Women in Local Government

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (15:40): I rise to pay tribute to three extraordinary women who not only played a significant role in the recent local government elections but also shone a guiding light on my path into this chamber—namely, our new Lord Mayor, the Hon. Dr Jane Lomax-Smith; Mayor of the City of Salisbury, Gillian Aldridge OAM; and Ann Ferguson OAM, the former Mayor of Mount Barker. All have been trailblazers in local government for decades and extremely supportive of young people, which at one point in my life included me. I have much to be grateful for for all that they are, and I hope these short words go some way in showing my appreciation.

I will begin with the new Lord Mayor or Jane, as so many of us know her. In 2008, with no job and after a dedicated and maybe misguided stint as the ALP's Mayo campaign manager, Jane took me on as her adviser for school infrastructure and for the City of Adelaide. For two years, she showed me the ropes, made me laugh and impressed me with her compassion to constituents and commitment to key issues like heritage and Parklands preservation.

Along the way, she achieved so much good, including the return of the Thebarton SA Water depot to Parklands, six new schools under Education Works, the new SACE and the Trade Schools for the Future program. Her time in parliament was cut short, but for someone with so much fire in her belly the results show something that I have always known: that she has so much more to give. While Jane would never expect you to agree with her all the time, this never mattered. As so many of us know, she always gives 110 per cent as a fierce advocate for her community. For this, I could not be happier that Jane, version 2.0, is back.

Also returned, as Mayor of the City of Salisbury, is Gillian Aldridge OAM. While I have not had the pleasure of knowing her for as long, her recent support for me and commitment to getting the best for community have been appreciated. For me, 1988 was a momentous year. As an eight year old, I remember the Bicentenary and being invested as a Cub Scout. Unbeknown to me at the time, it coincided with Gillian first being elected to council. Her level of service to the north is second to none, having served as Deputy Mayor to Tony Zappia from 2000 before an unbroken and ongoing run as mayor since 2008.

Always lovingly supported by her husband, Robin, and family, Gillian's tenure has seen significant change in Salisbury. This has included the attraction of widespread major investments, while also enshrining our community as a progressive multicultural beacon for others to follow. It is no surprise that her service has been deservedly recognised with an OAM.

Also a very worthy recipient of the same accolade is the amazing Ann Ferguson, and I am pleased that she was my guest today in the chamber. I have known Ann since 2006, when I stood to be a councillor in Mount Barker and when she first became the district's mayor. She forgave me for naively backing the wrong mayoral candidate and we have been friends ever since.

It was in 2010 that I mounted my first tilt at state politics as the then Labor candidate for Kavel. Ann never played partisan politics; it just mattered to her that candidates were working hard to ensure that her community was heard. For that, I was extremely grateful, and looking back I really appreciate the numerous speaking opportunities, briefings, introductions and events that she afforded to me as a new candidate. Knowing the welfare of council staff was front and centre of her priorities, she can be proud of shifting them out of the old chambers, which they had long outgrown.

Ann showed that you never stopped being a nurse and that desire to care is always there. Her fight to get the best for her community is well documented and, while Labor governments were at times in her sights, she was always fair, constructive and stuck to her guns.

With friends on both sides of politics, Ann played the bipartisan card beautifully. I know that the current members for Kavel and Flinders speak very fondly of her. Truly independent, we will miss the flair, smiles and common sense she brought to the role as mayor. I end by reiterating my thanks and appreciation for all that she has achieved.

The SPEAKER: I am also particularly grateful to Ann Ferguson for her service to our community.