Page 2048 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 June 2021
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for 25 years and one day since he joined the office to head a small corporate service team. I do not know what happened to his 12-month stint!
Since that time in the office, Ian has been instrumental in advising and supporting members and their staff on a wide range of matters, including human services, building services, members’ entitlements, scrutiny, security, information, communications, capital works and finance.
In advising successive speakers and almost every member, Ian has always exemplified the values of the office—they are professionalism, impartiality, integrity and transparency.
During that time Ian has implemented a number of reforms and innovations in the way the Assembly has been governed. Perhaps Ian’s finest legacy is the configuration of this building. Ian led the project to expand the Assembly building and to relocate office staff to the North Building as part of the Assembly’s expansion to 25 members prior to the 2016 election. Even the modifications to this chamber that we sit in today were a project that Ian brought to a conclusion.
I would like to note that I have known Mr Duckworth since I came to this place in 2008, and he has always been responsive. I thank him for his patience, because sometimes I know that my office has said, “But what does that mean, Ian?”
In the course of getting information for this, I asked many for a small example of the life of Ian Duckworth in the Assembly. Nothing was forthcoming, so perhaps after 25 years and one day many things will be left unsaid. I note, though, that Mr Ian Duckworth likes to write the occasional letter to the editor. On a Google search, I found one. He likes his food. Perhaps with his retirement we will see more letters to the editor from Mr Duckworth. Many in the chamber will look forward to that.
Members, on behalf of us all, I wish to thank Ian for his commitment to the institution of this parliament and his dedicated and distinguished service to the Assembly, and to wish both he and his wife, Barb, all the best in their retirement.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Attorney-General, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction) (3.09), by leave: Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that Ian is one of those people behind the scenes that enables this Assembly to run as effectively as it does. The whole of OLA does that, but Ian has certainly been one of the key figures in that space.
I also came here in 2008 and, as Speaker at that time, I dealt with Ian quite regularly, and I regularly received his advice. He has always been very focused on the logistics and practical issues. As you touched on, he has been at the forefront of dealing with a number of key changes in this building, including, from my perspective, the changing role of the crossbench over the years and the various needs that has facilitated. He has always been very helpful on that front. I refer also to the increase from 17 to 25 members, and the practical issues that flowed from that, including increasing the
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