Get Involved - Parliament

Christmas Felicitations

Published on: November 2022

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-129892

Christmas Felicitations

Debate resumed from an earlier hour.

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) (18:30:05):

In the same way that Independent members have been bringing adversaries together in this Chamber for some years, so too does the harmonious joy of the Christmas period. Before I go on, I send the best of wishes to our communities in regional New South Wales, who are doing things particularly tough right now. We stand with you, and we stand with your representatives in this House to do whatever we can to assist, as we have always done as a community. In particular, I mention the member for Barwon, the member for Murray, the member for Orange and the member for Wagga Wagga on the crossbench, whose communities are doing it particularly tough at this time.

I also acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, and member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, who I believe has seen more flood‑stricken communities around New South Wales this year than any of us can believe or would like her to have to. You have been a credit to this Parliament in you ministerial role, and I thank you. I also acknowledge the larger-than-life Minister for Health, and member for Wakehurst, Brad Hazzard. We will not forget your efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and the decisions you have made that undoubtedly saved thousands of lives. Brad, you will be missed. I thank and acknowledge the member for Balmain, Jamie Parker, who will be leaving this Parliament. I have enjoyed our friendship and collaboration, and I know that is a common, if not unanimous, sentiment across this House. Jamie, congratulations on all that you have been able to achieve during your time here. You have left this place much better than it was.

The past year has been an extraordinary one for me and the crossbench—which has grown remarkably, I must say. We just draw people like moths to a flame; the crossbench just grows. I must thank the many people who are critical to our ability to represent our communities. In my case, I start with the people of Lake Macquarie, who by definition make my job what it is. I am sure that goes also for the communities in the electorates of Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Murray, Balmain, Newtown, Ballina, Orange and Barwon. We are proud of our communities and all strive to serve them as best we can. I am not here to speak for my friends in The Greens, and I will be listening to the member for Newtown soon as she gives her felicitations.

On that note, we thank the Government and the Opposition for working with us on various endeavours, and we look forward to continuing that when we hopefully return in the fifty-eighth Parliament next year. To Premier Dom Perrottet and Opposition leader Chris Minns, I thank you and wish you well for your respective campaigns over the next months. I personally thank my friend and colleague the member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich—he was not expecting this—who, with our staff Jason Gordon and Tammie Nardone headed significant reform this year, most notably the voluntary assisted dying legislation. I thank the many Ministers and members who assisted us with this important reform in New South Wales. I also thank those Ministers and their staff who have helped us meet numerous challenges, as we progressed through the past four years. I must also thank the Government Whip's office, including former Whip Adam Crouch and now Nathaniel Smith. I put a big call-out to Vivienne. I know everybody benefits from Vivienne's assistance.

Leader of the House Alister Henskens and his Opposition counterpart, Ron Hoenig, have been excellent to work with, and they have worked together with us very honourably. However, we all know that the heavy lifting in the Leader's office is done by Thomas Ryan and the lovely Adelaide Cuneo. If they are still keeping their list, they can give themselves another tick each, and one extra for you, Adelaide. To you all, thank you so much.

Nothing here works without the Clerks: Helen Minnican, Carly Maxwell, Simon, Jonathon and John along with all their staff, including Ian Delahunty, Chris, Peter, Monica, Haley, April and Lubo. I thank Mr Speaker for his leadership and the opportunity to serve as part of the Speaker's team, first as a Temporary Speaker then as Assistant Speaker. I wish you all the best in future. The Deputy Speaker Leslie Williams, along with the Temporary Speakers—the member for Sydney, the good member for Upper Hunter who is in the chair, David Layzell, the member for Wallsend and the member for Heathcote—have been exceptional to work with. I thank you. I thank Paul Blanche, who is the Speaker's Chief of Staff, Shu-Feng, and Jodie, who are members of the Speaker's staff. I also wish to acknowledge, of course, the Hansard staff, who do an amazing job and who are just always there, helping us look so much better in the printed record. I wish to thank all our committee staff. I wish to thank security and catering—with a special call-out to Kylie Cook in Café Quorum!

