Thursday, 20 September 2018

 Ms KNIGHT (Wendouree) (15:14): While I do not have as many years under my belt as a lot of the retiring members that we have heard from, there have definitely been a lot of changes that have happened over the almost eight years I have been here. For example, I have gone from fitted skirts to stretchy pants. I have gone from twice-yearly visits to the hairdresser to having to go way more often to get rid of the grey, and I have gone from my naughty 40s to my nifty 50s — and on that note, the most wonderful change is that I have gone from being a single woman with a wandering eye for the fellows to a blissfully happily married woman who only has eyes for Mark O’Brien. I cannot thank the honourable member for Brunswick enough for introducing us and having a hand in putting us together. Mark is my biggest fan and greatest supporter, and I am his, and I cannot wait to see what the next adventure is. Thank you, Mark, from the bottom of my heart.

I am also very lucky to now have five fabulous children: Tom, Will, Alexandra, Lucy and Caroline. What an absolute gift. I am so proud of you all and would like to acknowledge you and thank you so much for your love and support. It was great to have one last dinner with you all here on Tuesday night in the Speaker’s dining room — and my apologies for how we left it. It did look a bit like the back room of the Guns N’ Roses concert, but that is okay. I also of course want to thank my mum and dad, who gave me such a great start in life, taught me many things and also put up with so much as I was growing up.

I have been really blessed to represent a fantastic community for two terms, and that experience will always hold a special place in my heart. I have also been blessed in the last almost four years to be part of a government that has absolutely embraced the electorate of Wendouree. I firmly believe that Ballarat is in a better place now than it was four years ago, and that is down to the Premier and to all the ministers of this government listening, acting, caring and investing. There are far too many investments to speak of, but I do want to mention just a few: Mars Stadium, C. E. Brown Reserve and Ballarat Basketball — all great investments for Ballarat.

The railway precinct redevelopment will provide a safer and more accessible experience for locals and tourists alike, and the wonderful work that is happening along the line will mean more trains and more services for commuters and tourists. I am amazed at how quickly the $6 million extension to the Aboriginal cooperative is going up, and of course let us not forget the civic hall redevelopment that will bring 600 brand-new jobs to Ballarat, the cath lab at the hospital and the future plans to completely redevelop the Ballarat Base Hospital. All these projects relate to jobs. They all translate to jobs, and that is what we are about. I would like to thank the Honourable Jaala Pulford, a great minister and an even better friend and neighbour, and Geoff Howard, a great guy and a calming influence, for being part of team Ballarat.

I think the investment that is really close to my heart is the funding for the Mount Rowan secondary college and support in making this college a standalone school. The teaching and support staff are brilliant, and the students are fantastic. They deserve an updated school, and they are getting one. I would like to particularly thank Rick Gervasoni and Seona Murnane for their tireless advocacy at this school and their obvious respect for the students and staff of Mount Rowan secondary college.

Of course a lot of funding has been committed for those issues that sometimes fly under the radar, issues that I think should be front and centre in the minds of everyone. The recommendations from the Betrayal of Trust report have been life-changing and life-saving for many of those victims of clergy abuse in my electorate. I have never been prouder of Ballarat than in its support for those victims, and I have never been prouder of those victims of abuse, who bravely and honestly told of their horrific experiences and their feelings of betrayal. I hope they know that they, through their stories, have absolutely made life safer for today’s children and for all the children of the future. Those victim survivors have been supported by many people and many agencies, and at the same time let us not forget that the Royal Commission into Family Violence also put pressure on those agencies.

Again the acknowledgement by this government of family violence being the greatest law and order issue that we face has seen the greatest investment into preventing family violence and supporting the many victims of family violence. I know from talking to victims and to those who support them that the injection of funding has been really well received, but perhaps more important than that has been the acknowledgement of the reality of family violence, the link between equality of women and the great value of those who work in the field. The Honourable Fiona Richardson will go down in history and should forever be celebrated for her groundbreaking work and her commitment to the women and children of Victoria. Fiona became a great friend and mentor, and I miss her terribly.

I have been very lucky to serve as Parliamentary Secretary for Human Services under the Honourable Jenny Mikakos and the Honourable Martin Foley. It has been a great honour to work on the issue of developing sexual health policies for those in residential care and to work on the area of elder abuse. The work of the Department of Health and Human Services and all the staff in relevant agencies needs to be acknowledged. There would be no important outcomes without their work and support. I also very much enjoyed working with Daniel Mulino, a member for Eastern Victoria in the other place, on social impact bonds. It was great to see that becoming a reality. Being part of the Victorian Anzac Centenary Committee has been incredibly rewarding.

