Business of the house
Adjournment of the house
Adjournment
Mr David Michael (Balcatta—Leader of the House) (3:51 pm) without notice: I move:
That the house at its rising adjourn until Tuesday 16 December 2025 at 1:00 pm.
This special adjournment will bring to a close—sort of; we will have to deal with the State Development Bill in a few weeks—the first year of the 42nd Parliament in this house. It has been a massive year for all of us with elections at all levels of government and significant changes in the chamber. At the last election, 13 members retired from this place and we thank them again for their service. With their retirements and another eight seats changing hands, over one-third of Western Australia's electorates are now represented by a member with a new name or a new face. I would like to congratulate all new members in this place on the year they have had. I am sure that for all of us, representing our local communities is an enormous privilege and the honour of a lifetime. Still, especially in your first year as a member of Parliament, it is also a daunting job with a steep learning curve. Well done to all new members who have navigated their first sitting year.
Although the government benches do not extend quite as far around as they used to, I am proud of WA Labor members for their work this year, especially the amazing campaign effort in the first few months. Our drive and passion for listening to our communities is second to none—not just at election time but all the time. Keep it up.
The 2025 year also saw three new ministers appointed: Ministers Stojkovski, Hammat and Swinbourn. Congratulations to them, my cabinet colleagues and our parliamentary secretaries on their hard work and diligence. I would also like to congratulate for the year our new Speaker, the member for Forrestfield, and the Deputy Speaker, the member for Kalgoorlie, on their elections and efforts, including our panel of Acting Speakers in the members for Dawesville, Rockingham, Bibra Lake, Butler, Cannington and Jandakot. Thank you to the government Whip, the member for Southern River, ably assisted by his deputy, the member for Butler, and Whip assistant, Marzia Rezai. As the former Whip, I know of the work that goes into making sure this chamber runs properly, dealing with members requests about speaking lists and leave from this place. When he is not making speeches about his expertise in balloon animals, I know how hard the member for Southern River has been working all year. I also want to acknowledge his counterpart, the opposition Whip, the very well coiffured member for Carine who has maintained a productive relationship with our Whip and my office. Thank you, Liam. You are much more competent than the last time we had a member for Carine as the Whip; apologies, Tony.
I thank all members opposite for all the times, which is almost daily, when we have worked together to ensure this house runs smoothly, including the Leader of the Opposition and his office and the Leader of the Nationals WA, but in particular the member for Roe and the Manager of Opposition Business and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the member for Vasse, who has always been cooperative. I hope I have been helpful in return. Thank you, Libby.
The 42nd Parliament first met and was opened by the Governor, His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson, on 8 April. We have since had 44 sitting days over 15 weeks. We also had three days of estimates in June. In total we have met for approximately and counting 295 hours this year. During that time, 42 bills were introduced in this place and we have passed 28. As at lunchtime today, 715 questions without notice and 1,556 questions on notice have been asked—no doubt a significant number of the latter by the member for Carine who has clearly discovered the Kirkup method! We have answered 971 questions on notice as we enter the holiday period. This year Minister Carey has led the charge on brief ministerial statements, delivering 48 of them. I come in second, unfortunately, and not particularly close at 32, followed by Minister McGurk giving 30 statements. In this place, we have tabled 14 petitions, nine of which were tabled by the member for Southern River, who clearly has many plans that his community supports! There were many points of order this year, but only one suspension under standing order 48. It was the first since 2020 and the first Nationals member since 2018; that was a member from the family of the member for Midland!
To mention just a few of the significant reforms we have made, one of the first pieces of legislation we passed for which I was responsible implemented one of our election commitments by increasing the stamp duty concession for first home buyers and extending the off-the-plan duty concessions. Then with the passage of the Evidence Bill, we introduced reforms and protections to better support victim-survivors of family and domestic violence in the court system. We have legislated to support the members and managers of incorporated community not-for-profits and charities by streamlining and modernising their regulatory requirements. We have provided support for the resources sector by updating the process for the payment of royalties while enhancing auditing capabilities, and by updating the Roy Hill state agreement to allow for the development of specific regional infrastructure to open otherwise stranded iron ore resources to market.
I am sure that the Treasurer would like me to mention that we funded hundreds and hundreds of election commitments as we passed the state budget. I know that most of us are very excited and pleased that we have now made it easier for all Western Australians, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status, to access assisted reproductive technology. To mention one more, we look forward to the concurrence of the Legislative Council on the State Development Bill, which presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to supercharge opportunities and investment in cutting-edge Western Australian industries for decades into the future.
Although we members like to think of how important we are in the functioning of this place, we all know that none of this would be possible without the dedicated work of the staff in the Legislative Assembly and broadly across Parliament House. On behalf of all members of this place, I would like to express a huge thank you to our Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Mat Bates; the Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Liz Kerr; the Clerk Assistant (Committees), Isla Macphail; the Clerk Assistant (Procedure), Catie Parsons; the Acting Executive Officer to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly—importantly a Balcatta constituent, Nikolas Carbone; Sergeant-at-Arms, Thomas Morehead, who follows some questionable football teams; Parliamentary Officer (Chamber Operations), Denis Hippolyte; Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms and Parliamentary Officer (Procedure), Rachel Wells; Parliamentary Officer (Table and Publications), Lachlan Gregory; Governance and Business Improvement Adviser, Narelle Wren; Executive Officer to the Clerk, Maria Santos; and parliamentary officers Lisa Bellano, Darren Seet and Jess Requiero.