It was brought to my attention earlier that this is in fact my 800th speech to Parliament—not as many as others because I am not as loquacious as others, but I wish to place on record again that, like all my colleagues when dealing with complex issues, my team do a fantastic job, without the resources of a big party machine. I again thank Jason Gordon, Belinda Pevey, Kim Williamson and Alex Freeland, along with Madeleine Mckell and Trudy Craig, who assist, and Dianne Sykes, who retired earlier this year after serving as my Senior Electorate Officer for 15 years. As this year has again shown us, we face some very difficult challenges in coming years, and no doubt unexpected challenges will also emerge. It is indeed my hope that the Fifty-Eighth Parliament is up to meeting those challenges and continuing the spirit of cooperation between the new Government and members of the crossbench. I thank everybody for your friendship.

Mr MARK SPEAKMAN (CronullaAttorney General) (18:36:08):

— By leave: This year has been challenging for many of our citizens. While we hope that the worst of COVID is behind us, let's remember those who have lost loved ones to COVID and those who are still suffering ongoing symptoms. I acknowledge the resilience of the many impacted by the floods and storms that have battered our State this year. I thank the people of the Cronulla electorate, who for nearly 12 years have placed their trust in me to represent them. Public life can be brutal, but to serve as an elected representative of a community is a privilege bestowed on comparatively few.

I thank my dedicated, highly capable, electorate staff: my office manager, Michelle Lawson, and Pete Leate, Claudia Talon and Joel Johnson. All have my back and dedicate themselves to serving the people of Cronulla. The people of New South Wales and I have been blessed by an extraordinary ministerial office team, who are committed to serving the State, increasing access to justice and strengthening support for the vulnerable who come into contact with our justice system. My chief of staff, Cheryl Gwilliam, provides exceptional wisdom and sage advice, informed by her distinguished career across both Federal and State governments. Liz Pearson is my policy director extraordinaire, fearless and frank in her advice, and an expert in leading and directing my policy platform. Katie Ellison is a much-needed calming and steady presence in what is always a busy office. She is a true quiet achiever.

Nick Johnston brings energy and laughter to the office alongside diligent advice in policy. Michal Solecki is my excellent guiding associate, knowledgeable on legal intricacies. Ellyse Matterson is a tireless hardworking adviser who manages stakeholders with care and empathy. Natalie Hissey is down to earth and direct in advice. Patrick Wynne deals empathetically with parliamentary inquiries from nearly all members of this place. Tina Daniels, my office manager, efficiently manages my tight schedule. Sue Finn, my newish director of communications, brings valuable experience to the fast-paced and constantly frenetic role, keeping in the media when I want to be, and hopefully out when I do not want to be. Daniel Rindfleish joined my ministerial office this year after two years in the electorate office and brings his youthful perspective and shire expertise to all issues.

I also thank my driver, Steve O'Keefe, and apologise for making him drive what is probably the worst car in the fleet. I thank my Departmental Liaison Officer team from time to time, including current principal DLO, Aathrey Chandran, and DLOs Brendon Stubbs, Nush Sharifi and Amy Shipgood. To all the parliamentary staff, including the Clerk, thank you for your patience and goodwill. To Speaker Jonathan O'Dea, you have been a beacon of civility, fairness and integrity. To the Premier, you have guided and led this State with a steady hand and good heart, full of ideas and determined to drive this State forward. Thank you.

To my ministerial colleagues, it has been a pleasure working with you over this year through thick and thin. I thank you for all your contributions. To members from all sides of the House who are leaving the Parliament, I thank you for your service to the State. We all come from different perspectives but we genuinely share a passion to make this State a better place. I thank also my shadow Attorney General, the member for Maroubra. It is his role to hold me to account, to scrutinise the work of Government and I thank him for his robust and diligent contributions. I just hope he stays as the shadow Attorney General!

To the Department of Communities and Justice staff—from Secretary Michael Tidball all the way through to the Sheriff's Officers and court teams around New South Wales each day, you contribute to this State and make it a safer and fairer community. That is not an easy task, but I am extremely grateful. To all our judicial officers and tribunal members, thank you for administering justice, the bedrock of civil society, and for your dedicated service to this State. The angel of the Lord, who appeared before terrified shepherds living out in the fields near Bethlehem, told them: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." I wish everyone in this place and across New South Wales the joy which Christmas brings.

Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (18:40:49):

By leave: At this time, which is the last sitting day of the year and also the last sitting day of the Fifty-Seventh Parliament, I acknowledge what an honour it is to represent the people of The Entrance electorate. I thank my community for the support and the trust they have put in me. I wish all my community a happy Christmas and a wonderful holiday break. I want to let them know how much I have enjoyed working with them over the past eight years to do all I could to make The Entrance electorate a better place for all its citizens—whether it has been big important matters of public policy, such as stopping the attempted privatisation of our public hospitals, or the more local concerns of lifts at Tuggerah station, I have relied on my community to see the matter through.

The great challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic showed that the State could protect and support the community in its hour of need. I acknowledge and thank all the public servants who served during this time. The pandemic showed all of us that we could work from home with the same effectiveness as working from a common workplace. This is a societal change that we should seek to support and continue. It also showed that we could provide shelter to all our citizens. It is to our great shame that now that society has returned to what is called "norma"l, it has meant that those we sheltered have returned to sleeping on the street. Our broken housing system remains for a future government to address.

The parliamentary staff in this space do a fantastic job. I recognise the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Helen Minnican, Carly Maxwell, Simon Johnston and all the staff who support them. I also want to record my special thanks and appreciation to the Department of Parliamentary Services, which supports the New South Wales Parliament and provides a fine example of socialist professionalism. I also acknowledge and thank the cheerful operators of the post office in this place, for their work and the help they provide in getting my clothes cleaned between sittings. They all serve our democracy and this State.

To you, Speaker, I wish all the very best on your retirement from politics. You have left a real legacy of a more democratic and professional Parliament than when you started in the role. To the crossbench, I want to acknowledge your role in working here as well. I think the operation of this House has been strengthened by the greater involvement the crossbenchers have taken up in the operation of the Parliament over the last term. I acknowledge particularly The Greens and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party and the Independents for the work they do in progressing the democracy of this State. As I have noted before, the role of Opposition in a parliamentary democracy is a tough one. As Deputy Opposition Whip, I thank my caucus comrades for their work on behalf of Labor and for the support they have shown me. The Opposition's office would not work without the Whips' assistant, Colleen Symington. She is completely focused and on top of things in this place. I give her my thanks and the thanks of the whole Labor caucus. My staff do a marvellous job. They are a great team and represent Labor in the community well. I thank senior electoral officer Catherine Wall and my staff Alfat Karnib, Danielle Atherden and Bridget. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

I thank my Central Coast Labor Party colleagues David Harris, Yasmin Catley and Liesl Tesch. We work well together as a team. We have a sense of purpose and a determination to do better for the Central Coast. I look forward to serving with them in a future Labor Government. Being a member of the oldest political party in the State and the nation is both a burden and privilege. We are now led in this State on the Opposition side by a leader and deputy who understand their place in Labor history. I think they will write a new and successful chapter in the history of Labor and this State at the next election. A light on the hill beckons Opposition members, and I will do all I can to see that we attain it at the next election.

I thank my partner, Deanne, for her support over the past four years and my children, Tom, Lily and Charlie. I love them all and I look forward to spending more time with them over the break. Deanne has built a comfortable home for us at Ourimbah in the heart of The Entrance electorate. I particularly thank her for the work she does when I am in Sydney, caring for Frankie, Gram and our dog Gruff. I thank my children's mother, Melissa, for the care and love she has heaped upon our children since they were born. I finish by once again wishing everyone a merry Christmas. I look forward to returning to Parliament with more colleagues after the next election. I look forward to seeing fewer Liberal and Nationals members. I wish those who do not return all the very best and my personal goodwill. It has been wonderful serving with all members. Merry Christmas.

Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (18:46:18):

By leave: On behalf of The Greens, I wish everyone a safe, enjoyable and merry festive season. I join with others on behalf of The Greens in thanking all of those who work to ensure that the Parliament works and that representative democracy happens, including those in the Hansard team, the Clerks, the special constables, the cleaners, the maintenance staff, everyone in catering, the Department of Parliamentary Services staff, the committee staff, the library team and the Chamber and Legislative Assembly staff. They all make a significant contribution to the people of New South Wales in the work they do. I acknowledge my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly, Jamie and Tamara, and in the Legislative Council, Abigail, Cate and Sue, and their teams who are generous with their time and expertise and who provide information to my lower House colleagues and me.

We are nothing without our teams. They are the first line of support to people who contact our offices with complex and often stressful needs and ensure that we are prepared and on top of everything we do. I particularly thank everyone who has worked in the Newtown, Ballina and Balmain electorate offices on projects with us over the past year, including Asha, Chandi, Cathy, Charlotte, Lydia, Mithra, Patricia, Jacqui, Siobhan, Mary-Jane, Digby, Violet, Eleanor, Ned, Anastasia and David. I am sure all members will agree that our electorate office staff do an amazing job supporting us and assisting our communities. Today is the last sitting day for my Greens colleague and friend Jamie Parker, the member for Balmain.

Mr Jamie Parker:

Excellent member.

Ms JENNY LEONG:

I acknowledge that interjection. Jamie was the first Green to ever win a lower House seat in New South Wales. He has been a role model to me and so many other Greens on what it means to be a dedicated, caring and hardworking community representative. Jamie understands the power we hold as members of Parliament, and he is always willing to offer solidarity and support to any in our local or global communities who are struggling to be heard. He generously shares his power with them and us and uses his voice to amplify the calls from those communities. I have so much respect for him.

Tamara and I cannot fathom being in the Legislative Assembly without Jamie. We are slightly terrified by the idea, but we can imagine all the wonderful things he will be able to contribute to the people and communities he cares about once he is free of this place. We wish him and his loved ones well, my friend. I acknowledge our collective appreciation for Eleanor Nurse, Jamie's advisor extraordinaire, whose enthusiasm, intelligence, wise counsel and support is something we have all benefited from. I promise to keep noodle Thursdays going if Eleanor promises to keep sharing pics of Beans on Instagram. Eleanor is wonderful and will be deeply missed. I wish her good luck for her next adventures.

We often talk about two sides in this Parliament, but there are a lot of sides. On behalf of The Greens, I thank fellow members of the crossbench. It has been exciting to see the crossbench grow in influence and for us to show just how much we can get done together. I particularly shout-out Independents Helen, Greg, Alex, Joe and Tania. We hope for an even bigger crossbench when we return after March 2023. I acknowledge the contribution that all members of the House make. I particularly thank their staff for all they do to help us Greens navigate things behind the scenes. There are some great ministerial and Opposition staff, many of whom are powerful, intelligent and committed women who make this place tick. They know who they are, but, following Jamie's lead in his valedictory, we will not risk undermining their career prospects by naming them.

We would not be in Parliament without our party. I thank the members of The Greens and our local groups who are living the principle of grassroots democracy. We are so excited to be campaigning with our thousands of members who volunteer their time and skills. I particularly shout-out to the NSW Greens convenor, Damiya Hayden, for her contribution and work. In conclusion, on behalf of The Greens, I thank all the New South Wales public sector workers, including teachers, nurses, public transport workers and all those who respond on the front lines and behind the scenes to keep the State running. May they all get a pay rise for Christmas.

Mrs MELINDA PAVEY (Oxley) (18:51:24):

By leave: I acknowledge that the public servants across New South Wales will be getting pay rises because the Government has managed the books and built infrastructure at the same time. Cheers to that, member for Newtown. I wish the electorate of Oxley a happy Christmas. It is a very special time of year. The past four years have been particularly brutal to many of our communities—whether it be because of fire, flood or drought. This Christmas will hopefully be a lovely time but we still have some pretty difficult predictions in terms of the east coast low. Everyone will be holding their breath.

I thank my staff. I acknowledged them during my valedictory speech this week, but I did not go into detail of the great work they have done, and continue to do, through the community. As I said, we kept our doors open during COVID. We were united with the supermarket workers, and they did an incredible job. Jodie Griffiths and Susan Ramke are also justices of the peace, and every day we would have at least 10 or 15 justices of the peace signatures going through our office because we are near the post office. The time they spend helping those particular constituents is very valuable.

