Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, on indulgence, I really did want an opportunity of extending condolences because of the outstanding work of Jeannie Ferris over a very long period. So many women around Australia have indicated to me that they see her death as a terrible loss. She was such a great advocate for so many women, particularly those women who have the sorts of health problems that she drew great attention to. I do not have much time in which to speak, but I do want to add my voice to all of those in the parliament who have indicated that we will miss not only her enormous energy, her verve and her happy way of always bringing people together but also her incredible, gutsy, personal fight and enormous courage in the face of what she had to withstand in the interests of so many of us.

See this speech in context