Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to join with my parliamentary colleagues and millions of people around the world in expressing my sincere condolences over the passing of Nelson Mandela. My condolences go to his family, who lost a loving family member, and to the citizens of South Africa, who lost their first democratically elected President and, more importantly, the father of their nation—a man who transformed South Africa into a harmonious, diverse and multicultural society. My condolences also go to humanity in general, which lost one of its great warriors, someone who fought for fairness and decency and respect for all peoples.

Every once in a while a person is born whose nature and actions change the course of history. Nelson Mandela was one such special person, who ultimately sacrificed his own life through the way he lived—which saw him incarcerated for some 27 years, hounded and treated as a terrorist—all in the quest for truth, justice and impartiality for people living in the great country of South Africa. This is a man who truly believed in his nation and in humanity.

Mandela was one of those people who will live on forever not only in the history books but also in the minds and hearts of all those who have known him, who have learnt of his actions and who care and yearn for freedom and democracy. We join together in mourning his passing and, as was beautifully demonstrated by the residents of South Africa during his memorial service yesterday, in celebrating his life and his extraordinary achievements. The fact that flags are flying at half-mast in Australia, and for that matter in many other countries around the world, is a testament to the greatness of this man.

Australia should be particularly proud of its strong stance against apartheid during the 80s and 90s, an era I remember well, being someone who enjoys rugby and seeing the protests that occurred at the Sydney Cricket ground when the South African team visited. It showed that Australians—not only the trade union movement, not only the university activists but Australians as a whole—deplored intently the very notion of apartheid. That is something that lives with me and we can all be very proud that we were party to what was achieved in the restoration of democracy in South Africa.

A number of my colleagues have already spoken about Mandela's visit to Australia in about October 1990. I was at one of the union congresses held with the ACTU and a number of unions in Melbourne. At that stage I was working for the Australian Workers Union and was very proud to be there and to listen to his address. I know a number of my colleagues—it was Brendan O'Connor who first mentioned this—were similarly young trade unionists at the time and were able to sit there and be inspired by a man standing before us, a man who was championing freedom and democracy.

There is a famous saying that tells us that friends in adversity shall always be cherished the most, and this is what Nelson Mandela had to say in 1990 in thanking our nation for its support during the most difficult times of his struggle. We can be proud of the fact that we were clearly on the right side of history. We were on the side of a man who inspired change for the better, not only in his country but in the world, for generations to come. There are still many struggles going on around the world. Violence, oppression and silencing people who fight for freedom, justice and human rights are, regrettably, still everyday realities. But people who are prepared to stand up, who are not prepared to be silenced, can only take inspiration from the life of Nelson Mandela. Let us hope that Nelson Mandela's life inspires all of us to live by his example of freedom, peace and justice and be prepared to stand up in the face of injustice and oppression. His courage, conviction and spirit should be an inspiration to all and we should endeavour throughout our sphere of influence as a country to keep his legacy alive. May he rest in peace.

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