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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Thursday, 26 August 2004) . . Page.. 4458 ..

Tonight Allison, Roland, Regan and Catherine are behind me. I will not have a look at them, otherwise I will just weep and not be able to say anything else. I love them dearly, and they have been incredibly supportive in the work. I am proud of the work that we have done in the Assembly. I think we have promoted the Greens’ position in an articulate and credible way. We have spoken on pretty well every issue that has come up because we have seen that it is our responsibility that the ACT community understands why we vote in the way we vote. That way they can understand also what the Greens stand for.

I am the public face of the work that has occurred in our office, but it is the result of the work of the people behind me—whom I will not look at, so that I do not cry—the people who came before them, including Natasha, whom Tom will remember very well; Jono, when we first arrived here; Peter and Gordon, who many people here know; David; and other people who have come in on odd occasions or for shorter times and worked in the office.

As for any reflections on my time here in the Assembly, I would say that I have really enjoyed working in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association because that gave me an understanding of the vast array of different forms of the Westminster system in the Commonwealth. It made me understand how fortunate I am to be in this Legislative Assembly because it is a particularly effective little democracy. I think that is partly to do with the electoral system and the fact that we have a minority government.

It is also probably about the size, as other members have said, where alliances change according to the issue. I know what Mrs Dunne said and I know that she thinks that she keeps me guessing. But I did notice that when I made a comment on a supplementary question from her last week to Mr Stanhope, Mr Smyth thought that was unusual and Vicki commented on it. I said, “Well, I’ve got no real allegiances here. I’m just working on the issue, and I am happy to work with Mrs Dunne on that question.” That is what has to happen in this place because we move from one issue to the next.

I have met incredibly inspiring people from the Canberra community, and that is one of the rich things about the life of a politician. You meet the people who are active in the community; that is why they contact you quite often. I said this the other night, so sorry to people who have heard it, but I think it is a relevant comment. Helen Keller apparently said, “The world is full of suffering, but the world is also full of overcoming it.” In politics I feel you meet the people who are doing the overcoming and who are about transforming our community and our society, which is a really positive life experience.

MR SPEAKER: Do you require an extension?

MS TUCKER: Did anyone else get a bell?

Mr Quinlan: Vicki had two.

Mr Hargreaves: Everybody’s had a bell. It’s not the lunch bell.

Mr Smyth: Go for it!

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