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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 1 Hansard (13 December) . . Page.. 282 ..
MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):
Of course, there must have been some disapproval, on his part, of my government's performance, otherwise we would still be in government. It does occur to me that perhaps I have been praying to the wrong saints in recent years, as I have sought some kind of support for the things that I have done in this place. My research has led me, this Christmas, to suggest to members the right people to whom their prayers of intercession might be directed, in the course of the next year or so, in order to get the right results in future.
Some of the suggestions I make are rather obvious. Mr Corbell and Ms Dundas may wish to entreaty St Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron saint of youth. Mrs Dunne will probably already be familiar with St Catherine of Siena, the patron saint of Italy; and Mrs Cross, St Andrew, the former patron saint of Greece. Alternatively, she may wish to try St Helen, whose iconographic emblem is a cross.
Mr Quinlan may wish to find help in unearthing his deficit by contacting St Matthew, the patron saint of accountants. For Ms Tucker and Ms Gallagher: I recommend St Francis of Paola. In light of their pirate-like activity on Lake Tuggeranong a couple of weeks ago, they should get in touch with this, the patron saint of people in trouble at sea.
Mr Pratt may already be familiar with the patron saint of prisoners of war, that is, St Leonard. To Mr Stanhope: I commend St Christina: this is the saint who was martyred by being tied to a millstone and thrown into a lake, then burnt, tortured with knives and tongs, and shot with burning arrows. The modern-day equivalent of this experience is to appoint yourself Chief Minister, Attorney-General, and Minister for Health in a four-member Labor government.
To the senior members of this place, Mr Wood and Mr Cornwell: I suggest prayers to St Armel, who is the saint to whom you pray to cure fever, gout, colic and rheumatism. Better to be safe than sorry, I always say. To Ms MacDonald: I commend St Martin de Porres, the patron saint of social justice. Mr Speaker, since the revisionism of the former government's record has commenced, my colleagues Mr Smyth and Mr Stefaniak and I have all been fervently praying to St Raymond Nonnatus, the patron saint of people falsely accused.
Finally, Mr Speaker, to you and Mr Hargreaves: I urge the intercession of St Anthony of Padua. St Anthony is the saint you get in touch with when you lose something. Of course, we are all entitled in this place to pray to Sir Thomas More, the officially designated patron saint of politicians, as well as to St Gabriel, patron saint of people who appear on television.
Mr Speaker, whether we pray to him or not, I hope St Nicholas visits us all this Christmas, and gives us at least a little bit of what we want. I wish all in this chamber, after a fairly tumultuous year, a safe, enjoyable and, above all, a quiet Christmas.
Death of Mr David Branson
MS TUCKER
(6.22): I want to speak briefly about the death of David Branson, and to speak of him, rather than of his death, because we obviously will not be having a condolence motion, although I think it would have been quite appropriate because of
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