Page 6015 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
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Being the Speaker is a hard job, and I came across a useful, if slightly recherche, publication which may be of use to you, Mr Speaker. It is Harry Jenkins’s “Good Speaker’s guide”.
To the Chief Minister, who has a bit of a reputation for holding back when it comes to policy announcements in the run-up to elections, I have found a slim volume which may be helpful—“Open government: putting it all on the table”.
Mr Doszpot has had a lot of sport in the last few years pointing out a series of spectacular backflips from Mr Barr. So frequent has that become that even the leader writer of the Canberra Times has picked up on the theme. In an attempt to perfect his style might I recommend an advanced gymnastics manual called “Backflips with flair”.
The Attorney-General is not a lawyer, and neither am I, and I have been casting around for something light hearted that might be of use. I found on Amazon A Young Lawyer’s Jungle Book: A Survival Guide, which is 99c on your kindle.
Ms Burch has a great fondness for dominoes but, like many autodidacts, she struggles with the basics. Could I recommend to her “Dominoes for dummies”. From this she will learn a few useful basics such as her opponents never have their dominoes in anyone’s court and that if the dominoes are all in the air then the game is over.
This year Dr Bourke has had a meteoric rise from political also-ran to minister. He might benefit from the 1969 book “The Peter Principle: a treatise on workplace hierarchies”.
Ms Porter has had a few disappointments this year, some of which could have been avoided if she had a bit more—as they say in the Labor Party—mongrel in her. So my gift to her this year is Graham Richardson’s Whatever it takes.
Mr Hargreaves too has had a share of disappointments. He has been pretty testy of late so the self-help book “The spleen and its uses” might come in handy as he deals with his anger.
Mr Seselja is a keen bushwalker so he gets a real book—“Bushwalking near Canberra”. Because we in the Canberra Liberals value our leader, I am throwing in a collection of topographical maps to ensure his safe return from any sortie.
Mr Smyth’s gift is obvious: “Moonshine over the Molonglo: a distiller’s guide”.
Mr Hanson is a great advocate for Weston Creek. He jealously guards his turf, repelling all interlopers along the high ground created by the Tuggeranong Parkway. For him comes a new publication in the spirit of Isaak Walton—“The compleat Weston Creek: a celebration in prose and verse of all things Weston Creek from Narrabundah Hill to the RSPCA”.
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