Page 2316 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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people bring to this place and the fact that our families and our supporters are so important to all of us, regardless of which side of politics we represent. In listening to the speeches tonight, if you were from another planet you might think that we were talking about two very different cities. But we are, what, seven weeks from the festival of democracy, so it is to be expected.
I thank all my colleagues for their very strong support during this parliamentary term. I found something in Mr Coe’s speech that I agree with. This is and can be a very lonely job and you are only as good in these roles as the people around you, the support that they provide, the advice that they give you—good, bad and indifferent—the sharp poke in the ribs when you need it. I particularly acknowledge and thank all my Labor colleagues for that support, for that reassurance and for, whenever I pose the questions that I regularly do to you all, your frank and fearless advice on those matters. It has been a real pleasure to work with you all this term.
I also thank all the Labor staff. I am sure it is true across all political parties, but we are only ever as good as our staff. They are the ones who do hours and hours of tireless work behind the scenes to support our cause and what we are seeking to do for our community. I thank each and every one of them across my office and across every Labor member’s office. I acknowledge that across other political parties. We have reflected on and people have named and spoken about their staff and how important they are. That is very true and worthy of acknowledgement at the end of a four-year term.
I thank Minister Rattenbury and Ms Le Couteur for their constructive work as signatories to an ambitious and successful parliamentary agreement and for their commitment to their constituents. But I have to say, Mr Rattenbury, that I am not sure about the arranged marriage analogy. I prefer to think of us as allies. A good ally is someone who knows how to speak, how to be heard but also how to listen. I think that has been the basis of our success as allies in government for this city.
I acknowledge the work of colleagues across the chamber. We do not often agree. Nevertheless, you all dedicate yourselves to serving your constituents and the people who vote for you, just as we do on our side. I do reflect on and acknowledge the wonderful democracy that we have in this city. Often this parliament is disparaged but I think, head to head, given that there are only 25 of us, we get through a volume of work. The contributions that are made by individuals in this place, across all political parties, are equal to and often much better than the representation in other parliaments around this country. We should be proud of the work that we do.
The upcoming election will of course be significant in charting our city’s course through the pandemic and through our recovery. I am looking forward to the campaign. I hope this place continues to be served by passionate and hardworking representatives who will serve with our city’s best interests at heart.
I thank the hardworking Canberrans across the ACT public service and all the staff here in the Assembly for ensuring that our parliament continues to run so effectively. I thank all my staff for all their hard work during this term and all Canberrans for their perseverance in what has been an incredibly difficult year.
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