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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (9 May) . . Page.. 1331 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

widow, Shirley, and his children and grandchildren will take some comfort from knowing that there are those who, like me, share in their feeling of loss and who, while mourning Mazo's passing, will treasure and value his memory.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education) (5.47): I am very happy that Mr Kaine has spoken in the adjournment debate about Peter Mazengarb. Mr Kaine indicated to me earlier this afternoon that he was going to do so, and I am delighted to second his remarks and say that I, too, was very saddened to hear of Peter's death. Peter had not been well in recent times, unfortunately. I would certainly reiterate everything that Trevor Kaine said about an excellent Canberran and a great Australian.

Peter had a very distinguished career in the military. It ranged from World War II to Korea, even to Vietnam. As Trevor Kaine has said, Peter did not stop there. He did a lot of work with the Returned and Services League. Indeed, many of us who have been in Canberra for a long time might remember him as the voice of Anzac Day in Canberra for many years. Peter rose to be president of the local RSL for a time.

Peter certainly was a very interesting individual. He had a dry wit indeed and almost a laconic sense of humour. In the times I got to know him and the times I actually worked with him, especially more recently through the local Liberal Party and when he was campaign manager for the Ginninderra electorate in the 1998 campaign, I certainly got to appreciate his humour greatly. It was excellent in terms of raising morale at critical times. It was a sense of humour that those people who have been in the army would know about. I think it epitomised the Australian digger in times of adversity, raising the spirits of those round him. Peter had a great gift for that.

Peter was a great contributor. He was the sort of fellow who did not suffer fools gladly. He was also the sort of fellow who would always have a go, both for things he believed in and for other people. In recent times many of us in the Assembly would have had Peter coming to our door representing a whole range of problems and putting a whole range of points of view, always to the betterment of someone else in the community or some point of view that he felt would benefit our country and our local community.

Peter certainly was interested in contributing to many areas of his local community. That is something he did to the end. I join my colleague Trevor Kaine in expressing condolences to his family and mourning the death of a great Canberran and great Australian who contributed not only to his local community but also to the country as a whole through a wide variety of actions and a wide range of organisations during his quite extraordinary life.

MR HIRD (5.49): I join Mr Kaine and Mr Stefaniak in noting the sad loss of a very good and dear friend, Peter Mazengarb. Peter Mazengarb was for a time president of the RSL, a great Canberran and a determined person when it came to legatees. He was very persuasive and persistent in making certain that they were not forgotten. Peter did stand at one time for the position of national president but was unsuccessful. He was a great soldier.

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