Page 5198 - Week 13 - Thursday, 29 November 2018
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of staff to both Caroline and me. She has an extraordinary ability to pull things together, to remember things and to remind us of things. We definitely could not do without her.
For my team—Mr Jarrah, Ms Jarrah, comms Lisa, policy Lisa, Matt, Veronica, Christian and Hal—and, of course, for my Assembly colleague Caroline and her team, it has been a great year. You are a fun bunch to work with. I would not want to work with anybody else. We do it our own unique way. I think we confound the other parties at times, but it seems to work. Yes, it works.
In respect of my colleagues in the ALP, particularly in cabinet, it is again always a fascinating discussion. I very much welcome the different perspectives that people bring to the table. I value the effort that each of the ministers puts in in trying to deliver on behalf of their vast array of portfolios and all the other responsibilities we have as ministers.
Of course, we are ably supported by our directorates. Again, each of us has a number we report to. For me, each of them is different. The directorates are full of amazing people. I really enjoy meeting with the staff from my directorates because they are expert at what they do. They are passionate about what they do. They have all sorts of experiences and, again, they really teach me a lot. They cope with the things that I ask of them. They take on board the suggestions that I make. I really appreciate that.
As ministers, we often largely interact with the senior staff but right through our agencies we have a lot of terrific people. Minister Stephen-Smith mentioned the DLOs. There is a whole network of them in this building. They have their own culture. They are an interesting crowd. But they are always cheerful; they are always helpful. I am very grateful to each and every one of them for the support they give us.
I do not see the Assembly staff as much as when I used to be the Speaker. But they are always super helpful and a fun bunch to work with. To our public servants, who do work over Christmas—Rachel just mentioned this—there are people who will work right through the Christmas period. I hope for them that Canberra is safe and quiet over Christmas, because that makes their jobs a bit easier. The community will be a whole lot better off if that is the case.
Finally, I must mention my wonderful partner, Louise. It has probably not been the finest year for her this year, on a range of fronts. But she continues to be both amazing in her own right and a wonderful support to me. I thank her for that. With that, I wish everyone a merry Christmas.
Valedictory
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, Minister for Tourism and Special Events and Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment) (9.41): It has been a challenging but ultimately very rewarding year. At the end of a long day, a long sitting week and a long year of busy governance, tonight I simply wish to extend my very best wishes to all for a safe and happy festive
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