Page 2735 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 15 August 2017
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their life. Life stories will help not only those who are coming to terms with their own death but also their families. Research has shown that taking a step back and appreciating a person’s whole life story helps the bereavement process.
A life story can be requested by anyone who is accessing the services of Palliative Care ACT, young or old. Life stories will be prepared by trained volunteers with specific life story writing skills. A volunteer will meet with a storyteller for an hour each week for about six weeks to record their life. In between meetings, the volunteer will transcribe the story, and after this time the storyteller will be presented with a printed copy of their life story to share with their family and friends. It is a beautiful memento of an individual’s life, full of the memories and wisdom gained along their journey.
The breakfast event I attended raised funds for the specialised volunteer training required and to provide much needed resources for the program. The keynote speaker at the breakfast was Jean Kittson, an Australian performer, writer and comedian. Jean brought her own touch of humour and insight to the topic of death and dying. It was a fantastic event. I extend my gratitude to Palliative Care ACT for having me and wish them the best of luck in the relaunch of their program.
I also want to wish local company Pigeonhole Theatre all the best as they travel to Monte Carlo today to perform their play Playhouse Creatures at the world festival of theatre. Pigeonhole Theatre was formed just last year to provide more opportunities and more performance opportunities for women in Canberra in theatre. After a strong season of Playhouse Creatures at the Q last year, they were selected to represent Australia in Monaco.
They had to fund themselves to get there. As part of that, I understand that they had a trivia night. Also, last Friday they held another performance of Playhouse Creatures, fittingly at the Playhouse. It was extremely well attended; I attended myself. They received a standing ovation for an excellent performance. I just want to extend my congratulations and a bit of a break a leg to the cast and the crew, in particular to director and Belconnen local lass Jordan Best. Thank you.
Mr Johno Johnson
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (5.58): I would like tonight to mark the passing of Johno Johnson, a great member of the labour movement and a great friend, whose passing, I think, is a loss to the Australian community. Paul Keating described Johno in the Australian this week as a prince of the Labor Party. I think that the Labor Party has lost one of its great leaders and I do not think we will see his like again.
I first met Johno Johnson in, I think, about 1963. It came about in an unusual way. My older brother won an opportunity to present a poster at a science seminar for schoolboys, for high school students, when he was in about second form. He was sent off to Sydney by my parents. When they were organising it, they did not have anywhere for him to stay. His science teacher asked his old friend, who lived near where the science exhibition was going to be, if he could put up my brother. That was Johno Johnson and his wife, Pauline. The family friendship grew from there.
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