ADJOURNMENT

Senator WHISH-WILSON (Tasmania) (20:16): This is my final adjournment speech, and I'd like to give a big shout-out to some of the fabulous scientists I've had the privilege and honour to work with over the past 14 years in the Australian Senate. I truly believe scientists are the best of us, and, whilst the scientific method is not perfect, it is the best process we have to establish the truth and facts in this crazy world we live in today.

It allows—indeed, promotes—critical thinking and peer review within a structure, a process that doesn't always descend into personal attacks and division. I know many scientists are doing it tough right now on a personal level. I know that many of my friends who are scientists certainly are.

And it can't be easy when decision-makers in parliaments like this ignore your life's work to score political points and promote greed, ignorance and fringe views. We are in a world where science is under siege globally, where our information environment is poisoned by lies and deceptions often spread by politicians for and on behalf of nefarious interests. Good policy and legislation require the best possible information, and the challenges we all face today are so serious.

There has never been a more important time to recognise scientists and celebrate their work. Most importantly, I've had a lot of fun working with scientists. I've made some really strong personal friendships, and I'm a better person for it.

My interactions with them have given me the hope, the—I'd like to think—moderation and the confidence to prosecute debate and policy outcomes here in the Australian Senate. In no particular order, because there are a whole lot of them and I can't fit them into my valedictory tomorrow night, although I certainly will reflect on them, I'd like to thank and acknowledge them.

I thank Dr Eric Wohler OAM for all his patience and support in helping me and others protect Tasmania's shore and seabirds and little penguins. He has often driven for many hours and slept in the back of his car to do presentations at community meetings I've been at, and I'm eternally grateful to Eric for his life's work. I thank Dr Jen Lavers from Adrift Lab, who has been a friend and an endless source of inspiration and knowledge on seabird protection, especially the impacts of plastic pollution on shearwaters.

My wife, Natalie, and I spent days with her crew on Lord Howe Island last year, sadly plucking plastic out of the stomachs of these beautiful little birds. In one case, we had over 840 pieces of plastic from a bird that had passed away. It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career, and I'm happy to say that here tonight.

Shark mitigation and conservation has been a deeply personal, important area of policy for me. A big thanks to Professor Charlie Huveneers from the University of Adelaide, especially for the invite up to the Neptune Islands—where I know you're from, Acting Deputy President—for an expedition to dive with great white sharks and test mitigation devices. That was also a life experience that I'm eternally grateful for.

I've also greatly benefited from the friendships and time spent over the years with Dr Barry Bruce, previously at CSIRO; Dr Chris Peppin Neff; Dr Leo Guida from AMCS; and Lawrence Chlebeck from Humane Society International. The Great Southern Reef is Australia's forgotten reef. It's equally as important as the Great Barrier Reef, and it's my home.

My journey of discovery on the loss of giant kelp, declining fisheries, the march of invasive sea urchins and how we tackle these challenges was largely down to the guidance of Professor Craig Johnston from IMAS, Dr Scott Ling, Dr Johnny Keen, Professor Graham Edgar and Professor Jessica Meiwig at the University of Tasmania, Dr Paul McShane and, last but definitely not least, Dr Scott Bennett.

On threats facing Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, I've been fortunate enough to work with Professor Nick Gales, Dr Dana Bergstrom, Dr Petra Heil, Gill Slocum and Professor Matt King just to name a few. The 14 years of my Senate term have seen significant changes for our oceans, presenting very challenging circumstances for marine and climate scientists—including multiple relentless and unprecedented mass coral-bleaching events in the Great Barrier Reef and more recently in Ningaloo Reef.

I'm especially grateful to Professor Terry Hughes, Dr Selina Ward, Dr Lissa Schindler, Dr Stuart Kininmonth—although he's a coral scientist, he's just gotten back from running the New Zealand Antarctic division over the last 12 months on the sea ice down in Antarctica—for their advice and wisdom on all matters Great Barrier Reef; and Tom Trull and Christine Coughanowr for their friendship and guidance on oceans and Tasmania's coastlines.

I also greatly admire the work of Professor Greta Pecl and Professor Nathan Bindoff, and tonight I want to honour the late Professor Emma Johnston. On Tasmania's forests and wild places, I'm grateful to Dr Jen Sanger and Iona Fleck, and I honour also the late Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick. Senator McKim and I made our last calendar for Greens members in Tasmania in his honour.

Thanks also to the social scientists I've worked with more recently on climate disinformation and cutting through the lies and deceptions that are undermining our global climate action. These include Professor Christian Downie, Professor Timmons Roberts and Dr Jeremy Walker. One area of policy I've worked on for years was looking at the impact of seismic testing on fisheries and marine life, and a big shout-out tonight to Professor Jason Semmens and Ryan Day from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Study for their groundbreaking work.

Lastly, a special shout-out to my best mate and fellow traveller, Dr Thomas Moore, who is in the Senate with me tonight. T-bone, it's a long way from Notwoods! I think I needed to say that to you tonight.

Who would have thought—meeting together 20 years ago over a beer to stop a massive, polluting pulp mill impacting our oceans—that you would be here in the Senate tonight? Thank you for your support and friendship and for looking out for me always. There are so many more I would like to name.

I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with all these wonderful humans, and I wish them all the best in navigating this upside down, topsy-turvy world we live in today. In my last few minutes, I also wanted to say—I haven't prepared this, but I wanted to say it because I didn't think I'd get two minutes. I'm a bit ahead of my time.

I wanted to say that in 2019, seven years ago, I nearly quit this job. I had had a really bad dose of shingles. I had this awful disease that many Australians get, but unfortunately I got a dose of it inside my left eardrum.

It really knocked me around. I got long COVID as well, which was a breeze compared to this. I had neuralgia and all sorts of nervous system issues.

The only reason I was able to continue in this job, which, as we all know, can be very stressful—it's a 24 hours a day job—was that I had an open-minded doctor who put me onto medicinal cannabis. Now, this is all on the public record, so I'm not saying anything that's new tonight. But I did want to say more than a million Australians are now accessing medicinal cannabis—and I give a shout-out to previous health minister Greg Hunt, who made this happen back in the day.

I just want to say tonight that it's worked really well for me. I know these things are different for different people, but it has made a huge difference to my life. I've been able to be highly functioning, I hope, and to do my job in the last seven years because of this drug.

It's allowed me to manage my nervous system, manage my sleep and has made a massive difference to my health and wellbeing. I have worked with doctors and professionals, and that's why this has happened. This scheme is so important, and it's only early days.

I urge the government to resist the temptation, when vested interests are lobbying, to change this scheme. Yes, it's not perfect and it can definitely be improved, and the industry themselves acknowledge that. But please don't take away this treatment that's helped so many Australians have a better quality of life.

I'm a living testimony to that. There's so much more we can do with this drug. It can be literally lifesaving for so many people.

It can be so much more affordable, so much more accessible. I'd urge the government to keep the scheme in place, improve it and build on it. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Grogan ): Thank you, Senator Whish-Wilson.

We all look forward to your valedictory speech tomorrow afternoon.