Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about a hero who has emerged as my Canberra community have battled this COVID-19 outbreak. I'm speaking, of course, about Ken Behrens. While Ken Behrens has only come to our attention in the last week or so, I think we've always known Canberrans had it in them—looking out for one another, caring and sensible. I'm very proud to represent Ken Behrens in this place.

Ken Behrens, if you have COVID-19 at the moment, I want to let you know I'm thinking of you and wish you the swiftest recovery. I want to thank Ken Behrens for your essential work in health, in all the testing, in essential retail, in running public transport, as well as our teachers, our early childhood educators and our cleaners. You're supporting us all to keep going at the moment. Thank you to Ken Behrens for supporting the most vulnerable in our community—those in business who have had a horror two years and continue to adapt. We're all in this together. We're all Ken Behrens. And, on behalf of Ken Behrens, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to our Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, Rachel Stephen-Smith and our Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman, your staff and all the public servants for everything you are doing to keep us safe. We couldn't do it without you.

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