Wednesday, 23 September 2026

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon) (10:28): This will be the last time I speak in this place, I think it is fair to say. Unless I incur the wrath of the Speaker over the next couple of days, I will be stranded on 49 evictions from the house – a parliamentary Michael Clarke, who ended his career on 49.1.

I have been a member of the party for 34 years. I met my wife on the doorstep of the ALP candidate for Aston in the 1993 election and we have been together ever since. Keating described the win as the sweetest victory of all. For me, that statement was prophetic. While we lost Aston, I gained my best friend, my wife and the mother of my five children. The party has been very good to me. Over the years Nicole and I campaigned together many more times. I worked hard on her council election campaigns and Nicole supported my decision to run for Essendon, but it could have easily been her giving this statement today. Justin Madden asked me during the preselection whether I thought I could win. I said I would. He asked if Nicole was running, would I be equally as confident. I said I would be in trouble.

It has been an incredible journey with highs and lows in this place for me. I have to say I have been blessed. I have loved this job. I have had a nourishing and enriching journey, which has given me the greatest of joys. Nic, thank you for letting me have this experience. Thank you for the sacrifices that you made to allow me to pursue my career. I look forward to our next chapter and hopefully many more adventures together. I have been so lucky. I am so grateful. The last 33 years have been a love story. As Taylor Swift would say, we were both young when I first saw you.