Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Thursday, 26 August 2004) . . Page.. 4442 ..

manages everything, absolutely everything—tax, super, home management, everything. While at work I have, as you will all agree, wonderful people looking after me, keeping me organised, and, of course, there have been the departments. But put me on my own, just me, well, we will have to see! That is my warning to those groups.

Thanks to Beverley for 15 years of help, very nearly 50 years altogether, and to Margaret Watt, a most respected person in and beyond this building, for 12 years of service all up. Many, many thanks.

I thank John Stanwell, Andrew Rhodes and Marsha Daw in more recent times and I thank the current DLOs, those most important and helpful people, Ashley King, Pat Madigan and John Malouf, all very committed, dedicated, of sound judgment and, I have to tell you, of full, persistent and very frank and fearless advice and great support for me and for all members.

Thanks and well done to Jon Stanhope, an outstanding Chief Minister, and my colleagues on this side of the house particularly but on all sides over 15 years. It has been 15 years of self-government and this is my final comment for recording in Hansard. From an old original, remembering the substantial resistance to self-government, the work we are engaged in has been a success, even with a lot of those bumps on the way. In particular, I note the enormous financial adjustment that has been made and that was the reason for self-government. It has been a remarkable success. That is due in varying degrees to the members who have worked here.

Valedictory

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (11.40): Mr Speaker, I would like most particularly to echo the words that you spoke in the sentiments you expressed. I would like very much tonight to pay a fond tribute and farewell to one of the most notable parliamentarians to have graced this chamber, and I use the word advisedly. I refer, of course, to my friend and colleague Bill Wood.

Bill Wood has always been a political and social activist. He grew up with politics. His father was the leader of the opposition in the Queensland parliament. From 1969 to 1974 he was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. His identical twin brother, Peter, was also a member and, as anyone who has seen them together will know, it was not just for Hansard that Bill presented a challenge.

Bill’s electorate, initially Cook and later Barron River, was in North Queensland. He loved campaigning in the Torres Strait Islands, which was part of his electorate. Bill’s previous employment also included a variety of teaching positions, both in the ACT and in Queensland. He mostly taught students with special needs. That was, of course, a great preparation for his present portfolio as minister for disability.

For two years he was senior adviser to ACT Senator Ryan when she was Minister for Education. I understand that that was when he developed his particular extreme dislike of keeping people waiting. He is most notable amongst ministers for always being on time, often arriving early. Sometimes he left early, too. I think that it is worth recording that at one stage Bill was a Labor Party organiser. He is married, as we know, to Beverly and it

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .