Page 5314 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 29 November 2017
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As we near the end of this year and move into the Christmas season, Madam Speaker, I hope that we can all do more to emulate Canberra’s Rotuman community. Let us be humble and welcoming. Let us truly love people and not hold back in showing our affection to others. Let us live life with beauty and passion. I hope, too, that Canberrans will feel motivated to get back to their roots, to learn all that is good and ennobling from their traditional cultures. Let us not think that we are too small, too unimportant or too few in number to have an impact. All we need in order to be a force for good is a determination that we are going to do it.
I am sincerely grateful to all the simple people who have touched me with their humility, their love, their goodness and their passion, particularly my family, my staff, my colleagues and all of my constituents. I look forward to the coming year and the continued opportunity that is mine to serve the members of my electorate and the people of this territory.
Valedictory
MR PETTERSSON (Yerrabi) (6.44): I rise briefly to extend my best wishes to all in this upcoming festive season. It seems a bit strange to me, because it is still November; I am a big believer that you are not meant to put up the Christmas decorations until 1 December, but here we are.
Mr Wall: There is something we agree on!
MR PETTERSSON: Mate, there is more than that. It has been a busy year and an incredible learning experience for me which I will forever treasure. I have a couple of reflections and a few thankyous for 2017. The latter part of this year was dominated by the same-sex marriage debate. I saw many courageous Canberrans stand up and involve themselves in the political process, many for the first time. I hope that this civic engagement continues in 2018.
This chamber is a rough and tumble place at moments, but overwhelmingly I have found it a place of great debate. There have been many great contributions, drawing on lived experiences, that have left a lasting impression on me. I want to thank those members; they will remain nameless, but their stories are important to me and our community.
One of my fondest memories of 2017 is reading to kids in Gungahlin library for national simultaneous story time. I had never actually read to kids before. I do not think I have mastered the art of reading to kids yet, but I think I will get there with practice.
And now for a few more thankyous. I want to thank my staff for all that they do. I know all of us in this place rely on our staff, but I like to think I am particularly well served. Michael, Nick, Aggi and Luke all keep things ticking over upstairs and they do a great job of making me look better than I am. I am still learning every day and they are on this journey with me.
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