Wednesday, 1 November 2023

Department of the Legislative Council

Report 2022–23

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:40): Well, the sound of printers whirring has been echoing through Spring Street this week. It is a bonanza of annual reports, which is great to see and great to look through. Today I rise to speak on the Department of the Legislative Council annual report. I am sure Mr Mulholland will be very sad that I am not talking about the Select Committee on Victoria’s Recreational Native Bird Hunting Arrangements report, though I do see a lovely picture of our old former select committee on the front of the report, with the various members as we were, assembled down at Lake Connewarre, and I very much appreciated Mr Mulholland’s contribution just before.

But I did want to rise to make a few comments on our wonderful little Council and the privilege it has been for us all, no doubt, to serve these past few months – for some of us, and for some of us a bit longer – over the period which this report covers. My mind goes back to the opening few days when we were all very new and all working out were where we were and obviously the official opening of Parliament, which was wonderful to be at. The report also talks about the orientation that members had, and it does go into some detail on some things, but I notice it skips over one of the more intriguing parts for us all when we were wandering around the Federation Room roaring at each other like lions with our socks off, which for all the new members of the class of 2022 was quite the experience. I think it is something that is going to bond us forever as a special thing for the class of 2022 in particular.

We have also seen of course in the last financial year, the period of this report, the passing of our late Queen, Queen Elizabeth, and the swearing in of a new King. We gathered here to assemble in recognition of that. We also gathered here with the new Governor, with Margaret Gardner taking over after the excellent work that Linda Dessau did. It is great to see Margaret Gardner, someone who was the vice-chancellor at Monash University prior to coming in – a great university of the south-east – and I am very excited to see her in that role as Governor as well.

But the main reason for rising today to speak on the Legislative Council is not so much to reflect back as it is to acknowledge the work of all the wonderful people that make what we do possible, and they are the clerks, the assistant clerks, the committee staff – goodness knows we have given them a lot to get on with, and I am sure we will continue to do so – and all of the other people that work to make this place possible, but a particular shout-out to Greg, Peter, Jim, Philip and Chris for serving us so ably and so well in this place. It has been one of the real highlights of being here on parliamentary sitting days to have such wonderful people to work with us in their roles. I will conclude my remarks there, but it is a good report to flick through and good to note the year that we have had in this Council.