Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin – Leader of the Greens) – Honourable Speaker, It is always a bit of a shock when this time comes. I do not think we can believe that it is going to be Christmas in just four weeks. I enjoy this time of the year because it is an opportunity to be nice and say something nice about each other. Let us face it, it is not always what happens every day.
The SPEAKER – I encourage you to do it whenever you want.
Dr WOODRUFF – We all know it has been a whirlwind this year. Thank you, Premier. It was a somewhat unexpected election, but here we have not only another balance‑of‑power parliament, but a fully restored one. What a fantastic step it is to have 35 seats back in this House of democracy. It has been a pleasure getting to know all the new colleagues in the Chamber, some of whom I am sure will be happy to leave the building and possibly have a little break from the Greens for a while.
I just wanted to especially say how great it is getting to work with this big, expanded crossbench. We are only just getting to understand how to work together in this minority parliament. I can say, as a person who has worked really hard with other Greens MPs and our team to try and progress legislation, there is a lot more work, a lot more conversation, and a lot more going around. There is a joy in the conversations, and there is a lot of work to be done. I feel proud that the Greens have progressed two bills through this place this year and other independent members have also progressed legislation, as has the Labor Party.
Here we are in a place that is very much a stronger and healthier democracy than it was this time last year. I want to spend a short amount of time to give the sincerest thanks to the people in the parliamentary House team who have helped the members, new and old, along the rocky ‑ pun intended – road that we have traversed. Without you all, this great democratic institution that we sit within would not function. We appreciate the latitude of time that you have given, Speaker, because these people deserve to be named.
Thank you to our fantastic Clerk of the House, Laura, in this first year of being in charge of us. You have done an incredible job. We have deep respect for you and your crack team, Steph Hesford, Ben Foxe, Fiona Murphy and Colleen Donovan. You have kept us all in check and that is just as it should be.
To the House team – Ali Morrison, Kiah Charles, Georgia Gray, Michael Barnier, Mary de Groot, Scott Hennessy, Mark Groom, Kristy Lang and Luke Vieceli, we would be lost without you.
And of course, Charles. A special shout out to you, Charles Casimaty. You are retiring. You have been a longstanding treasure in this place. What I can say is it is the twinkle in your eye that gives me a certain – you are just a very beautiful person, and thanks for that twinkle. I know you will keep it with you for the whole of your life. We will miss you.
To Adrian Munnings and the finance team, Craig Thorp, Kate Duggan and Mehrdad Tavangar, thank you for keeping this place running and keeping us all compensated for our sometimes questionable work.
Thank you to the Roberts in People and Culture: Robert Wright and Robert MacDonald.
To Kimbra, I cannot believe you are going. How will it be? You have done the work of setting up the Education Office. Now with Colette Goyne, who will be here, I am confident that the service that you provide to young people visiting will continue. It is a gift of democracy that we provide here in the Parliament of Tasmania through those people. You are teaching and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.
After the election there was a mass of Greens who moved into this place, as well as a whole range of other new members. That has not been without a logistical challenge. To one of the snappiest dresses in Parliament, Simon Munn, thank you for solving every question, every problem and fixing almost every single thing along the way.
Sincerest thanks to the utilities crew, the incredible Shane Watterson, Gaye Batchelor, Angela McCreghan, Jenna Kink and Anil Sharma for keeping our officers and, therefore our minds, tidy and in order. Brendan, we miss you too.
To the Parliamentary Library team, Dr Marijana Bacic, Deb Jensen, Sarah Ravanat, Sue Knowler and Louise Kemsley. Thank you particularly for attending to our every single rush job request so patiently and kindly.
To the PRS for your quality work and for running the UTAS intern program. Thank you to the excellent Cassandra Hennessy, Jen Makin, Dr Catriona Ross and Jayne McPherson, and to Kate Roberts, who has been on maternity leave. I also want to say thank you to the late Bryan Stait for his service to this place and to democracy.
To our new friends in OPC, we could not have changed a single law without you. Thank you. I know I am saying this for Tom, particularly to David Bingham, Adean Bowerman, Ruth Henderson, Nick Jones, Nicola Norton, Paul Potter, Holly Purcell, Melanie Ross, Alison Besker, Helen Wagner and Catherine Woodward.
