Page 6020 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
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there does it. Christmas should not just be one day in the year. There is a lot of work that we all need to do there and I bring that point to you.
Mr Hargreaves and I very rarely agree, but as he sends us off to the bosom of our families I would like to say that on that much at least I certainly do agree. I am very lucky. Dad and Elizabeth are wonderful. They live nearby and I get to see them every week. I do not get to see all my brothers and sisters every week but, yes, I hope to see Ellen, Moira, Amelda, Angela, Gerard, Matthew, Loretta, Damien and Monica over the Christmas break, together with the 28 grandkids, the three great-grandkids and sundry spouses.
There is nothing like a good Christmas in the Smyth family. I do look forward to it. I think my tolerance for the chamber has come from growing up at the Smyth family table. If you can survive a family of 10, you can survive this place quite easily. You guys have got nothing on a big family Christmas at home.
To my own family, we all know that our spouses are great and they do a good job at looking after us, but, Robyn, thank you very much. You are an absolute goddess. You have put up with the late hours, the early starts, the phone calls and all the things that we go to. For that I am very, very grateful. To my daughters Amy and Lorena, I wish you well in the coming years as you grow up and make your own way in the world. They are now both living in Sydney and they are doing great. I am very, very proud of them. To little Dave, who has just finished kindergarten—last year at the preschool he was the Angel Gabriel; this year in the kindergarten play he is a sheep, so it is a quick fall from being the Angel Gabriel to being a sheep—Dave the sheep is on show tomorrow morning at 9.30 and I just cannot wait. To my stepson Peter, best of luck to you and your family and to the two grandkids.
To all in this place, bless you all. I will say a prayer for you and I say that sincerely. I think we should remember that Christmas comes from Christ’s mass. He is the reason for the season. I will offer mass for you all and look forward to seeing you in the trenches next year because I love both aspects.
Valedictory
MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (6.03): I thank Mrs Dunne for her book. I have often had this advice, that I should be more mongrel around this place. But I refer her to my presentation on the 7.30 ACT program and my response to that. I also thank you for—I am not sure what you censured me for but I think it was filing cabinets.
Ms Le Couteur: Too many filing cabinets.
MS PORTER: Have you looked in my office lately? I have only got, I think, one left. The scanning machine is a magic thing. It took many hours to scan them all but we managed to do it.
I am happy to be able to thank everyone, like everyone else has in this place, and wish everyone a happy festive season, all the best for 2012 and obviously a happy retirement for Kas Paul. Everyone here keeps this place running, especially the Clerk,
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