Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3886 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

To the staff of the Assembly, Mark McRae, the library staff, the committee staff and everyone who works in this building, I reiterate the words other members have said tonight. You go beyond the call of duty. You are always pleasant and always helpful in remarkably quick time. Thank you very much for your assistance.

My very best wishes go to all members. I hope that all of you who are standing for election get back. It is not easy, but my very best wishes to you and good luck for the upcoming election. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for your control of the Assembly and the assistance you give in presiding over the Assembly.

Finally, to my government colleagues, my ministerial colleagues and my party colleagues, I say that it has been a pleasure working with you for the last 31/2 years. Good luck to all you standing again, and thank you for the privilege of working with you in government for the last 31/2 years.

Valedictory

East Timor

MR BERRY (11.11): Mr Wood was boasting about how he was the first person to speak in the Assembly.

Mr Wood: No, not the first.

MR BERRY: Weren't you the first?

Mr Wood: I got a piece on the first day.

MR BERRY: You got a piece on the first day. Tonight I was almost lusting for the opportunity to give the government one last touch-up at the end of this sitting on the Territory Records Bill, and I was denied that chance by Michael Moore. I could have talked about all of those paper trails. I might have even mentioned Bruce Stadium again.

Mr Moore: Or $344 million.

MR BERRY: Or $100 million or whatever. I too would like to thank all of my colleagues for their support and tolerance, which are necessary in the melting pot of politics anywhere but particularly so in the Labor Party, because we also have a contest of ideas which is useful for the development of our damn fine party.

The contest of ideas is also helped by people in this place and the staff that support them, who offer challenges for other politicians in this place to test their mettle. It always gives you a good reason to come to work if you can find somebody who is challenging your ideas, especially if you want to make a mark on behalf of the constituents you represent.

One cannot rise in this place without thanking a whole range of people. I would first of all like to thank all of those people who have supported us in this Assembly. In all of my experience of the people in the secretariat, the attendants, Hansard, the corporate area and the committee staff, I have always had the most committed people working around me. They have always been tolerant of the foibles that one exhibits from time to time and understanding of them-almost too understanding sometimes-except on the rare

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .