Page 5075 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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Tuesday, 28 November 2017
MADAM SPEAKER (Ms Burch) took the chair at 10 am, made a formal recognition that the Assembly was meeting on the lands of the traditional custodians, and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.
Mr Steve Doszpot MLA
Motion of condolence
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (10.01): I move:
That this Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of Mr Steve Doszpot MLA, our friend, colleague as Member for Kurrajong and a Canberran who was committed to serving his community, and tenders its profound sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues in their bereavement.
It is with great sadness today that we mark the passing of our colleague, and a friend to so many in our city, Mr Steve Doszpot MLA. As a stalwart of the Canberra Liberals, as a passionate sports fan and administrator, and as a community builder, Steve was admired by people across all walks of life. The outpouring of joyful memories of Steve’s life and achievements and the expressions of sympathy for his family and friends over the past few days are testament to the mark that he has left on our city.
Since Steve announced the fight he was waging against cancer earlier this year, he continued to contribute significantly to public debate in this place, as well as raising awareness of liver cancer in our community. He focused his effort on actively encouraging Canberrans in at-risk categories to do more than just get blood tests, including going through an MRI or a larger scan. His brave Canberra Times interview when he announced his retirement from this place a month ago firmly set the focus on prevention, and I hope and trust that his prompting will convince many others to take the steps that will literally save their lives. The ACT government will continue to highlight the need for preventative measures in the fight against aggressive cancers.
It was not surprising that Steve focused his efforts on others during his toughest times. Through his annual charity trivia nights he raised thousands of dollars for many charities across our city. There was sadness across many community organisations when he announced that the 2017 trivia night would be his last.
As I noted in this place last month, when we all, thankfully, had the opportunity to acknowledge his efforts, Steve’s legacy will continue throughout our community. In 1998, as part of the Sydney Olympic Games organising committee, he was responsible for the world-class Olympic infrastructure in our city. He helped to showcase Canberra as a fantastic and welcoming place for world-class sport. That is something we continue to work on today so that generations of Canberrans are able to watch international sports teams and competitions in person.
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