Susan Ramke works for me a few days a week, and the rest of the time she is working for Resilience NSW. In recent times she has been dealing with a terrifically ferocious hailstorm that struck the village and community of Toormina north of the Oxley electorate and also helping people fill out the forms. She was telling me she had to go to Wauchope the other day for a lady who was really struggling to talk to some of the staff on the phone. The staff were thinking that something was not quite right, but once Susan got to her, she saw that her house was immaculate and tidy, and realised that it was a simple lack of communication between those on the phone and this woman. Susan was able to fix that. I thank all people working in that area.

My heart goes out to communities in the Central West of New South Wales. A lot of Resilience NSW workers will be going to those communities over the next few months. People in communities like Eugowra have had their lives turned upside down. We have to stand beside them, and I know the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, Steph Cooke, is doing that. We must think of those communities. There might be a miracle in Monaro this Christmas—they might have a white Christmas. We have all been a bit chilly in the Parliament today and yesterday. I was talking to the member for Monaro about this. There was snow up the top in Cooma in the past 48 hours, so, who knows, there might be a white Christmas. Wouldn't that be an amazing thing to experience? Out of the corner of my eye I can see my daughter in the Chamber. Hello, Emily. Happy Christmas to you. I expect lots of wonderful presents this year.

Ms Felicity Wilson:

On your credit card. She's got the credit card, Mel.

Mrs MELINDA PAVEY:

She has.

Ms Trish Doyle:

And not a netball.

Mrs MELINDA PAVEY:

I acknowledge that interjection. Another staff member, Holly Gaddes, has had a tough couple of years, but she has soldiered on. She is an important person, along with her amazing children, at South West Rocks Surf Life Saving Club and in other areas. I thank Benn Farrawell. He is sort of new to politics—it is coming up to 12 months—but he has taken it all in his stride and he is doing a great job. I wish all the staff of my electorate office a merry Christmas, including Alice Burnet, who resides in the Bellingen end. Her advocacy on behalf of the whole community and her eloquence in her writing are very important to our communities. I recognise Kylie Cook from Café Quorum. Catering is really important. She makes a great coffee and always makes me feel incredibly welcome. I also thank the cleaners and everyone who makes this place tick. In my last felicitation in this place, I wish everybody a happy Christmas.

Mr JIHAD DIB (Lakemba) (18:56:04):

By leave: It is wonderful to get the opportunity to pay thanks at the end of the year because we did not the chance to do it last year. The State has had a pretty difficult couple of years. I know that I will forget people, but I will start by thanking the community that I am proud to represent for its support. The work that we have done over the past couple of years in particular has been phenomenal. We have been through a really difficult time—all the charities, religious groups, community centres and schools. Every one of them is a piece of the jigsaw puzzle that makes our community better. I disagree with one of my colleagues—mine is the best community in the State.

I could not do my job without my fantastic team. Opposition members do not have many resources, but the team in my electorate office, which doubles up as my shadow ministry team, is absolutely brilliant. I thank them my senior electorate officer, James Connolly; Dilan Bogdanovski; Taghred Kabalan; Beryl Segers; and Ahmed Ferkh for getting the best out of me all the time and for covering for me when I am not at my very best. My wife, Erin, is just phenomenal. She puts up with my irregular hours. I am probably away from her too often. My kids Amal, Yasmin and Ali are the inspiration for the work I do. I pay tribute to and acknowledge Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, and Minister for Flood Recovery, with whom I have done a lot of work this year. She has done an extraordinary job.

The State has gone through something we never thought it would go through. I have to say, she has been incredibly bipartisan. We have worked together where we can and we have sparred when we have needed to. It is important to recognise everyone who has helped during the floods, the fires and everything that we are going through—not only the responders but also the community members who are still helping out now and the Minister's team. I have worked a lot with the emergency services. I thank them for their contributions. I also thank the Fire Brigade Employees Union and the Public Service Association of NSW for the terrific work that we have done together.

