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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 5040 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

The leaked documents indicate two other masterstrokes. Our Chief Minister, Kate Carnell, will be leaving the Assembly to become chairman of the National Competition Council where she will be able to direct the policies of the ACT Government without needing to trouble herself with the Assembly or Cabinet. Because the position is not available until late next year, she will be taking temporary work to pay the rent and to keep the ACT job figures up. She has accepted an offer from the ACT Labor Party to be Wayne Berry's driver through the coming election campaign. If she, and he, survive that task, she will also drive for Rob Borbidge during the Queensland election next year, and later for John Howard in the anticipated mid-1998 election. If still available in early 1999, she will drive for Bob Carr in his campaign. Mr Speaker, it is obviously a sign of her deep and abiding admiration and concern for these national leaders that she knows and loves that she should take such a personal interest in their safety.

Finally, Gary has contrived a remarkable amendment to the ACT (Self-Government) Act which apparently will be passed by the Federal Parliament as a consequential amendment to the ACT (Land and Planning) (99-Year Leases) Act in the new year. Never let it be said that Gary is not adept at complicated amendments. Mr Humphries is apparently to be appointed to the new position of administrator of the Australian Capital Territory. I congratulate him on his well-deserved appointment, although I am uncomfortable at the idea that he will have to sign the laws which I wanted passed before they became law.

So the current Assembly will be almost entirely swept away, but not completely. Wayne Berry no doubt will attempt to govern alone after the next election, as he is obviously capable of making all policy decisions for his entire team anyway. Mr Berry will finally have his long-cherished dream of becoming Chief Minister with no opposition to question him, and no party colleagues to plot against him. It will indeed be a barren victory for Wayne "Ozymandias" Berry.

Finally, of course, Mr Hird also will have his own even longer-held dream come true. After all these years he will finally have a wish fulfilled when he is unanimously elected as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. We wish him and Mr Berry well in their coming debates.

A merry, happy Christmas and a safe and a happy new year to you all from Gary and Michael.

MRS LITTLEWOOD (10.44): Mr Speaker, trying to speak after that will be rather difficult. I have no idea whether or not I shall return to this place. In fact, in view of some of the things that have happened this week I wonder whether I really want to return to this place. I would just like to say that in my time here I have enjoyed it. Mr Berry mentioned power and glory. I am afraid that has never been my aim in being here. I have been here to work for my community and I have enjoyed doing that, and I believe that in a small way I have made a difference to the lives of some people. They may not be things that are very broad, and on the world scale they certainly would not come to a 10, but for those people they are important and I have enjoyed doing that.

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