Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to pay tribute to the late Alison Ryan who passed away peacefully at Clare Holland House recently surrounded by her family after a 15-month battle with cancer. Despite her illness, Alison still managed to attend Tuggeranong Community Council meetings. She was a very active member of the Tuggeranong Community Council and her last was in April this year. Alison was also a very active member on the council executive, the Transport and Community Services Committee and the Lake Tuggeranong Carers Group. Before her illness, Alison worked at the ACT government shopfront and saw the difficulties that many people faced in paying their debts to the ACT government. Through the council she embarked on a campaign for a fairer debt payment system, an issue that was eventually taken up by the ACT Greens in the last ACT assembly. However, she will be remembered as the driving force behind the implementation of random roadside drug testing in the ACT. She embarked on this campaign with the full support of many Canberrans after the tragic death of her daughter Amy in 2008. Amy was in a car accident that involved a drug affected driver and, despite her loss, Alison turned her negative into a positive that will long benefit our community. Thanks to Alison, our roads are now safer. Farewell, Alison Ryan, you have made a significant contribution to the Canberra community and the Tuggeranong Valley. You will be sorely missed by your family and friends.