Some politicians do their best talking as they leave politics or depart from a leadership position. Former Labor leader Kim Beazley was one example. The best final speeches are reflective and free of the partisanship and electoral pressure that stop politicians speaking their mind. For once they can relax.
There was some evidence of these good elements in former treasurer Joe Hockey's valedictory speech last week after 19 years in parliament. There was bipartisanship when he directly praised Labor for introducing the National Broadband Network. Indirectly, he also recognised Labor's focus on the problems with superannuation when he called for a bipartisan review of superannuation and pensions.
There was also evidence of the freedom to offer strong opinions on policy in a range of proposals including support for a higher and wider GST and various other taxation reforms. It is always good to see some straight talking in parliament rather than the usual defensive hedging that the system of government and opposition demands.
Hockey leaves parliament after a career symptomatic of the best and worst of modern politics. He is a relatively young man still, having just turned 50, and his young children were present in the House. He regretted that the demands of parliament made it hard to be a father who was attentive to milestones such as children's birthdays. He is one of those good blokes who leave parliament with a lot of goodwill across the chamber, proceeding quickly, it would seem, to a diplomatic post as Ambassador to Washington.
But in other ways Hockey's valedictory speech was disappointing because it showed that he just didn't understand the criticism which had led to the downfall of the Abbott government of which he was a leading member. Not only did he defend the unfair 2014 budget which did so much to damage the government but he did so in a way that was full of clichés and platitudes. Even if he was unwilling to admit the unfairness at the heart of that budget he should have done much better.
Instead he fell back on two of the most abused political clichés going around. The first is the false distinction between policy and politics. The second is that it is better to be right than to be popular.
He said that 'The Abbott government was good at policy but struggled with politics' and that 'When faced with a choice, I would always prefer to do what was