Page 4198 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
traditional parties had at times turned their backs on. I grew up on the idealism of film director Frank Capra, and one of my early heroes was the character from his film Mr Smith Goes to Washington, for his desire to “work hardest for the lost causes”. I suspect some would no doubt liken my efforts at times to Don Quixote tilting at windmills. It often felt like that. There is some unfinished business left to complete in this Assembly and I certainly hope that sanity and compassion will prevail and a bipartisan solution can be found.
I thank my own family, first of all, my wife of 46 years, Maureen McCormack, who deserves all my thanks and gratitude for her love, companionship and belief in me that has enabled me to climb higher and achieve more than a mere refugee boy from the streets of revolution-torn Budapest had the right to aspire to, let alone come close to achieving. I had the privilege of being the shadow minister for education for eight years, and Maureen was an integral part of our achievements. Her experience of 40-plus years as a teacher and principal gave me a tremendous insight into both government and non-government schools. Our daughter, Amy, followed her mother into the education profession while our son, Adam, followed in my footsteps in ICT. And who knows? Maybe there is politics to come. There is a lead for you, Adam.
Maureen and I are very proud of both our children and their families. So to Maureen, Adam, Neti, Issy, Kasia, Andrew and Harry, Amy, Ed and Noah: thank you for your love and support over the years, for putting up with my many crazy schemes and for your practical support in many community related activities, including our popular annual charity fundraisers, which, over nine years, helped 10 charities and individuals to the tune of around $230,000.
In my role as shadow minister for sport I was honoured to be patron of Eastlakes Cricket Club, Brindabella Blues Football Club, Woden Valley Football Club and Woden Weston Football Club. You might notice a slight leaning towards football, but that was not all of my choosing. I enjoyed all my shadow portfolios: education, urban services, sport and recreation, disability, seniors, multicultural affairs and ICT.
It was also a privilege to chair a number of standing committees over the first eight years: the standing committee on health and the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety as well as the JACS scrutiny committee, which is one of the hardest working committees in this Assembly. Mrs Jones has taken on my mantle there, and I wish them all the best in continuing the work the JACS committee has conducted.
Committee work was rewarding when attention was focused on real community issues and not party-political point scoring. I was particularly satisfied with the 2010 health committee report on disability titled Love has its Limits—Respite Care Services in the ACT. The original three-member committees were changed to four members, which has made it more difficult for the opposition to scrutinise the government. And to further frustrate the work of the opposition, the government now chairs a majority of the standing committees, as I understand.
It was also a pleasure to serve as an Assistant Speaker, and not just for giving Minister Barr a warning, the equivalent of a red card in football. Thanks also to
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video