Danny PEARSON (Essendon) (09:47): As the end of my term in Parliament as the member for Essendon approaches, I want to take the opportunity to thank a few people. To the people of Essendon who have placed their trust and faith in me, thank you so much for the opportunity to serve, and I am so pleased with what we have achieved together. To my campaign manager Darren, Glenice who opened up her house and the countless volunteers who helped me turn Essendon from a marginal seat to a safe seat, thank you so much. To my chiefs of staff – Drew, Naomi, David and Kieran – thank you for your intellect, your commitment and for all your efforts. To my deputy chiefs – Jo, Claudia, Ben, Matt and Joe – you have played important roles in supporting me and the team. Thank you very much. Thanks to my long-serving executive assistant Jackie and to all my advisers over all the portfolios and the many years. Thank you for your dedication. In particular I want to thank Naomi’s industriousness, Kieran’s commitment, Jac’s humour, Claudia’s endurance, Liz’s courage, Jules’s judgement, Jono’s humanity, Tony’s loyalty, Joe’s insights and Nevada’s intellect. To my electorate office staff – Jayne, Frank, Jenni, Rod, Jono, Kara, Grace, Max, Rebecca and Ella – thank you for helping me build a better community in Essendon. To Bridget, previously Ray, the parliamentary staff, my committee staff, IT, catering and everyone else who makes this place hum, thank you for what you do to make this place work. To all my secretaries – Chris, Jeremi, David, Chris, Simon, Matt, Bridget, Bridget, Paul, Jeroen, Jo and Emma – thank you for your commitment to the service and to the people of Victoria. And to my family, thank you for your love and for keeping me grounded. To my caucus colleagues, thank you for your camaraderie and support over many years. To end, I quote the legendary Don Walker: ‘Nothing stopped us on the field in our day.’ Goodbye.