Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Peter Drummond was the member for Forrest in this parliament from 1972 to 1987, and well and worthily represented the south-west of Western Australia for those 15 years. He came to the role by beating a one-term Labor member, to reclaim the traditionally conservative seat. Sir Gordon Freeth had held Forrest for the Liberal Party from 1949, and in 1969 was the foreign minister in the John Gorton government. However, there was a swing in the air in the 1969 campaign. Across the nation the swing was seven per cent to the Labor opposition, but in Forrest the swing spread to 11.6 per cent. History shows that although the swing was large the Gorton Liberal government was returned, the even greater swing in Forrest saw Labor's Frank Kirwin pick up the seat. However, leaving Forrest in Labor hands was not something that the local Liberals, as you could understand, could endure for long, and Frank Kirwin was destined to be kept to a single term in parliament.

At the 1972 election the ALP garnered a swing of 2.5 per cent, on top of the seven per cent they gained three years earlier, and Gough Whitlam took Labor into government. However, in 1972 there was a correction for the new Liberal candidate, Peter Drummond. Peter Drummond was at that time a Mount Barker farmer. I am interested to see the member for Riverina in the chamber, because before entering parliament Peter Drummond had moved from Wagga Wagga, in New South Wales, where he was born. He was a farmer before entering politics, and he managed a 4.7 per cent swing to the Liberal Party in the same election that swept Gough Whitlam into power, and he regained the seat of Forrest for the Liberal Party. He not only regained that seat, he went on to retain the seat in the elections of 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983 and 1984.

During his time in the House, he served as deputy chairman of committees and held a range of parliamentary positions. He was on the House of Representatives standing committees on aboriginal affairs, environment and conservation. Also he was on the House of Representatives Select Committee on Tourism, and Joint Statutory Committees on Public Works, and also the Joint Select Committee on Aboriginal Land Rights in the Northern Territory.

Peter retired in 1987 after losing preselection. I would like this parliament to remember Peter as a kind and considerate man; that is how he was known. I pass on my sincere condolences to his wife and family.

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