Page 583 - Week 02 - Thursday, 18 February 2016
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Mary has served this place with much distinction. As a chair of committees, she has always been impartial but robust. As a minister, I am conscious that Mary perhaps has occasionally delivered reports that I was not very happy about, and we have even had the occasional conversation on those matters. But Mary has always stood her ground. Yet she has always also attempted to be diplomatic, and I am grateful for the approach she has adopted on that. She has taught me something important along the way. As Deputy Speaker, Mary has served with considerable distinction. She is respected in the chair and she will be missed from that office.
But, most importantly, Mary has been a great contributor for her community, and we have heard much of that in her comments this morning. I want to particularly pay tribute to her work in the area of restorative justice. Mary was a persistent advocate for enhancing access for the restorative justice program to our Indigenous community, particularly to Indigenous young people. I recall many occasions when she would come to my office and urge me to look at ways to see more Indigenous young people engage in restorative justice. She said to me, “Young Indigenous people are simply not accessing this program. Instead, they are being sent to Bimberi or they are ending up in jail as young adults.” She said, “There has to be a better way. Why is it that only non-Indigenous people are accessing RJ?”
With her advocacy, I was able to get support for the Indigenous guidance partner, a dedicated position that would see young people from our Indigenous communities supported and encouraged to participate in restorative justice with their families and with their broader community. That has seen a significant increase in the number of Indigenous young people taking advantage of RJ and helping get their lives back on track. That alone is worthy of her time and contribution in this place. But there is just so much more: retirement villages legislation, euthanasia law reform. Why is it, Mary, that they are always in my portfolio? But it has been a great, great pleasure.
Finally, there are two other points to be made, and the first is about the comments made by others about your very loved and important partner, Ian. Ian very much makes two for the price of one, as Mr Coe said. I am conscious also that you and Ian have faced many trials and tribulations together. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have talked to you about those things, to share those journeys, and I am very confident that the decision you have made to take this next step in your life journey will be beneficial and rewarding for you both.
The last thing to say is simply that there will be many people in ministerial support units across the ACT government administration who will now have no excuse for not meeting their time frames on timely responses to ministerial correspondence. The volume is going to drop dramatically, and they are simply in no position to say that they do not have enough time to get things done.
Mary, we will miss you from this place, but we will remember you, and we look forward to seeing you again.
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