Page 6169 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Lorna, if you find the pace of technology in this place interesting, I wish you all the best in the challenges of federal parliament, which certainly is a seven-day-a-week affair. Thank you very much for your contribution to my office. I know Lorna has worked extensively with other members’ offices. It has certainly been great fun. I also thank all staff who work in this place for the contributions they make to our democracy. It is a terrific thing.
Peter, all the best in your retirement. I certainly will miss you around this place. I hope that you will be able to pop in and see us from time to time. Just in closing, can I wish everyone a safe and happy festive season. I look forward to seeing you all refreshed in the new year.
Valedictory
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (6.19): Mr Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to talk about emergency departments—I am kidding. Merry Christmas to everybody. I share all the sentiments that have been made here tonight. Obviously, to the constituents of Molonglo—seven of us here work hard to represent you—to my fellow MLAs, to those opposite and those on the crossbench: I wish you a merry Christmas.
My best wishes go to my fellow Liberal members. It has been said tonight that political parties go through ups and downs. I am very lucky to have joined a party that is in the ascendancy, and not only am I lucky to be in a party with some very competent and professional people; in the two years that I have been here in the Assembly I have also been very lucky to make some very strong friendships with the members that we have here, and that is a good thing, that I could work with people who have also become very close friends.
I thank my staff: Emma Watts, who left to get married; Brett Chant, who has left to go to Queensland; Jessica Hynson, who has been with us a few months now; and Brigitte, who is in my office but not here. An office for an opposition member is a small thing. I have essentially only 1½ staff, but I am very lucky to have those staff, particularly Brigitte, who is my principal adviser. Unfortunately, she is a Kiwi, which means I have a sort of Kiwi adviser all day and then a Kiwi wife at home. But, apart from that, she is doing a splendid job. I would also like to thank the staff in Zed’s office, who work so well for the team: Steve, Ian, Adam, Keith, Tio, Maria and Nick. They do a fantastic job.
Obviously, while we enjoy a break there are many from the public service who will be working hard and I would particularly like to pay note to the officers in the AFP who will be out there keeping our streets safe; to the corrections officers who will be working hard at the Alexander Maconochie Centre and elsewhere; to our health professionals, in both the private and the public sector, who will be working hard. I do acknowledge the pressure on our emergency departments and across our hospital system. There are a lot of very hardworking professionals in our health system who are doing a terrific job and I really do commend them on the hard work that they are doing.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video