Hansard debates

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria) (14:03): I would like to begin by acknowledging the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation as the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today, and I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging. I also acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands across western Victoria, including the Gunditjmara, Eastern Maar, Dja Dja Wurrung, Wadawurrung and Wotjobaluk peoples. I pay my respects to their elders past, present and future. Western Victoria is home to places of profound cultural significance, including the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape. I am proud to have served in a Labor government committed to truth, treaty and self-determination and to advancing reconciliation with Victoria’s First Peoples.

After 20 years as an elected representative and having decided not to contest the next election, it is naturally a time for reflection on the work, the people and the communities that have shaped those years. When I announced my decision in April I spoke about what an extraordinary privilege it has been to represent Western Victoria and how humbling and deeply rewarding it was to serve as a minister for nearly a decade. I said then that I was proud of what we had achieved. That pride has only grown as I have reflected on these past 20 years, particularly the lasting reforms we delivered and the relationships that have made it all possible. I was genuinely touched by the warmth and generosity of the response. The messages, the letters and the conversations brought back many memories and reminded me just how many people have been part of the journey.

The world, the way we communicate and the challenges facing our communities have all changed. But what has not changed is what matters most: staying connected to the people you represent, knowing what you stand for and working with others to make a practical difference. What has also not changed is the extraordinary support I have received from family, friends, colleagues and so many others over more than two decades. My main purpose today is a simple one: to reflect on what we have achieved and to thank the people who have supported me and worked alongside me.

I begin by thanking all of the incredible staff here at Parliament: Hansard, the chamber attendants, library, catering, security staff, the researchers, the clerks, the committee secretariats, and of course our cleaners. There are many others I would like to thank, and I thank each and every one of you for your professionalism, patience and good humour. Parliament is a workplace, but over time it becomes an extension of your family and friendship network. When someone is going through a difficult time, people quietly step forward and offer support without seeking recognition. I want to particularly give a big shout-out to Mark Culleton, who worked with me as a driver for seven years when I was cabinet secretary and most of the time that I was minister. Mark’s professionalism was exceptional, but he was never simply the person that got me from point A to point B; he brought constant support, sound judgement and friendship through some of the busiest years of my working life. I also want to acknowledge Mark’s wife Sonia, along with Anne Sargent, Keir Delaney, Greg Mills, Phil Stoits, Jacquie Doolan and many others who have offered friendship and practical support over the years. You are truly valued and appreciated. There were times of great sadness too, particularly when we lost Russell and Nick. Those losses were deeply felt right across this building. That instinct to notice when someone needs a hand and simply step in is one of the things that I will remember most warmly about Parliament.

When I was first elected in 2006, my roommate, who is here, Kaye Darveniza, and I shared an office together those first couple of terms. Kaye understood the adjustment, the workload and the occasional absurdity of parliamentary life. Her friendship made those early years so much easier and certainly more enjoyable, especially through the enormous committee work that we undertook. And then there were the three amigos on the back bench together: Harriet Shing, Shaun Leane – President – and me. Not a day went by that was not filled with a good belly laugh that helped carry us through the many long days and more than a few very, very late nights in this place.

To all of my government colleagues in the upper house, thank you for everything. The rallying that you do at all times of the day, the camaraderie and the sense of unity are nothing short of amazing. Nothing is ever too much or too hard in or outside of this chamber. Over these 20 years I have also had the privilege of serving under five Labor premiers: Steve Bracks, John Brumby, Dan Andrews, Jacinta Allan and Ben Carroll. Each has led our state in different times and circumstances, and each has brought their own strengths, values and style of leadership to the role. I thank them for their leadership, their support and the trust that they placed in me throughout my parliamentary and ministerial career. There are many others I want to acknowledge for their friendship, advice, leadership and support over the years. Many of them are in the gallery today. There are too many people to name individually, but please know that I have valued the advice, the humour and the shared determination to purely get things done.

Long before I entered this place, the union movement helped me develop my values framework and taught me how change is achieved by people organising, looking after one another and doing the hard work together to secure a fairer outcome. It also gave me opportunities that were not always readily available to women. Becoming the first woman to be elected to lead the Victorian vehicle division of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union was an enormous privilege. It taught me a great deal about leadership, resilience and bringing people together. It taught me to listen, know the detail, hold my ground when it mattered and never lose sight of the people affected by decisions. Those lessons followed me into Parliament and every ministerial portfolio I held. I also want to particularly acknowledge Paul Difelice for his support, friendship and contribution to that journey. I also thank the teams at the AMWU and the Victorian Trades Hall Council and the very many delegates, organisers and rank-and-file members whom I have worked with. The union movement helped shape me. Its belief that working people deserve dignity, security, opportunity and a genuine voice will always be part of me.

