Page 5348 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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Finally, Mr Speaker, I imagine that you will be sitting by your Christmas tree on Christmas Day opening your presents, and I think, Mr Speaker, that there will undoubtedly be at least one citizen of the Territory who will be kind enough to put under that tree a nice present - perhaps a nice colourful robe with a little wig to go with it and some nice buckled shoes. I am sure we will enjoy seeing you wear those next year when you return to this place.
To all those who have made life in the Assembly so enjoyable in the last 12 months - the press gallery, the people who have served the Assembly and my colleagues - merry Christmas.
Valedictory
DR KINLOCH (1.16 am): Mr Speaker, we all echo the sentiments about staff and may I say to you, sir, thank you for your presiding over this chamber. It is a very difficult task, and the most difficult task in this place over the past year. I thank Mr Jensen for wishing me well on my 21st birthday - it is 21 multiplied by 3, this very day, 14 December. And I want you to know that when I was born I weighed only five pounds.
Earlier today - yesterday now - on behalf of the Chief Minister I was invited to join the Canberra Jewish community near Parliament House. I do urge everyone to go and see what has been done there. There is a giant menorah about the size of one of these pillars, with the nine lights. These people joyfully met there in a sense of dedication. Indeed the word "Hanukkah" means dedication. There they thought very hard indeed about the festival of lights, as the period of the next eight days is called. They thought very hard about the conditions of peace and war that might occur in the next two or three months. Indeed, let us hope that when we meet next those matters will have been peacefully resolved. I had the very strange but marvellous task - and I felt greatly honoured - of being put in a cherry picker and brought up, together with the rabbi and a head of the Jewish community of Canberra, to light the menorah lights. So, in addition to wishing everyone a merry Christmas, may I also say, "and a Happy Hanukkah".
Valedictory
MR STEVENSON (1.18 am): I wish all members well for Christmas. I reiterate the statements by many members about the wonderful support we have had from the staff in the Assembly. It, indeed, has been exceptional and a great help. I certainly thank my own staff for the wonderful help they have given, and also some of the people who have volunteered through the year. I think many people in this Assembly have had a similar situation with some of the volunteer staff they have had.
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