That reflection puts our work here in a different light. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day, the relentless news cycles, the parliamentary skirmishes, the never-ending papers to read, and the palace intrigue. Years can pass like that, filled with unbelievable hours of hard work, little sleep, and high stress. But that's not why any of us come to Parliament. Simon Power, who was an MP I greatly admired, said in his valedictory, "People don't spend years getting elected, more years waiting to get into Cabinet, to then say 'Well, I managed that week well. I minimised risk, I had no view, I took no decisions, I stayed out of trouble. Well done, me!' Once you're in office, you've got to do something. People come and go, but ideas endure."—and I agree with that. 