Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I know, but I think Lionel actually recorded Telephone to Glory, which was one of the songs that we sang at my wedding. I am not saying I have an identification with Lionel because of that, but I am saying that it has been interesting and fascinating to hear the members of parliament in this place speak on Lionel Rose in the way they have today.

If this nation ever thinks that members of parliament do not care about our families, our Indigenous communities and all that goes with them, today is a perfect example of it being wrong. When tears were shed here today we all entered into that moment with the member for Bass. He said, 'I do not want to disgrace myself any more over this issue.' He was not disgracing himself. There was not a person here who was not standing with him. Vale, Lionel Rose.

I am sorry that he suffered after his stroke, but I want to let you all know that what I saw in that room was not just a hero but a family gathered around an ordinary man in protection, in care and in honour. He could go back to his community near Jacksons Track to live and say, 'I am very comfortable,' as he said to Kathy Bedford. He said, 'I am back with my family and I am very happy. I am living life well.'

His cousin, who was the chairman of the Boxing Federation, was interviewed by ABC Radio the other day. He said, 'He was never on time, so to get him to the footy on time we would always tell him that the football was two hours earlier, and then we would get him there.' He loved being there at the footy with his family, watching his family play. Even with his great talent and ability, his family's love of him was for his ordinariness—for his love of community, for his love of his family and just for the fact that he was nestled in their arms before he died.

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