Page 4211 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 24 October 2017
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your achievements has been listed by Mr Coe and many others. It is very true that you have made a difference and it has not been about point scoring or about the theatre of this place. When you look at your accomplishments—certainly on the opposition benches, where it is tough—you have been the most effective politician I have met in terms of getting stuff done. That list is one that I, Mr Coe, Vicki Dunne and others would only dream of, to be frank.
I would say, though, that when it comes to this place you do get away with a lot. There has been many a question time where I have been admonished by Madam Speaker, and by Mrs Dunne when she was Speaker before, for your interjections. I would be sitting there not saying very much, but Steve would make some comment—his were normally witty and mine were normally crass—but I would get the blame; I would get chastised. That would annoy me, to be frank, but it would annoy Steve more because, “I’m interjecting. I’m having a go, but no-one gives me the credit for it.” I think the reality is that it was difficult for people to conceive that Steve would be doing that because he is too nice a bloke. “He’s too good a bloke; he wouldn’t be doing that. That must be Jeremy or Alistair or Zed or someone,” and we would get into trouble for the interjections Steve made and got away with. It is a rare thing where Speakers of both political persuasions would perceive you as such a good bloke—they did not accuse Mr Coe or me of that. It is a rare thing in politics to do what we do—to fight the good fight—but at the end of the day still be so liked and respected by people across the political divide.
You have had many achievements and those we have all made as part of the team together. But, as I said at your birthday party, one of the greatest regrets I have is not winning the last election and seeing you as education minister; you did a fantastic job. You have followed well in his footsteps, Andrew, rest assured, but you set the benchmark, Steve. Your ability to reach out as you did to the Education Union and work so effectively with them as well as visit every school in the ACT at least once was a real achievement. You would have been an outstanding education minister and it was our loss collectively that that did not happen.
I will pass on one anecdote because I do not want people to walk away thinking Steve is a soft touch. He did mention that when he was in the chair he booted the Chief Minister out, much to our delight and less so to Mr Barr’s. But Steve regales people with the story that later that evening he was at a charity function where he won the raffle and Mr Barr was the one that drew the raffle and had the indignity of then having to present Steve with the prize. Steve gave him a big hug, so he won that day. There are a few he has lost, but he certainly won that day.
There are so many stories about Steve, though. The unknown story about the three electorates—and it goes on a bit more more—is that Steve, when he came to this place in opposition, would say that you should only do two terms. This is something I think he got from Greg Cornwell. So when we came up to the last election, which was going to be Steve’s third term, we said, “Well, Steve, you said only two terms.” He said, “Oh, yes—in each electorate, that is.”
If you speak to Steve’s staffers and ex-staffers, many of them will regale you with stories, including about Steve’s hat. Remember that hat that that you thought was very
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