PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION

Senator COLBECK (Tasmania) (18:17): It's sad to see you go, Pete. We've had our moments on a range of issues. I'll start where I grew up, which was in and around the water in southern Tasmania and the things that are important to me.

I think that, despite the differences in our approaches, we've always been really looking for the same sorts of things. I remember back in 2010 putting some funding into the coalition policy for research on ocean temperature change on the east coast. Not a lot of people wanted to talk to me about it at that point in time, but we are talking about it now because it's recognised as a global hotspot.

The things that you have reflected on—the loss of the kelp beds and all of the change that's occurred down that coast and the way it's changed from how I experienced it as a kid, swimming, diving and fishing in that environment—we would both reflect on and want to see the same things at the end of the day. I had the opportunity to do some work in the fisheries portfolio, where we had different perspectives on some of those things, but healthy oceans was always something that I was looking at.

We had different ways of going about that. I still carry that desire. As for the commentary about the sharks, I've got to say that I think we need to respect that they are in their environment and we're going into their environment.

It's a bit like how we don't swim in the Northern Territory because there are crocodiles. There are researchers that I've been talking to for a long time about the changes that we made to our fishing gear that meant more sharks would survive, and it has resulted in healthier oceans. We need to continue to increase those numbers.

They're really important. I hope that, when you're surfing, they leave you alone, mate! We do want to see more of them, and that's going to have an effect on our utilisation of that environment.

There's no question about that. That is important. We need to respect them and that environment.

We need to respect how we use it—and, in some cases, probably where we use it. We've talked about oceans, as I've said. We've talked about wine and agriculture.

We've talked about IUU fishing; I think we both had a real desire to see an end to that. We had some successes, particularly in the Southern Ocean with toothfish and the work that occurred down there. One thing I have to say that I admire in you is your persistence for your cause.

There's rarely been a word wasted in the pursuance of your cause. It didn't matter what forum we were in—and we shared quite a few forums on occasion; you always had your political angle, your perspective, built into what you said. The guard was never down.

You knew what you were there for, and you pursued it. And sometimes, as you've indicated in your speech tonight, that isn't easy. There's a whole heap of pressures that apply to all of us that have the privilege to be in this place.

I have to say that I respect that strength and courage that you've displayed on some of those issues that you've talked about that were really difficult to work on—and you were probably the first or the only one. That's not easy. As we discussed at a hearing only last Wednesday in Hobart, these days particularly the forces, the pressures and the influences that come to bear are very, very difficult to handle both politically and personally.

I get the toll. And while we sign up to this, I know that your family would have felt the toll probably more than you, because you see everything that's going on. Your family doesn't get the whole story all the time.

Those pressures that are placed upon us make it sometimes very difficult because you've got to manage that side of things as well. Congratulations on your service. Congratulations on your achievements.

They're important. I enjoyed our last trip to the Northern Territory and talking about photography and birds on the way home. I hope that the seagulls keep an eye on you.

I hope there are plenty of them around where you are and that they watch over you. I wish you many happy days in the surf, and more like that autumn evening, in the future, particularly with your family now that they've got you back. Congratulations on your service, and all the best in whatever it is you do next.