Page 3677 - Week 08 - Friday, 24 August 2012
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of telling us “this is what happens in the chamber” to now, when I know what happens in the chamber, it has been an interesting exercise. I want to thank you for that.
I also take the opportunity to thank my staff, as we do at this time of year. This is a tough job and we really are quite dependent on the calibre but more so on the goodwill, patience and tolerance of our staff.
I thank my chief of staff, Phil Tardif, for the work that he has done since he has come into my office. He followed Joel Lyneham as chief of staff, the fellow who has been with me from my first day in this building, who left for South Australia. Good luck to him and his family in South Australia. But to Phil Tardif I say thanks for coming on board. I say thanks to Victor Violante; Chris Steel, who has now joined up on the hill; Mark Emerson; Erin Bennet; Michael Hiscox; Neil Finch, who has moved on to another position; Melinda Small; and Emma Clarke, who keeps us all very organised in our office. I thank our DLOs. Many ministers realise the fabulous work our DLOs do. The current DLOs in my office are Leanne Maher and Ian Bottcher.
It has been an absolute privilege, Madam—I will get it right eventually. It is the Collingwood tie; that is what is doing it. Mr Assistant Speaker, it has been a—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: You are warned, Ms Burch!
MS BURCH: It has been an honour to be the minister with responsibility for the Community Services Directorate and for the Gambling and Racing Commission, through the economic directorate—
Mr Hanson: About time a Labor member got warned in this place.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: You are warned too, Mr Hanson!
MS BURCH: I did threaten today that I was going to be the honorary new Collingwood supporter in caucus, so we will see how we go with that.
Each and every day Canberra, to me, is a better place for the work that the Community Services Directorate does. I thank the staff in the executive—Martin Hehir, who is now with the commonwealth, and my current director-general, Natalie Howson. I say thank you to Christine Nolan and the team, Maureen Sheehan and her team, and Lois Ford, who is retiring in August this year, not too far away, and of course everybody across the directorate.
I want to thank my family, Cam, Kain and his partner Bianca—and when I come back to this place I will be a grandmother; I am going to be a grandmother for the first time in about two weeks and I am quite excited about that—my other son Tom and Wilma, his partner, and my youngest son Lloyd. Of course you have to include the staffy, Charlie, because he also tolerates me and provides me with support and patience.
I want to acknowledge the guidance and support of my colleagues. I say to the Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, that you have stepped up and astounded—well, you have not astounded us; you have done what we expected you to do. You have absolutely
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