I have never been on a parliamentary committee so I do not really know these people, but of course we must thank all the experts in the Legislative Assembly Committee Office: Vanessa Beckingham, Lisa Peterson, Michele Chiasson, Jamie Bourne, Sam Hutchinson, Marie Martin, Lucy Roberts, Jovita Hogan, Sylvia Wolf, Sarah Palmer, Maddie Evans, Suzanne Veletta, Jacob Keillor, Patricia Woodcock and Pamela Clarke.
I must also thank all of those in the Parliamentary Services team—namely, Rob Hunter and his executive team; Hugh McCaffrey and the Building Services team; and Mark Gabrielli and Catering Services for feeding us every night and day, and thank you for the "Kung Fu" tofu. I thank Rachel Germano and the Finance team; Tina Hunter and Human Resources; Chief Information Officer Peter Seddon and the whole IT department; Irena Sikorska and her team in the library; and Jordana Leavesley and all those in Parliamentary Education, especially for looking after all those schools that come to Parliament. I thank Tony Paterson and the Security department; Stephanie Nguyen and all those in Reception Services; and, of course, Adrian Beattie and the many dedicated Hansard staff who we are all eternally grateful to. I would especially like to acknowledge and thank Laurie Mansell and congratulate him on his retirement.
As a long-term Hansard and POWAnet nerd, I also want to express my thanks to the team working to implement Parliament's IT upgrade. As many of you know, Parliament uses an ancient, clunky set of databases to publish information online. There is a project underway to replace these old systems and many of us who have used them for a long time know that that upgrade cannot come fast enough. I want to thank Bobby Cureton and his team for the work they are delivering on the NovaWorks project. It is a big project and not without its challenges. I want to particularly thank Bryan Vander Vinne and Lynn Wesley, two people keeping the old systems on life support and figuring out how to get the new system up and running.
From this side of the house, the government would not be able to function without the Parliament team in the Premier's office of Amy Astill, Dennis Liddelow, and, until recently, Ben Xavier Coates; and the Parliamentary and Executive Government Services (PEGS) team run by Amelia O'Sullivan, with Alex Rho, Janice Shaw and Loretta Beliniak. I hope Amelia is not tuning in from her holiday in the USA. I have no doubt that every minister and every member of the opposition knows how hard everyone in PEGS works every year.
On behalf of all our members, I thank our staff. I say to our electorate officers who talk with and listen to our constituents, sort out our diaries and represent us when we are in this place or elsewhere in the state, and all the other work they do, thank you. To ministerial, Leader of the Opposition (LOOP) and Leader of the Second Party in Opposition (LOSP) staff, thank you for the critical role you play for government and opposition members respectively.
To my ministerial staff, I deeply thank you. Donna Plummer has done about every job in government and opposition since the time I have known her, which is from the late 1990s, and has been amazing as my chief of staff this year in holding my office together. I could not go without thanking Rebecca Neilson as well; if I had to hazard a guess on how long the government in this house could keep going without her, I think at best it would be a day or two.
Thank you to my team of Michael Beach, Stuart McKinnon, Mark Andrews, Penny Taylor, James Rowe, Lisa Wright, Amber Hodges, Sam Pisano, Will Partridge and Deb Dawson. Deb, thank you for the last two and a half years and all the best in Minister Whitby's office. I have already started to teach him how to mess with his calendar independently because I know how much you appreciate this! Thank you to my electorate staff of Will Doughty, Catrina Campbell-Fraser and Glenn Omodei. I could not ask for a better bunch to look after the office and the electorate while I am spending time here or on ministerial business. I also say thank you to and indicate how proud I am of the member for Mount Lawley and Hon Andrew O'Donnell, who, at the last election—and inconveniently, I have to say—joined the member for Rockingham in Parliament as the Cedric Street electorate office alumni.
All members make sacrifices to attend this place and serve their communities—namely, it impacts on their families. We are fortunate to have such understanding families and I am no different. Thank you to my parents, uncles and aunties for their help in 2025 and for being understanding when I cannot attend every family event. Thank you to my mates for not ripping into me too much for missing Wildcats games! Also thanks to Tom Lee; we already miss you, mate. Thank you to our partners and/or children for putting up with us. Most members here know Lenda and how amazing she is. I am very lucky. I thank her and our four babycats, Chep Chep, Pepper, Mudge and Churl, for their love and support!
I guess there is not much more I can do to put this off. This is the part of the last day when the former Leader of the House David Templeman would summon his thespian tendencies and serenade us with a song.
Several members interjected.
Mr David Michael: The first year he did this was to the Galaxy Song by Monty Python. Everyone was caught off guard, especially Speaker Peter Watson, who did his best to tell him to stop and to wind it up. David did not. So every year, David would come back with a new song, and members would scurry to sit behind him in case the song went viral. I should add that for some of us, he would also do a non-PC version at the caucus love-in, normally with Hon Darren West. So I was thinking of calling the former member for Mandurah for some artistic suggestions that I could use for a song, but I did not because I am sure he would have bowled up Neil Diamond—sorry Dad!—the Bee Gees, Cliff Richard or even shake it up by suggesting I do some morris dancing or some interpretive theatre instead. I was not doing any of that! Instead of seeking David's help, I turned to my 2025 Spotify Wrapped top artists. Given I have a penchant for punk rock and third-wave ska genres, and as much as I would love to, doing Area-7, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto or Rancid is not possible without a circle pit and at least four brass instruments, so that was out, too. But I am happy to share a playlist later with anyone who is interested. I even looked at singing Minority by Green Day, but that would be unkind to the opposition; What's my age again? by Blink 182 but I would offend the Member for Central Wheatbelt; or Tangled Up in Blue by The Whitlams, or, if you are a bit older, Bob Dylan, but that would not be very nice to the Greens (WA); but I did find a suitable song, and here it is!
