Page 587 - Week 02 - Thursday, 18 February 2016

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time. The word that came to mind was “ridgy-didge”. Now only those who were in the room will understand that, but it captures in many ways how Mary thinks outside the square, understands outside the square, but always wants to bring people into the centre of importance, the centre of satisfaction, the centre of attention that this place needs to have for community. Those outside that realm of support and attention are the most vulnerable and they are the people that Mary has spent, from what I can gather, her entire life working towards—improving their lives. In turn, our city is better for Mary’s efforts.

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Racing and Gaming and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations): Madam Speaker, I too seek leave to speak on this matter.

Leave granted.

MR GENTLEMAN: I rise today to speak on the loss of Mary Porter to this place. Ms Porter has always said that one’s role as an MLA is to give 100 per cent of one’s effort. Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that Ms Porter has always given 100 per cent of her effort in her role not only to this place but also to the people of Canberra and the people of Ginninderra.

As the Assembly has heard, Ms Porter has served the Canberra community for close to 12 years. I remember that fateful night when we both got elected together. It was a wonderful experience. Some of her most notable achievements here included obtaining improved security for people living in retirement villages, as we have heard, pushing for restorative justice in the ACT and raising the profile of those end-of-life issues that we have heard discussed.

It has been a great honour to be able to work alongside Mary Porter in the two terms that I have been in office. I am particularly proud of the work that we did together on the restorative justice inquiry that started way back in 2007 and of Ms Porter’s continued dedication to restorative justice, which I am sure will continue even after she leaves this place.

I have some fond memories of our time together, stories that we have shared, especially working with Greening Australia. That was a great experience. I know she and Ian have a passion for the horses—we have heard that today. They will now be able to enjoy even more adventures similar to the Tumut experience, I think, in her retirement in Lake Macquarie.

In closing, Madam Speaker, it has been a great honour to work alongside Mary Porter for a number of years. I join the Assembly in saying farewell and I wish her all the best for her future endeavours. We will miss her dearly.

MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Minister for Housing, Community Services and Social Inclusion, Minister for Multicultural and Youth Affairs, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Women): I seek leave to speak briefly on the subject of Mary.

Leave granted.


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