Page 2274 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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I have always appreciated Mrs Dunne’s attention to detail and depth of analysis, traits which were very valuable when we were dealing with complex pieces of legislation like the freedom of information reforms completed during the Eighth Assembly. Mrs Dunne and her team were very significant contributors to that piece of legislation, and I think it is better for her contribution to it.
That experience and those traits were also why we supported Mrs Dunne to become Speaker of the Eighth Assembly. As she noted in her remarks, while some saw it as unconventional, we were firmly of the view that the Assembly should be willing to contemplate an opposition member as Speaker and choose the person with the requisite skills. There was no doubt that through her experience in this place Mrs Dunne had the right skills.
A long career also means you clock up some records. Members will have seen that the Clerk yesterday circulated updated statistics on certain elements of the Assembly, and you may have noticed that Mrs Dunne ranks second on the list for members suspended most often, trailing a fellow member from Ginninderra, Wayne Berry. It was no surprise that Wayne was the leader of that pack. But, given that Mrs Dunne has somewhat of a reputation for dishing out a fierce tongue-lashing on occasion, it is perhaps not surprising. The good news for Mr Hanson is that he is not far behind, in third place. Assuming that he is re-elected, it only seems a matter of time until he catches up.
It is worth reflecting on Mrs Dunne’s contribution to the ACT’s electoral system through her involvement in the Hare-Clark campaign. Given the way Hare-Clark has turned out for this Assembly on some occasions, there may be some tinge of regret in that, but you can actually point back to the fact that it is an incredibly fair electoral system. It invites members to stand on their own merits in terms of being elected to this place, and not just the party ticket, but also ensures that the Assembly is reflective of the votes that are cast in an election far beyond what single member electorates would have produced in this place.
I know Mrs Dunne has always been very proud of the role she played in that campaign, and we join her as people who are committed to improving democratic processes in supporting that reform and thanking her for her contribution to that campaign.
I conclude my remarks by wishing Mrs Dunne well in her retirement. I hope you get to spend more time on the things we know you enjoy—the arts, travel and, of course, your family. All the best, Vicki.
Members: Hear, hear!
Valedictory
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (4.40), by leave: I start by saying thank you to the thousands of people who voted for me over the four ACT elections I have contested. It is an incredible honour to twice be elected as a member of the Legislative
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