home whilst also, in the case of places like this, needing to facilitate at least a physical presence as well.

I do pay enormous tribute to all across the parliament, particularly those in this chamber and the Department of the Senate; the Clerk and his team; and all of those in DPS and the other services of the parliament who have had to respond—as they did last year, but perhaps with even greater challenges this year—and ensure that through the oddities of remote participation the safety and conduct of the Senate could continue and that we could deliver the type of certainty that Australians expect. They've done that, of course, alongside some changes in leadership as well—a new President and a new Speaker.

Mr President, again I congratulate you and thank you for the manner in which you have assumed this office, as I thank your predecessor, former Senator Ryan. It was such a delight to see him once more this morning. We continue to salute his service to this parliament, particularly his service to this chamber as its presiding officer.

This place works with cooperation, convention and the ability to put our differences aside when required. I thank my opposite number, Senator Wong, her leadership team and colleagues, as I do Senator Waters, Senator Hanson and all of those across the crossbench. We all have to find the means to be able to engage from time to time to get things done. We need to cooperate and put aside differences.

We've seen challenges in terms of conduct in this place. That is something that all senators need to reflect upon. If there is a pledge people can make for 2022, it is to enter this parliament, and this chamber in particular, with the fiercest and strongest of arguments for the battle of ideas, not with the personal derogations or sledges that undermine those arguments.

Mr President, as you well know, I am blessed with a fantastic team that support me: my deputy leader, Senator Cash; our manager of business, Senator Ruston; her deputy manager of business, Senator Duniam; the Leader of the Nationals in the Senate, Senator McKenzie; our Chief Government Whip, Senator Dean Smith; his longstanding deputy now, Senator McGrath; a newer deputy—who replaced you, Mr President—Senator Chandler; and the Nationals Whip, Senator Davey. You all help to make sure that in this place I can have confidence that the government's agenda is being pursued and interests upheld and that the team is working as it should without the need for me to be here breathing down everybody's neck every minute and every second of the day. I thank you all very much for that and for the confidence I can have in what you do. You should all be very proud of what we have managed to achieve.

We are each blessed with some wonderful staff who help us get the job done. I thank all of the staff of every senator, but I do single mine out a little more. I want to thank my chief of staff, Rachael Thompson, who has been with me from the moment I was appointed a minister back in 2015. She has been my chief of staff through a number of portfolios. She does an incredible job not just leading my team but providing incredible support to so many. I also single out Loretta Sist in my office, who has been with me from day one as a senator, which was 14½ years ago, particularly for her work while I held the Special Minister of State portfolio through some very challenging times and when supporting other staff across this building was so essential. I can see the two guys sitting in the advisors box—Mamms and Jono. They are well-known around this chamber. They are incredibly important for the operation of the chamber, as are all of my team and all of your teams. We owe our staff that support and respect.

Next year will be an election year. Of course, we will go into battle in our great democracy to see which side of this chamber we come back to sit on. We are fortunate to live in a country where that battle will be done and had peacefully. Australians will have their say at the ballot box in a manner in which ultimately we can, will and must all have confidence in the result. We saw in the last 12 months what happens when people undermine aspects of that democracy. We need to make sure that we speak as one as democratically elected officials with that confidence in our democratic processes as we head to that election.

As we all prepare for the election, I wish everybody across the chamber all the best—not so much for the election but in the rest of your preparations. I particularly encourage everybody outside of the coalition to take a very long and restful break over the Christmas and new year period.

Everyone has earnt and needs a break during this time. I do hope, Senator Wong—as I am watching you now—that next year when we come back, COVID-19 can enable us to take down the perspex, to have people back in their normal seats and to go back to having glasses of water, which I am sure are more environmentally friendly than these bottles. And I too have had many bottles where I keep twisting the lid and it just doesn't open, which can be very frustrating at times!

But, seriously, to all who celebrate the spirit of Christmas: a very, very merry Christmas. To all across the chamber: please take the time to be with your loved ones. We sacrifice an enormous amount in these jobs, as do many in our teams—being away from our loved ones. For those who had long periods of quarantine during the course of these sittings and so on, it's been an added strain on those loved ones. Take that time and have a very happy new year, and I look forward to seeing you all back for battle, in the most respectful of ways, in 2022.