Mr MELHAM (1:57 PM) —by leave—I think it is appropriate that I say at the outset that this reminds me of a saying: ‘Nothing so became him as the manner of his departure.’ A true champion knows when to leave; he is not tapped on the shoulder. The Deputy Prime Minister is leaving at a time of his choosing, which is in the best interests of himself, his family, his party—and, frankly, he has made the decision in the best interests of the nation. One must congratulate him, because he could have stayed in that position longer and he has chosen not to.

I was elected to this place in the March 1990 election—so, of the 150 members of this place, there are only 16 who have been here longer than me. The Deputy Prime Minister was one of those who was elected shortly before me. I had the opportunity to observe him from the back bench as a backbencher. I remember back then that I had an eye—as most members would know, I still have—for what was going on in the House. I remember this backbencher, over in cockies corner, sitting next to the then father of the House, Ian Sinclair. I wanted to invoke his name today because I know how fond Ian was of the Deputy Prime Minister. I was watching the affection that they had for one another. I said to myself, ‘This bloke is sitting next to the smartest bloke in the place; he will go places in the future.’ I think Ian Sinclair needs to be remembered. On his behalf I want to say, because he is no longer in this House, how fond he was of his deputy, in effect, of his apprentice. I am sure that Ian taught the Deputy Prime Minister to count. One of the things in politics is that nice guys rarely get to the top, because this is not a nice business. This Deputy Prime Minister is a nice bloke who can count. I wish him and his family well for the future. I think he is a reflection of all that is good in this place.