South Australia's latest Liberal politician has received an unusual welcome on his first day in the Legislative Council, with parliament getting a rare glimpse of some good-natured sibling rivalry.
Ben Hood is replacing the retiring former Health Minister Stephen Wade in South Australia's Legislative Council, but his sister Lucy Hood already sits in parliament as a Labor MP.
In a joint parliamentary sitting for Mr Hood's swearing in, Ms Hood took the opportunity to pay tribute to her brother, despite his place on the opposition benches.
"I don't just stand here as a parliamentarian welcoming a colleague but as the proudest little sister in all of South Australia," Ms Hood said.
"I first met Ben in 1985. He was rocking fluoro parachute pants and obsessed with Astro Boy, so the warning signs really were there from an early stage."
Ms Hood spoke of their childhood in the state's south-east, where Mr Hood was a dutiful older brother, caring for the family while their mum worked late nights.
"He was the kind of big brother who let me drive the ute when we went to clean sheep troughs. I was seven," she said.
"The type of big brother who knew how much I wanted those pink Oakley sunglasses because he actually went and paid off my lay-by because he knew how hard it was for me to try and save up for them."
Ms Hood said her brother loves his family, and the Limestone Coast community where he lives, but she also outlined some of his other interests.
"Last but not least his Star Wars Lego collection. So I'd like to actually put on the record that I am the cooler of the siblings until he tries to tell you I still collect and play Pokémon cards which yes, is actually true," she said.
Mr Hood said he was excited to be entering parliament, and focused on representing regional areas, and other "ordinary South Australians".
He said he was happy to be joining his sister in politics.
"We're obviously on different political sides and in different parts of parliament as well," Mr Hood said.
"We're both extremely passionate about our state and about our communities and I'm looking forward to holding the government to account and teasing Lucy as much as I can."
'Historical first'
Premier Peter Malinauskas told parliament he was happy to welcome another member of the "illustrious Hood family".
"It is rare indeed to see siblings in parliament, rarer still for them to be in different chambers and rarest of all for them to be in different parties," he said.
"Indeed, I understand this to be an historical first."
Mr Malinauskas said an "anonymous source" told him a story about a young Mr Hood, who convinced his younger siblings the family farm was being invaded by aliens.
"So much did this source trust the new member, that she went and hid among the car bodies that sat on the property for many hours, deeply concerned about the coming intergalactic conflict but glad to know that even at times of major crisis, her brother supposedly had her back," he said.
Even the Liberal Party leader David Speirs weighed in on the emerging family dynasty, commenting they also joined Liberal MP Dennis Hood, who was unrelated.
"I think Hoods now make up five per cent of the entire parliament, which is not lost on any of us," Mr Speirs said.
Mr Speirs said the situation was unique.
"It's not something I ever needed to worry about in terms of my brothers joining me, because there's no political entity right wing enough to accommodate them," he said.
"They think I'm some sort of woke figure with all my environmental nonsense so it will not be repeated by the Speirs brothers."
Alongside the gentle ribbing, Mr Speirs said Mr Hood brought important experience and community connections, through his work as a local councillor, on various community boards and as a Liberal Party office holder.
Mr Hood is also a small business owner and co-creator of the children's character "George the Farmer", who is used to educate children about agriculture.
His sister told parliament, despite the opportunity to roast her brother, his entry into the Legislative Council was a sign of a healthy democracy.
"I think what our story here today says about us is just how lucky we are to live in Australia and live in this democracy," Ms Hood said.
"The fact that two kids, born in the same country hospital, to the same parents, the exact same upbringing, the same public education can find themselves here together through just sheer determination and hard work representing the communities that we love.
"I think it's a sign that there is probably more that unites us than divides us."
