Gary Hardgrave (Moreton, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Hinkler would be a worthy critic, and I thank him for his intervention. When I met Peter Brock in 1983, at Bathurst, it was one of the toughest assignments I had had—to head down to do some of the Channel 7 coverage of the great race. Naturally enough, I met Brock—who had preceded, by his reputation, in my mind, to have this enormous status. I was somewhat in awe of meeting him, as indeed others would have been when meeting him. He was a disarming man. I also spoke to him in 1984.

I did see him on a number of occasions here in Parliament House. The member for McEwen, Mrs Bailey, the Minister for Small Business and Tourism, was a very close personal friend of Peter Brock and had brought him here to the parliament on a number of occasions to make his own personal representations about certain issues obvious. The last time I saw him was in February 2004—which I guess is at the heart of why I wanted to speak on this motion. It was my privilege when I was the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to confer citizenship on Allan Moffat, who had lived in Australia for some 30 years before he finally decided that he wanted to become a citizen.

Ron Walker, who looks after the Melbourne Grand Prix, thought that he could not let a chance go by to try to get some promotion for the Melbourne Grand Prix, so we had a very media-conspired citizenship ceremony with Allan Moffat. It was an enormous privilege from my point of view to hold that ceremony for Allan Moffat, who is a great Australian—officially Australian for now 2½ years. I really felt for Allan when he was making his comments about Peter Brock. I know that they had had variations in their relationship over the years, but Peter Brock was the star turn at the citizenship ceremony for Allan Moffat. He was cloistered in an anteroom and he suddenly appeared. After we had gathered and the ceremony was about to start, who should arrive but Peter Brock—almost by magic. I was told that he was going to be there. I do not think Alan Moffat would mind me recalling the fact that there was a tear welling in his eye that his great mate—this legendary man, Peter Brock—had seen fit to make himself available. Judging by all the stories that we have heard since Brock’s passing, this was not unusual conduct for Peter Brock.

The other story that I wanted to recount—because, even though it has been made public, I do not think it has been recorded in this place, and I think the parliament should be seen as a record of Australia’s history and an accurate reflection of a variety of views and contemporary things that occur—was about the time I was heading off to the Queensland National Servicemen’s Association conference. The member for Hinkler thought I might have been going to his political party conference, but not on that occasion.

The Queensland National Serviceman’s Association held their state conference the day after Peter Brock died. It was at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane. The Brisbane south national servicemen, who are located in my electorate, put this conference together. Dick Johnson—whom I also class as someone I am in awe of—spoke at this conference. I have known Dick for 25 years and he is always very generous enough to say hello to me, which I always appreciate. I think it is worth recording that Dick Johnson told the story of how he and Peter Brock—quite unbeknown to each other at the time, but many years later realised—actually served as national servicemen and trained literally feet away from each other. When you think about some of their early battles—the battles on the road that they had in the early eighties—it is quite extraordinary that they were in fact drawn together, like so many people of that particular vintage, in their national service to Australia. Those stories are on the record now, and I thank the parliament for allowing me to do that.

We will all miss Peter Brock, whether we are a Holden or a Ford man or woman. Either way, I am sure we are in awe of this man and thank him for his entertainment and indeed his great personal generosity to all Australians.

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