Page 334 - Week 01 - Thursday, 29 November 2012
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I wish you, Madam Speaker, and the rest of the Legislative Assembly a merry Christmas and an enjoyable end-of-year break.
Electorate of Brindabella
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (5.00): I take this opportunity to thank the many people that I have had the honour of coming across in the last four years—my gap term, if you like—and who have assisted me to arrive back in the Assembly.
I would like to start with some of the community groups I have worked with. Firstly, there is the Tuggeranong Arts Centre. I have been a board member there for about four years. We have had a very successful program at the arts centre with great achievements in the messengers program and now of course with the announcement of the refurbishment taking place in the next few months. The arts centre has been able to establish a temporary facility at Tuggeranong Hyperdome while that refurbishment occurs.
Can I congratulate the great work of Dominic Mico, Rhonda and Felipe at the arts centre, and also Jenny Hargreaves, who has now taken on the role as president of the centre. I think we have left the centre in good hands.
I was on the board of the Canberra Men’s Centre for about four years. That showed me the needs of those that we do not often see in our community and the great work that our front-line community service providers do without any notoriety.
Can I thank my previous job with the Motor Trades Association, and congratulate Richard, Kris and Donna on the work that they are doing, and the extra work they are putting into the promotion of electric vehicles. The EV festival is on this Saturday. I also mention the work they are doing in automotive training in the ACT. There is a great need for improvement there.
Can I also thank the unions and the members of those unions that helped me through this campaign—the TWU, the CFMEU and the CPSU. I would like to name Klaus, Ben, Dean, Kristen and Libby for all the help that they have given me in that campaign.
I mention all the community groups who welcomed me into their meetings across the territory. Of course, to Katy, Elias and Scott and the central campaign team of ACT Labor, it was a fantastic effort by ACT Labor. Can I especially thank my Gentleman campaign team—Ellie Yates, Dave Carroll, Kirillee, Ian—Ian from Kambah and Ian from Tassie, by the way—Kim Young and Shane Reid. Then of course there was the 2 am team—Sean, Amy, Joe, Brett, Mick Harding, Linda and Rob Ogilvie. Those people and many others all put in countless hours letterboxing, doorknocking and contributing to handing out flyers at polling venues and stalls to assist me in my journey. I will be forever grateful.
The biggest thanks of all, of course, go to the constituents of Brindabella for voting me in. I hope to bring you my vision of a more sustainable Canberra, more jobs for
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