Page 6014 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
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To my colleagues on this side, to colleagues on the crossbench and to those opposite and their staff and their families, I hope Santa is very generous to you. Addressing my own staff, those on this side but also, particularly, the staff of the opposition and the crossbench, I say that you have served your members very well and professionally and we on this side have enjoyed your company, so thank you.
I need to thank Jim Mallett and Ian McNeill, the two grumpy old blokes in my office. We have had many a stressful time, many a laugh, often at our own expense, and we have enjoyed some culinary masterpieces with some distinguished guests, like Noel Towell. Also a big thank you to Nelson Mendonca, a volunteer in my office who comes and goes. He is an absolute inspiration because he is a young bloke with a lot of talent. When I finish up next year, the place will be the poorer for the absence of these two ageing warriors—Jim Mallett and Ian McNeill. That is, of course, unless a couple of you pick them up as staff members, and then I wish you the best of British luck.
Mr Speaker, it is a sign of longevity and I hope a small sense of affection that people are recognised by nickname. At this point I want to acknowledge a former Clerk, Mr Mark McRae, who believed absolutely in the appellation of members by their title—Mr, Ms or Mrs. I know he will not like it when I say that it has given me immense pleasure to be addressed and referred to as “Johnno” much more recently than in the past, and it feels good. As people know, I hate the formality of being a member, and I have finally cut it. It makes me feel good. Thank you.
Mr Speaker, let us all wish each other and our families a great break and come back refreshed. Make sure you have a relaxing time in the bosom of your families.
Valedictory
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (5.45): I would like to begin by adding my good wishes to Kas Paul. He has served the Assembly for many years with the utmost professionalism and I wish him well in retirement.
I want to pass on my undying thanks to the tireless, affable and hardworking Clinton, to the lamented Belinda and to the newly arrived George who have kept my office going and my head above water.
I would like to put on record my thanks to the Assembly staff who make this place run. I particularly want to mention this year support offered to me as the chair of the justice and community safety committee and the scrutiny of bills committee by Dr Brian Lloyd, Mr Peter Bayne and Mr Stephen Argument.
This year the scrutiny of bills committee has started an educative process by putting together primers and fact sheets for the edification of all. While I was perusing the fact sheet called “Subordinate legislation—technical and stylistic standards”, a must read for all members, my mind started to wander to other helpful primers that would be useful for the education and edification of members which might be passed on to them this festive season.
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