Page 3554 - Week 08 - Friday, 24 August 2012
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quickly escort the demonstrators out of the chamber. Ray said in his laconic fashion, looking down at the small refrigerator to his left: “What’s this save the fridge bit all about? It’s okay.” It broke me up.
I was lucky to be part of a government bent on reform. And so it was. The Human Rights Act stands out over everything else. I was keen to see our own prison emerge, and it did. The standing committees I was on did some great work. Jane Carmody-Neilson was amazing as the secretary of the committee I chaired and we did some courageous stuff.
As luck would have it, 2004 rolled around and I got over a quota at that election. I was also lucky to get a guernsey in the cabinet. And so began the rollercoaster ride of the century. Only Brendan on that side of the house can know the highs and the lows of a ministerial job.
My highs were in reform, being part of the reforms in public housing, being part of the emerging corrections system, empowering our multicultural communities, getting more police out into the community itself and meeting some amazing people, like the current Prime Minister; the Queen; Audrey Fagan; the then Chinese Ambassador, Madam Fu Ying; Lara Giddings; and Katy Gallagher. While I have known Katy since 2001, I watched as she blossomed into the leader that she is today.
I was lucky enough to sit on ministerial councils which had only Labor ministers on them. Bliss. Another quick story: when I went to Canada to represent the Chief Minister, Mike Rann told the story of Gough Whitlam asking Mao Zedong what would have happened if it had been Nikita Khrushchev assassinated and not John Kennedy. The chairman thought for a while and replied, “I don’t think Aristotle Onassis would have married Mrs Khrushchev.”
Of the low times, one of them was having a heart attack in 2008 and carrying a big black dog around for a year. Beware the shadow of the dog. It roams around these hallowed halls looking for a victim. We have seen quite a few of us become members of that club. Also, stop to think from time to time whether you are delivering a black dog to your opponents for short-term political gain. It is nothing to be proud of.
The current Assembly has been an interesting time for me. I have been lucky enough to leave the ministry at a time of my own choosing, as well as leaving parliamentary life at a time of my choosing. People can say what they like, but I know the choices I have made have been mine and mine alone. I need to take up a bit of time to thank some people who have been on this rollercoaster journey with me over the years.
They fall into four groups: my Assembly parliamentary colleagues, my friends in the Assembly, my staff, both political and DLO, and my family and close friends. I have had the good fortune to work with some great colleagues. Whilst I disagreed with Jon on many issues, it was always a contest of ideas on whose were the best for Canberra. They were intense times and I would do it all again.
Katy brings a completely different style to the cabinet, one of consensus and the exploitation of the wide skills base in the cabinet. I saw Andrew’s potential as a
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