Page 2715 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 10 August 2016
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It is inspiring to work with the clever and experienced public servants of the Community Services and economic development directorates and I thank the great DLOs I have had, especially Ali and Narelle, for cheerfully bridging the gap between my office and the public service.
To my colleagues in the Labor Assembly team, I appreciate your support, friendship and drive to make Canberrans’ lives better, along with Shane Rattenbury and our government’s executive staff. I also thank the Clerk and chamber support; the committee office and secretaries to committees; the Speaker’s office; the Office of the Legislative Assembly; Hansard, Technology and Library staff; and the attendants and facilities staff for their professional and good humoured assistance.
I thank the education office for building public engagement with our city’s democracy and those responsible for the wonderful artworks in the Assembly which I am glad to see are reappearing following renovations to prepare for the Ninth Assembly. All of you have provided invaluable work in the running of the Assembly.
Lastly, I thank those opposite for their often amusing debates and for making sure we do the best possible job for Canberra. I hope we can do it all again in the Ninth Assembly.
Ms Sandra Georges—retirement
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (10.05): I would like to take some time tonight to pay tribute to Sandra Georges PSM, Parliamentary Counsel. Members will be aware that Sandra is about to retire from the ACT public service and her role as Parliamentary Counsel. Her colleagues are putting on a farewell party for her next week. I am sure it will be a big event but, sadly, I am unable to attend. It will be a very big event because of the respect with which Sandra Georges is held.
I have worked with the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office for many years now, including with Sandra herself on many occasions, both as shadow attorney-general and in a number of other capacities during my time so far in the Assembly. There has been no better testament to Sandra’s leadership, professionalism and pragmatism, not to mention her thoroughly accommodating style, than her Public Service Medal award in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours list. The citation for this award, given for outstanding public service to the law and the community of the Australian Capital Territory, reads as follows:
Ms Georges has made an outstanding contribution to the law and the community throughout her career in the ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office within the Justice and Community Safety Directorate. Under her leadership, the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office has systematised many of its work practices to achieve a consistently high standard of drafting and publishing.
In addition, Ms Georges actively looks for new ways to innovate and improve work practices, and encourages staff to become involved in projects. The low staff turnover in the ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office, and continued excellent results from both its client and staff surveys, are testament to the excellence of her leadership.
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