Page 4479 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 18 October 2011
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I know that Indigenous people in the ACT and surrounding regions are now in deep mourning at Dr Sharp’s untimely death and I send my condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and patients. May they be comforted in the knowledge that his legacy will be continued by Winnunga and that Canberra health services for Indigenous Australians are vastly improved as a result of his unwavering commitment.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Leader, ACT Greens): Dr Sharp, or Dr Pete as he was known by his patients and the Winnunga Nimmityjah community, made an enormous contribution to the Canberra community and, of course, particularly to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. As representatives of the community that he was such an important part of and the community that he made such an enormous contribution to, we have the privilege of publicly expressing our thoughts on the life of and condolences for the loss of Dr Pete.
In fact, it is not just Canberra that is a better place because of Dr Pete; much of the region has also benefited. It is not just Canberra that is happier and healthier because of Dr Pete. I understand that as many as 23 per cent of Winnunga Nimmityjah’s patients are from outside the ACT, and I think this in and of itself is a testament to the extraordinary work that he did.
In early September my colleague Amanda Bresnan and I attended an event at Winnunga during NAIDOC Week. CEO Julie Tongs presented a PowerPoint on the history of the service that included pictures of Dr Pete. Julie spoke about the vital part Dr Pete played in establishing the health service and the high esteem and great respect he was held in. She also talked of their concern about Dr Pete and how ill he had become. Her words were heartfelt and it was clear how much he meant to so many.
I would very much like to thank Dr Pete for all he did for the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service. I know there are an enormous number of Canberrans who benefited from his work. Many of these people were the most marginalised and disadvantaged within our community, people who, without Dr Pete’s help, would have had little if any chance of receiving the high-quality health care that he provided.
So dedicated was he that I understand that he used to go to work on public holidays to make sure anyone who needed to could still see a doctor. Instead of taking time off, he ensured that those in need had someone there to help them, that all those who had no other option and no-one else to turn to always had the ever reliable Dr Pete.
His many awards and achievements have been listed by previous speakers, and he certainly was nothing short of an extraordinary Canberran. With a warm heart and an unfailing dedication, he ensured that not only did those who saw him as patients benefit but so too did many communities who were connected with his work.
His work will, of course, live on through the many doctors he helped to train and the continued success of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service. He was recognised by the deans of Australian and New Zealand medical schools for innovation in training medical students. He was a Member of the Order of Australia, he was awarded the AMA excellence in health care, he was on the AMA board, he
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