Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (13 March) . . Page.. 1078 ..
Bill, as amended, agreed to.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Wood ) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Gay and lesbian community
MR HARGREAVES (5.58): I rise on what I think is a historic occasion. It is a giant step forward in eliminating an injustice which has been perpetrated on our society for far too long. I want to pay tribute to some people.
Mr Speaker, although this is going to sound a bit odd, I wanted to pay tribute to those members of the opposition who, in their opposition to the legislation, have been true to their convictions. It stands this Assembly in good stead when we have honest people saying honest things. It does not do us any credit when we have people who have different views in here from what is demonstrated outside.
I would like to pay particular tribute to the gay and lesbian lobby in town. If they had not started the movement, people like we members here would not have heard about it, and we would have done sweet bugger-all. As it is now, we have made giant steps forward and the back of this is broken.
I pay special tribute to Bronwyn Leslie and Frances Brown of the Justice and Community Safety Department, who did all of the work to transpose what we wanted into a legislative form. That is not easy, as the former Attorney-General well knows. A complicated piece of legislation, regardless of the subject, takes a certain skill. These people have walked through this minefield-and beautifully so. I want to pay credit to that.
I pay tribute to the Chief Minister's Office-Geoff Gosling and people like that-and to Andrew Barr, from my office, who has led the charge. They also have done an excellent job. I am thrilled, because I have been exposed to, and been fighting, discrimination in many forms since I was a young kid, even though I did not realise I was doing it. To see this going through is really nice. I am pleased to say that my fellow member for Brindabella, Karin MacDonald, has also been especially supportive.
However, I must record my disappointment in the Leader of the Opposition who, according to my memory, foggy as it may be, marched in the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras two years in a row, excluding this year. He marched, showing support.
Mrs Cross
: Did he?MR HARGREAVES
: He marched, Mrs Cross. Well, he did not. He had both arms together, because he is not a very good soldier. He went in there and publicly showed his support.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .