Mr BRIAN MITCHELL (Lyons) (15:20): on indulgence—I was confronted with a blank screen when coming to write this speech, and, when blank screen brain freeze would happen to me when I was a journo, we were told by editors, 'Just start typing what's in your head.' So that's what I'm doing, and that's what you're hearing now. This is a stream of consciousness more than it is a speech, so my apologies for the incoherence. Did you hear the member for Higgins's incredible speech last Monday? That demonstrated what a loss Michelle will be for this House, following the Electoral Commission's decision to abolish her seat. It was a speech full of intellect, insight and compassion. Don't expect much of that this time. I say to the commissioners: 'It's not too late. Reconsider. Abolish the seat of Melbourne instead—or, better yet, Deakin. Either would be a definite improvement.'' I'm giving my valedictory today not because my seat has been abolished but because our great party has chosen a candidate other than me to represent it at the next election. It's a decision I understand and a decision I support. As members and candidates, we all believe that we will definitely win our seats at every election we face. We need that self-belief to survive. But the brutal mathematical fact is that my margin sits on 0.9 per cent, or 1,344 votes. It's a margin significantly slimmer than me! My heart tells me that I've worked hard, that I'm well liked and that I can definitely retain this seat. But my professional, political brain tells me that the seat is on a knife edge, that Lyons is exactly the sort of seat the opposition leader is targeting and that, while I'm a hardworking member, I'm not a terrific campaigner. At elections, seats can and do change hands, despite the incumbents' self-belief and best efforts. So, when the potential arose for another Labor candidate to emerge, my good friend Rebecca White, the former Leader of the Tasmanian Labor Party and a state member for Lyons—I won't go into the detail of Tasmania's Hare-Clark—the opportunity was too good to pass up. I've quipped with a few people over the recent weeks that, if I'd been on the preselection panel and had to choose between White and Mitchell, I'd have voted for White too—and I'm Mitchell! I am confident that Rebecca will be the new member for Lyons, and she will be a great addition to the caucus, to this parliament and to this nation. When I cast my eye around this caucus, I see an incredible bunch of people from all walks of life. We have dairy farmers, miners, teachers, factory workers, academics, police officers, lawyers, engineers, doctors, nurses, journalists, social workers, allied health workers, soldiers and a sprinkling of trade union officials. A majority of those in our ranks are women, and we have MPs from all walks of life and multicultural, linguistic and faith backgrounds. I am proud—enormously proud—to be part of a federal Labor caucus that reflects the diversity of the Australian population better than any caucus—or, indeed, any government—has in our nation's history. This group of people I've had the privilege to serve alongside is passionate and committed. In conversations and meetings, all the talk is about how we can do things to make life better for the people we represent. I've never had a Labor minister turn me away or be dismissive of my concerns, and I've been struck often by the compassion and the care shown by members of this group and, indeed, by members of this parliament towards each other when someone is having a tough time—especially when a loved one has died or a member has had a rough trot in the media. This is a group of people that care about each other, and that's reflective of how this group cares about its communities and the nation as a whole. Amongst this group is a new generation of Australian political leadership, and I leave this place knowing the country is in good hands, with people of this calibre to carry the torch. I will miss being part of this very fine group of Australians. I consider myself privileged to have been amongst you. There are many things I wish I'd further progressed before leaving this place, but there are three in particular that I will mention. First is the need for government to take a much more active role in the preservation and propagation of quality journalism. Quality journalism is increasingly replaced by clickbait because that's what drives eyeballs to advertisers who have stuck with legacy media. I do take my hat off to the efforts of the communications minister, who's worked so hard in this space. Organs dedication to quality journalism struggle because they don't get the critical advertising mass they need to pay the bills. Increasingly, the only people accessing quality journalism are those who care enough to pay for it via subscriptions, and that makes it a niche and boutique proposition. The people who most need access to quality journalism simply aren't being exposed to enough of it. If we really believe that all Australians deserve access to quality journalism, which provides them with the information they need to make informed judgements, it's going to have to be publicly funded. Before the Treasurer and the finance minister have conniptions, I think it can be done without adding too much to current expenditure. One model is to guarantee a minimum level of government advertising and sponsorship in established media, especially regional and independently owned newspapers, TV and radio, that can demonstrate genuine newsroom bona fides. It shouldn't end up costing the budget much more than is currently spent on a myriad of government information campaigns and job ads already in circulation. But it will mean a dedicated effort to redirect advertising resources towards the primary goals of supporting quality journalism and diverse media ownership, rather than simply dumping advertising dollars with the big corporates and platforms that do not offer journalism. It won't be easy. Guardrails will be required, and any regime will have to be adaptable to changing