Page 3536 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 20 November 2007
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anything thrown at her. She would go on to serve in a number of manager and senior manager positions in the ACT public service, in the department of education, in the Chief Minister’s Department, the Chief Minister’s Office and, as I said, most recently in the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services.
In the Chief Minister’s Department, she exercised her skill and her talent in a range of areas, but it was when she took up the role as a departmental liaison officer in my office that my staff and I were able to fully and truly appreciate her many endearing qualities.
Judith had a wonderful sense of connection with everyone she worked with and encountered. Those who had just met her instantly liked her. She drew people to her, she encouraged them, she shared her wisdom and experience willingly and, most importantly, people knew she enjoyed being with them. Several of my staff in recent days have fondly recalled Judith’s infectious, unforgettable laugh which, with her remarkable ability to empathise with all around her, could bring humour, common sense and foundation to the most trying situation.
In the Office of Multicultural Affairs, she established a reputation as a strong, highly motivated supporter of multiculturalism who worked hard to alleviate the plight of refugees and migrants. But this same dedication to and passion for the job in hand were equally at work when Judith was based in the bushfire recovery secretariat and in community liaison and Indigenous affairs, where she first applied herself to policy pertaining to older people in the ACT.
This was exactly the right job at the right time: when she was promoted not too long ago to the position of head of the Office for Ageing, she was absolutely at the top of her game, totally committed to making a difference in both a policy and a program sense. There are many government documents that bear Judith’s stamp. All displayed her excellent writing ability, her deft drafting skills and, above all, her acute intelligence. She was, in the later part of her public service career, a catalyst for meaningful government policy.
Judith’s commitment to providing the best possible service to ministers and the ACT community never wavered, whether she was working in ministerial liaison, in my office, in the cabinet office or in the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services. Recognised throughout her career as a compassionate supervisor and mentor, Judith was treated with the highest respect and admiration. She was a professional who exhibited impeccable judgement—someone who leaves a unique legacy for those in the ACT public service.
I am well aware that, across the territory and the Assembly, colleagues were shocked when they heard of Judith’s sudden death. The immediate outpouring of tributes demonstrated not only the depth and breadth of her influence but the immense affection and respect she generated in those with whom she worked over her 35-year career. She was someone who loved the workplace and who was loved in the workplace.
I ask all members to join me in expressing our sympathy to Judith’s family, many of whom are in the chamber today, most particularly her husband, Rod Olsen, and her
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