Several members interjected.
Mr David Michael: Sorry to disappoint. Government members who have heard me sing at caucus retreat karaoke know what that is like, and if there is not a standing order against me doing that in this place, there should be! I do not want to tarnish David's legacy with my singing voice, which is worse than my suspect bowling action. Instead, I have decided to take my cues from The West Australian's three-word analysis for Dockers and Eagles players after every AFL game. Here are my three-ish words for each member:
Member for Albany: Acting Speaker promotion
Member for Armadale: How many books!!???
Member for Balcatta: Best. Electorate. Ever.
Member for Baldivis: Cops and quokkas
Member for Bassendean: Amazing survivor advocate
Member for Bateman: You've got this
Member for Belmont: Lester Prize finalist
Member for Bibra Lake: Christmas Island trailblazer
Member for Bicton: Incredible community champion
Member for Bunbury: Hands Oval hosting
Member for Butler: Yanchep line defender
Member for Cannington: Bill without beard
Member for Carine: Hair lick tell
Member for Central Wheatbelt: Call to order
Member for Churchlands: Like Steven Bradbury
Member for Cockburn: Filibuster—break glass
Member for Collie-Preston: Driving just transition
Member for Cottesloe: Where's the "chi-chuanas"?
Member for Darling Range: Beautiful Byford Station
Member for Dawesville: Pre-poll life saver
Member for Forrestfield: Rescue greyhound dad
Member for Fremantle: Best football club
The best things in life are Freo!
Member for Geraldton: Port maximisation continues
Member for Girrawheen: Delivering good health
When we need it.
Member for Hillarys: Leavers? A bit old
Member for Jandakot: No longer honourable
Was he ever?
Member for Joondalup: Marina's nearly done
Member for Kalamunda: Just got there
Member for Kalgoorlie: Wiluna Caravan Park
I cannot wait to see the cat.
Member for Kimberley: Longest trip home
Member for Kingsley: Resident basketball expert
Member for Landsdale: Perth Park—amazing
Member for Mandurah: No longer theatrical
Member for Maylands: Mayor turned influencer
Member for Mid-West: Also without beard
Member for Midland: Love for Maxie
Member for Mindarie: Handlebars getting longer
Member for Morley: Energy for transition
Member for Mount Lawley: Better than Sinatra
Member for Murray–Wellington: Opposition kingmaker
That got some laughs over this side, but not that side!
Member for Nedlands: Ferries and frigates
Member for Oakford: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Member for Perth: Pulling every lever
Member for Pilbara: The nation's engine room
Member for Riverton: The house's doctor
Member for Rockingham: Local—6169 inked
Member for Roe: Loves every sport
Member for Scarborough: Surf Cat Stuart
Member for Secret Harbour: Virginia-class Minister
Member for South Perth: Lunch roll Fridays
It was formerly sausage roll Fridays. You have to have seen his Facebook.
Member for Southern River: Doorknocks, calls, petitions
Member for Swan Hills: Ellenbrook trains, finally
Member for Thornlie: Reporter turned member
Member for Vasse: Milk crate conversations
Member for Victoria Park: Local government tsar
Member for Wanneroo: Teacher returns home
Member for Warren–Blackwood: 20% worldwide lithium
And the Cavalieri Ufficiale:
Member for West Swan: Trains, planes, automobiles—and ferries
And lastly, member for Kwinana: Made in WA
Thanks, everyone. Merry Christmas.
[Applause.]
Ms Libby Mettam (Vasse—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (4:12 pm): I rise to make a contribution as the manager of opposition business. I would like to thank the manager of government business and, on behalf of the opposition Whip in particular, I would like to extend thanks to the government Whip for their cooperation as a team throughout the year, as well as Mr Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and other Acting Speakers. While there are many issues that we disagree on in this place, as is the nature of politics, we share an interest in the smooth running of this Parliament, in the best interests of the people of Western Australia. I acknowledge the very detailed list of thanks provided by the manager of government business and we certainly concur. I will not go through the detailed list, but, on behalf of the opposition, I would like to thank the staff within Parliament, led by Rob Hunter, for their support throughout the year. I would also like to thank the Legislative Assembly staff, led by Clerk, Mathew Bates and Deputy Clerk, Liz Kerr. Thank you for your advice and the support you provide to ensure we are able to undertake our work as members of Parliament.
A number of teams work behind the scenes to make sure this place ticks, including the finance team, human resources, library, building services, security, reception, reporting services, information technology and education teams. I acknowledge the tireless efforts of the chamber attendants, Hansard reporters, the security officers, the catering staff, grounds staff and the many others behind the scenes whose work is not always seen but is absolutely essential. Their professionalism ensures that this Parliament functions with dignity, order and respect regardless of the intensity of the debate on the floor. While there are varying degrees to which we have direct engagement and contact, we appreciate you for all of your efforts and the work you do. Thank you.