technologies and practices. But we simply cannot leave journalism to the crippling brutalities of market forces. As a nation, we acknowledge that justice and defence require substantial government expenditure; we don't expect them to survive in the market. We must acknowledge journalism's role as a cornerstone of our democracy, just as justice and defence are. It's too precious to allowed to crumble. Another issue I would have liked to have pursued—and the Treasurer will get nervous here—is getting more dental and mental in Medicare. I acknowledge the incredible leadership of the health minister, who has done so much in three years to repair the damage done to Medicare over the previous nine. He really has done a magnificent job creating Medicare urgent care clinics and improving bulk-billing rates, but I would love to see more mental and dental in Medicare firmly on the Labor agenda. The wonderful Carmen Lawrence got dental care into Medicare in the dying days of the Keating government, but it was promptly ripped out like a healthy tooth by John Howard, and there have being no serious attempts since to restore it. I have no illusions about the expense or the difficulty, but it's time to commit to starting a process. Too many people, our people—the old, the sick, the poor—are suffering from poor dental and mental health for us not to turn our attention to it. In the words of the great late JFK, we do these things 'not because they are easy but because they are hard'. One last thing for the Treasurer to crack a smile about is I would love to see some far-reaching reform on the taxation of alcohol. As you know, I'm the co-convener on the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Spirits group, which I started not least because there are nearly as many distilleries in Tasmania as there are in Scotland. There are some deeply ingrained inconsistencies and injustices in the way alcohol taxes and excises are levied, and we do need some serious reform there to both create a level playing field in Australia amongst distillers, brewers and vintners and make Australian spirits more competitive in the global market. The budget might take a hit in the short term by getting few dollars per litre of spirits sold, but I do think it would make more over the long term by growing the pie overall. Distilleries, and for that matter breweries and wineries, are terrific employers and generators of economic activity across regional Australia, and we should not underestimate their significance. The other issue that keeps me awake at night—other than all known life in the universe being reliant on a thin strip of atmospheric gas separating us from the infinite vacuum of space; believe me, it keeps me awake!—is the rise, and this is serious, of the extreme political Right across western democracies and the rapid mainstreaming of fascism. What was unthinkable 10 years ago is accepted now and will be firmly entrenched tomorrow unless we do more to prevent it taking root, particularly amongst disaffected young men. Fascism is corrosive to who we are and the values of our country—values that Australian men and women have died to defend. I know it's an issue being dealt with at the highest levels of our security apparatus, but we do need to sandbag our institutions, media, regulators, police, courts and infrastructure to ensure they are protected from this insidious, cancerous menace. And, despite the concerns I've outlined above, I am genuinely optimistic. We do live in a wonderful country. It is not perfect, and it has dark elements to its history and its genesis, but that is true of all nations. No country has been forged without blood being shed or injustice being meted out. It is important, vital, that we acknowledge the truth of our history in all its facets, both the dark and the light. I reject the proposition that it is a black-armband-view of history to acknowledge the darkness, but I equally reject the proposition that we cannot or should not be proud of the nation that has been forged and which continues to be tempered; the values that this nation stands for, even if it does not always live up to them; and the bright promise that it holds. There is so much to be proud of, but there is an unceasing duty to keep striving towards the light, towards humanity's better nature and ideals, a duty that falls most heavily, if not exclusively, to those of you who remain within this chamber. Colleagues, I never came to this place with that baton in my knapsack. The member for Grayndler had nothing to fear from me! I only had a passion to serve, to make a contribution and to be part of a team, and I'm proud of the part I've played. Our government's decision to change the stage 3 tax cuts from being weighted towards high-income earners to become tax cuts for every worker, with tax cuts for low-income workers and bigger tax cuts for average-wage earners is something I'm really proud of helping kick into gear, however marginal my role. That one decision, amongst many others, has made a material difference to the living standards of millions of Australians, and nine out of 10 Tasmanians have more money to spend as a result. I am proud of this government's achievements in so many areas in such a short time: cheaper medicines, fee-free TAFE, higher wages for aged-care and childcare workers, and so much more. We've achieved a lot in three years. Let's see what you lot can do in six or nine. Mr Dreyfus: Or 12. Mr BRIAN MITCHELL: Or 12—thank you! As a local member, I've been able to achieve things for my electorate, not least the siting of a Medicare urgent care clinic in Bridgewater and a new Services Australia centre in Sorell, both of which officially open today. There are many others: sport facilities, factory funding, communication upgrades, irrigation funding and more, but those two I'm especially proud of. I'd like to thank the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Government Services for their support. Over my time as the member for Lyons, around $2 million has been disbursed to local non-profit