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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 5 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1806 ..

MR QUINLAN: I move:

That this Assembly places on record its appreciation of the long and meritorious service to the Legislative Assembly by the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Mark McRae, upon his resignation from the position and extends to him and his wife, Beth, every wish for health and happiness in the future.

My introduction to this place was in 1998. I have to say that right from day one-in fact, it was almost day one minus one because it took so long to count the votes that year that some of us were taking a punt on getting through the rounds-the process that we went through as new members was just so smooth and the assistance was just so friendly. After you have been around a little while and look at this place from the outside, it is not all that imposing, but the way it ran from day one just from the service perspective really made us comfortable. Of course, Mark was at the head of that.

Since then, whenever I have needed assistance or guidance, it has been provided just so professionally. Mark has a way of giving you all the professional legal advice you require and then the odd tip every now and then, which I am sure we have all had and we have all appreciated.

Mark has managed this place in an exemplary manner virtually from day one-November 1989, the first year of self-government. I wonder, Mark, just how many raving egos have passed through your office and, I am sure, received the courteous, thoughtful assistance that you have provided to everybody else. It is a mark-excuse the pun-of your professionalism that you are able to deal with and assist everybody in this place and be so universally respected and so universally liked.

I had wondered what sort of bloke would do that for that long and then, in the middle of a drought, buy a rural property and, as you mentioned, Mr Speaker, play with an old Riley-there had to be something wrong with this bloke-and then I remembered that he is a Collingwood supporter, which says a lot.

Mark and I have spoken of football. I did spend a little time at that august club, Mark. I remember standing between Ray Gabelich and Graeme Fellowes the day I signed up and thinking, "I ain't big enough for this game."Mark will know those names. They were two of the hugest men to play that game. Just by sheer coincidence on my side, a little celebration, they were the two guys that turned up. Keith Burns was the secretary of the club and he was even shorter than I. I had a very funny photograph of that that I have since lost somewhere, otherwise I would have brought it in and skited.

There is no doubt that, from the time he leaves this place, Mark will be sorely missed. The place will go on as I am sure that he has trained his successors very well. When he has taken the occasional break the place has still ticked over perfectly, as we know, because he has done more than just his own job in dealing with us: he has built a staff that can carry on the work.

I have to say while I have the opportunity that, in terms of being a member, this is a great little parliament to be in, because everybody is so close and so friendly. I am sure that that is, in large part, a function of the influence of Mark McRae.

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