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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1975 ..

which over about 10 days were canvassed and delivered the goodies so that the people of Canberra could, as a sign of respect for Sean, raise the money that has gone to his family. I think that that was not a bad effort. Well done to all those who attended on the night and well done to those who donated, but particularly well done to Sean for all the work he did in making Canberra a better place. Anne-Maree, Danielle, Kelsey-Lee and Mackensie, we will never forget your dad.

One of the things I have spoken to Meredith Hunter about, and we are going to have a meeting on it in the coming weeks, is whether we can do the fundraiser annually, set up a Sean Mills scholarship and come together once a year to remember a mate, raise some money and put it to a good cause, which would be to sponsor some other youth worker either to travel round Australia or round the world to pick up more skills and continue to make the difference that Sean wanted to make. Sean, mate, goodbye.

ADF personnel-return from Iraq

MR PRATT

(6.56): Mr Speaker, I rise to give the house notice that this week we will see ADF personnel who served recently in Iraq being welcomed home in Perth and Sydney, approximately 1,000 in Perth and 1,500 in Sydney. I rise simply to welcome those people home from what was an onerous, arduous and dangerous task.

I would like to congratulate those personnel on having conducted themselves professionally and having carried out a very worthy task. They made an incredibly significant contribution, way out of proportion to their numbers, to bringing a major international threat to heel, albeit right now the situation in Iraq is still quite volatile and quite messy and it will take a great deal of wisdom on the part of the occupying powers to finally resolve that mess. Nevertheless, our people have done a sterling job and they are home in one piece.

I would remind the Assembly that some of those personnel are, in fact, Canberrans and, as our constituents, I think that it is right and proper that we should send them a message that we at least thank God that they are home safe and thank them for their professional conduct.

Certainly, I was quite happy to hear about the celebration of the safe return of a human shield who was there some time ago. I am quite seriously, Mrs Cross. Whilst I did not agree with that human shield's cause, one had to admire the conviction of their purposes and the fact that they did get home in one piece. Against that, I think that it is also extremely appropriate that we note this issue.

I would like to hope that all members of the Assembly share my sentiments. I do not know whether we might be able to put together some sort of motion to that effect down the track, but perhaps we should consider that. On that note, Mr Speaker, I say to those young men and young women of the ADF: well done, welcome home and hold your chins up. Unlike other veterans in recent decades, this nation will not forget you and the good job that you have done.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Assembly adjourned at 6.57 pm.

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