Page 1182 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 22 August 1989
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And so may I tentatively, as an historian, reflect on those 100 days as seen not in a partisan political way but by all of us. The first point: we exist. We exist despite sniping criticism, often uninformed slanders and libels, distortions in the media, I have to say, from people who have not necessarily seen us in action here in this chamber, here in our committee rooms and throughout Canberra as all 17 of us perform our many duties, often seven days per week. If we are to be congratulated on the 100 days, then we are all to be congratulated, but there is a sting in that tail. Wait for it.
Secondly, we exist; we exist and we thrive. We have all made the system work over these 100 days - all of us. In this connection I especially commend our Clerk, Deputy Clerk, the Clerk's staff and the Serjeant-at-Arms and his staff, who have helped us do that. But we should congratulate ourselves basically for maintaining and supporting a brand new system, learning how to cope with it and move within it.
The ALP members should not be proud of their so-called 41 achievements in some kind of vacuum, but they should be grateful that they have had our careful sufferance - our careful sufferance. So I especially commend the leadership of all five parties for working together. Understandably, there have been occasional outbursts of frustration, but the basically good-hearted men and women in this Assembly have learned to come to terms with each other over these 100 days, including a mutual acceptance of some rhetorical ploys from some members of the five parties.
During those 100 days we have shared many good times together also, even in this chamber, I believe. I think of a briefing session at ACTEW. Thank you, Ellnor. I think of that terrific trip to Pialligo, a multi-party trip. I think of community organisations we have visited and of shared experiences in the arts. I think of the New Zealand Ballet the other day, and educational events and functions, all on a non-partisan basis. I especially remember Robyn's delight in this matter as some of us rode the ACTION bus with an Elvis Presley look-alike. That was not a party occasion. It went beyond that. Our friend and colleague Wayne Berry is not here, but he was also on that bus.
In other words, there are many, many things that we have done. We could make a list of 100 things that we have all done together that we have not put out media releases about. Those of us who from time to time have played our own games during these 100 days now recognise that some members here enjoy confrontational slanging matches, a kind of verbal croquet, which the rest of us do not take seriously, although we sometimes object to it. I ask them to enjoy higher levels of game playing.
We exist; we exist and thrive; we exist and have a sense of joy; we exist and thrive and have a sense of joy; and we achieve. I believe those achievements - often quiet, often
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