Page 2270 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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counsellor. That has been my experience with Vicki Dunne over the last 12 years in this place. Vicki is a giant of the Legislative Assembly. For 19 years she has been a considered voice in the chamber, in the party room and in the community. She is someone that I have turned to for advice and, let us be frank, someone who has given me advice whether I wanted it or not.
For eight years I was a fellow member for Ginninderra, and I think we were a pretty good team. As we all know, the Hare-Clark system can sometimes promote some internal competition. But I can say with honesty, and I think complete accuracy, that Vicki was a complete team player. We often had different approaches to campaigning but we complemented each other. Vicki is a team player. We co-hosted meetings in car parks in Holt, at Hawker shops, about DAs in Jamison, in car parks in Nicholls and many other places. We campaigned hard, and I am proud of the six per cent swing we got in Ginninderra from 2008 to 2012.
Vicki is someone that commands respect. Even people who disagree with her respect her for her convictions and her principles. She has been a champion for Belconnen for decades. Since 2001 she has been the go-to person for thousands of people.
I do want recorded in this place the significance of her electoral achievements. To be elected five times to parliament is extraordinary. To be elected in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 is a mighty achievement. I do not know what the percentages are across Australian parliaments but I am guessing you would be in the top 10 or so per cent of people that have been elected consecutively on five occasions.
Madam Speaker, as you know, Mrs Dunne made a wonderful contribution to the Assembly as the Speaker of the Eighth Assembly. In this role she acted with impartiality and professionalism. In fact, from our point of view she acted with too much impartiality, it has to be said. She was professional and she made a significant contribution to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Vicki has made many passionate and powerful speeches. When she speaks, people listen. Of course it is not uncommon for a tear or two to develop in some of her speeches, and I am not breaking room party room confidentiality, I do not think, when I say that Mrs Dunne does cop a bit of stick for her emotion, but all in jest. Her passion is extraordinary.
The Canberra Liberals are proud of the way our party room operates. We have a diversity of views and our discussions can be robust but they are always respectful and things always come out the other side in a better place. Vicki has been a stalwart of the Liberal Party in Canberra but particularly in the Liberal Party party room. She makes detailed party room contributions. She engages in discussion. She listens to input and is open to changing her position, based on what she has heard. She is a team player. She and her team are the custodians of an enormous amount of corporate knowledge and her departure will be a significant loss to our party room. Her influence and her presence will be missed. While she has very strong convictions, she has always been open to hearing other ideas.
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