Inaugural Speech – Nic Street

Madam Speaker,I rise to give my inaugural speech today knowing that it is an extraordinary honour to be elected as a member of this place and that I join an exclusive group as the 756th individual to have served the people of Tasmania in this parliament. My younger brother, comedian that he thinks he is, wanted to know if I received a cap with my number sewn on it like Test cricketers.
Madam Speaker, I’ve read a large number of maiden speeches delivered in this place in preparation for today. Before being elected I was working for the now Minister for Mining, Racing and Building and Construction Adam Brooks. I can promise the house my contribution won’t be nearly as funny as his but it also won’t take up nearly as much of your time.
Madam Speaker, the first person I would like to acknowledge today is my predecessor Paul Harriss. Paul gave 20 years’ service to the Parliament of Tasmania along with 13 years’ service to the Huon Valley Council before entering parliament. Paul is a kind and generous man and regardless of ideology I believe he has served the people of Tasmania faithfully and in dedication to his long held beliefs. I would like to wish him well in his retirement and I know that his family are very much looking forward to having their father and grandfather available to them free of his political responsibilities.
Madam Speaker,I would also like to thank the staff and my fellow councillors at Kingborough Council. The last 4 years have been a steep learning curve and I would like to thank them all for their patience and help over that time. I disagreed with all of my fellow councillors at some stage but at different times I have found myself supporting their point of view as well. The respect that currently exists between the councillors at Kingborough is as good now as it has been in my 4 years. I wish them well in their future decision making and I will be keeping a close eye on them as I am still a ratepayer in the municipality.
Madam Speaker, can I take this opportunity to thank my new Liberal colleagues for their support and congratulations since the recount was decided. I would also like to particularly acknowledge my Franklin colleagues Premier Will Hodgman and Minister Petrusma along with Paul Harriss and Sue Bastone who were also Liberal candidates in Franklin in 2014. The Hare Clark system is the most brutal system of election possible in terms of party unity but we were able to work through that campaign for the betterment of the Party in Franklin and I now consider them all friends as well as colleagues.
Madam Speaker, none of us get here without a great deal of support and assistance. I would like to thank my brothers Christian and Lincoln along with Tim, Lizzie, Bec and Claire who helped run my campaign. Their time and dedication to help achieve my goals will always be greatly appreciated along with the support from a number of other family and friends who volunteered their time and also their lawns and fences for the ever present signs that are necessary. I would also like to thank the members of the Liberal Party who supported me personally and also the Party’s campaign in 2014. We are a strong party at the grass roots level in Tasmania and it is great to see.
Madam Speaker, I’ve already mentioned my younger brothers Christian and Lincoln and I would also like to thank my sister Lauren for her support and friendship. She can’t be here today but I believe she is currently bludging on Coca Cola’s time in Melbourne watching this, as unfortunately are a number of my friends in workplaces across the city. Along with Mum and Dad who I will speak about shortly my siblings are the most important people in my life. My grandparents have 24 siblings between them so large and close family has always been a part of my life and always will be. I won’t name all of my grandparent’s siblings but I will mention Mum’s sisters Christine and Susan and my uncles Gary and Byron and Dad’s brothers Glenn, Ian and Steven and his sister Leanne along with my Aunts Vickie and Enid as they have all played a role in me being here today.
Madam Speaker, it’s often said that a society grows great when citizens work hard to provide better for their children than they received. It is an admirable aim but if I have children in the future the best I can hope to provide is an equal foundation to the one I was given. My mother and father’s values and work ethic are without peer as far as I’m concerned as is their love and support. I won’t speak any further than that because they will both hate that I have mentioned them at all but I will say that I am going to be forever in their debt for everything they have done for me.
Madam Speaker, the last family member I need to thank today is my Nan. She is my only surviving grandparent but I am so glad that she is here today to see this speech. She is an extraordinary lady who is adored by her 14 grandchildren and 19 great grand-children and she is as much a friend as she is a grandparent to all of us. Nan is also the only Liberal voter out of my four grandparents and she has lived the healthiest and longest life. You can make of that what you will…..
