Mr LAWLER (6:39 PM) —It is with some regret, in continuing my valedictory remarks, that I inform the members who have come in that I do not have any great philosophical thoughts to share with them this evening, but I appreciate their presence in the chamber. I had been talking about some special projects that have been delivered in the electorate of Parkes. One is the Back of Bourke Centre, which is a result of an enormous amount of work by a lot of people in the Bourke area. I mention Wally Mitchell, Phil Johnson and Paul Row. The IMC is another project for which I have great expectations, and I cannot mention the IMC without mentioning Alex Ferguson and the mayors of the three core councils. There is the West 2000 project, which, again, follows great work by our current leader, John Anderson; and I cannot mention West 2000 without mentioning the great work of Geoff Wise, who puts in an enormous amount of work for people in the Western Division. Also, the Roads to Recovery project has delivered in the order of $127 million to local roads in my electorate and it is certainly welcome.

One of the enormous changes in my electorate is in something which people in other parts of the country probably would not have noticed. Telecommunications have changed around in western New South Wales from the 19th century to the 21st century almost in one go, with cheaper phone calls and the explosion of mobile phone coverage into places that a couple of years ago would never have anticipated getting that delivered— places like Wilcannia, White Cliffs, Ivanhoe, Menindee and Brewarrina. Then there are the Internet centres that have sprung up, again through the hard work of local people who see a vision for their communities and see what telecommunications improvement can do for those communities.

I do have a few regrets. When I came into this place, I—as most of us do—held a lot of ideals about the things I would like to achieve. The issues surrounding the social problems of the indigenous community in the far west of New South Wales and the health status of especially the indigenous community in my area are things I would have liked to have seen improved. But there have been improvements and there are ongoing programs. I am hopeful that they will continue and will deliver some form of equity to those disadvantaged communities that I represent.

The staff of the parliament: there are too many to mention. But I feel I have to mention someone like Brian Walshe, who I understand has actually retired and come back. It is a funny type of retirement, I guess. To me, the staff of this place were a revelation. Coming from private enterprise, I had worked with a lot of people; but I have never seen such a group of people who either enjoy their job or appear to enjoy their job and are so helpful and energetic in helping those they are here to assist—and that goes from the Comcar drivers to the chamber people, the people who work in the canteen and those who work on the doors. They are absolutely outstanding. If we could get that work ethic into the rest of Australia, I think it would be a fantastic place to live.

We all have our strengths and talents and we also have our shortcomings. That goes from those of us who have just come here, right through to the leadership. I am privileged to have had two fine leaders in my short time here. Tim Fischer and John Anderson share a passion and a fierce determination to deliver for people in the bush. I know some people do not like it being called the bush, but certainly in western New South Wales we do not mind being called residents of the bush. The staff of many of the ministers have been of great assistance to me, and I thank them for their mateship, their assistance and their genuine concern for the people and for the problems I have had to raise with them.

I want to mention the staff in the offices of the whip and the deputy whip—John Forrest and Paul Neville. In the National Party—and I see many of my colleagues here—we are a bit of a family. Even though I have only been part of that family for a short time, one of the people who are the heart and soul of that family is Gerrie, who works in John Forrest's office. To Gerrie and the rest of the team: I salute you and I thank you for your friendship and assistance in the three years I have been here. It has been a privilege to have served with many good friends here. I have mentioned to some of my friends, and it has been alluded to by other speakers, that in this job and perhaps in adulthood you find that your group of friends probably shrinks rather than increases as you get older. I am very privileged to count two of the people who were part of a group, named by Tim Fischer as the Three Musketeers, who came in in 1998: Stuart St Clair and Kay Hull. Guys: thank you very much for your friendship, your advice and assistance in the heavy times and the light times. I am sure that these two will go on to do great things.

It has been a pleasure also to serve with opposition members on various committees in this place. In a strange way, I wish them well in their electorates, but in a very meaningful way I wish them well in their future lives. It is very hard to single out anyone, for fear of leaving out some, but I refer especially to Sid Sidebottom. I could mention several others. Everyone comes to this place with a desire to deliver and to make this a better country. We all have the same desire, although our ways of achieving it may be somewhat different. People in the community want to see a level of cooperation and respect among members in this place. It is not a sign of weakness to show that goodwill exists on both sides of the parliament.

