Page 2468 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2022
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On behalf of all members, I want to thank Devika for her hard work here at the Assembly and wish her well in her retirement.
On behalf of all members here, Anne and Devika, well done and thank you for your service.
Adjournment
Motion (by Ms Cheyne) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Brindabella electorate—community engagement
MR DAVIS (Brindabella) (6.13): Madam Speaker, Like you, and like everybody else in this place, I wear a few hats in this place. I have spoken today in my capacity as the ACT Greens spokesperson for housing affordability. I spoke yesterday in my capacity as the Greens spokesperson for drug harm reduction. Indeed, I spoke to WIN News earlier today in my capacity as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Community Wellbeing. As privileged and delighted as I am to have all of those titles, none brings me more joy than simply being the member for Brindabella, serving the 82,954 people who live in Tuggeranong. Every single day in this office brings me great joy.
It is why, prior to my election to this place, I made a commitment to my electorate that I would be available and accessible to them regularly with consistency to work with them and for them on all manner of issues that they may face. Indeed, my commitment was to open an electorate office, a fixed place, day and time, where I would always be, where you could chew my ear off, talk to me about any issue and put me and my team to work for you.
As of last Friday, I am delighted to say that we have clocked up the 250th hour of the Brindabella Greens electorate office in Tuggeranong. In those 250 hours, I have learnt an awful lot. It is amazing what people are willing to come and share with you, teach you and work with you on, when you make yourself available with such regularity at a fixed time people can plan around. I have spoken to whole families about experiences that were less than ideal with suspension in an ACT public school. Last week I spoke to an older lady who has been waiting for more than a year for an endoscopy on the public health waiting list.
But it is not always the challenging situations. About four weeks ago, while I was unfortunately interstate for a conference—but my colleagues took over the electorate office—we had a lovely young couple who came just to introduce themselves. They had bought an apartment in Greenway, were brand new constituents, and had heard from over yonder about the regular electorate office and thought they would just come down and say g’day.
I would be remiss if I did not thank, and put on the public record, my appreciation for Darryl and Lisa, who own Jindebah Cafe. I am embarrassed to tell this story—and
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