Being a parliamentarian and serving as a minister is a unique opportunity to make a difference. It is an opportunity that I have absolutely relished, but no-one does it alone. There is so much work, you have to work together. It is everything about a team effort. For young women in particular, who are still too often not shown a clear pathway into public life, a career in politics cannot simply be an idea that seems good at the time. You need to be clear about your values framework and have a strong sense of purpose before you are elected. You need to understand why you are here, who you represent and what you are prepared to work for, and those foundations must be strong enough to withstand change.

A strong sense of purpose is also important. As is knowing how to manage and drive the work but also knowing when to stop, listen to the people around you, take a break, make sure that you have the necessary health checks and above all stay connected, stay grounded and never forget why you are here or who you are representing. Ultimately public service is not measured by the title you hold or the announcement you make, it is measured by whether the work makes a genuine difference to people’s lives.

Being a minister for nearly a decade across skills and TAFE, higher education, agriculture, regional development, water and corrections has been both humbling and incredibly fulfilling. I never saw these portfolios as separate from the people and places I represent. Whether the issue was training, water security or a stronger regional economy, the question was always: will this make a real difference in people’s lives, including across western Victoria?

One of the greatest privileges of my career has been leading the skills and TAFE portfolio over that entire period and having the time needed to deliver deep and lasting reform. When we came to government, the public TAFE system had been brought to its knees. Confidence had been shattered, campuses closed, and too many students and communities had been left behind. We rebuilt that system from the ground up, restoring public provision and confidence, putting students, apprentices, industry and communities back at the centre and delivering 45 new and upgraded TAFE campuses across Victoria.

Through free TAFE being introduced in 2019, we did not simply open more doors, we changed the system. This year we embedded free TAFE into law in this place, ensuring in law in this place that TAFEs are guaranteed a minimum level of funding to protect training for generations to come. It cannot be undone with the flick of a pen. Free TAFE has helped people retrain, upskill and move into secure, well-paid work without the burden of up-front fees – a practical difference when families face real cost-of-living pressures. We place TAFE at the centre of Victoria’s future, delivering the housing and construction and renewable energy, health care and digital skills that our state needs.

I am especially proud of the stronger supports that we have put in place for apprentices and trainees. The Apprenticeships Taskforce, chaired by Sharan Burrow, brought apprentices, employers, unions, industry and training providers together to improve the training and workplace experience while better supporting employers. At its centre was a simple understanding: an apprenticeship is not merely a contract or qualification, it is about someone building a skill, a career, a more secure future, which is so important for the labour market and our economy.

Adult and community further education and our Learn Locals have also been central to our work, as is our support for the acuity information management system. Learn Locals meet people where they are. For many who have not had a positive experience of education, they provide a trusted first step back into learning and further training and work. I want to give a special shout-out to the trainers and teachers in that sector. Your ongoing commitment in the community is not just inspiring, it is absolutely commendable. I am proud that we have brought adult and community education out from behind the kitchen door, given it the recognition it deserves, and strengthened its place in our broader education and training system. We work to join the post-school system together from grassroots Learn Locals through to TAFE and universities, providing accessible pathways at every stage of life.

I have always believed that vocational education must stand up as an equal first choice alongside university. This shift in thinking must absolutely happen and happen at a pace. Otherwise, opportunities will be lost and economic growth will be undermined. I am proud that the reforms led here in Victoria have now largely been adopted by the Commonwealth and are helping to shape the national skills agenda. The study tours we undertook in the early days here and overseas reinforced that good policy is never developed in isolation. You must look outward, test ideas, learn from others and build strong relationships with people who absolutely understand the system firsthand. I thank everyone in the sector who shared their expertise. Those relationships made the policy better and turned that reform from paper into a reality.

Across my other portfolios I was equally driven by the same commitment to fairness, opportunity and long-term reform. In higher education we strengthened collaboration with universities and worked to widen participation and opportunity. During the pandemic we supported the sector through an extraordinarily difficult period. Through the higher education investment fund we helped protect the research jobs and capability so important to Victoria’s future. Today the higher education sector is at a crossroads. Governance, accountability, appropriate behaviour, student visas, funding and social licence are some of the fraught issues on the table. They all need to be resolved as soon as possible if our universities are to serve our communities, the national interest, innovation and the economy.

In agriculture we strengthened biosecurity preparedness and ensured Victoria was well positioned to respond to major threats such as foot-and-mouth disease. In water we continued to support communities through drought, progressed long-term water security planning, advanced feasibility studies and continued to oppose water buybacks. Water is far too important to play politics with. It demands bipartisanship and a long-term approach. That is why we established the water security taskforce to propose ways to strengthen Victoria’s water security into the future.

