Page 4087 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 30 November 2022
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Canberra is going through the biggest planning review we have ever seen. I am the Greens spokesperson for planning and I also chair the planning committee, so there is quite a lot to manage. I was delighted when God and the universe brought me Steph, who loves planning and planning law. She has actually read multiple versions of the Planning Bill, the regulations and all of the submissions. She is also an amazingly passionate environmentalist and community advocate. Steph has asked me for a favour. She has asked me to mention her cat, Amelia, so I will: Amelia.
Aileen is our whips clerk. Mostly, what she does is to nag us on the crossbench. She makes sure that we present as the amazing, crack team that you have all come to fear. She is a mother of three small children and she says that she feels well prepared for the new role that she has, as a result of that prior experience. Aileen is also my women’s adviser, and she has been doing some amazing work in gender budgeting and birth services.
Deb was my arts adviser. Deb knew everyone in Canberra, particularly everyone in the arts scene and the community scene. She is also an artist herself and she has recently left us to return to her arts practice. We really miss her, but I understand that it is absolutely in her marrow.
Carol is our grand high chief of staff. She has endless patience, diplomacy, wisdom and humour. To all of our staff and to my colleagues, I say: thank you for a great year.
I also want to mention our committee secretaries. We have had quite a lot of change here, so I want to make sure that I mention everybody. Thank you so much, Martin, and Jo, who stepped in to save us. Thank you to the great team we now have of Lydia, Adam, Kate and Miona. There has been a huge amount of work, and you have done a marvellous job.
There is a huge number of people working hard in the community who are bringing their problems, their solutions and their hearts to me on a daily basis. I want very quickly to run through some of those people: Warwick, Annie and Nick; Helen and Elle; Ryan; Ian, Kate and Simon; Denise; Kat; Mon; every single member of a community council, particularly Glenn, Adele and Lachlan; Mel and Frances; Michelle; Irene, Mia, Sue, Candice, Jess and Brooke. I thank you all, for all of your help.
I also want to mention my family, who give me a huge amount of support. With my daughter, I know that I am often role modelling both being a parent and a politician, and I am not sure that I do any of those things very well, but every now and then she just amazes me. She had this conversation with me the other night when I was rushing off once again. She said, “Mummy, I’m proud of you. You’re doing important work.” It was really touching; I said, “Thanks. Maybe one day you’d like to be a politician like your Mummy?” She said, “No, that would be awful. I’d never see my family. I’d hate that.” It is probably a good snapshot of what it is like to be the child of a politician.
I also want to mention my partner, who is many things. He is a lovely man; he is a lot of fun. He is a basketballer, a sportsman and a podcaster. He is a fairly grumpy
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