Madam Speaker, I’m sure that all of us enter this place with grandiose ideas of what we wish to achieve. For at least the next 2 years there will be plenty of opportunities to speak and contribute to the debates of this place. I don’t intend to list every issue that is important to me but I do think today is an opportunity to at least outline some of the fundamental beliefs that have shaped my Liberalism.
Madam Speaker, I have a belief in the power and importance of the family unit. I have spoken about the importance of my own family to me and I believe that a solid family unit is critical in raising children who will contribute to the positive progression of our society. I also believe that families come in all shapes, sizes and orientations and that love, support and strong values are the cornerstones of family life. As someone once said to me “family is defined by those inside it not by people external to it”
Madam Speaker, after a number of years in small business I have a belief in entrepreneurship as the basis of a successful and expanding economy. We must promote innovation and hard work as the fundamentals of success and the role of the government should be to put the appropriate policies and settings in place and then get out of the way. We will never legislate or regulate our way to prosperity nor can government be the solution to every problem or ill that occurs. It seems to me that there is a worrying tendency towards legislating away personal responsibility, an idea that everything must be someone else’s fault, normally the governments. If the government gets the fundamentals correct and cares and protects for those who are unable to do so for themselves then I believe the government is fulfilling the role to which it is best suited.
Madam Speaker, after spending more than 11 years running the family business at Blackmans Bay with Mum and Dad there are other values and experiences that you take away from that time. The one that stays with me the most is that the external view of a community and the truth of what is actually happening are often a long way apart. For better or worse I have lived a fairly privileged life. I was educated in the Catholic system for all my school years and I then went to University and straight in to the family business. What I saw in my 11 years at Bayview Grocer was that while Kingston and Blackmans Bay and their surrounds are externally viewed as affluent suburbs there is still a level of struggle and basic existence from day to day that occurs and it often sits just below the surface of what we see. For better or worse we generally socialise and mix with like-minded people. For 11 years work took me out of my comfort zone in terms of who I dealt with and I am undoubtedly better for it.
Madam Speaker, for these people, those in our community that are just struggling to exist, what they are looking for from their political representation is hope and leadership, not pointless arguments on minutiae. The most enjoyment I received from my time on Council was when we were able to make a decision or implement a process that made people’s lives just a touch easier. It may sound trite, but that is why I wanted to be a Member of Parliament, to deliver results for the people that have placed their trust in all of us. I am pleased to be a part of a Government that is working hard to do exactly that but I also recognise that those opposite are working for the same outcome, just with differing approaches and priorities
Madam Speaker, I believe in the Federal system of government and the division of powers between the States and the Commonwealth. I believe that in many areas of responsibility decisions are best made at the local level, both in State and Local Government. After 4 years at Kingborough Council though, I am convinced, now more than ever that there are too many locals making too many decisions. I believe that there are opportunities to reduce the number of local jurisdictions in Tasmania without reducing the value of local representation, which many feel is the critical function of Local Government. I also believe that this change needs to be initiated by Local Government itself and that the studies that are about to take place in the south of the state are a productive way to start this conversation.
Madam Speaker,as a brief aside, having sworn an oath to her Majesty last Tuesday in this place I’m not sure whether I should also mention that I hope I am in this place long enough to see new members take an oath or affirmation to a head of state that is born in Australia, rather than from the hereditary line of a foreign family, no matter how high the esteem others may hold that individual in.
Madam Speaker, I believe in the value of multiculturalism both to Australia and Tasmania. I am firmly of the belief that we are a better society because of the contribution that migrants have made in the past and will make in the future. Now more than ever, as there is a race to the bottom by appealing to some people’s base fears and prejudices about immigrants we need as an entire country to be better than that. Surely, once all appropriate checks have been put in place and carried out, welcoming those who are looking for a better life in Australia and Tasmania is a position we can all agree on?
Madam Speaker, one of the great ironies of the multiculturalism debate in Australia is that many of the people who most fear the effects of multiculturalism are also those who are least likely to recognise that what they fear happening to Australia now is the exact condition that was inflicted upon the indigenous people of Australia 230 years ago. There was a systematic attempted genocide of an entire civilisation in this country that thankfully was unsuccessful but did indeed occur and cause lasting damage. In this State we are now in the process of resetting the Government’s relationship with our indigenous people. Hopefully the process is so successful that we eventually end up in a place where we don’t talk about a relationship, but simply a mutual recognition, respect and existence. We will be better as a society if this occurs and the dual naming of some of our most prominent natural assets is a small but important step.
Madam Speaker, as Tasmania continues to grow and to change it is the responsibility of every person in this place to be an advocate for Tasmania.
In Tasmania’s future I want to see the end of the North-South divide that has plagued so many areas of our public consciousness for too long. We truly are stronger together, rather than divided as we so often find ourselves.
It may seem an issue of insignificant consequence to some, but as a lifelong believer in the power of sport as something that runs through the fabric of communities and brings people from all walks of life together, I hope for the day when our State will barrack for the same AFL side, both a men’s team and a women’s team, running on to York Park and Bellerive Oval in green, red and gold.
Madam Speaker, Tasmania can only improve and grow if we are able to provide opportunities for all who wish to live here. For too long there was a drain on our human capital to the mainland, not because people wanted to leave but because they had to. A number of factors have halted this trend to a certain degree and that is obviously a positive, however our lifestyle and quality of life will not be enough if we don’t continue to grow and provide employment opportunities. An economy that is diversified and capitalises on our competitive advantages in tourism, agriculture, aquaculture, advanced manufacturing, resources and education can provide the opportunities that we need to take our state forward and I look forward to being a part of promoting these sectors and others.
Madam Speaker, I have never lived anywhere but Tasmania, specifically Kingborough. This may lead some to criticise me for not ever expanding my horizons but the truth of the matter is I have never wanted to live anywhere else and I don’t think I ever will. I love living near the coast, I love living within an hour of Adventure Bay on Bruny Island, my favourite spot in the world to relax. I love being only a relatively short distance from areas as diverse as Queenstown, Coles Bay, Burnie or Bridport. Most of all I love that Tasmania is now being viewed for what it really is rather than some of the negative stereotypes of the past.
Madam Speaker, I genuinely love the people of Tasmania and their attitude. Those of us already here know full well that it is the best place in the world to live and work and while in the past we may have been reluctant to take ownership of our pride in this State that is starting to change too. As more and more people choose to visit Tasmania I have no doubt that many will choose to come back here permanently because what we have on offer is unique. As this trend continues there is a balancing act that has to be achieved between development and the protection of what attracts people here in the first place. There is no doubt in my mind that we have the ability to achieve this balance, now and in the future.
Madam Speaker, the last issue I would like to talk about today is a personal one. 12 years ago I was diagnosed as suffering from anxiety and panic disorder. It is a treatable condition and one that I now have control over. Along with depression it is a mental issue that affects a percentage of our population and although we are improving as a society it isn’t spoken about openly enough in my opinion. We need to speak about it the same way we speak about the treatment of an illness such as diabetes and until we do, people will suffer unnecessarily in silence in a way that far too many people have in the past. I’m not speaking about it today for sympathy or because I want to be treated differently, in fact it would be an insult to me if people did. The hope is that the more people who speak about these issues publically when they have the opportunity, the more we can break down the stigma attached to them. For me, to not speak about it today would have been a wasted opportunity. I would like to commend the work of Beyond Blue and the local organisation Speak Up, Stay Chatty along with every other organisation that is working hard to raise awareness of these issues. I will do whatever I can in the position I now find myself to be an advocate for the work they do.
Madam Speaker, I want to finish today with a statement that may come as a shock to some people in this place and that is that nobody is perfect. But having the ability to recognise an error of judgement or mistake and apologise is what makes us stronger as individuals. Nobody knows when they enter this place how long they will be here. I hope regardless of the length of time I am here that I am eventually judged on the quality of the contribution that I have made. I would like to finish by thanking those who put political differences aside to welcome me to this place. It is most appreciated, not just by me but also those close to me.
Nic Street, Liberal Member for Franklin