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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 13 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 3978 ..

Adjournment

Motion (by Mr Wood ) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Gordon McAllister

MS TUCKER ( 6.46): I take this opportunity tonight to let members know that Gordon McAllister is leaving my office. His last day will be tomorrow. I would like to acknowledge the contribution he has made not just to my office but to the Legislative Assembly. He has worked with the Greens since 1995. He had a short period back in the public service when we did not get a second seat in Ginninderra, but then he rejoined my office. He has been incredibly important to the work of the Greens, especially on planning and environment issues. Simon Corbell said he thought Gordon probably knew more about the land act than did anyone else in this building, and potentially even in the bureaucracy. So obviously Gordon has offered a lot of importance.

Apart from that, Gordon has been incredibly good to work with, and I will miss him very much. I wish him the best. He is moving to Environment ACT. Mr Wood is giving the thumbs-up to that. I am glad that his expertise will be staying in the ACT.

Mr Wood: Your loss is our gain. He will still be working for the territory.

MS TUCKER: He will still be working for the territory, so we will not lose his wonderful contribution. I wish him absolutely the best and cannot express with words how much I appreciate him.

Craft exhibitions

Muslim clothing

Ms MacDONALD (6.48): I want to raise a couple of issues this evening. The first one is very pleasurable. At lunchtime the other day I was at the Craft ACT galleries. I would like to commend to members a couple of exhibitions there. The first is the craft for Christmas annual exhibition by members of Craft ACT. There is a number of fantastic pieces in the exhibition, some of which would be very useful for Christmas, at a wide range of prices.

Another exhibition at the Craft ACT galleries and at the Canberra Centre is called Marriage of Cultures. It celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the sister city relationship between Nara and Canberra. Danusha Cubillo and Lyndy Delian have done screen printed Aboriginal motifs on silk kimonos and obis. They are absolutely beautiful. I commend those excellent works to all members of the Assembly.

Moving on to not so pleasant matters: I would like to raise my concern about something that occurred in the New South Wales upper house during question time yesterday when Mr Fred Nile asked whether the body covering of Muslim males and females could be a disguise for terrorists using weapons and explosives. Mr Nile asked the government whether or not they would be banning that sort of dress.

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