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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (25 February) . . Page.. 355 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Mr Speaker, in speaking to this condolence motion, I will not repeat the sorts of things that the Minister and the immediate past Minister have spoken of, in an historical sense; rather, I will relate my own experiences and my own association with somebody for whom I held a great admiration. My first meeting with Norm Fisher took me quite by surprise. I could not believe that anybody could be so enthusiastic about making self-government work. We had been going through the preparation for an election process. In that election process Norm Fisher contacted us and said, "We can have the tally-room at the Reid TAFE", as it was then, "and I just want you to come across and have a look to make sure that the facilities suit you". This was my first ever election. I had been to a tally-room once before, in South Australia; but I had no idea that people would need extra telephones and communication systems and all the bits and pieces that Norm was so keen about. It was something else that he just made work. I think that the great talent he had was that he would put his energy and enthusiasm into taking his ideas, government policy, or whatever it was, and make it work. I think it is an incredible talent, and many people could take a lesson from it.

Mr Speaker, he continued that with his variations to the technical and further education system, as it was, including the transition to the Canberra Institute of Technology. With Norm Fisher, there was always a phone call: "Michael, can I show you something? This is really great. I really have to share this". There was always an implication that he wanted to share some great idea or some particular enthusiasm he had. It was through that sort of approach that I went to all the TAFE colleges, as they were then, and through the system and was beginning to understand it. Norm wanted everybody to understand it. He understood self-government and he understood this Assembly much better than most people. I think it is also fair to say that he understood the individual players. He built up a rapport, a relationship, with the individual players as well. I should also point out that Norm would always preface some of these comments in terms of his work by saying, "My Minister has this approach", and would then lead in. He always took great care to ensure that he was following government policy.

Norm Fisher had his detractors then. So does every single member who is sitting here today. We have heard them at one time or another. It seems to me that this was because he had such drive, because he had such energy and because he had such leadership, and there were some people who just could not hack the pace. One of the areas where he probably felt most stressed was with the Australian International Hotel School. Mr Speaker, I believe that, in another decade or so, we will all be very proud of something that really was an issue very dear to Norm Fisher's heart - a contribution that he saw he was making to the Canberra community. That will not be without its problems. Already we have seen some problems. When people actually get out there and try to achieve something, occasionally they are going to make a mistake - if, indeed, that turns out to be a mistake. I would much prefer to see somebody doing that than taking the approach, "We will sit back and just let things go, because in that way I will not put my neck out, in that way I will not have taken any risks". In that way, also, we do not achieve anything.

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