With the introduction of a new Parliament for the year and with 21 new members of Parliament in this place and a further 19 in the other place, there were a number of induction workshops to facilitate and support our members, getting our new members up to speed with standing orders and, at times, the complicated and not very intuitive workings of this place. All parliamentary staff were gracious with both their knowledge and their time, and I think most new members were surprised at how quickly Parliament became their new normal. It is something of a baptism of fire for new members of the opposition and other new members of this place coming into pivotal roles in particular, such as Leader of the Opposition, Whip and shadow Treasurer, when they were required to respond to a state budget within the first few months of Parliament. I am pleased to say all members worked hard, rose to the occasion and went into their first budget estimates with a thorough interrogation of the government's spending plans for the coming years.
From a personal perspective, the increase in the number of MPs, while it is not as significant as we would like on the opposition benches in this Parliament, compared to the previous Parliament, it has certainly been a welcome positive, led by the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Nationals WA and we thank them for their leadership. Our shadow ministers have worked hard to hold the government to account and reflect on the concerns and needs of Western Australians in this place. I look forward to working with them all throughout the next year, with the benefit of a year's experience as well. To the staff in our electorate offices, I extend our sincere appreciation and that is electorate offices right across this Parliament, who work for our members of Parliament. They support constituents through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. They are indeed the engines that propel our MPs through their daily responsibilities. Their work reflects on all of us and we are grateful for their commitment.
I would also like to thank the staff from the Leader of the Opposition's office, led by Chief of Staff Narelle Cant and the Leader of the National Party's office, Erin Wheatley, and their respective teams for their support throughout the year. I would also like to thank my colleagues on the other side of the chamber. We all enter this place because we care deeply about our communities and the future of Western Australia. Thank you for your commitment. Although we may vigorously disagree on policy at times, there remains a shared belief in the importance of public service and democratic debate. That shared commitment is what allows this institution to endure.
To the parliamentary committees, their chairs and members, thank you for the substantial work undertaken this year. Much of the committee work is detailed and demanding, but it plays a critical role in scrutinising legislation, contributing to public policy and improving outcomes for Western Australia. I also acknowledge the journalists of the press gallery who work hard to hold all of us to account. A strong and independent media is essential as a pillar of our democracy and, although their scrutiny can sometimes be uncomfortable, it is necessary and valued.
As we close the parliamentary year, I want to recognise the families of members of Parliament—the partners, children and loved ones who support us through the long hours, the late sittings and many demands of public life. We could not do this job without their patience and understanding and we thank them sincerely. Finally, as we move to the festive season and prepare for the year ahead, I wish all members, staff and their families a safe and restful break. I look forward to returning in 2026 to continue the important work entrusted to us by the people of Western Australia. Thank you again, Mr Speaker. I commend these remarks to the house and wish you all a very merry Christmas and a successful 2026.
Mr Roger Cook (Kwinana—Premier) (4:19 pm): Today marks the final day of 2025 for the 42nd Parliament of Western Australia and what a year it has been. Globally, we have seen heightened geopolitical tensions; economic, trade and energy markets undergoing fundamental shifts; longstanding alliances and treaties are being tested; and cultural, climatic and technological change accelerating at an unprecedented pace.
Closer to home, it has been just as eventful. We have passed 18 pieces of legislation eight months into this Parliament, including the Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Bill 2025 last night. By year's end, I hope to say that we have passed 21 bills, with the State Development Bill 2025, Liquor Control Amendment Bill 2025 and Help to Buy (Commonwealth Powers) Bill 2025 awaiting tick off in the Legislative Council. That will mean we need to come back for one more day in this place. But where would members rather be on 16 December than back in the chamber?
In this house alone, we have passed 28 bills, but our achievements this year extend beyond Parliament. As a government, we have been driving impact across WA since March, including connecting Metronet to more suburbs; building more homes, with completions at an eight-year high of 22,600; building more capacity in our hospitals, announcing a $1.5 million Building Hospitals Fund; skilling more tradies and nurses through free TAFE; offering meaningful redress to the stolen generations through the WA Stolen Generations Redress Scheme; creating new public holidays, ensuring hospitality and retail workers get the penalty rates they deserve; advancing globally significant projects like AUKUS and critical minerals to diversify our economy; boosting renewable power generation ahead of exiting coal at the end of the decade; starting construction of the Clean Energy Link–North expansion, which is the largest investment in electricity transmission that WA has seen for more than a decade; and helping secure World Heritage status for our ancient rock art collection at Murujuga. We have announced a new marine park at Exmouth Gulf, adding to the 6.5 million hectares of conservation estate created under our government.
At the end of last year, we farewelled 25 retiring members, including Hon Michelle Roberts, the first woman to become Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in the history of the WA Parliament, and Ministers Sue Ellery, John Quigley and David Templeman. It was an honour to have served alongside them. I said last year that I was looking forward to, potentially and hopefully, working with a new cabinet and a new team, and I am pleased to say that that is now a reality. This year, we welcomed 21 new members to the Parliament, including 11 new Labor members. Congratulations to you all. We have also welcomed a new Speaker, the member for Forrestfield. Congratulations to you once again.
