Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

It is true, as the previous speakers have said, that John Wheeldon was a politician who defied categorisation—a thinker, a wit, a brilliant speaker and a fierce proponent of human rights whom Bob Carr described as ‘federal parliament’s one true internationalist’. As the Prime Minister and others have said, he was at one time a small ‘l’ liberal. He was a member of the Young Liberals until 1950, when he quit over the Menzies government’s attempt to ban the Communist Party because he felt it offended principles of justice. One example of his cutting sense of humour was when, in his response to the Menzies’ Communist Party Dissolution Bill, he said: ‘It seemed rather fatuous to call itself the Liberal Party and then introduce a bill like that.’

We know that he mixed with people from very diverse backgrounds—whether it was Rupert Murdoch, Bob Santamaria, Jim Cairns or Barry Cohen, and the list goes on. Even though it is a very diverse list, respect for his intellect was extensive. It is certainly the case that he knew what he was talking about on international affairs, politics, literature and history, and, of course, he had the capacity to turn that knowledge into words that shone.

He was a very lucid, aggressive and, as I understand it, memorable speaker in the parliament. I gather he was impatient with imprecise questioning and intellects less capable than his own—which I suggest might include all of us! As the Leader of the Opposition said, he was a fluent speaker of French and German, studied philosophy at Oxford, practised law and brought all of that into the parliament.

As the Minister for Repatriation and Compensation, he was responsible for trying to establish a national rehabilitation and compensation scheme. Here is another example of his wit. Apparently, when in opposition, John Wheeldon was known to have joked with his then left-wing colleagues: ‘Whitlam will make us all the minister for repatriation.’ It has been suggested that Gough was being ironic in giving this portfolio to a man who once said: ‘I was too young for World War II, too old for Vietnam and too scared for Korea.’

As others have said, he was a passionate opponent of totalitarianism, whether it was of the Left or the Right. He fought apartheid in South Africa, campaigned against the persecution of Lebanese Christians and fiercely criticised the White Australia policy. As others have mentioned, the very important report of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, which he chaired, made a very significant contribution to exposing human rights abuses in the Soviet Union. We should be very proud of that work.

In short, John Wheeldon cared about the world and Australia’s place in it. He told the Bulletin:

A commitment to democracy and human rights should imbue our view of the world, both because it is morally right and is in our interests.

I must say, working with John must have been, at times, a bewildering experience. His staff told the Age back in 1975:

He can wake in the morning and act like an English social realist philosopher, move into the realms of absurdist humour and finish the day deep in existential thought.

It must have been a task and a half to be one of his staff, but I am sure they learnt an enormous amount as well. To his wife, Judith; his children, Andrew, Miriam and James: our condolences on your loss.

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