When I walked into this place I did not really know anyone, just a couple of people. I have had some amazing moments and met some exceptional people during my time in this absolutely stunning building. I want to thank all those who showed me great kindness and friendship over the last eight years. I was so lucky to have the honourable member for Williamstown as my seat buddy — where is he? He is going to owe me $10 bucks after this. I really will never forget our chats about our electorates and his advice about Parliament. What you do not know is that he insisted on calling me Lasquisha. I do not really remember the reason, but I think you should all hunt him down and ask him why and tell him he owes me $10.

My amazing friend and colleague Maree Edwards, member for Bendigo West, has provided a great legacy through her role as chair of the Family and Community Development Committee. The inquiry into services for people with autism spectrum disorder and the inquiry into abuse in disability services have firmly put the safety and value of people who live with disability on the agenda and into legislation. Thank you from every carer and every person with a disability.

Maree has been my partner in crime from the very beginning. Our duets are legendary and I am sure that we would have a real following on the karaoke circuit. We have put on bunny ears and handed out Easter eggs. We have absolutely no shame. From that, like the bachelor presenting a rose, I will hand the bunny ears over to Jane. Jane, you are chosen. She is the Brooke, because Brooke will win The Bachelor. Even though he had a single date with Cassie last night, it is going nowhere. Maree and I, from our first shared office — the bordello — to now, I know will remain the best of friends. We have laughed so much in this place, and we have sworn a fair bit too. Love ya, Mez! Congratulations on the arrival of your third grandchild, Oliver Max. You can look into the faces of your grandchildren and know that you and Lindsay are looking right back together.

I think the person I admire most — and this will not be a surprise to anyone — is the Honourable Jane Garrett, the member for Brunswick. I have never met anyone with broader shoulders or a tougher spine. Her integrity in the face of immense hostility should be a source of pride. It is to me, it is to your family and it is to all those who love and admire you — and that is a lot of people. I know from the times we have been together that you cannot set foot out of your house without someone coming up and talking to you about that and talking about your integrity. Jane, I know that history will show that you stood on the side of what was right. I wish that for you and for my husband. You two are a great team and I am so glad that it was the two of you that faced up to a really difficult and challenging time together. Your family and my family are linked for life, and I could not be happier about that.

Of course we would be nothing in here, any of us, if it were not for the support staff. I am blown away by how professional and friendly the parliamentary staff are. A huge shout-out to chamber staff; Hansard staff; attendants; hospitality staff, especially Kazza; the maintenance team; the cleaning team; the gardening team, who had to tell me that no, I could not go and pick the flowers to put into my office; the library staff, who are incredibly smart and accommodating; the post office; security; IT; and parliamentary services. Please forgive me if I have missed anyone.

I also want to particularly acknowledge all the journalists. Their role is difficult but it is so important. Like Hansard, journalists record history. They tell the stories and keep us on our toes; and like us, they are also subject to abuse a lot of the time, particularly in this modern age of social media. But they do try to keep us honest, and that is exactly what should happen. For the record, and on the record, I reckon you should have access to the new office building. You are part of the Parliament House team and should be treated as such.

While being in Parliament is an important part of the job, I think it is fair to say that my heart belongs in Ballarat, in the seat of Wendouree. It has been such a privilege to represent the electorate of Ballarat West, and then Wendouree. Of course all good things happen because of a team. I have been so lucky to have the most amazing staff in my time. We have laughed so much, we have had each other’s backs and we have worked really, really hard. It has been an honour to witness their strength, intelligence and compassion, and they have worked above and beyond. I wish all of my staff well in their future endeavours. There is no-one I would rather have gone through this with than Simon, Heidi, Rick, Dan, Jan, the late Cheryl, Michaela, Juliana, Steph, Alison, Keren and our fantastic cleaner, Mick, a good friend as well. I would also like to send a big cheer to all the volunteers who supported me in both campaigns, and to Michaela Settle, who led them and nurtured them all. I appreciate all the calls that they made, all the doors that were knocked on and the hours of support they gave.

I thank the unions who supported me, and I would like to single out Brett Edgington, the secretary of the Ballarat Trades and Labour Council. I also want to take this opportunity to thank unions for the really important work that they do and the incredibly important role they have in our community but also in our economy.

I think what has really blown me away has been the amazing people that I have met, those incredible constituents who give back to their community, who help their neighbours, who volunteer, who quietly and selflessly get on with life and who help others. I have had the great privilege of hearing their stories and celebrating their achievements, of helping them through difficult times and grieving with them. It has been a truly humbling experience.

To everyone in this chamber and everyone in the other place, on all sides of politics, I have tried to be friendly and respectful to everyone regardless of where you sit in this place, knowing that we all have our differences, we all have different priorities, but we are all here for the same reason and that is just to try to make things better. I hope everyone is just a bit more respectful. Be truthful, work hard for your constituents and, above all, be brave. I am going to give you a little gift of a little saying that has got me through life and I hope you will embrace it and take it on:

Ladies and gentleman, take my advice. Pull down your pants, and slide on the ice.

Honourable members applauded.