Mr LEO McLEAY (7:30 PM) —Twenty-five years ago to the day I was elected to this parliament. I would like to say a few thanks to some people this evening. First off, I would like to particularly thank the people of the ALP in my electorate who were good enough to send me back here as their candidate for 10 elections. I would like to thank the people who were my constituents when I was the member for Grayndler and who are my constituents now as the member for Watson, who have returned me to this parliament 10 times. I would like to thank my family—my three sons and, in particular, my wife, who has put up with me over those 25 years and has always been a great support and a stalwart to me.

I would like to thank my staff. All the good things that I did were things that were their idea and the bad things were all my own work. I would like to mention a few of my staff, who are indicative of the people who worked with me for a long while: Bertha Williamson, who started with me when I first became the member for Grayndler; Kayee Griffin, who is now a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council; John Porter, who started as my chief of staff when I was Speaker of the House of Representatives; Ann Stewart, who took over from John Porter when he went back to the parliamentary departments and who is still with me as a staff member down here in Canberra; Joan Connor, who worked for me when I was the chief opposition whip and chief government whip; and Rickey Geoghegan, who has been my longstanding electorate secretary.

I have seen a lot of changes over those 25 years, particularly coming from Old Parliament House up to this place. When I first got elected they had just gone through the program of giving members their own individual offices down in Old Parliament House. They had not taken account of the fact that there was a by-election for the electorate of Grayndler coming up. So when I got here I had this lovely new office. They had put me in a room called L112A. L112 was the men's toilet and L112A had been the shower that was adjacent to the men's toilet. They bricked up the wall between it and turned that into my office. It was a long way from L112A to the departure lounge up here in R1-33.

Some things have never changed. When I first got elected and I was down in the old house, Marie Donnelly, who is in the Speaker's office, used to type my letters. Lizzie the hairdresser started around about the same time. Lizzie has been cutting my hair for 25 years; she knew me when I had hair! When we get here as new young members, all of us want to become famous. The interesting thing about Lizzie is that she was famous before she got here. She has always been an interesting delight to us as one of the people who has consistently been, firstly, in the old building and, now, in this building.

I have had a lot of enjoyable years serving on parliamentary committees. I think they were some of the best years of my life. The time I spent as chairman of the expenditure committee was one of the great times of my life. I enjoyed the work that that committee did. I enjoyed being on the new Parliament House committee, which was the client group for the construction of this building. It was an interesting experience to see this building take shape over 10 years, starting with the architectural drawings and ending when we arrived here in 1988. The intelligence committee, which is probably the smallest committee of the parliament, is a very interesting committee to be part of at this particular phase in Australia's history.

I enjoyed my years as Speaker of the parliament. I was talking to my staff earlier tonight, who reminded me that I have held every job in this place except I have never been tainted by being in the executive. I thought it was a good idea that I should remember that at this stage. I enjoyed the ability that being Speaker gave me to meet with people all around the world. I am thankful for the assistance I got from the people in the parliamentary departments, particularly those in the House of Representatives department. I was always a great fighter in the prosecution of the war against the Senate and I would encourage all members who are going to stay here to always be part of that important war in the prosecution of the perfidiousness of the Senate. When you are in opposition, you don't mind it; when you are in government, you hate it. I thank everyone for the great experience they have given me and for the friendship that colleagues on both sides of the House have given me. I have enjoyed those 25 years. (Time expired)