2018-08-22
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) (10:13:10)— Yesterday I watched online as our new Greens senator for New South Wales, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, gave her first speech as the 100th woman elected to the Australian Senate. As with most first speeches, Mehreen spoke about the journey her life had taken to lead her to taking her place in the Senate. She also lamented the bigotry and xenophobia that have been allowed to flourish in Australia and said that we must all stand up against it.
Dr Faruqi was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 2013 to 2018, and I have enjoyed working with her on issues such as animal welfare. She said she is determined to use her time in the Senate to shake things up, just as she did in the NSW upper house. I know she will. Mehreen will be a wonderful senator, and I send her my best wishes.
I would also like to pay tribute to retired Greens senator Lee Rhiannon, whom Mehreen referred to in her first speech as 'a leading light' for her campaigns on public services, animal welfare, political donations reform and more. Her Democracy4Sale campaign was groundbreaking.
Lee has campaigned on a myriad of social justice and environmental issues all her life. She joined the Greens in 1990 and was a member of the New South Wales upper house from 1999 to 2010 and a senator from 2011 to 2018. I first met Lee in 1997 and have worked with her over the years on many issues, including public education, equality, industrial relations, gun control, animal welfare issues and logging in East Gippsland. Lee has said she is leaving Parliament but not politics and will continue to work on the issues she is passionate about. I thank Lee for her huge contribution to public life and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.