Page 2841 - Week 08 - Thursday, 11 August 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
work that he has done to assist me and Clinton in particular as we have grown into the role of being responsible for officers of the parliament. It was a great idea. The theory was great, but the execution was not necessarily perfect. We have muddled along and I think we are getting it together now.
Becoming Speaker, as I said, was an unlooked for honour. As it so happened, it has brought with it close association with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Organisation. It is an organisation I have always been very keen on but, over the past three years, as well as giving Kirsten Lawson lots of copy, it has given me some incredible insights into how valuable an organisation it is and how it can make a considerable contribution. It can make a bigger contribution than it has in the past. I pay tribute to the chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Hon Dr Shirin Chaudhury, for the work that she has done in trying to instil a new culture into the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, ably aided by the Secretary-General, Mr Akbar Khan. I place on record my appreciation to Dr Chaudhury for the honour that she bestowed upon me recently in inviting me to fill a casual vacancy on the coordinating committee by making me the acting treasurer of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. I hope that I will have the opportunity to fully participate in that as the year goes on.
As we come to the end of this Assembly I think there is much that we can be proud of as legislators, as opposed to politicians. We have a fine working parliament with a fine working constitution. We have set ourselves up to serve the people of the ACT quite well. I know that self-government was never really very popular but, despite its detractors, I think the institutions that we are developing are robust and will serve the people of the ACT well into the future.
As we reflect at the end of the Assembly, I would like to wish members well in the election. I am an advocate of the Hare-Clark system. It is another nerdy thing. It is a brutal system. We have seen in this place a big turnover in members. Often you see that the make-up of membership does not change in number terms but the personnel do change. It is a very difficult system, and the people of the ACT have learned to use it well. I hope that they will be kind to those of us who wish to come back. I look forward to what the Assembly might look like with a big fat table in the middle and 25 members in this place.
MRS JONES (Molonglo) (9.03): I thank the OLA and security staff of this building, especially those who have passed me tissues or lollies at various times during the term. I thank the staff who have supported the JACS committee, in particular Dr Brian Lloyd, and the scrutiny of bills committee, Max, Stephen Argument and Peter Bayne. Mr Peter Bayne is retiring and I acknowledge the great knowledge that he has brought to that role. We have really leaned on him. I thank those involved in the education committee and, in particular, Andrew Snedden.
To my colleagues: we have had our amazing days and we have had our more stressful days. As the woman who had a baby in this term, I have had some stressful days. I am sure sometimes I have been easier to get along with than others. I am sure we have all agreed on many things and I am sure I have disagreed with each one of you as well. I do not apologise for that. That is about being alive, isn’t it?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video