Page 2473 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 23 August 1994
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Madam Speaker, it would be remiss of me not to place on record my personal support and appreciation and that of the Liberal Party for the contribution made by Mr Westende during his term in this Second Assembly. Mr Westende brought more than 40 years of business and commercial experience to the Liberal Party and to the Assembly. Throughout his time in the Assembly he worked very hard to ensure that the voice of small business, retailers, manufacturers and all of those in the private sector was heard loudly and clearly in this chamber. All members would agree, I am sure, that Mr Westende had a deep commitment to putting the ACT on the map as both a tourism destination and a good place to do business. This commitment was probably reflected most clearly in his efforts to pave the way for Canberra Airport to achieve the status of an international airport.
Mr Westende's contribution to the work of Assembly committees will also be applauded by members, particularly his efforts to achieve bipartisanship on often very controversial issues. Many of the reports produced by the Tourism and ACT Promotion Committee and the Standing Committee on Conservation, Heritage and Environment reflect this desire in Mr Westende's input to those committees. Everybody on this side of the chamber and, I am sure, the chamber as a whole will miss Mr Westende's contribution. I hope that he will continue to tell us what he thinks and certainly what the business community wants for Canberra.
Bill Stefaniak, who takes over from Mr Westende and who will, from today, take over Mr Westende's portfolios of business, the environment and ethnic affairs, is no stranger to Canberrans or to the political process. In fact, he is the only member of the Assembly who was born in Canberra. He grew up in the ACT and was educated in the public school system in Canberra. He went to Red Hill Primary School, where my children go, and then on to Narrabundah High. He completed a combined arts and law degree at the ANU. No-one can doubt that Bill Stefaniak is very definitely a Canberran.
From 1976 to 1988, he worked variously as a solicitor in Muswellbrook and Canberra and as a crown prosecutor for some nine years. Elected to the First Legislative Assembly in 1989, Bill Stefaniak served as Executive Deputy in the Alliance Government and had responsibility for police and justice, sport, recreation and racing. He was also Deputy Speaker and chairman of a number of standing and select committees of the Assembly. Earlier this month, Bill was nominated to fill a casual vacancy. After a preselection ballot of all Liberal Party members, he was elected to take a seat in the Assembly.
He is a resident of Flynn and was previously endorsed as a Liberal candidate for the newly created seat of Ginninderra. I am sure that Bill will work extremely hard to represent all Canberrans, not just those in the Belconnen area, although I know that he has a particular love for his new home out in that area. His high profile in the Canberra community,
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