Page 2299 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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policies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to improve the outcomes for the whole community. We have developed over 30 initiatives to get every Canberran active in whatever sport or recreation pursuit they choose. For Yerrabi, we have developed a suite of initiatives to make our community the best place to live, work and raise a family.
I thank all stakeholders for their faith and contribution to our policy work, their honesty and the ideas that have helped shape solutions that we have put forward. Throughout this process, I have ensured that my core values, the things that I was elected to represent, have formed the basis for all our initiatives.
To my supporters, the voters of Yerrabi—the local businesses, the sporting clubs, our religious communities, the hardworking mums and dads, our emerging youth, and seniors—thank you for putting your trust in me. I have taken the responsibility and privilege of being your local member very seriously. I hope to continue in that capacity and take it further again.
I want Canberra to be the place of opportunity where individuals can discover themselves, find their unique strengths and talents, and reach their full potential. As a Liberal, I firmly believe in the empowerment of the individual, but I also understand how together, as a team, we can increase outcomes and benefits.
I would like to also thank my colleagues from our parliamentary team and their staff for the journey we have taken together this term. I thank Alistair Coe and Nicole Lawder for their leadership of our team. I thank the class of 2016—Elizabeth Kikkert, Elizabeth Lee, Mark Parton—and Candice Burch, following the sad passing of our former colleague Steve Doszpot. I have appreciated the experienced hands of Jeremy Hanson, Andrew Wall and Giulia Jones, who have shared their insights very freely. And I thank a local Liberal legend, Vicki Dunne, a fierce competitor in the chamber who understands this place and how it runs better than anyone else. Vicki, it has been a privilege to learn from you, to have your support and guidance. I want to thank you on behalf of all Canberrans for being such a strong advocate, for shining a light on issues for Canberrans. (Time expired.)
MR PETTERSSON (Yerrabi) (7.15): I, similarly, have no idea how on earth we got here. It has been four years, and that went way too quickly. It has truly been the honour of my life to have been a member of this place. Each and every day I am still shocked and amazed that I am a member of this place. I think back to those cold, wintry days in 2016, knocking on doors. I had this strange, almost unfounded belief that I was going to win, but, to be honest, I did not really believe it. So each day in this place I come to work shocked. I watch the news at night, and I am similarly surprised that the people who sit around me are the people on TV. Each and every time, I am shocked that I sit amongst them as their equal.
Mr Parton made the observation that he lives every day as if he is not going to be re-elected. I must confess, I live my life in a very similar way. I was shocked in 2016 when I was elected. Going into 2020, I am hopeful to be re-elected but I live my life as if I am not going to be. That drives me forward to push for things—to make change now. Let’s not wait. That being said, I hold a deep fear that I have not really paced my
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