Page 4178 - Week 12 - Thursday, 1 December 2022
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Valedictory
MR HANSON (Murrumbidgee) (4.45): I just want to reflect on a couple of things from this year. Firstly, I was elected as the Deputy after Giulia left at the beginning of the year. I would just like to say how honoured I was that that happened. It is great to be Deputy to someone like Elizabeth Lee. I think she is going to be our next Chief Minister. I look forward to the next couple of years, where we put our case forward to the electorate.
It is also great to be part of such a strong Liberal team. I think there is genuine diversity in our team, real diversity. One thing I enjoy about this term at the Liberals—and I am not reflecting on other terms—is we all get on. It is a great bunch of people. It is not just professionally rewarding but it is actually nice when your colleagues all get on; and often in the party room there is a great bon amie and spirit, which goes along well with the sometimes impassioned debates.
We have kicked some goals in the portfolios that I hold this year. There have been significant debates when it comes to ACT Policing, in terms of the support they need. I would like to put on the record my thanks to all of the ACT Policing members out there that are working so hard, and to the Association—Troy and Alex in particular from the Association. I would also like to mention Tom McLuckie and his family, who I think has done great work in elevating some of the many issues that are so important to people affected as victims and families of victims in this city.
Education. To all our hardworking teachers: I wish you well with your EBA that is ongoing. I am very glad that we were able to have a tripartisan motion that I moved earlier this year, which called on the government to actually come up with some solutions and put on the table some of the data and the plan forward for recruiting and retaining teachers in our system. I hope they enjoy a bit of a break over the Christmas period because I think, as we have debated in this place quite a bit, they are spread pretty thin.
To all of the veterans out there, many of whom I catch up with during the course of the year, I wish you all the very best.
We are all, as we have spoken about here, very much reliant on our staff. I am lucky to have amazing staff in my office, which is led by Ian Hagan, who I would have to say does not just support me but supports the whole Canberra Liberals team very effectively. Jess Simpson, who has now been with me, I think, 12 years, and Richard Smith and Brodie Taylor who support me so well out in the community.
This will be the first Christmas without my father. We lost him in February. Brian sadly passed away. And my mum turned 80 in April. Some of you have met my mum and she is often a feature at ACT elections. She is a keen observer of this place. I am often having to dissuade her about what a nice young man Shane Rattenbury is. They spent, I think in 2008, quite a bit of time back in the old Molonglo electorate days, campaigning side by side. She and Shane got on famously. It has been a bit of a challenge for me since that day to explain to her the pitfalls of that position.
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