In regional development practical support, from the Geelong City Deal to regional worker accommodation and the Tiny Towns Fund, helped local economies and communities grow and adapt. In corrections we implemented significant reforms, including the establishment of the Post Sentence Authority and the introduction of more respectful body scanning practices. The portfolios were different, but the approach was the same: understand the problem, listen to those affected, do the work and focus on the practical difference it will make.

Turning to ministerial offices, I had the great fortune to work with extraordinarily fantastic ministerial staff. They worked all hours, united by purpose and able to test complicated problems from every angle at a remarkable speed. Their rigour, creativity and genuine joy in finding practical solutions were very difficult to beat in any workplace. To this day this has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my working life, and it is wonderful to see so many here today.

There well may be people in the chamber who might recall that the facilities here at Parliament some time ago were not exactly what they are today. In fact they were a far cry from it. Ministerial offices were small and cramped, with barely enough room to move, let alone to find somewhere comfortable during those very long overnight sittings. President, I hope that you will forgive me, but today I have brought in not a prop but evidence. Only eight years ago this tissue box became a firm favourite amongst my staff during those very long nights. It might not look much, but when the hours stretched on and the only place to stretch out was on the floor, sometimes under a meeting table, this humble tissue box was a highly prized pillow. In fact someone has put their name on it. It carries memories for me of late-night drafting, hurried briefings, cups of tea, tired laughter and a team that just kept going no matter what the hour was or what the circumstances were. To members of every ministerial team I worked with: thank you. I am immensely proud of what we achieved together, but I am just as grateful for the friendship, deep care and laughter that carried us through. I also thank my ministerial colleagues and the public servants who turned decisions into real outcomes for Victorians.

Turning to my electorate, throughout all of this Western Victoria was never simply the electorate name beneath my title. It was the place that grounded my work, tested our policies and reminded me every day who public service is for. I am enormously proud of what we have delivered across the region. Having completed my primary and secondary education in regional and rural schools, that lived experience shaped my approach and reinforced the importance of strong regional and education voices in everything I do. I take this opportunity now to give a huge shout-out to public education. I also take this opportunity to thank the remarkable teachers at Cummins Area School and Nuriootpa High. You were amazing, and I believe that there are many who still are in shock that I did not become that physical education teacher that they seemed to all think was inevitable. I also want to thank the dedicated academic staff in the politics department at Flinders University. They, together with Gough Whitlam’s Labor government and the introduction of free university education, opened doors for me, that young woman from a regional background, which I could never ever have imagined were possible to exist.

Western Victoria stretches across cities, coastal communities, farming districts and small rural towns, each with its own identity, strengths and challenges. Representing it has meant a great many kilometres and more community halls, football clubs, schools, farms, hospitals, TAFE campuses and council offices than I could count. Over the years I have seen major projects deliver what will change communities for generations. I have also seen the enormous differences made by much smaller projects. A new facility at a local sporting club may not attract the biggest headline, but it might mean older members can finally enter safely and that a women’s team has a proper place to change instead of the back of their car. The big projects matter enormously, but so do practical improvements that make a town stronger and more inclusive. Across the region, I am proud of new and upgraded specialist schools, from Portland to Colac; the renewal of South West TAFE and the Gordon, including the Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion, the new culinary school and the expanded trade facilities; as well as our partnership with Deakin University.

I am proud of the better rail services, improved regional hospitals and health services, upgraded sporting facilities and places such as the Warrnambool Library and Learning Centre that bring education, community and opportunity together under one roof. I am also proud of the work we did with the Portland community to support economic diversification and create new opportunities for the region through the Portland Diversification Fund. The Avalon Airport has become one of western Victoria’s greatest strategic assets – an important gateway for passengers, freight, industry and tourism. Its continued growth is creating jobs and opening new economic opportunities for Geelong and the wider region. The $676 million Geelong City Deal is delivering game-changing projects. From Nyaal Banyul, the Geelong convention centre, to the Apollo Bay harbour, the Twelve Apostles visitor precinct and the improvements right along the Great Ocean Road, these will support local jobs and businesses while creating a visitor experience worthy of the natural and cultural assets that we are so proud to share with the rest of the world.

I am proud to have been part of a Labor government that understands the strength and potential of regional Victoria, and I am very optimistic about the future of our region. Another great privilege has been seeing the growing recognition of the world’s oldest living cultures and the traditional owners’ leadership in caring for country and shaping the future. Budj Bim Cultural Landscape’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List was a moment of enormous pride. It recognised the Gunditjmara peoples’ extraordinary cultural engineering and aquaculture practices and told the world what Aboriginal people have always known: this is a living cultural landscape of profound importance. I particularly thank traditional owners across the region for the knowledge, partnership, patience and leadership they shared with me as a local member and minister. There is much more work to be done, but I am grateful to have shared part of that journey and to have worked to ensure First Nations voices were recognised and included across every portfolio I led. Most importantly, I thank all of the people of Western Victoria for their generous support over the years. Five times you have placed trust in me. You have been kind, you have been respectful and you have been generous, but you have also been very forthright. I will be forever grateful for the privilege of representing you.

