Greens senator Richard Di Natale bids farewell to parliament

The former Greens leader has called for a reset of national politics as he said goodbye to the federal parliament.

Former Greens Leader and Senator for Victoria Dr Richard Di Natale delivers his valedictory speech via remote video link. Picture: Getty Images

Former Greens leader Richard Di Natale has called for a reset of national politics as he said goodbye to the federal parliament.

Senator Di Natale made history on Tuesday after he was forced to deliver his valedictory speech via remote video link from his home in the Otways region of Victoria due to the coronavirus lockdown, in a situation he described as “unexpected”.

But Senate President Scott Ryan was forced to momentarily suspend the Upper House for five minutes to call in IT help to restore the connection.

Greens senator Richard Di Natale’s valedictory speech was temporarily stopped due to technical issues. Picture: Sean Davey.

Senator Di Natale, who was elected in 2010 and became party leader in 2015, used his speech to reflect on the nation’s failure to act on climate change and called for a reset of national politics.

“Under the guidance of six different prime ministers, who have come and gone, climate change remains a festering sore on our bodies along with economic inequality,” he said.

The Senator said the global pandemic was causing untold suffering and had compounded the devastation experienced during the horror “Black Summer”.

“Race politics has reared its ugly head again and the gap with our first nations peoples has grown,” Senator Di Natale said. “If ever there was a time of deep reflection and for a reset for national politics this is it.”

He said that despite the turmoil of the past decade he knew he was leaving parliament a better places because of what the Greens had achieved over his term.

The Senator revealed how he thought a call from his Upper House colleague Larissa Waters about the citizenship scandal was a “joke”.

He described the scandal that saw the party lose Senators Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters as one of his “toughest times in this place”.

Senator Di Natale, who attributed his February resignation to a desire to spend more time with his young family, thanked them for their unwavering support and said it had been a privilege to lead an incredible Greens team.

His colleague Senator Waters, also appearing via video link, could be seen wiping tears from her eyes.

She later said Senator Di Natale was a dear friend, who had made an enormous improvement to the culture of the Upper House.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann thanked Senator Di Natale for his service and Labor Senate leader Penny Wong said she would remember his support and advocacy for multiculturalism.

“He has been the voice for an inclusive Senate and an inclusive Australia and I thank him for this,” she said, before later concluding: “We have disagreed on much but he has always been decent and trustworthy.”