Page 118 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 7 December 2004
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I felt, as an elected member of this place, a need to go out and reassure them that what they had decided to do was something that was open to them to do in the context of the way we do things in Australia. If you are in dispute, you are entitled to withdraw your labour in many circumstances.
I would like to congratulate the workers for highlighting their concerns as conscious, hard-working Canberrans. At a lighter moment yesterday I heard a new saying for industrial action. One of the cleaners—and she was not that relaxed about the industrial confrontation—did say, “Well, if the baby doesn’t cry, it doesn’t get milk.” So congratulations to Majvi, Dragica, Carlos, Stevka, Marika, Christina, Zora, Jacqueline, Maria, Zdravka, Slavica, Zora, Slavka, Danica and Mary, the cleaners at Calvary Hospital.
Karinya House
MR SESELJA (Molonglo) (5.50): I rise to speak briefly on Karinya House. I wanted to make sure that the member opposite, the Treasurer, is not too bored. I will try not to keep him for too long, but I would make the point to the Treasurer that, if he is particularly bored, he could bring forward his retirement. I am sure there is some willing young Labor Party person ready to take over. I would just like to pay tribute to the Karinya House committee. My wife and I attended the Karinya House ball on 20 November. A fabulous time was had by all. There were over 200 people there.
I want to pay tribute to the fantastic work that Karinya House does for the community. Karinya House, for those who do not know, runs two houses for pregnant women and new mothers to provide support in budgeting and health care and other services.
I would like to congratulate Melinda Tankard-Reist, the president, and Catherine Cooney, the vice-president. I also note that Vicki Dunne is patron of Karinya House. So I really would like to pay tribute to the work they do. I think it is fantastic work. A lot of these women are very vulnerable and Karinya House provides them with fantastic support.
It certainly receives some government funding—and that is very welcome—but there is always the potential for more. This is a particularly worthy organisation, so the government should always be open to providing more support where possible. I think that is about all I have to say.
Brindabella electorate
Mr Tony Burke
MS MacDONALD (Brindabella) (5.52): I, too, like Mr Hargreaves, would like to place on the record my thanks to all the people who supported me, not just in the past 12 months of this campaign, because it has been a 12-month campaign for me, but who have given me ongoing support for the last 3½ or four years, since I decided to run for the Assembly in the first place. I also thank the people of Brindabella for giving their support to me to re-elect me. It was a gut-wrenching feeling going in, not knowing whether or not I would get back into this place. I am very pleased to be back, I have to say.
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