Page 3388 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 11 October 1994
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One of the initiatives with which Mr Daniels was heavily involved was the establishment of the Canberra Association for Regional Development, the forerunner of today's Canberra Business Council. He retired in 1981, after more than 47 years of dedicated public service. After his retirement, Mr Daniels continued his close involvement with Canberra community organisations, including Marymead, various sporting groups, such as the Manuka football team, and, of course, the Catholic Church.
I am sure that all members will join with me in extending our sympathy to Laurie Daniels's family and friends and in acknowledging the valuable contribution he made, both to the Australian Public Service and to the Canberra community.
MR HUMPHRIES: Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Opposition, I am delighted to join with the Chief Minister in supporting this motion. I had a passing acquaintance with Laurie Daniels, although my acquaintance with him postdated his distinguished career as a Federal public servant - 47 years in all, as the Chief Minister indicated. I must say, though, that when one spoke to him one did not get the impression that he had been a man who, for a very long period of time, was close to the heart of important decision making in this country. He was an unprepossessing person whose achievements spoke very much on his behalf.
Like many retired senior public servants, he devoted his life after retirement to public service, this time with a small "p" and a small "s". My contact with him during that period was in his role as a person involved in the board of management at Calvary Hospital, where he was deputy chairman until 1991, and through his involvement with the foundation of the Australian Catholic University, which was formed at about that time as well. In those activities, as in others, including involvement in sporting activities, he exhibited great energy, and his experience was put to great use.
As the Chief Minister indicated, he headed the Department of the Capital Territory from 1977, under three different Ministers. His obituary in the Canberra Times noted that he was, reportedly, no great enthusiast for self-government - this would endear him to Mr Stevenson, no doubt - but I must say that, in my dealings with him, I had the impression that he was a man who would do his job, whatever that job was, to the very best of his ability. Clearly, he worked very hard, during his period with the Department of the Capital Territory, to further the aims of the Government at the time to progress these issues to a certain point. I think, Madam Speaker, that, in working very hard towards achieving the goals of the governments of the particular persuasions that he served, he demonstrated that he was a consummate public servant, professional and dedicated. It was, therefore, a privilege to have some passing acquaintance with him. I commend this motion to the house.
Question resolved in the affirmative, members standing in their places.
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