Page 3864 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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Assembly, it is not so much of concern for my future but it is of concern regarding the future of the CPA. I wanted to raise that issue in the Assembly.
Treharne, Mr Ed—death
Legislative Assembly—pairs
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (10:43): I would like to take some time in the adjournment debate tonight to mark the passing of Ed Treharne. Ed was a friend of some nearly 30 years. For most of the 30 years that I have lived in Canberra, he and his circle of friends intersected with mine in many ways—through church, through the old ACOA and through the Liberal Party. The very sudden death of Ed Treharne was a great shock to us. He was a well-known member of the Australian public service who had worked in the department of agriculture in its many forms through most of his working life.
Ed was born in Sydney, grew up in Adelaide and was a lifetime member of the Liberal Party, a strong member of the union movement, a great aficionado of sport, a lover of cricket and a lover of gardening. He was, along with a couple of other members of the Liberal Party, the constant returning officer, the person who knew all the rules, the person who helped with the interpretation of the constitution and a person who was always available with a wry wit and a good quip to help difficult circumstances to move along more smoothly. Ed was buried today, interestingly and coincidentally, on the 100th anniversary of the birth of his great hero, Sir Donald Bradman, and it was not without remark at the time.
Canberrans and people across the country have lost a great friend in Ed Treharne. The Liberal Party has lost a great stalwart. I pay tribute to him and I send my condolences to his family and his large circle of friends.
On another matter, today, and last night as well, the Chief Minister made disparaging comments about how the Liberal Party had reneged on a pair. Had I been able to stay after question time I would have sought to use the standing orders, but I will instead use the opportunity afforded by the adjournment debate. I need to put on the record that there was a pair in operation last night and there was some discussion as to whether we should maintain the pair. It was decided that we should maintain the pair, mainly out of integrity. But with some coming and going, what happened was that I had the pair and I came into the chamber. As I sat down, Mr Pratt managed to get himself named and you, Mr Speaker, ordered the locking of the door before I could leave. I was in a position where I could do nothing but stay, and if I stayed I had to cast a vote.
I was inwardly trying to send telepathic messages to someone on the crossbenches that they might support the Speaker’s ruling, but that did not happen. We do have the most interesting set of minutes of proceedings as a result of that. But I want to put on the record that the Liberal Party did not renege on a pair. It has never reneged on a pair, unlike the Chief Minister, who has done so three times in the last little while. I would also like to say that the comment that the Chief Minister made, that there had been a reneging on a pair, is some imputation on your integrity, Mr Speaker, because you said when you came back in here that you were recommitting the vote because there was some misunderstanding about leaving, or words to that effect, and if there
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