I had better start talking about the Parliament. I have been going through a bit of a rough time in the past week or so, but yesterday the member for Blue Mountains and the member for Swansea presented me with the most beautiful bunch of flower to take home, which was just incredible. There are great friendships in the Parliament and our colleagues help us when we go through difficult times. My family and I thank the member for Blue Mountains and the member for Swansea for their kindness. It meant much more to me than they could imagine. I thank all of my other colleagues across the aisles, whichever party they represent. I have often said that we are all here for the same reason: to make this State the best it can be. We might get into arguments and nitpick, but I believe we all come here with the right sense.

Helen Minnican and her team are absolutely outstanding—so good. They never say no to any question. I probably annoy them with the amount of complex questions I ask. I am sure that she thinks I have some serious difficulties in understanding, but Helen, Carly and the team are fantastic. I thank Hansard for interpreting my illegible handwriting. My parents wanted me to be a doctor, so when I did not make it I thought I would make them happy by writing like a doctor. Apologies for that. The table office staff and the Chamber attendants are always fantastic. I always ring IT and say, "My computer isn't working." They tell me how to fix it but it still doesn't work. My parliamentary colleagues are so incredibly important.

I acknowledge the members of Parliament who are retiring or leaving. I thank them for their service and contribution that they have made. To that end, I especially thank and acknowledge my friend, the Hon. Rob Stokes. I have had the pleasure of working with him in our capacity as opposing members. He is one of the most decent and genuine people I have ever met. The Parliament will be worse for his loss, but I look forward to seeing him again. He is an outstanding human being. I know that Rob is sitting up in his office right now watching this. We will miss you and my other departing colleagues in this Parliament. I conclude by thanking the Opposition Whip, Ms Anna Watson, and her incredible assistant, Colleen Symington. She is a fantastic person who keeps us all together. She gets my MVP for the year. Regardless of how people celebrate Christmas, I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Christmas and that we are all back together soon. See you on the campaign trail. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (19:02:13):

By leave: As we close out the parliamentary year, I take this opportunity to reflect on the year that has been and thank everyone who has made this year so special. As always, we have had to overcome challenges. Although not the forefront of everyone's minds, the threat of COVID continues, so I thank our frontline workers, particularly in our health system, who are keeping up the fight. I also recognise the many communities across New South Wales who continue to face the threat and destruction of floods. I thank our emergency services personnel and volunteers, who have put their lives on the line to keep those communities safe.

Being the member for North Shore is one of the greatest privileges of my life. I feel great pride in being able to represent my local community, which is one of the best places to live. At its core is a real sense of community and friendship. I thank all of our fantastic sporting, community and volunteering organisations, which give so much and are the lifeblood of the local area. I acknowledge our Premier, Dominic Perrottet, and our Treasurer, Matt Kean, for their leadership and for delivering a budget that has made, and will continue to make, significant transformations when it comes to women's lives and economic opportunities. I have been fortunate to serve as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer and for COVID Recovery. Working alongside the Treasury in delivering those major reforms has been a great privilege. I thank the Treasurer, but I also thank the entire office of the Treasurer, particularly Dimitry Chugg-Palmer.

It is with heartfelt thanks that I acknowledge the many parliamentary colleagues who will be leaving us at the next election: Melinda Pavey, Brad Hazzard, Victor Dominello, Rob Stokes, Shelley Hancock, Gabrielle Upton, Jonathan O'Dea, Geoff Lee, Jamie Parker, David Elliott, Kevin Conolly, Christopher Gulaptis, Steve Bromhead, Nick Lalich and Guy Zangari. They have been an inspiration to me in this place and many of them have been great supports. I acknowledge the hard work they have done on behalf of their communities and in various ministerial and shadow ministerial roles.

I thank the staff of the Parliament, who are instrumental in the running an organisation of this place, in particular the Clerk and her team for all their work, as well as the Speaker's office; Hansard; all the front desk staff; the security team; the parliamentary constables, who keep us safe; the catering and café staff, who keep us fed and watered; the cleaners; and everybody else who make the Parliament work.

Transcription in progress…