House of Representatives

Thursday, 1 December 2016 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 11
much. Never let it be said that I do not take advice. In October, we delivered a tax cut to middle-income
Australian taxpayers.
I got a hug and this friendship bracelet from Lulu Demetriou, a young patient at Sydney's Children's Hospital
recently. She is one of a number of kids there who face extraordinary challenges—she is in remission from
cancer—and who we are determined to help, with our commitment, which we announced there, of another $20
million to the Zero Childhood Cancer initiative. I have been brought to tears a few times in this job, and I admit
there were some more that day. I am wearing Lulu's bracelet, and it reminds me, if I ever need reminding, that
what we do here is about the future of our nation, about the future of people like Lulu, our children and
grandchildren.
Some of my most memorable experiences in 2016 have been with Indigenous Australians—bright-eyed
Indigenous students at the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School; AFL Cape York House in Cairns; the Fregon
school in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands; the Sydney community of La Perouse demonstrating
the resilience of Indigenous people; the long walk with Michael Long to the MCG to recognise the importance of
reconciliation; and of course the Kenbi land settlement, which finally recognised what Larrakia people have
always known, that those lands were always Larrakia land.
This year we have made some progress on our journey towards constitutional recognition of our First
Australians. There are now five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the parliament, and I want to
thank them all, as I know the Leader of the Opposition does, for their wisdom and support. We are committed, the
Leader of the Opposition and I, to this important change to our nation's founding document.
Every year, we urge each other to be kinder and gentler in this place. I do not mind being labelled idealistic for
hoping that we will be in 2017, but perhaps a more realistic goal is to vow to speak more plainly and with more
candour to the Australian people. They are wearied of the political games, the sense that politicians say one thing
and could easily mean another and that our promises are throwaway lines with the shelf life of a carton of milk.
The Oxford dictionary has declared 'post-truth' its international word of the year, but let us do all we can to ensure
post-truth politics has no place in Australia. If we promise to be bound by our words, we will be much more
careful in choosing them.
It is important at this time of year that we pay tribute to the extraordinary Australian Defence Force men and
women, especially those who are overseas serving our country with pride and with honour. They defend our
freedom and our values and they keep us safe here at home. I was honoured this year to visit our troops bravely
and professionally serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many will not be at home with their families this Christmas.
We remember them especially at this time of year, but we are always grateful. For their sacrifice, we honour them.
In the Centenary of Anzac we know that the best way to honour the diggers of 1916 is by supporting the service
men and women, the veterans and the families of 2016. We are doing so with new mental health services, action
to prevent suicide, and the Prime Minister's Veterans' Employment Initiative that will ensure Australian
businesses and the public sector better recognise and take up the remarkable and unique experiences and attributes
of our veterans. I acknowledge the bipartisan support that has had. Richard Marles was present at the launch at
Kirribilli House and has undertaken to continue to support it when he, in due course, becomes Prime Minister!
We also thank everyone who continues working through the Christmas break. It is important to acknowledge
the efforts of the nurses, doctors and all of those in our fire, police, ambulance and other emergency services. We
are the land of droughts, fires and flooding rains, and an Australian summer is a time when those emergency
service workers, most of them volunteers, will be standing between us and our homes and the worst that nature
can fling at us.
Of course, we in the parliament are very grateful to those who work so hard behind the scenes. They often
arrive before dawn has broken and many are also the last to leave. They are the enablers of our democracy. In
particular I acknowledge the hard work of the Clerk David Elder; the Deputy Clerk Claressa Surtees; the Serjeantat-Arms
James Catchpole; the parliamentary security guards, who have been busier than normal over the last 24
hours; and all of the attendants. I acknowledge the work of the House Table Office, of Catherine Cornish, Richard
Selth, Glenn Worthington and their staff, and of the House Parliamentary Liaison Office, of Anne Dowd, Tim
Moore and Suzanne de Smet. I also thank all of those who look after us in the dining room and at Aussies—and,
of course, we should not forget those who come here late at night and keep the parliament clean.
I thank the Chief Government Whip, Nola Marino; the deputy whips; you, Mr Speaker; your Deputy Speaker;
the Second Deputy Speaker; and the Speaker's panel. I thank David Belgrove, Anne O'Connor and Sue Clamour
from the legislative team of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who support the parliamentary
business committee, and Peter Quiggin and his staff from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.
CHAMBER