Senator REYNOLDS (Western Australia) (15:13): I too rise to take note. I would like to join in the spirit of those opposite in this taking note and take the opportunity to thank many people. First of all, again my behalf, a very deep and profound thank you to the Clerk, Dr Rosemary Laing, for her guidance and support and her leadership of her team, who I have found to be most instructive and helpful in their roles. Dr Laing, good luck in the future. I know you will be ably succeeded by your current deputy. I would also like to thank the Black Rod’s Office, who again have been highly professional in their conduct and the support that they provide this chamber. And it certainly would not be a thank you without thanking all of the attendants here who do an amazing job on our behalf and never miss a beat. Back to you—thank you. We are very grateful for the wonderful work that you do so professionally on our behalf.

I would also like to thank many of my colleagues in this place, and particularly many of you on the other side of the President’s chair. What is a shame is that, quite often in this place, all that the public sees is what they see through media reports and also in some of the television reporting of some of the more sensational things in this place. But one of the joys I have had in this place is working with many of you on the other side and on the crossbench on the many committees that we work on, and I just wish that some of the amazing work that we do do together is more widely reported because I think it might help to provide people with a little more appreciation of what we do get done in this place.

I am particularly thinking of the work that the Community Affairs committee does. That committee has had some of the most confronting inquiries that I have attended. Some of the evidence that we have had has really shocked me to the core on many, many issues, but I do want to thank people like Senator Moore and Senator Siewert for their support and guidance. We delivered and tabled a report yesterday on the very fractious issue of Lyme disease and the many thousands of people in Australia who suffer because of a label. I do just want to acknowledge that. I also want to say to all Australians: my hope is that next year you will hear a little bit more about the things that we do get done in this chamber, in particular, the inquiries and reviews that we do. I see Senator Urquhart here. I am very grateful for working with her on committees and for her guidance and support when I started off as a committee chair—it was greatly appreciated.

In particular, I would like to acknowledge the new members of the crossbench who have worked very closely with all in this chamber to deliver what I think has been quite a profound change from the last parliament. Obviously, in the 45th Parliament, it has not always been a very pleasant experience working in this chamber or on inquiries, but I have to commend and thank all of you on the crossbench for your engagement, because we have been able to get through and deliver a significant amount of reforms on behalf of the nation. I would say that having a more diverse view, representative of our broader community, has only enhanced what we do here in this chamber. So I would like to thank all of you for bringing that richness and diversity of thought and opinion, and I think it bodes very well for next year in terms of what we can do on behalf of the nation.

I think that the amendments that have been brought through to legislation in recent weeks have actually made the legislation stronger, and, ultimately, the fact is that we have delivered for this nation. I think everybody in this chamber should return home to their families, their friends and their local communities very proud of that fact. While it has been robust in this chamber, nobody should confuse the robustness of our discussions here with chaos, because we have got things done. I think that robustness has been very, very good for Australian democracy. We have had a few ding-dongs in this chamber and outside, but we have been able to get together in the best interests of all Australians. On that note, I wish everybody here a very Merry Christmas, particularly to all the staff who support us. Thank you.