Thursday, 13 August 2026

 The PRESIDENT (09:55): I seek leave from the chamber to make a members statement from the chair.

Leave granted.

The PRESIDENT: That is very kind of you. Today I want to pay tribute to the staff of the Department of the Legislative Council – or the people I like to call my friends at work. I thank the clerks – the uber-intelligent boffins Robert McDonald, Keir Delaney, Richard Willis and the magnificent and caring Anne Sargent; their people Linda, Brittany and Chrissy; the formidable but also very funny Sally West, the Usher of the Black Rod and her squad Michael, Chris, Philip, Theo, Kidist, Greg and Peter; the superstars in the papers office Annemarie, Vivienne, Juliana, Tom, Savannah, Tash and Kirra; Andres Lomp and his community engagement team, who are also magnificent; and all the committee staff. A special shout-out to Nat Tyler – I do not think I have worked with anyone so efficient and so organised. She always has my back, and she has an amazing crystal ball because she organises meetings for me when I do not even know I need that meeting before I have to do it. I thank Bridget Noonan and all her squad in the Assembly, and Trish Burrows and all her squad in the Department of Parliamentary Services, who do very important work to help us be the best representatives of the people we represent.