Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (16:56): Last week, Joel Fitzgibbon, MP, gave his valedictory speech in Federal Parliament. I thank him for his service to the Maitland community. Meeting him as a wide-eyed staffer in Canberra in 1997, I never imagined I would share a community with him as an elected representative, as I did in 2015. I especially appreciate the great personal support that he and his team gave my community during the difficult period of the April 2015 superstorms. Throughout his extensive career in Federal Parliament, Joel has put the needs, aspirations and wishes of our community first, from big infrastructure projects such as Fitzy's Freeway—the Hunter Expressway—and the Weakley's Drive Overpass, toad vocating for a pedestrian bridge over the New England Highway after two schoolchildren died in Thornton. We have had some bang-up disagreements at times but, more often than not, in the end we agree because we are passionate defenders of our respective communities and Labor ideals, and the need to create economic opportunity for all. I respect and thank Joel for his contribution to Maitland and the Hunter, and wish him and his family all the best for the future.