I had the privilege of forming a new cabinet, which includes three new ministers: Meredith Hammat, the member for Girrawheen; Jessica Stojkovski, the member for Kingsley; and Hon Matthew Swinbourn. They join Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti and a strong team of experienced ministers. This diverse and experienced cabinet has a more ambitious agenda to deliver, and that is the focus of our agenda—delivery—specifically, the delivery of our priorities for this term. Our vision is for Western Australia to remain the strongest economy in the nation and the best place to get a quality job by remaining a global leader in the resources industry, diversifying our economy for the future, becoming a renewable energy powerhouse and making more things here. Our vision is also about ensuring all Western Australians can access the health care they need when they need it. It is about ensuring Western Australians have a home, building safe and inclusive communities, building on our record of protecting and restoring our environment, and ensuring that no matter where we live in—in our suburbs, towns, regional centres or remote communities—that all Western Australians have access to the infrastructure and services we need.
To deliver on our priorities, we have created the new portfolios of Health Infrastructure, driving major projects like the women's and babies' hospital, upgrades to Royal Perth Hospital and Midland Hospital, and regional commitments, including the Peel Health Campus; Preventative Health, the first of its kind nationally, to reduce long-term hospital demand; Aged Care and Seniors, working with the Commonwealth to free up hospital beds; Housing and Works, signalling a new approach to building; and Economic Diversification and Manufacturing, delivering our vision for a future made in WA. We have renewed our commitment to regional WA, with dedicated ministers ensuring communities have jobs, services and infrastructure.
As members of Parliament, we are lucky to have a dedicated network of people behind us who make us look good, hopefully, and make this institution of democracy work. I thank the clerks, chamber staff, Parliament House staff, security, reception, cleaners, kitchen staff and gardeners. I also acknowledge the Leader of the House, Hon David Michael, the leaders of the Legislative Council, Ministers Dawson and Jarvis, all parliamentary secretaries, including my own, the member for Landsdale, the member for Kimberley and the member for Cockburn, my ministerial office staff, my new Chief of Staff, Daniel Smith, and the new Leader of the Opposition and returning Nationals leader. Leading the opposition is one of the toughest jobs in politics, and I respect the Leader of the Opposition's dedication. I also thank the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and all agencies under my responsibility. To my electorate office team—Boba, Vanessa, Hunter and Tara—thank you for your incredible work. To electorate officers everywhere as part of this great state's democracy, thank you for the work that you do. I thank the dignitary protection unit for ensuring that we can remain safe. Finally, to my family— Carly, Toby and Isabelle—thank you for your unwavering support.
I want to take the opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy festive season. This has been an extraordinary year, as the Leader of the House said, with elections at every level of government in an era of ever advancing change and technological innovation, which will continue to impact and challenge us all. Our democracy is one amongst many, but is standing tall amongst all those democracies as the best equipped to deal with these challenges. I know as a Parliament we will continue to meet those challenges on behalf of the people we represent.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everybody.
Mr Basil Zempilas (Churchlands—Leader of the Opposition) (4:26 pm): I too would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those people who have assisted us to do our work.
Firstly, if I could reflect on the Premier's remarks. I thank the Premier for his kindness towards all of us and for the gratitude that he has expressed. We appreciate the respect that has been afforded all of us in this 42nd Parliament of Western Australia.
I will say, not just on behalf of our new colleagues but also all new colleagues in the chamber, that it is a great privilege to stand in the Parliament of Western Australia and represent the people of our electorates and the people of Western Australia, wherever they may live. It is certainly not lost on us, and I am sure it is not lost on my fellow new colleagues, the class of 2025, what a privilege this is. When we had the opportunity to be inducted together and go through some of the learning opportunities that were given to us by the parliamentary staff, I think we had a brief moment together when we realised this was a special journey that we were about to embark on. Indeed, it has been exactly that.
As the Speaker and the experienced members opposite me will know, this is a robust, combative and, at times, theatrical chamber. It is part of the territory that we all signed up for. We knew that and came here willingly because we accepted that this is a part of the arena and a great part of this privilege that not many Western Australians get to do. We are here, and how proud we are to be in this place.
I would like to also thank Mathew Bates, the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, and Liz Kerr, the Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, and all of the teams. Mathew and Liz, please pass on our sincere thanks. As mentioned by the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, I want to say when those on this side came into a new environment with not a lot of lead time and a lot to learn in a very short space of time, no question was too mundane or too routine for the great parliamentary officers who work with us.
On that matter, I want to say that members opposite, by and large, were also particularly helpful to us as we forged this new career. At times, we were not always certain of what the next thing on the agenda was or what the next move in this place was, but most of them gave us the luxury of that opportunity to find our feet. I remember when we first gathered as the new Liberal team, and we talked about the opportunity that we had, the great thrill to be in this place and the great thrill to represent the people of Western Australia. I said that we are going to make some mistakes, and that is okay, because in a brand-new environment, without having been in Parliament before, we will make some mistakes, but as long as we learn and understand the roles that we need to play and grasp that quickly, people will be accommodating and will understand that we are finding our feet.
On that note, I want to particularly thank the only member of the WA Liberals class of 2025 in the lower house with previous parliamentary experience. The member for Vasse has been an incredible support to all of us and to all of our new Nationals WA colleagues also. Libby, we will forever be grateful for the great assistance and great patience you have shown all of us. You have been a wonderful teammate and the camaraderie between us is really something special.
Several members interjected.
Mr Basil Zempilas: I did say most of them over there, did I not? Not all of them!
To the members of our Nationals WA team and to the new members, thank you for being on this journey with us. We are in the trenches together. It has been a great experience.
To the member for Roe, for showing us how to find afternoon tea, for showing us how to find morning tea and for showing us how to find tickets to the cricket if they are going, we appreciate all your guidance and leadership!