community groups and talented young athletes, with grants ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars, and every single dollar has benefited the communities of my electorate and the people who live in them. I'm sure all members have similar experiences. Speaking of achievements, the Prime Minister announced the other week $150 million for the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme in my electorate. I've been advocating for months for this project, but it was Rebecca White who sealed the deal. Rebecca grew up on a farm in the south-east, and she was able to make the strongest argument. She's not even in the parliament yet and she's already delivered a $150 million project for Lyons, not as an election commitment but as funding that will be delivered this term. I've got people to acknowledge: my Tasmanian federal parliamentary Labor colleagues, Julie Collins, Carol Brown, Anne Urquhart, Catryna Bilyk and Helen Polley, for being such great Tasmanian teammates. Of course, I acknowledge Ross Hart and Justine Keay, who were elected with me in 2016 for Bass and Braddon, but who sadly left the parliament in 2019. The class of 2016 is a great class. Honourable members: Hear, hear! An honourable member: As was 2019. Mr BRIAN MITCHELL: Hear, hear—as was 2019; that's right. Leave no-one out! I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership and his vision. I thank former leader, Bill Shorten, for his service and his support; the Leader of the House for his intellect and his enthusiasm; the members for Fremantle, Perth and Chifley, whom I knew long before I came to this place from other lives; and so many of you for the chats, catch-ups, advice and support. It's all treasured. Thank you to the member for Macarthur for trying to keep me alive a bit longer. Across the aisle there are the members for Riverina, Gippsland, Bonner and Bass, whom I have very much enjoyed catching up with. The members for Indi and Mayo have always been delightful company, and the members for Goldstein, Flinders and Parkes, have been thoughtful and positive contributors on my comms committee, alongside our own members for Macquarie and Corangamite. There is so much more that unites the people in this place than divides us. It's important to have the fights, as the member for Maribyrnong said in his speech the other day. It's important to have the fights—to test what works and what doesn't, to stand up for your beliefs and ideals and to poke holes in the other side to expose the fault lines. But I know most of us would prefer that we were able to do it while being just a little bit nicer to each other. I must thank the many volunteers and supporters who have door-knocked, made calls and allowed me to litter their yards with posters. There are too many to count, both volunteers and posters. What do you do with old corflutes apart from line your chook pen? I don't know, but I'll find out. And, of course, my staff: Lara von Stieglitz, Ben Dudman, Anthony Corke, Lyndell Jones, Mel Franklin and Tom Price, and Shannan Aherne, who just last week gave birth to Harrison, a new addition to her beautiful young family. I'm pleased to say that I won the office sweep on the most likely date of arrival. Thank you all for your service and dedication to our community. My name is on the door and the letterhead, but I have never forgotten that this is a group effort. I would like to thank my former staff too for their invaluable contributions, especially the late Sharon Carnes, and Darren Clark, Janet Lambert, Margaret Watson and Lachie Grey, and Natalie Maple, who left me earlier this year after nearly eight years service—she really lost the lottery there—to look after her health. We love you, Nats, and we miss you and wish you all the best. Staff are the unsung heroes whom none of us can do without. Assisting our constituents with their concerns and grievances and helping them navigate bureaucracies and achieve just outcomes are our bread and butter. I recall not long after I was elected that Margaret dealt with a man who had been struggling for years to access his superannuation. He was a bit aggro in his manner, and it was clear that the people he'd previously talked to just wanted him out; he was too difficult to deal with. But Margaret stuck with him, patiently teasing from him the details she needed to chase up his super. He would grump and harrumph, but she would brook no nonsense. She got the details she needed and she got his super for him—$400,000! This guy was couch surfing. It only happened because that remarkable woman stuck by that difficult man and because I'd been in a position to give Margaret a job. Margaret changed his life. There have been so many other cases where my staff have won results for our constituents through dogged determination. I won't take credit for their work; they deserve the acknowledgement. I wish them all well in the next stage of their journeys. I thank the Australian Labor Party for preselecting me three times and the people of Lyons for electing me for three terms. It has been the privilege of my life to serve in the national parliament. I know I leave my communities across Lyons in the best of hands with Rebecca White as our new federal Labor candidate. I must say before I leave that I thank the attendants here, the comm car drivers and everybody who assists us in this role. The cleaners of this place are just wonderful. Dom at Aussies—everybody you come across just makes your life easier and better, and I thank everybody for their service. Last, but not least—never least—is my family: my wife, Tania, and our two remarkable children, who have allowed me the freedom to do this job, which comes with such heavy demands on time and on bandwidth. My family is everything to me, but as the wonderful Kim Beazley remarked in his valedictory many years ago, the fact is that, with this job, 'our families come second'. I will miss this job and I will miss you all, but my time here is done. In the immortal worlds of Gotye, now I'm just 'somebody that you used to know'.