Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank my staff by name: Jill Smith, manager; Karen Keegan, political adviser; Simon Crase, media and community engagement; and Kerryn Lee, PA and diary. To my electorate officers, Rod Klein, Elise Wenden, Peter Kenyon and Christine Thorpe, thank you for all you do. Thanks to Fiona Roberts for being around town and helping out, and to Sean O'Neill for all the work you do with NationBuilder, IT and Facebook. I thank the over 126 volunteers who have worked in my Canberra office these two years and the Wodonga, Wangaratta and valley visiting staff for the work you do with the phones, letters, newspapers, data entry, filing and publicity. I particularly acknowledge and thank you all for your advice, tact, diplomacy, patience, kindness, courtesy, integrity and respect. I know you do it because you believe in democracy. I know you do it because you have a vision for your community and your family and you have a vision for our electorate and our country. To all my staff and volunteers, as we get ready to have a rip-roaring barefoot bowls competition on Wednesday week, you have my appreciation and gratitude.

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