Page 88 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 December 2016
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their time, money and energy on all campaigns. Our supporters give us the opportunity to lead, but our detractors give us the inspiration to fight.
Whilst it would be impossible to acknowledge all my supporters right now, and naming my detractors would be bad form, there are some people I must thank. There is my family. My sons, Nathan and Mark: you are young men now, and I am prouder of you than anything I could possibly achieve in politics. There is my husband, Bruce. Thank you. Your help on the campaign trail, and at home, makes me a stronger person.
There are my mum and dad. I am sure there were many times you did not think I would make it to adulthood. Well, here I am. Sometimes it seems that my dad and I argue about everything. But that does not matter. What matters is that he was always there for me. He was there for me when I left school early to start my hairdressing apprenticeship. He has always stood with me on every decision I have made, even when he vehemently disagreed with it. My mum taught me the resilience to accept life’s challenges and use them as fuel to achieve what I set out to do. I am so proud my mum was nominated as school leader of the year for 2016. Her tireless work over a quarter of a century to support children who have often been forgotten or need a little extra guidance is a lesson we should all learn. If our education system provides only a path for the smart kids or the kids from privileged backgrounds to succeed, it has failed. When the naughty kids, the uninterested kids and the poor kids are succeeding, that is when we have got our schools right.
I would also like to thank my sisters. I have one sister, Jerri, but there are so many more who have travelled the journey with me. I could name you, but I am sure that you know who you are and would prefer your anonymity.
To my campaign team—Daniel Gerrard, Dean Hall, Zach Smith, Toni Grant, Poppa, Peter, Gaargi, Brendan, Ian, Ann, Shane and every Labor supporter in Murrumbidgee—I hope I live up to your expectations. To the CFMEU, the TWU and all the union officials who worked so hard to put me here: you are the glue that holds our society together. Every day, Australians expect to go home with all their fingers, all their toes, and a fair day’s wage. Without your work they would be robbed of their pay packets, and sometimes their lives. You keep workplaces fair, and I pledge to always defend you, promote your goals, and strive to deliver for your members.
When my journey to this place began I never realised how often I would be asked to tell my story. I have never felt that my story is more special than other people’s. I have been called ordinary, and I wear it as a badge of honour.
In places like this, dominated by those whose schooling continued into undergraduate and often postgraduate study, the lives of people like me, who enter the workforce young, seem foreign. That lack of understanding often sounds like disrespect or arrogance, and sometimes it is. I believe in respecting people for who they are, not for the content of their bank accounts or the letters after their name.
I was brought to this great city as an infant over 40 years ago when my dad joined the ACT fire brigade. He was a proud firefighter for many years, and has remained a supporter to this day. ACT Fire & Rescue are at the forefront of protecting our
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