To the computer services team – Peter Hancox, Chris Machin, Ben Hughes, James Sly, Jason Hergert, Ryan Ling, Rob Huck and the new Dan. Thank you for taking every call and coming to our aid with a smile, no matter how big or small, and fixing all the problems. More importantly, you are unreservedly and without exception always friendly and helpful. We really thank you for that.
To the heroes of our late hangry nights after sittings, to John and Simon in the dining room kitchen, to the manager, Mandie Donnelly, who is on a very well‑deserved long service leave, and to acting manager Jacqui Kozakiewicz.
The SPEAKER – There will be a special meal served for you next time.
Dr WOODRUFF – I was going to say, thank you for always knowing that we need a cheeky sparkling when we turn up in there. Thank you Jackie.
To Jo Smallhorne, Christina Sullivan, Renee Hale and the bistro crew, we would not have a sitting day without you. You are endlessly warm and provide us with sustenance, and you definitely provide all our staff with lollies in an endless supply.
Thank you again to the welcoming – hopefully sometimes not too welcoming – security team, Hugh Tucker, Syed Abuzar, Animesh Baink, George Chaperon‑Tucker, Bir Gravanf, David Holland, Syed Kinza, Samuelu Lopa, Yatin Maria, Shreya Mishra, Kyriakos Resvanis and Satnam Singh. It is extremely rare, and we should be grateful, that we have a security team who are courteous, respectful, kind, but strong when they are needed. This is a rarity and we are grateful.
I will take a breath before I start the next, thank you. These people are the hardest workers and the largest group of workers in the building. They sometimes, for the worse, seal our words into the history books. To the Hansard team: the Transcription Supervisor, James Reynolds; the Editor of Debates, Helen Allmich; the Associate Editors, Richard Santos and Harrison Palmer; and to Alexander Scarcia, Anne Baker, Catherine Wurf, Damian Bester, Estelle O’Neill, Deb Melksham, Gabby Cayoun, Gabrielle Rish, Gaye Mitchell, Henry Rogers, Janine Toms, Jenny Morgan, Jericho U’ren, Jun Jie Law, Karen Cuzzucoli, Kate Stewart, Kavindya Walalawela, Kaye Toohey, Laura Cusack, Lesley Andelman, Loretta Thompson, Margaret Peters, Mike Ward, Nicole Christopher, Robert Jenkins, Roey Johnson, Ronan McGowan, Sabine Borgis, Sarah Carr, Sarah Fernando, Siobhan Dooley, Stella Beswick, Susan Hood, Terry Boots, and Ulrike Loofs Samorzewski. These are the people who transcribe the words that we speak, and we thank you very much.
Finally, for me, to our seriously and impressive and much‑expanded since this time last year Greens team. To my fellow Greens MPs Vica, Helen, Tabatha, Cecily, and Cassy in the other place. I am so proud of being in the company of such capable, passionate, hardworking people who are all committed to working as a team and getting the best outcomes for the people that we represent. In our team there are some people who have been working with us for a very long time. Alice and Tom in particular are in that group. To people who have been there, newer and not so new, Steve, Dan, Ellen, Rachel, Alex and Sam. To Sophie, Emma, Niall, Kate, Jack, Nick and Suze. I cannot overstate the pleasure of working with such smart, hardworking, green‑hearted, deeply ethical, deeply kind and caring, witty and sassy people. We all know how hard this work is. We all know how important it is to work with a great team. I thank them.
To you, honourable Speaker, thank you for what you have bought to the Chamber in the time that you have been here. We have not always enjoyed everything that you have said and we might disagree quietly on the inside to some of the things that you rule, but you have bought an order to this Chamber which is deeply appreciated. Thank you.
To everyone else here in the Chamber and floating around in the Chamber, Merry Christmas. Sometimes we are not always the best of friends here but I utterly concur with what Mr Winter says. It is the conversations that we have in the corridor, and the fact that we can have some deep disagreements in this place and still come outside and be able to continue to work together. We are all here together for the interests of this island and its people. On behalf of the Greens, we look forward to seeing you all next year, although perhaps not you, Bec. I especially wish you all the best, and I have no doubt you will be an amazing representative in another place. Good luck and go well.
Have a lovely Christmas, and more importantly, have some time for yourself and your families to recuperate, because I have no doubt it is going be a big year next year.
