Page 4817 - Week 13 - Thursday, 28 November 2019
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Thanks to the staff who have worked with me through the course of this year in my office: Jarrah, Anna, Sandra, John, Lisa, Fiona, Indra, Matt, Christian and Melissa. Each of you is a star in your own way, and I could not perform the role that I perform without your considerable support and enthusiasm.
I also acknowledge that we have had a series of great interns in both my office and Caroline’s office over the last year. It has been a great experience to have them around with their enthusiasm. They are like sponges in their desire to learn. I hope that it has been a terrific experience for them too.
Thanks to the DLOs past and present: Kim, Gez, Morgan, Vanessa, Chadia, Alex, Angeline and Karley. I appreciate that you keep me on track, bug me to stick to deadlines, and occasionally reward me with chocolate in some kind of Pavlovian experiment.
Lastly, I want to wish all members of the Assembly a happy end of year. I hope you enjoy time over the festive season with your family and friends, relax, and are healthy and happy. I will see you in 2020.
Valedictory
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (6.06): Somebody helpfully pointed out this week that this would be my last Christmas valedictory. Last year I gave people virtual presents; Ms Cheyne was very upset when she discovered that it was only a virtual theoretical present and not a real “my little pony”, so no presents this year. It seems that I am getting into the season of lasts. When I was going down to annual reports hearings one day, Maria in my office pointed out that that would be my last day. I was not sad at the end of that day, I can tell you.
On the subject of Maria, she has had a really terrible 12 months or so with very traumatic illness. I want to say here that Clinton, Keith and I cannot tell you how much we appreciate you being back. I hope that this Christmas is a lot less stressful—in fact, that it is completely stress free—and that you, Chris and the kids have a great Christmas.
To Clinton and Keith, there are not enough thankyous in the world. Your work is outstanding and your support is never unappreciated. Madam Speaker, the amount of correspondence, FOIs, questions and every other sort of thing that these guys get through never ceases to amaze me. I say to them from time to time, and I know they sort of grimace when I say it, that two grey-haired old part-timers can really make a big difference when they put their minds to it. Their capacity to churn through mountains of FOI documents which is Keith’s special forte and Clinton’s eye for detail make us look like a pretty slick team that is bigger than it actually is.
I have to pay a particular tribute to Mikey, the work experience kid, who really stepped up and raised the bar for work experience kids. It is going to be very hard for people coming after him to live up to his enthusiasm, interest, candour and great joy at being the work experience kid.
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