I have to say to the Leader of the Nationals WA, the former Leader of the Opposition, I used to watch a fair bit of question time on TV—often I was getting a mention, so I had a tune in last year—and obviously I would also see the Leader of the Nationals on TV giving press conferences. From a distance, I thought, jeez, he looks like a cranky old bastard!
Mr Roger Cook: What's the punchline?
Mr Basil Zempilas: Premier, largely, I was right! Shane, you have also been absolutely magnificent. I have greatly appreciated that I can sit in this chair and turn left and right to ask for advice and that that advice has been so free, willing and forthcoming.
I also want to say that, like everybody else, our families give up a lot to give us this opportunity. We are very grateful for them. To all the members behind me who have welcomed me and hosted others in their electorates, thank you. It is a great privilege and a great pleasure.
To all the ministers opposite—the member for Perth, the Deputy Premier, the Premier, all of you—thank you. When we are outside of this very robust environment, and when there are matters that affect our constituents, thank you for always being so willing to discuss them. I think the thing that has struck me most about this place is that although it gets very willing in here, when there is a genuine matter of concern in the community, all of you have always been willing to discuss that. I think that is a great thing for all of us to be able to take away from this place, so I thank you.
Finally, to the manager of government business, who probably has been the person on the other side to assist us the most in this place, thank you for what you have been able to do for all of us, working together with our deputy leader and our Whip, Liam Staltari, who has done a magnificent job. Liam, thank you for that. We really do appreciate it. Thank you to the manager of government business for working with our team to make it smooth for us in our first term. Many members will know that the member for Balcatta is a great cricketer and was a very good fast bowler. It is fitting, actually, in my previous career, I used to watch the cricket for a living, and I have had the cricket on here. I hope members do not mind. It is 3 for 138 up at the Gabba, for those of you watching. I was chatting to the member for Balcatta's father at a recent event, and he was telling me with such great admiration what a great cricketer he was, and in particular a very good fast bowler.
Mr David Michael: I think the replay would demonstrate otherwise!
Mr Basil Zempilas: I said to his dad, "Mr Michael, what was he like with a bat?" He said, "Oh, no, he was a terrible batsman!" He told me that he remembered that once, he had needed to contact you urgently, member for Balcatta, and you had been in the middle of a horror form slump. You had made a duck, a duck, 1 and a duck, but your dad needed to contact you for some reason, he needed to get you home, so apparently he rang the change rooms at Balcatta Oval and the 12th man answered the phone. Your dad said to the 12th man, "Hi, it's David Michael's dad. Can I speak to him? I need to get an urgent message to him." The 12th man said to him, "I'm sorry, Mr Michael, he's just gone out to bat", and your dad said, "It's okay, I'll hang on!" David, thank you for your great assistance.
To everybody in the chamber, to all of those who have played a huge part in making our first year in the chamber as successful as it has been, we are really grateful.
The final thing I will say is to the members opposite who, in quieter moments, have taken the opportunity to say quietly to us, "Thank you for being here, thank you for the increased numbers, and thank you for playing your role to help us be better"—
Mr Roger Cook: Who said that?
Mr Basil Zempilas: Premier, I can give you the names if you want! I would be happy to share which members it was! But to those of you who have said, "Thank you for playing your role in this chamber and thank you for helping us to be better at our roles", we greatly appreciate that. We give you the guarantee that we will continue to do that over the next three years of the 42nd Parliament of Western Australia.
Finally, a very merry Christmas to everybody. To all our families, we say thank you for the great sacrifices that you make, like the families of those opposite, and the parliamentary staff, who often have to work late into the night. We wish you a very merry Christmas. We will see you on the 16th. Happy new year, everyone, and thank you.
(Applause.)
Mr Shane Love (Mid-West—Leader of the Nationals WA) (4:36 pm): I stand between crayfish and champagne and the chamber, as well as yourself, I think, Mr Speaker. You probably have a few words to say as well.
That was quite a presentation from the Leader of the Opposition. It shows what a lifetime spent in the entertainment and media industry can do for one's public speaking skills. My time has mainly been spent sitting on a tractor or something going around with the only bloke to talk to was the fellow looking back at me in the rear-vision mirror! That is a very different upbringing. That is the typical sort of situation for members of the Nationals WA. We often find ourselves coming into this place from all sorts of different roles. This particular intake of Nationals in this Parliament has been very gratifying. We started off with four in the last Parliament and sort of ended up with three, but we have managed to double that. We have come back with six, and we have six very diverse people who have come in. The member for Warren–Blackwood used to start his speeches with the fact that he was growing spuds at "Manji" for 25 years, and then he went into beef, and then he went into avocados or something, then he went back into spuds. I said to him, "Mate, that's great, but you have to actually have something else to say!" But he kept on saying it, then he got elected, and he has turned out to be a fabulous member for Warren–Blackwood. I am very proud of him today for the efforts that he put in and for the grievance that he raised.
I turn to the member for Albany, Scott Leary. What a businessperson! He has had a stellar career in the Albany community in basketball. Everybody in Albany knows Scotty. I tried to walk around the Albany show with him, and I could not get from one end of the showground to the other. I just ran out of time. Everyone wants to talk to him.
