Page 5491 - Week 14 - Thursday, 30 November 2017
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Valedictory
MR PARTON (Brindabella) (6.53): What a year. We are at the end of my first full year as a member of this Legislative Assembly. It has been an absolute blast. I want to thank you, Madam Speaker, for cutting me a bit of slack from time to time—
MADAM SPEAKER: Occasionally.
MR PARTON: and for giving me that smile even when you are admonishing me. I am trying to learn about how to do things in here from my friend Mr Hanson. I do not know if that is a good choice—
MADAM SPEAKER: No, not a good role model, Mr Parton.
MR PARTON: but he is the one who is teaching me. For me personally this year has exceeded all of my expectations; it has been everything I expected and more. People say to me, “Do you miss the radio?” I say, “No. I did the radio for a long time and now I am doing this.” Even in a week when I battled, and did genuinely battle, with every piece of my heart, against the greyhound legislation, in a week when I gave everything I had to a fight and lost, it is still a pleasure to be here. It is a pleasure to fight the good fight even if you lose.
To my colleagues I say thank you for being such a wonderful team. Thanks to my friend Alistair, who continues to provide some wonderful support to me as a new member and just as a friend; and to Nicole and Andrew, my Brindabella colleagues, who never descend into Hare-Clark inspired bitterness—or at least, if they do, they disguise it really well. It is tough when there are three of you in the same area.
To Jeremy Hanson, whose cajoling over a number of years eventually got me here and who is very simply a champion bloke: I love spending time with you, Jeremy. Mrs Jones and Mrs Dunne have both been wonderful to me in so many ways. They both possess a lot of knowledge but they also possess a truly wicked sense of humour, both of them, which helps us to retain our sanity. Thanks also to the other members of the class of 2016, Elizabeth Lee, Elizabeth Kikkert and James Milligan, for sharing this journey with me. And thanks again to the great Steve Doszpot for just being Steve. It is going to be a sad day tomorrow.
My warmest end of year regards go to all of those opposite. I hope that our relationship does not deteriorate further as we move through the electoral cycle, but I fear that that may be the case. I guess the fascinating thing about our lives in here, locked in mortal combat with those opposite, is that personally we do not think they are all that bad. This is bad, because if I mention some I have got to mention all, do I not? Full marks go particularly to Meegan, Andrew, Gordon, Tara, Suzanne, Bec, Michael and Caroline for actually keeping it warm and friendly. It is appreciated, because—
Mr Coe: Who have you left out?
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