I have had the honour to work with many people in my electorate. Many people have provided enormous guidance and assistance to me—many people who, in their way and in their world, deliver an enormous amount through selfless work over the countless hours that they contribute to the community. It is very difficult to mention them all, but I must say that I have had a great relationship with the mayors in my electorate: the two Wilsons in Parkes and Warren; Mayor Lockart in Forbes; Donald in Nyngan; Brady and Yench in Cobar; Smith and Peacock in Dubbo; Jones in Narromine; Mitchell and O'Malley in Bourke; Pippos in Brewarrina; Longfellow in Central Darling; and Page in Broken Hill. They are but a few of the people who give of themselves to make our world a better place.

Other significant people that I have met and dealt with in my brief time here, and not in any particular order, include Margaret Flynn from Centrecare, who is based in Forbes and who does an enormous amount of work. Sue Irvine, who is the director of nursing in Broken Hill, turned St Anne's Nursing Home under Southern Cross Care into the dynamic facility that it is now. Dr Bruce Harris has provided me with a lot of background information and advice on health issues. I refer also to the McAllister family, the McRae family, the Bevans and the Blakes. I should mention Rob Pierpoint, that energetic person who travels around the countryside on behalf of the National Party. Nicki Sweeney from the Child Support Agency deserves special mention. Some of us have Nicki as our point of contact. I would not do her job for quids. The forbearance and patience that she shows in the face of enormous challenges is quite incredible. I refer also to Ron Hellyer, Tom Warren and Scott Howe. Glen Hadfield, the local manager of the Centrelink office, I have always found extremely helpful. He, along with his staff, including Ross McDermott, bends over backwards to help with issues that we throw their way. Cathy Sims and the other rural counsellors have done an enormous amount in difficult circumstances over the last few years, and I salute the work that they have done and thank them for their advice and assistance.

I could not conclude without mentioning my staff. My staff are second to none. I honestly believe that. As I have said, we all have our strengths and skills. I am blessed to have working in my offices a group of people who all contribute in their own unique ways. They are Amanda McKay, Sue Sulicich, Tony Webber and Evelyn Barber in Broken Hill and Dubbo. I could not have done this job without their contribution. They all, as I have said, have their own special skills and I appreciate every minute that they have worked with me.

Other members have mentioned their families, and it is appropriate that I mention my family. This job does take a toll on family life, and people pay a price. Unfortunately, it is a price that I am not prepared to pay. I do not seek to force my judgment on other people. There are others who may take on the role that I have had in my electorate, with its pluses and its minuses, and they may decide that they can do what they have to do to be a member of parliament and do what they have to do to be fathers or mothers, husbands or wives. My family has paid a price. I estimate that my wife spends about two-thirds of the year as a single mum. I appreciate the work and effort that she has put in to allow me to do this job. It has not been easy at different times. It is often the person who does this job who is the focus of attention. I have spent time away from home, out at Broken Hill, Tullamore, Cobar or Tibooburra or wherever. You do work long hours and you do stay awake late at night, but, at the end of the day, you only have to look after yourself. You are responsible only for yourself when you are on the road. It is those who are left at home who have to do all the mundane stuff such as cook the tea, help with the homework, get the kids up, do the breakfast and all that sort of thing. None of us could do this job without a great deal of support on the home front.

To my wife Ellen and my wonderful kids, Emily, Amelia, Sam and Isobel, thank you for what you have contributed in my life. My mum and dad and my brothers and sisters are all part of it. Mr Speaker, I thank you for your friendship. To the others who have shared this place with me for three years, I wish you all the best. I hope our guys get up in the election—it is going to be a tight one. I hope to see our current Prime Minister at the same place at the table when I turn on the television. Perhaps we cannot have a television on in the pharmacy when I return, but I am sure that people will tell me that they have seen or heard question time. I wish everyone here the best, and I thank you for your friendship and your support.

Honourable members—Hear, hear!