Page 522 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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very big personal thank you. The support you have provided to me over the last two-plus years has been quite enormous; it has been you, individually and collectively, who have been instrumental in developing a strategic plan for positive ageing, making the Older Persons Assembly a reality and embracing us as a government and suggesting how we can make Canberra the best it can be for our older Canberrans.
To the retired chair, Alan Hodges, a big personal thank you again for your guidance of the council and also for your advice to me. And thank you to the other council members, and I know some of you are here—Chin Wong, Kenneth Stone, Gayle Sweaney, Vivienne Sinderberry, Adrian Roberts, Marion Reilly, Brian Hill, Pamela Rosenberg and Pamela Graudenz. If you are here, I thank you for all your support over the last couple of years. You have done other older Canberrans proud in the efforts that you have made. Each and every one of you has made a difference to the life of Canberra for people of all ages, particularly for older Canberrans.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (3.33): Whilst I agree with the sentiments of the minister—indeed, I was at the opening of the Older Persons Assembly and I popped into a number of the sessions and I certainly agree with the minister’s sentiment in terms of the fine work done by the delegates and by the ministerial advisory council—I cannot help noting the rank hypocrisy that is occurring in this place today. This is a minister who is standing up and saying that this government supports respect for older people, supports introducing a program into the ACT school curriculum to educate students about the importance of respecting elders in our community and further promotes greater respect for older persons through increased public relations. I fully support that. But, Mr Assistant Speaker Hargreaves, you came into this place last week and attacked a community group, using the word “geriatric” as the point of your attack. As you sit there in your chair, pontificating and presiding over this place while the minister—
Mr Corbell: A point of order, Mr Assistant Speaker.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): Yes, Mr Corbell.
Mr Corbell: It is one thing for Mr Hanson to criticise a member in this place. It is another to criticise the chair. This is exactly what he is doing. It is highly disorderly and he should be called to order on the matter.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, I have to ask you to withdraw that. I think your comment that I sit here pontificating was in fact a reflection on the chair. I suggest you withdraw it.
MR HANSON: Certainly I withdraw that. This is not a commentary on your performance as Speaker, Mr Assistant Speaker. This is to make the point that in this Assembly last week you made comments that were derogatory, using the term
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