Kym Richardson (Kingston, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the Prime Minister’s condolence motion for my South Australian colleague and friend Jeannie Ferris. I stand here today proud to remember a friend whose life was nothing short of inspiring but also saddened by the knowledge that she was taken from us far too soon. Jeannie’s contributions to this parliament, to our home state of South Australia and to our nation were remarkable. Jeannie’s dedication to rural Australia, her tireless work on women’s issues, particularly in relation to gynaecological cancers, and her inspirational battle against her own cancer have stamped her memory on our hearts and our minds.

The remarkable thing about Jeannie was her strength of character. I remember very clearly the Sunday evening when we arrived in Canberra to the sad news that Jeannie had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While a sombre mood overcame the South Australian camp, it soon become blatantly evident to us that Jeannie would not be tolerating pity, nor would she be feeling in any way sorry for herself. Jeannie attacked her battle with ovarian cancer with the same tenacity and ferocity with which she did every battle in her life, the sad reality being that this was one of the very few battles she actually lost.

I would like to pass on my heartfelt sympathy to her sons, Robbie and Jeremy, who battled not only with the loss of their mother but also with the tragic loss of their father within a week. As a father and for that matter as a son, I can only imagine the trauma and sadness which they must be suffering. While I do not know the boys personally, I have been informed that they are handling their grief with the strength and dignity that their mother was famous for, and I am sure she would be exceptionally proud of them.

I would also like to take this opportunity to pass on my sympathy to her staff—Robyn, Bronte, Simon, Vickie and Angela—who lost not only a boss but a dear friend and mentor. She spoke of them often with great pride and they have conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism while dealing with their own personal grief. Their handling of her death is testament to the lessons she imparted to them during her life.

As a new member of parliament, I was fortunate enough to have the benefit of Jeannie’s guiding hand when I first entered the parliament, and I learned very quickly to run when I heard her booming voice shouting, ‘Kym Richardson, I want to talk to you.’ Invariably that meant I had done or said something that the good senator did not agree with. I felt better when I discovered that I was not the only one on the receiving end. In fact, it was her genuine honesty and willingness to tackle anybody about anything which served her well as the Government Whip in the Senate. But it was also Jeannie’s beaming smile and genuine interest, particularly in how new members were coping and settling in with the challenges of parliament, which made her such a valuable teacher, mentor and friend.

Jeannie also served the Liberal Party exceptionally well, and we Liberals and particularly the women of our party owe her a great debt. Many of them may not realise it today and they may never come to realise the extent of the path that she has forged for them in this place and in the South Australian division of our party. Jeannie was a personal mentor to one of the female staff members in my office, and it was through this role that I truly came to appreciate the legacy Jeannie was leaving.

She was determined to make sure the young women of our party were given every opportunity that the men were given, and she worked just as hard to make sure that they maintained their desire and ambition to be involved in the political process, despite the difficulties, which she was all too well aware of, that came with being a woman, a wife and a mother as well as a parliamentarian. My staff, like me, have been moved not only by the tragedy of her death but by the triumph of her life and are grateful for the time they too were fortunate enough to spend with such an infectious and inspiring Liberal.

Jeannie managed to achieve what all of us entering the parliament hope to achieve. She in fact changed the world. Jeannie changed the world for those struggling in rural Australia. She changed the world for women suffering with cancer and, most importantly, she changed the future for a generation of Australian women who will now be vaccinated against cervical cancer. In closing: when South Australia received drought-breaking rain last week, I found it a little more than coincidental—I guess it did not take Jeannie long to start lobbying an even higher power on behalf of the South Australian farmers, and they could not have sent a better advocate. As I bid a final farewell to a dear friend, I note that our loss is heaven’s gain.

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