The member for Geraldton has had a fabulous career on the farm, but also in community service, development commissions, boards for government entities, and as shire president—she has done it all. Of course, we also have the youngest one, who actually has the most experience of this sort of world in the member for Central Wheatbelt. The member for Central Wheatbelt also has some other outstanding qualities. He is our party Whip. He has been called to order 51 times already. He has only been thrown out once, so his average is doing a little bit better than Joe Root, I think! He has been a fabulous source of energy for our party.
To my loyal deputy, who is vying with both the Premier and I think the member for Bassendean for the title of most popular local member—are you in front? Where do you sit with that?
Mr Peter Rundle: I'm not too sure!
Mr Shane Love: I think you are either one, two or three in the chamber! He is a fabulous, loyal and hardworking deputy and it is a pleasure to have him, as well as our two new members in the Legislative Council, Hon Julie Freeman, our leader there, and also our Secretary of the Parliamentary National Party, Hon Rob Horstman.
Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance throughout the year and for your patience. Sometimes I think you are a little too patient. I think only one person has been thrown out. Probably I would have thrown out a few others on both sides if I was the Speaker! But you are trying to educate and get people to learn the ropes without coming down too hard. I thank you for that and for your forbearance on a range of things.
I found out the other day that the Deputy Speaker, the member for Kalgoorlie, could hear everything we talk about in the passageway. At least she came clean and told us that she had heard all our tactics for the coming parliamentary recess!
Clark Mathew Bates has done a great job with the induction processes, which have changed in this place. Of course, his senior staff have helped with that—Liz Kerr, the Deputy Clerk; the Clerk Assistants, being Dr Isla Macphail on the committee side and Catie Parsons on the procedures side; and, of course, our Sergeant-at-Arms, Thomas, who has the loudest voice in the Parliament. I still remember the first time he came into this place and shouted at the top of his voice—I think we all nearly fell over! He is moderating his voice a little bit more now. To all the other chamber staff who assist here, thank you so much for your dedication and efforts.
The last time I did this speech, over 200 people worked at Parliament. I do not know how many there are at the moment, but there are, say, 200. I wish each and every one of them all the very best and thank them for their efforts, whether they work in the committees, in the library, in catering, in security, in the garden, in reception or in IT—wherever they work. Of course, our Hansard people take out all the ums and ahs in our speeches and make them look a lot better on paper than they actually ever were, so I thank you all for your service. All those 200 people get a little gift every year from the Nationals. This year, it was the job of the member for Albany to get that gift. I do not know what he has arranged, but I am sure there is something very nice for each member of staff here, whom we appreciate very much.
I would like to thank my electorate office staff who serve the great seat of Mid-West—Ali Cook, who has been with me since I started this role; Belinda Dixon up in Carnarvon; and Shelly O'Connor and Kylie Davis in Dongara. Premier, it is a lot of work for these electorate staff. I know that a little report was done and there was some indication that more staff might be on their way. I can tell the Premier that my staff are desperately waiting for him to get that underway! We look forward to that in the near future. That brings me to the staff in my leader's office. I would like to thank Erin Wheatley, my chief of staff, as well as Bron, Holly, Antonius, Cole and Kate. Then there is the state parliamentary Nationals secretariat. As I said to the Leader of the House today, we call them "SPNatSec". SPNatSec is shared between Seb and Lisa—thank you for all you do.
I would also like to thank my opposition alliance colleagues. I thank the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Churchlands, for his contribution and for the fine speech he just made; the member for Vasse, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and also Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party; and the member for Carine, our Whip. I would also like to thank Narelle Cant and the rest of the LOOP staff for all the work they do as well.
Of course, I would like to thank the people of the Mid-West. It is an honour to be the inaugural member for this newly formed seat. It is a little bit bigger than the seat I had before, but I am getting to know the Murchison and the Gascoyne much better than I knew it before while still keeping in touch with the older areas of the electorate. I would like to thank everybody in the National Party who contributed to the election campaign and has supported members in their various electorates since that time, and especially our acting state director, Deb Carson; our newly appointed state director, Daniel Green; and Paul Gillett, our state president.
As we conclude this parliamentary year, we will be out on the roads, out in the water and getting out and about. We know that this is the festive season, but it is also a time when first responders are often in action. As we saw last week with the fire tragedy and the marine situation, these are the people who actually keep our communities safe. I just want to say a big thankyou to all volunteer and career firefighters, ambos and paramedics, police, nurses, hospital staff and everybody else who is out there on the front line protecting Western Australia each and every summer. I wish each and every one of you a safe and peaceful festive season.
I would also like to thank the Premier for the service he has provided to the people of Western Australia. I know it is probably one of the most stressful roles that anyone could undertake in this state, and I thank him for that. I also thank the Deputy Premier and all ministers who have contributed. I especially thank the Leader of the House, who has been very cooperative. He is always someone you can talk to in confidence to work out what is going to happen around the operations of the Parliament for the day. You think you have got it all down and then, of course, as we know in this place, everything changes and we are back to square one, but that is the way it goes. I thank the Leader of the House so much for that. I also thank the member for Southern River, the Whip. I have learned how to do petitions better, so thank you very much for the "Terry Healy campaign for bus stops in Southern River". We will be conducting campaigns of a similar nature using his tactics going forward. We have been trying to work out how we could make petitions work better in the LA—I know we have had that discussion with the Leader of the House—but I think we have found the answer through Terry Healy's campaigns on bus stops. I do not know what other things he is running in Southern River, but it seems a very effective tool, and we are all looking on with much interest.
