Page 5082 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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I’ve always maintained that if there was one politician whom I would have a drink with, it would be Dozzie. That’s because the man had an incredible sense of humour … At his best, there was a cadence of guffaw coming out of his office …
He would take the piss, getting me to pick up his one-page of printouts … only to later tell me that he’s been printing a 50 page report. I’d get him back by convincing him that his new iPad was not as good as the more powerful and larger MaxiPad … which I think his son who was in IT (and whom Dozzie was very proud of) caught the brunt for not knowing about the larger iPad. Those were happy times.
Pretty bloody amazing sense of humour for a man who had to fight for everything he had. And it shows … he’s not one to be known as a quiet achiever, but if you scour Hansard … you’d find some pretty incredible political wins on behalf of those in the community who’ve been overlooked by the Government. Dozzie’s forced more back-flips by the Chief Minister than any other politician in the Assembly.
On the day of his valedictory speech, I got off a plane, and rushed to the Assembly. I’m glad I did. When the Chamber emptied out, we had a quiet moment to speak—his first utterance was an apology. It puzzled me at the time, I said that there was nothing to apologise for … and fell into adviser mode ushering him along to his reception, because … he was running late.
If you were close to Dozzie, you’d know that the most heartfelt moment in his valedictory speech was the Prayer of St Francis. It was his favourite prayer, he had it in his office, he lived by it, and it gave him fortitude.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy
O divine master grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console
to be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it’s in dying that we are born to eternal life.
I’d like to think that there’s a bit of him—
Steve
in this prayer. The refugee boy who made good, the politician who did good. Devoted family man, and loyal friend to many.
To a life well lived. You’ll be dearly missed, Steve. Rest in peace.
Vale, Dozzie. Rest well indeed. You will be missed.
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