Page 2282 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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On behalf of all of my ACT Labor colleagues, we wish you well for the future. I am sure we will be hearing from you again. I do not encourage you to become a columnist for CityNews, although I suspect that you would add to their diversity, because old white men—former members of the Assembly—commenting on these things have got plenty of air. I guess you would provide some form of counterbalance in that regard.
Mr Hanson: Be careful what you wish for.
MR BARR: Indeed. Thank you for being a signatory to two parliamentary agreements. Thank you for holding everyone to account. Thank you for being the person you are and for the contributions you have made to this place. We will miss you. I note that Mr Coe leaned across to me at the beginning of this term, when you gave your first speech on the way back, and said, “Yep, she’s back.” All the very best, on behalf of all of us, and congratulations on all you have achieved in this place.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (5.07), by leave: It may be some surprise to Canberrans—probably less so to people here—but I have quite a friendship with Caroline. She is an easy person to like. I and my colleagues have a lot of affection for you and we have respect for what you stand for and for what you have achieved. It is fair to say that we have been very frustrated by some votes in this place. I have a feeling that you have been frustrated by some of those votes as well. But you are a team player and, like all of us, know that we are stronger when we are in a team.
The infamous journey up to Fortitude Valley has been remarked upon—Mary, Caroline and me at Cloudland. After 11 years of trauma counselling, I have almost recovered. It was a memorable experience and not something that is leaving my mind any time soon.
There was another experience, in that same Assembly—it must have been about 2009 or 2010. We used to have lots of meetings in that Assembly with the seven, six, four arrangement—lots and lots of meetings. Caroline was in my office and she was making a pitch about intensive pig farming. It was a pretty compelling pitch. She went into some detail about the practice and about the need to ban it. I said to her, “Do we have any pigs in the ACT?” She said, “No, but we could.” I said, “That’s true.” I said, “Would you support a ban on commercial harpooning in Lake Burley Griffin?” Her eyes lit up and she said, “Would you support that amendment?” She is a person of conviction and her environmental credentials are legendary.
Your analysis of finances as well as economic costs is significant. I note your input and the discussions we have had about whole-of-life costs, about IT systems, about hybrid cars, about light rail and buses and numerous other things. You have a learned perspective that you pass on, either in committee or in the public sphere.
The Assembly is a worse place with you not in it. You have contributed a lot to this place. I wish you and Guy all the very best for the next stage of your lives. I am sure there is still much to contribute. I thank you for the many sincere and honest conversations we have had over the years and I look forward to more to come.
Members: Hear, hear!
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