To everyone in this place, whichever side of Parliament you sit, I wish to thank you for putting yourselves forward. I know that you are committed to your communities. I might not agree with everything you think and say, but I understand that commitment and also the service that you are providing and also that of your family and the support staff who are behind you. To each and every one of you, your family and your friends, I wish you a very merry Christmas.
Members: Hear, hear!
(Applause.)
The Speaker (Mr Stephen Price) (4:46 pm): Thank you, Leader of the Nationals. Members, it is my turn to finish off the thankyous and the speeches. It says here that a short speech is a good speech, so I will try my best. As the Leader of the National Party mentioned, there are a few hundred people here in Parliament, and you are about to hear their names. It is my pleasure to wrap up the first year of the 42nd Parliament. I have a few acknowledgements that I would like to make. Firstly, to our Clerk, Mat Bates—thanks, Mat. We can all agree that Mat has run a fabulous tight ship with calm, effectiveness and skill. There is no question that he cannot answer and no issue that he will not tackle. He has provided me with great assistance and helped me, as a new Speaker, to feel supported whenever I needed it, so I thank him. To Liz Kerr, the Deputy Clerk—thanks, Liz. She has been of equally great assistance, is always up for a laugh and brings a positive attitude to the building, which is deeply appreciated. To both Clerk Assistants, Catie Parsons and Isla Macphail, your support has been invaluable. Running both the house and committee offices is a herculean task, yet you ensure they run smoothly and effectively. To my Sergeant-at-Arms, Thomas Moorhead, your booming voice could probably be heard from Fremantle! Whether convincing me to table the parliamentary cricket scores or suspending a member just once this year, he has done it all with enthusiasm and professionalism. I thank you.
I would also like to acknowledge all the staff of the Assembly office—Denis Hippolyte, Rachel Wells, Lachlan Gregory, Lisa Bellano, Darren Seet and Jesceline Requiero. You are the engine room of this house. I am truly blessed to have such an effective, professional and knowledgeable team. You make the work look easy, although I know it is anything but. Thank you for all you do here in the Legislative Assembly. To my executive officer Niko—where did he go? There he is! Thanks Nik; your assistance has been amazing this year so far and I love the enthusiasm you bring to the role. To Anthony James, my steward, thank you for guiding me through this year as well. From having a coffee ready for me each morning to providing top service for every ambassador, delegate or guest I have hosted, your support has been outstanding.
To the staff of the committee office, Vanessa Beckingham, Lisa Peterson, Michele Chiasson, Jamie Bourne, Sam Hutchinson, Marie Martin, Lucy Roberts, Jovita Hogan, Sylvia Wolf, Sarah Palmer, Maddie Evans, Suzanne Veletta, Jacob Keillor, Patricia Woodcock and Pamela Clarke, you do amazing work assisting all your Chairs and committee members. I know they appreciate the care and dedication you provide.
To Hansard, thank you very much for the amazing job you do. I feel sorry for you sometimes trying to capture a lot of the contributions that happen in here, especially during question time.
To the executive officer to the Clerk, Maria Santos, thank you for everything, Maria, from managing CPA meetings to booking flights—a task that I am glad that I do not have to do myself. To the governance and business improvement adviser, Narelle Wren, I also thank you for your contribution this year and certainly look forward to the outcome of your work.
To our catering department staff, particularly operations manager, Mark Gabrielli, functions coordinator, Aggie Lipari, and assistant dining room manager, Roger Mouttet, the events have been plentiful this year and you and all your staff make life here at Parliament relaxing, enjoyable and special. You have kept us well fed, well watered and thoroughly spoiled.
To the executive leadership of the Parliamentary Services Department, Rob Hunter, Belinda Corey, Patricia Traegde and all your colleagues, thank you. This building is full of members and lots of requests, and you have handled them all with grace and efficiency.
Finally, to all the security staff, both our own plus those from WA Police, gardeners, finance, payroll, reception and building services staff, there are far too many of you to mention individually, but you all play an integral role in this building. Please accept not only my thanks, but also the gratitude of all members for keeping us safe, maintaining the grounds beautifully and ensuring that the building stands strong while we toil away in this chamber.
To my electorate staff, Natalie and Keegan, thank you.
To the Premier, thank you for your friendship and support and the leadership you have shown.
To the Leader of the Opposition, member for Churchlands, congratulations on your first year in the Parliament. Taking on the role of leader in your inaugural year is no easy feat. To the Leader of the Nationals, the member for Mid-West, I express my gratitude for another year of your steady leadership and for guiding your party through the parliamentary processes.
I would also like to acknowledge both the Leader of the House, the member for Balcatta, and the manager of opposition business, the member for Vasse. You have both worked effectively and efficiently and have managed the agenda of this place with little worry and not much stress.
To both Whips, the members for Southern River and Carine, thank you for both for keeping this place full of members and for your assistance during divisions.
To the Deputy Speaker, the member for Kalgoorlie, and all my Acting Speakers, thank for your assistance and commitment to maintaining order in this place. It is not an easy task, as I well know, but you have taken it in your stride and shown yourselves willing and able whenever called upon, and I thank you for that.
To all remaining members. I wish you an enjoyable Christmas break. Spend it with family and friends. Take the time to recharge and relax, and, above all, be safe and take care and have a wonderful festive season. Merry Christmas. Thank you.
(Applause.)
Question put and passed.
House adjourned at 4:53:35 pm
Questions on notice answered today are available on the Parliament of Western Australia's website