Now, turning to my electorate office, none of the work that I have outlined would have been possible without the extraordinary electorate team that I have had in Geelong. Electorate officers are often the first people that those in need speak to. They listen, explain, advocate and keep going until every avenue has been explored. For the entire time I have been in Parliament Kym Pearl has been my office manager. For close to 20 years her commitment has been outstanding, as has her ability to communicate with all sorts of people in all sorts of circumstances. We have often joked that the job requires a thick skin and a big smile – Kym has brought both in equal measure. Her judgement, loyalty, good humour and genuine care for the people of Western Victoria have been invaluable not only to me but to the many people who have turned to our office for help over the years. Kym, you have been beside me for this entire parliamentary journey. I could not have asked for a better person to share it with, and I am certain the next phase in your life will be incredibly successful and enjoyable.

I have also been blessed with many other wonderful electorate staff, some of whom have been with us for a substantial period of time. There was Luke Humphries, the supremely capable, highly skilled all-round good guy whom I consider to be my second son, and Chris Kelly, forever the teacher, organiser and wise counsel. To Sandy, Rose, Simon, Rosemary, Bella, Caroline, Darcy, Jenny, Janice, Andy, Judy, Sonia, Melissa, Eadie, Stef, Marcus, Heidi and Lizzie: thank you for your commitment, for the kilometres that you travel, for the deep care you have shown and for working so hard to get outcomes for the people of Western Victoria. I am immensely proud of all of you.

Now to family. It is hard to put in words what your love and your support has meant to me. Without complaint you have enabled me to do so many things that I love. You have lived with the long hours, the changed plans and the many times work came through that front door with me. My son was just 14 years old when I was elected in 2006; now he is a husband with his own little family. So much has happened during those 20 years. My many absences did not deter him from becoming a genuinely decent human being, and I could not be prouder of the person he has become. And now, with my retirement, I hope that he, Lara and our beautiful granddaughter can cope with me being more firmly in their space and in their face as mother and nanna.

And to my husband Ian: I simply could not have done it without you. We first started working together in the late 1980s, long before we were married 26 years ago. We worked shoulder to shoulder through major negotiations in the car industry, industry policy debates and more than a few very, very difficult industrial disputes. I saw firsthand Ian’s sharp mind, his judgement, and his instinctive understanding of working people and the industries that they rely on. A close friend recently at his retirement, in his speech, described Ian as the smartest and most strategic trade unionist he had ever met, and I think that sums him up pretty well. Ian, you are an exceptional partner. Not only have you have kept things moving on the home front, but you have also been a guardian and carer to a special friend of ours who had early onset dementia, as well as helping out so many others along the way. Your support has never been loud or demanding; it has simply been there – steady, generous and unwavering. I could not have done any of this without you, and I simply cannot wait for us to have more family time together, to share new experiences with the people that we deeply love and to help write that book on the car industry from the inside.

It would be remiss of me also not to mention seven incredible women that simply could not be here today: Aunty Dr Geraldine Atkinson AO, president of Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc, who was unwell and could not make the trip; Cath Whelan and Elaine Gillespie, who are overseas; Jenny Macklin; my sister-in-law Maria and my friend Leone Nolan, who are undergoing treatment; and of course my mum, who is interstate and incapacitated. I thank each and every one of you for everything and sincerely wish you the very best. Of course it is on days like this that you think about those that have passed and those that you would have liked to have spent more time with in their later years, and that is particularly the case for me this term. My father passed away. We do miss Ken, and we continue to grieve for him.

For more than 45 years I have had the honour of serving working people, including 36 in elected office. Throughout that time I have been guided by a commitment to inclusion and equity and to ensuring opportunity is open to all and that people who are too often left out have a genuine voice in the decisions that affect them.

I was not here for a short time, and I was not here simply to have a good time. I was here to use the time well and to get things done. As I look ahead, I do so with confidence in the depth of talent and energy within our own Labor team and the next generation of leaders who will continue the work of building a fairer and stronger Victoria. I take this opportunity to also thank local Labor MPs for their commitment, unity and support and particularly want to shout out to Chris Couzens, who does an amazing job, and Alison Marchant. With so many years in Parliament, it is simply time for me to pass the baton with a smile on my face and a head full of gratitude. Thank you.

Members applauded.