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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3368 ..
MR WHITECROSS (continuing):
Can I say in conclusion, Mr Speaker, that Mrs Carnell talked about a bipartisan approach to these issues. The essence of a bipartisan approach is not the Chief Minister doing whatever she wants and everyone else agreeing with her. The essence of a bipartisan approach is the Chief Minister taking people into her confidence, being open and honest with the people of Canberra, and building a broad base of support. The Chief Minister needs to have another look at her approach to these matters if she truly wants to see a bipartisan approach to these issues. In the meantime, Mr Speaker, we will, as we have always said, honour agreements that have been signed by the Chief Minister, including agreements in relation to Olympic soccer.
MR SPEAKER: Order! The member's time has expired, well and truly.
MS McRAE (6.38): Mr Speaker, I rise to do something which is very unusual, because it is a very unusual event. I have warned the member concerned that I am going to do this, and I think it is an important thing to put on our record. Mr Moore is going off to a very important ceremony tomorrow. Mr Moore is having a degree conferred on him. I rise to do this because I think further study is so important - any study is so important - that every one of those achievements should be honoured and recognised. I am tempted to call for a quorum so that we have an adequate and proper audience for this; but, since poor Mr Moore has been calling for quorums all day, I think I had better not stretch the nerves of our colleagues.
I think it is important to put on record - and I believe that everybody in this Assembly will support me in saying it - that I sincerely believe that Mr Moore's achievements in actually getting a masters degree during this time is outstanding. It has taken extraordinary tenacity and effort of will, no doubt, by him as well as his family. It is something that I sincerely wish that all of us could get an opportunity to do at some time in our lives. I sincerely wish that the entire community could get that sort of opportunity. That is one of the reasons why I am here. I believe that universal education to a very high level is of the utmost importance to the goodwill of our society; but, most of all, it takes perseverance and personal commitment to that sort of thing. Mr Moore has demonstrated that. So, I take this unusual opportunity to point this out to the Assembly and to offer him my sincere congratulations and, I think, all of the Assembly's congratulations.
MR MOORE (6.40): Mr Speaker, Ms McRae did indeed ask me whether I would mind her making some comment about that. I appreciated the fact that she did do that and I certainly appreciate her kind words. It is very interesting; it is only a very short while ago that Ms McRae and I were having a bit of an interchange here in the heat of debate, as happens in this Assembly. But, Mr Speaker, I think one of the most important issues
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