Page 4766 - Week 15 - Thursday, 16 December 1993
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Kaine will be an inner, older suburb, a rather sleepy hollow. Madam Speaker, every house in the suburb of McRae will have a balcony. Finally, to Mr Stevenson. Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, we have run out of suburbs in Canberra, so I have bad news. I have to say that I will be recommending to the Government of Queensland - the only remaining Labor government in Australia apart from the Labor Government in Canberra - that Chinchilla be renamed in his honour. So here you have it, Madam Speaker, the new Canberra; a metropolis of delightful and varied localities with a colourful history to every one.
I should let you know, Madam Speaker, that these speeches of mine at Christmas are not wholly fanciful. I am reminded that in my 1991 Christmas valedictory I predicted the formation of a legal firm of Messrs Collaery, Stefaniak and Connolly. Since that speech, two-thirds of the prediction has come to pass. My erstwhile colleagues advise me that the third suite is waiting. Madam Speaker, the peace and goodwill of Christmas leads me to wish all members the joys of the season and a happy new year. I must say, on behalf of my colleagues on this side of the house, that it was a touching gesture on the part of the Chief Minister to give those of us on this side of the chamber an early Christmas present in the form of Executive business notice No. 1. Merry Christmas.
Valedictory
MR STEVENSON (5.04): On a slightly different note, I want to talk about where we are heading in this Assembly, in Canberra and in Australia as a whole. In this place we often have our attention on problems. It is hard to imagine that we could all live in harmony, but I believe that that is where we are heading. I believe that the way to achieve that is to work together. I think we all agree that we want peace. I read recently that the way to achieve peace is not to hate war, but to love peace. I think the answer to achieving success in our lives is to work together and to understand that all can be achieved, funnily enough, through love and not through hate. I see more and more of that occurring.
As I said, this is not the best place to see it from, but in the areas that I look at I see the changes in people's hearts. In the very near future I think there will be momentous changes not only in Australia but around the world. I think we have seen that heralded over the last few years with the removal of the Berlin Wall, the change in communist countries, and the awareness in this country and other countries of a need to get on well together. I am not particularly a supporter of what is going on in the area of anti-discrimination, but I think that area has drawn a lot of people's attention. To all members, whoever their God is, may he or she - in deference to the Labor Party - be with you and your families throughout Christmas and the new year. We all understand that God is with us no matter whether we know it or not.
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