Page 2717 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 10 August 2016
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To my colleagues, thank you. It has been a great four years, and I look forward to the next four years.
Finally, to my family, the rock that is my anchor, the harbour that keeps me safe, I thank them for all that they do. It made me think of some words that you hear and that you recall. The two phrases that I want to put on record are from Omar Khayyam. They are “be happy for this moment because this moment is your life” and “Dead yesterdays and unborn tomorrows, why fret about it, if today be sweet”. My family make my days sweet. They provide me with the good moments in my life.
Between my family and my loyal friends in my office, I am sure my office-isms and my dictionary will continue to grow.
Paralympics—ACT team
MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Minister for Housing, Community Services and Social Inclusion, Minister for Multicultural and Youth Affairs, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Women) (10.11): We are 28 days from the start of the Paralympics, so I would like to recognise the ACT athletes who will be competing at the games in Rio: Sue Powell, cycling; Katie Kelly, triathlon; Scott Reardon, athletics; Jake Lappin, athletics; Evan O’Hanlon, athletics; Joshua Alford, swimming; Jayden Sawyer, athletics; Katherine Proudfoot, athletics; Louise Ellery, athletics; Emily Tapp, athletics; Nic Beveridge, triathlon; Madeleine Scott, swimming. I want to wish all of these athletes well. I know that all of you will do us proud. Congratulations to you, your families and support teams on making the team. We will be cheering you on as you compete for Australia.
Valedictory
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Racing and Gaming and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (10.12): It has been really pleasing to serve the people of Brindabella in this Eighth Assembly, and it has been an exciting and productive Assembly which I have enjoyed immensely. It has been an immense privilege and honour to serve as minister in both the Gallagher and Barr governments, and I thank all my colleagues, past and present, in this place for their ongoing support.
I have been really proud of the reforms which have been passed in this place and the work that we do every day in our portfolio areas. And I would like to thank all of those involved. While the reforms have been continued by Minister Bourke, I am particularly proud of the work I undertook to reform the child protection system encapsulated in the most progressive reforms and the most substantial investment ever made in the most vulnerable children and families by the ACT government under a step up for our kids. It really is true that just one step up for our children can truly make a lifetime of difference. I would like to make a special note of thanks to Natalie Howson and the CSD team who worked on those reforms.
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