Look, I'm not what you might call a career politician, like the predecessor, perhaps, who spoke before me. I didn't sign on for a 30-year lag with a gold watch at the end, although I am looking forward to getting my souvenir traditional farewell silver tray soon. I have unbridled admiration for those stayers with stamina—my old friend and father of the House with the big brain and the big heart, Dr Nick Smith; our ever ebullient and fast on his feet deputy leader, the nimble Gerry Brownlee—both are National's lifers, and we need their parliamentary debating skills, their institutional knowledge, as well as their strong sense of fairness in this House. 