Page 5081 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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to give back to his family’s adopted home. He had the highest sense of dedication to his role as a parliamentarian. While far too young, I guess that Steve would love to know that, amongst many other noble things, he will be recorded as having died in office, with his boots on! Add that Steve represented three electorates and he has a very proud legacy of service. Steve and I talked about our Dads. Steve’s Dad would be proud of his son’s public service. I only knew Steve well for about six years. In that time I was able to personally experience and view close hand his concern for doing the best he could for others. Vale Steve, thank you. A life well lived.
I will also make mention of other staff in the Doszpot office over the years—Terry, Haylee, Jess, Albert, Paula, Brad, Andrew, Jodi, JP and Clare—not to mention the numerous people on work experience placements that he often had in his office, including his very close friend Lee Hillier. All of these people have been part of the legacy that Steve leaves behind as a member of this place. Steve also held a special place in the hearts of many other staff in the Liberal corridor, all of whom will also have a fond memory or story to tell.
I will close today with the words of Merlin Kong, Steve’s senior adviser between 2010 and 2011. Merlin has composed quite an eloquent tribute to Steve, which he has also shared on social media. Colleagues, forgive me, but I may struggle to get to the end of this. Merlin says:
I was Dozzie’s second Senior Adviser in the ACT Assembly. He interviewed me at Caph’s … we had a good chat … and he offered me the job.
My first day at the Assembly will forever be etched in my memory—8.34 am in the morning—a mother with an autistic teenage son decided to go on a hunger strike, and would only speak with him—
with Steve—
He personally invited the family up, listened to the mother, calmed her (and her son) … and about three months later, raised $18,000 for them.
Of the three advisers that were with Dozzie for much of his political career, we … liked to joke that his first adviser was too soft, I was too hard, and his third … was just right.
I saw politics not just as a metaphor of war, but war itself … he—
Steve—
saw it as a chance to make a change, and if it meant working with the other parties and unions, then so be it. If only the other parties and unions were equally normative and enlightened as he, we probably would be living in a better world.
Years later, when I became a lobbyist, impromptu drop-ins to his office would always be met with happiness to see me, and his office, where my political career began, always felt like home. He was someone who always had time for you—and if he didn’t have time, he’d speak with you long enough that he’d be running late for his next meeting.
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