Page 800 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 1 April 2008
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he had 10 brothers and sisters. Don was a kind and gentle man who, along with his wife of 50 years, Ruth, raised seven children. He had 27 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Don lived and worked locally for most of his life and was well known for his boxing ability. He was also a great advocate for those people who were disadvantaged by both social and government inadequacies.
Don grew up having a close association with his traditional land, learning Ngunnawal lore. I go to pains here to say that he was very distressed and disappointed that the whole concept of the “double n” in Ngunnawal came about. He also learnt Ngunnawal tradition and bushcraft from his parents and elders, including his grandmother, Lucy Hamilton.
Don was passionate about the protection, preservation and promotion of Ngunnawal cultural heritage and, as such, Don was also a tireless campaigner for his people, the Ngunnawal people. Don was therefore very careful about what he said about his culture and who he said it to.
All of our lives are so much richer for having known Don. For such a small man physically, he made such a big impact on everyone and everything he was involved in and with. He was admired and respected by so many people from so many different walks of life when it came to cultural heritage and life in general. I was blessed to have known Don Bell. I certainly continue to be blessed to know his wife, Ruth. I pass on my condolences to Ruth and her family for their great loss with the passing of Don Bell, senior Ngunnawal elder. He will be greatly missed by all. I do wish Ruth and the family all the best at this very difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Vale, Don Bell.
Mr Speaker, at this point I seek permission to table some information that members might be happy to receive. I was rather astounded to hear the housing minister say, on 13 March 2008, “I have not had one complaint from a public housing tenant, not one.” I have here a range of complaints directed to the minister from private housing tenants and also many from public housing tenants. The minister was contacted on behalf of tenants from various suburbs on 5 September 2007. I seek leave to table them.
Leave granted.
MRS BURKE: I table the following papers:
ACT Housing tenants—Complaints to Minister—Various papers (12).
The minister was written to directly on 4 June 2007—Gowrie Court, Narrabundah. “The minister will take on complaints personally”—19 November 2007. The minister was contacted directly on behalf of tenants on 13 November 2007. The minister’s DLO wrote back directly to housing tenants in May 2006. Mr Gentleman wrote directly to the minister on behalf of clients from Theodore on 14 August 2007. The minister was written to directly on 24 January 2008 by tenants from Holder. The minister was written to directly in July 2007 by two separate people in Skardon Street, Kaleen. The minister acknowledged that a public housing tenant contacted him directly—25 September 2007, Chirnside Place, Kambah. The minister was written to
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