Page 1557 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 June 2022
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colleagues who have been the minister that you have shadowed have certainly recognised your passion for many different areas of public policy.
I note that, in your long list of shadow portfolios, and as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, you were never my shadow minister, so I have not had the benefit of late-night phone calls with you—on any topic, I hasten to add. Some of my colleagues will respond to many of your kind and generous remarks in the subsequent elements of this debate.
What I would observe is that you have been a passionate advocate for your side of politics. You have navigated your way through what seems like the incredibly complex world of the Canberra Liberals with aplomb, to rise to the position of deputy leader. Taking a leadership role in a political party is indeed a challenge. I know the amount of time and commitment that that requires. I want to acknowledge that very significant contribution that you have made to your side of politics, and indeed to this chamber.
I would observe that you seem happy and content with a decision that you have made after nearly 10 years of service. You have done a lot for your community and for your side of politics. I think you have earned the right to leave on your own terms, to be happy and to spend more time with your wonderful family, who are here today.
I wish you all the very best for what comes next. I am sure we will see and hear from you in our city and in our nation. On behalf of my colleagues who will not be speaking today, we wish you all the very best. Other colleagues do want to take the opportunity to thank you specifically in a number of areas, so I will defer to them to say more in the coming moments. All the very best for the future; thank you.
MS LEE (Kurrajong—Leader of the Opposition) (10.54), by leave: Today we say farewell and thank you to one of the giants in ACT politics. Anyone who knows Mrs Jones, anyone who has worked with Mrs Jones, anyone who has been the beneficiary of Mrs Jones’s fierce advocacy, will know that she is a woman of conviction in what she has phrased as modern conservative values.
I first met Giulia when we became running mates in the 2012 ACT election in the former electorate of Molonglo. She was already a seasoned campaigner, and she was, and is, not afraid of blood, sweat and tears to achieve her goals. She was committed to supporting new candidates, as she knew so well the ups and downs, the joys and tears, that come with an election campaign. She was successfully elected in 2012. She always made an effort to keep in touch with other candidates who had missed out, including me in that election. She saw herself as a mentor and was always willing to provide advice and support for good Liberals that she could see had a future in politics. Throughout her time as an elected member in this Assembly, she never wavered in her ferocious support for Liberal candidates, including in the most recent federal election.
Family and faith are very important to Giulia. They play a huge role in who she is today. I pay tribute to Giulia’s husband, Bernard, and her six children—Felix, Leo, Ambrose, Maximus, Nicolina and Liliana—who have been through all the ups and downs of life in politics with their loving mum. It takes extraordinary patience and
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