COVID-19: Thank you to workers

In the Assembly today, I thanked all workers in Canberra during this difficult time of pandemic. I specifically thanked health care workers, teachers, childcare providers, supermarket workers, truck drivers, cleaners, those working in aged care and disability care, community services providers, counsellors, construction workers, bus drivers, restaurant and café owners, and everyone else who is doing her of his best to help us all keep doing during this emergency period.

Click on the arrow button to read my speech.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to publicly say thank you to all workers in our territory. First and foremost are those who work in our health system. This includes nurses, doctors, and specialists, but it must also include wardsmen, cleaners and all others. And it should include pharmacists and their staff. Being a healthcare worker during a health emergency is not easy. These are our neighbours who are daily putting their own health and wellbeing at risk and doing so willingly because they care. I wholeheartedly thank them for the dedication, commitment and tireless service. I also wish to thank teachers across our educational system, including public, Catholic and independent schools. One of the teachers whom I know openly wept when she realised that she wouldn’t be seeing most of her students everyday anymore. Teachers are working hard to make sure that kids off-site still have access to quality learning whilst simultaneously providing for those who are still attending. I wholeheartedly thank them too.

Childcare providers are in very similar circumstances, doing all they can to provide essential services to young children and their parents. I am hopeful today that the measures announced today by Prime Minister Morrison will help give them the support they need. I wholeheartedly thank them too. I think of those who are filling the empty shelves in our supermarkets, running the check-outs, answering shopper’s questions, driving the trucks that bring welcomed supplies, cleaning the aisles, and so forth. These workers have in many cases been overwhelmed by the demands of the past few weeks, and I wholeheartedly thank them too.

I rise today to likewise thank our local heroes who are working in aged care and in disability care. I am grateful for community services providers, counsellors, construction workers, bus drivers, those sweeping our streets, those tending to our city’s trees and gardens, those who’ve turned their restaurants and cafés into takeaways and home-delivery services, and on and on. In short, Madam Speaker, I sincerely thank every single Canberran who is doing her or his best to help us all keep going during this emergency period. Thank you.