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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Thursday, 13 May 2004) . . Page.. 1911 ..

feel that they have not been heard for a couple of years now—this year that has actually been addressed in some way. So I look forward to seeing the good outwork of that funding in this budget.

Retirement of Ms Linda Atkinson

MRS DUNNE (11.43): I want to place on the record that today was the last day of service to the Assembly by Linda Atkinson who, for the past year or so, while I was the chairman of the Planning and Environment Committee, was the secretary to the Planning and Environment Committee. Linda is retiring because you get to that age where, not because you need to retire, your investment in the CSS says that you must or you are going to lose a motser.

I make two points. It is time that legislators, both here and in other places, addressed the issue of retirement income because we have seen many people retire, by their own lights, prematurely because if they do not they are financially disadvantaged for many years to come. We hear many people in the federal parliament and elsewhere saying we should be encouraging people to stay at work for longer, but at the same time there is a disincentive for them to do so—a substantial disincentive. I know that it is all buried deep in the setting up of the legislation underpinning the CSS and the PSS, but I think it is time that legislators in the big house up on the hill did something about it. That is a thought for another day and perhaps another Assembly.

In standing, I would also like to wish Linda well. She was a ray of sunshine around the place. She made committee work a pleasure. She was known as the Imelda Marcos of the Assembly, in a nice way, because Linda has a truly enviable shoe collection—one that I envy considerably. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for her service to the Assembly and her service to the Planning and Environment Committee, and wish her well not in her retirement, because she is far too young to retire, but in whatever she chooses to do from here.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

The Assembly adjourned at 11.45 pm.

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