PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION

Senator SHOEBRIDGE (New South Wales) (18:23): Pete, we're going to miss you, particularly in that sort of unfashionable outer ring on the ground floor where we're neighbours. Having a neighbour like you with a heart as big as yours has been a true pleasure in this place. I see how much you care.

I see how much you care about nature—particularly the oceans—and I watch you fight for it. I've seen how much it hurts when you can't protect it. We're in Greens politics; we care about stuff.

But of the senators that I've seen put their heart into this, and who have campaigned from their heart, none have done so as clearly and directly as you, Pete. I know how much it has hurt not to be able to protect all the oceans you love. But I don't know anyone else who could make the Maugean skate seem sexy.

It's not the most beautiful creature on the planet. But when you talk about it, and when you connect it with nature and you connect it with your heart, we all love it. And we all love it partly because you share that love and you connect with it.

It's one of the remarkable things about you, Pete. I do remember going off to Washington with you, Barnaby Joyce, Alex Antic, Monique, Tony and Gabriel, and we kind of needed you there to keep that liquorice allsort together. The reason why you were important to that trip to Washington is that you'd been there.

You'd been there when no-one else was willing—or almost no-one else was willing—to join with you on that fight, because you knew it was right. You spoke about it, and I won't repeat why you said it was right, but again it was your heart and your principles. Plenty of us have principles; few of us have that heart.

For you, Pete—you don't just work on principle. You don't just work on some higher level speech. You go out and you do the work, and you often do the work when no-one else will do it.

I reckon you and I are both glad we don't have to hear any more about Pistol and Boo, and probably so is Gabriel. You chose, in these last 12 months in the Senate, to chair the Senate inquiry into mis- and disinformation, and again you did the work. You just turned up and you did the work.

It was your last 12 months. You weren't doing a victory lap or an honour lap. You were doing some of the hardest committee work that I think any of us have done, facing personal attacks and endless hours, and you did it bravely.

You did it not just for all of us as Greens and not just for all of us as senators; you did it for everyone fighting that slop and that mis- and disinformation. I'm incredibly proud of that work, and we collectively have an obligation to pick it up and do it. Again, it's proof that you go and you do the work, Pete, and we are so grateful for that.

When it comes to mis- and disinformation, though, I will point out that Petra Kelly came to Sydney and saw the green bans and then went to Germany and started the first ever green party, and the Greens NSW kicked off in August 1984—but more on mis- and disinformation later. I'll finish with this. You've heard, tonight, about your ability to work across the chamber, but there's also work that few people see.

I have a particular note of gratitude from my chief of staff about a moment when you didn't really know her but you called up and showed solidarity when she was under attack. You're there when it matters. You're always there when it matters, Pete.

That genuine sense of care rather than ego shapes your work in politics and what you said about your team—about Megan and also about Jack and Eddie. My team have seen the work of Jack and Eddie in particular in parliament, so thanks to them for the loyalty they've shown you, Pete. Go well, Pete.

Stay close, surf and don't change.