Records, reflections and Round the Twist

Throughout the final sitting weeks of the 60th Parliament more than two dozen MPs bid farewell to state politics in their own unique way.

Some used humour, others couldn’t hold back tears, but most reflected on the defining periods of their careers.

Brunswick MP Tim Read’s speech on 29 July was especially poignant, given he succumbed to metastatic cancer less than two months later on 19 September.

The 64-year-old received a standing ovation from the Legislative Assembly and public galleries as he thanked his colleagues and critics alike for ‘engaging in the honourable pursuit of politics’.

‘Politicians are unfairly maligned, and for me, politics is the work you do to improve people’s circumstances, not just now but in the future.

“ ‘Politics is hope in motion.’ ”

Tim Read, Retiring Brunswick MP

One of the longest-serving members of parliament retired after winning nine elections in the Lower House. Kim Wells represented Rowville, Scoresby and Wantirna over the course of his 34-year career. 

‘I wish everyone the very best and look forward to spending a bit more time with those MPs who are retiring,’ he said.

Several other MPs notched up milestones and records during their parliamentary tenures.

Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards is the longest-serving female Speaker in the Legislative Assembly.

‘As only the fourth woman Speaker in 170 years… I do hope there will be more women in this role in the future,’ she said.

Northern Victoria’s Wendy Lovell leaves as the longest-serving female member of the Legislative Council.

‘Politics takes us all away from our families, but this is especially true for those of us from regional Victoria,’ she said.

After 20 years in the Upper House and five-and-a-half of those years as President, Eastern Metropolitan MP Shaun Leane implored people to champion our First Nations’ history. 

‘We live on a land that has been occupied by the oldest living culture in the world,’ he said.

‘We should brag about it more. We should go to other countries, and we should thump our chests.’

Being a local representative was a team sport for long-serving Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh.

‘It was a privilege to be a minister of the Crown, especially in the portfolios of ag(riculture) and water,’ he said.

Mill Park MP Lily D’Ambrosio choked back tears as she pointed to her legacy after 24 years.

‘I hope that my life in public service shows all girls what is possible for them, no matter their faith, what they look like or the way they speak,’ she said.

“ ‘Always back yourselves and each other. There is no place where you do not belong.’ ”

Lily D'Ambrosio, Retiring Mill Park MP

Former Opposition Leader and Malvern MP Michael O’Brien defended the Westminster system. 

‘At a time when public faith in our institutions is falling, I remain a staunch believer in parliamentary democracy,’ he said.

‘With all its flaws it is still the best way of ensuring that the will of the people determines how we are governed.’

In two decades as Croydon MP, David Hodgett said he was driven by a desire to make a positive difference, and the true purpose of politics is service. 

‘Elections matter, policies matter and debates matter, but in the end what matters most is the opportunity to serve others,’ he said.

Sydenham MP Natalie Hutchins said love had kept her going for the last 16 years.

‘The love from my family; the kindness and the love from my friends and colleagues in this place,’ she said.

While the COVID pandemic was often cited as the most challenging time for MPs, the toughest period for Gippsland East’s Tim Bull was the 2019-20 bushfires.

‘Around 400 homes were lost, thousands were displaced and around 70 per cent of my electorate burnt,’ he said.

‘The acts of assistance and of generosity that I saw from people seeking no kudos at all put a lump in your throat and it energised you. Their resilience was just amazing.’

Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas highlighted a profound change to the parliament she first entered in 2014.

‘I am very proud to leave a parliament in which women now take their place in equal numbers to men,’ she said.

First-term Western Victoria MP Joe McCracken summed up his time in parliament with a quirky quote. 

‘It comes from a well-known Australian TV series, and it is from the opening theme of the show,’ he said.

Twenty-year Western Victoria MP Gayle Tierney had some advice for anyone thinking of entering politics.

‘A career in politics cannot simply be an idea that seems good at the time,’ she said.

‘You need to be clear about your values framework and have a strong sense of purpose before you are elected.’

Harriet Shing emotionally revealed a secret she held throughout her 12 years as an Eastern Victoria MP.

‘When I was diagnosed with autism early in my parliamentary career, a lot of things started to make sense to me about why so many things don’t easily make sense to me,’ she said.

‘Telling people has been difficult, so right now is quite a confronting moment for me.’

One-term Western Metropolitan MP David Ettershank joined parliament ‘for a good time, not a long time’.

‘My idea of a good time is fighting the good fight and making trouble, and I will be done with that when I am dead,’ he said.

Ringwood MP Will Fowles called for attention to his greatest public policy aspiration, to end rough sleeping.

 ‘The numbers are simple. It is not just easier; it is cheaper to deliver essential government services to people in secure housing,’ he said.

Elected at the age of 26 in 2018 Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor said he knew he had a lot to prove.

‘I will have a conversation with anyone, regardless of their political leanings; in fact, I believe you stand to learn a whole lot more from people who disagree with you, people who challenge you,’ he said.

Shepparton MP Kim O’Keeffe said every interaction, contribution and connection with her community mattered.

‘I truly believe that leadership is not about a title, a position or authority, it is about connection, authenticity, communication, being present and genuine care,’ she said. 

North Eastern Metropolitan MP Nick McGowan is leaving the Upper House but is seeking re-election in the Lower House.

“ ‘This is not a goodbye built on certainty; it is a goodbye built on choice – mine.' ”

Nick McGowan MP

And just as it did for Tim Read’s speech, the parliament united for the final contribution from Pakenham MP Emma Vulin.

‘My diagnosis with motor neurone disease changed my world and changed the way I experience this Parliament,’ she said.

‘But it also sharpened my perspective about what truly matters.

‘It reminded me that time matters. Compassion matters. Dignity matters. And people deserve to have their voices heard, particularly when they are vulnerable.’

Valedictory statements are a relatively recent phenomenon in the long life of the Victorian Parliament. They’ve only become common place since the introduction of fixed four-year electoral terms in 2006.

They are not compulsory and several other retiring MPs chose not to do one. Exiting Upper House MP Adem Somyurek incorporated his into Hansard.

Read the full valedictory statements made by departing members of parliament in Hansard.