Page 1558 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 June 2022
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love to support what each of us does every day. Giulia’s family no doubt will be very grateful to be able to spend more time with her.
I am sure that everyone in this chamber will agree that this place will be a much quieter place without Mrs Jones. I know that certainly the party room will be. With a personality as big as her heart, Giulia has never been afraid of speaking her mind, even when it has been tough and even when it has been challenging. She has never been afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, and she has never shied away from her commitment to her faith and the community.
When Giulia first entered the Assembly, she spoke about her commitment to, and I quote from her inaugural speech:
… first-class services, accessible health care, an outstanding education system, a return to strong and effective law and order, ample supplies of homes for young couples on reasonably sized housing blocks, a local shop and a park for our kids to play in.
A decade on, I think we can all agree that Giulia has been absolutely steadfast in her commitment to those issues—the same issues that continue to be out of reach for so many Canberrans after more than 20 years of this Labor-Greens government.
Giulia’s time in this place will be remembered for many achievements—from her energetic and deep engagement with Canberra’s multicultural community, especially her support for vulnerable families who were doing it really tough during the COVID lockdown, to her staunch lobbying for her local community, whether it be for safe playgrounds, a local shop or to save local green spaces.
I think Giulia will be remembered most for being a strong role model for working mums. After the 2020 ACT election, it was a proud moment for the Canberra Liberals, for Giulia and me, to be given the incredible privilege by our colleagues to become the first female leadership team in the ACT. We achieved a lot in our time together. I know how committed Giulia was to her community, to her parliament and to her colleagues. I know that it would have been an incredibly difficult decision to step down to focus on her family and her health. It takes courage to do so and a lot of heart as well.
Whilst Giulia will be, of course, a big loss for us here in the Assembly, in ACT politics and in our party room, it will be a gain for her family and for her friends. Giulia’s tenacity, grit and work ethic will hold her in good stead for whatever comes next. I have no doubt that her family, her faith and her sense of duty to continue to play a significant role in her ongoing engagement with the community will hold her in good stead for whatever comes next.
Giulia, on behalf of the Canberra Liberals, thank you for your service to our party, to our parliament and to our community. You will be missed. On behalf of Mr Hanson—unfortunately, the cold has taken our military man down—I know that he very much wanted to be here to share his thoughts with you, as a long-term running mate. I know that you and Jeremy spent a lot of time together out in the electorate, and I know that
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