Page 2906 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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people. One of the things I especially like about their culture is the singing, the Tongan choirs. When Prince Lavaka Ata and I opened the club some 10 years ago there was a magnificent Tongan female choir there with excellent voices. Indeed, at the Cook discovery function recently at the Canberra museum there was a magnificent performance by a Tongan dance troupe and choir. It is very sad to see the grief in that community as a result of the death of their king. He was a remarkable man, as John Hargreaves has said. The king reigned for over 40 years. He succeeded Queen Salote, who was also a quite famous Tongan monarch. I extend my condolences to our Tongan community on the death of their king.
Turning to another ethnic event of recent times, the Anglo-Indian association held an excellent dinner dance/ball at the convention centre on Saturday night and it was attended by a large number of people. It is a great association that not only is a focal point for people within that community but also donates money to various charities, including the soup kitchen run by Stasia Dabrowski, a former Canberran of the Year, to mention just one of the charities that the association supports. It was a particularly impressive evening. Mary Porter was there representing the Chief Minister. Mary, I look forward to playing bowls with you over the break. I think it would be excellent if we had an Assembly bowls team in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association sports event, whatever it is called.
Finally, I congratulate my federal colleagues and all the other members of the team which beat the Kiwis 12-10 on Sunday. Old Canberran and almost parliamentarian Mal Meninga converted Barnaby Joyce’s try from the sideline. There was none of the around-the-corner kicking style which everyone has these days; it was just straight-up-and-down vintage Mal Meninga.
That was a particularly good day. It is always good to beat the Kiwis at anything, but especially a rugby game, even if it was among a bunch of old men and a few ring-ins. But that was good to see. I must compliment Barnaby Joyce, who is actually quite a good player. I had never met him before, but I had met all the other players in that group. I would encourage members, if they can, to get to Adelaide to play bowls. Ours is only a small Assembly, but it would be good to get four or five people together for that because it will be a very good event and it is just good to meet with fellow parliamentarians in the social, convivial atmosphere which you have when you play sport.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 5.23 pm.
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