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

I am very pleased that we have the opportunity to speak on this condolence motion. I rise today to pay my respects to one of the most important and popular figures in the history of NSW politics, the Hon. Neville Kenneth Wran. His contribution to the New South Wales political landscape throughout the 1970s and 1980s, particularly during his decade as the Premier, has left a lasting influence on the state. His time as the Premier represented a time of great reform, change and challenge for New South Wales, with a very strong focus on job creation, improving public transport and the environment. The late Neville Wran was also responsible for initiating significant electoral institutional reform, including four-year electoral terms, public funding and disclosure laws, and pecuniary interests for MPs.

It took Neville Wran four attempts to gain a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council, but from that time forward he never lost an election or a seat at a by-election. After winning the 1976 election by a single seat, he achieved unprecedented popularity and a string of very strong electorate wins. Winning this election after Labor's crushing federal loss in 1975 gave the party much needed renewed energy and hope, with a view to engaging in reform in the future. Then followed two astonishing 'Wranslide' elections in 1978 and 1981, where the ALP captured around 60 per cent of the two-party preferred vote and a succession of seats which had been dominated by the coalition, particularly in various rural areas. From that point on, things certainly changed rapidly in New South Wales. At that point the Liberal Party was no longer represented in the seats of its previous five leaders. However in 1984, while Labor under Neville Wran won again, it was a more traditional win.

Neville Wran and his deputy at the time, Jack Ferguson, whose son remains in the parliament today, epitomised the grand Labor tradition of pragmatic idealism: while governments must show the courage to tackle reform, they need to bring the people along with them. While the pace of reform often seemed pedestrian at times, particularly to activists outside the parliamentary party, this was maybe an illusion, as any reading of the government's achievements conclusively demonstrates. For starters, consider the Anti-Discrimination Act; public funding of election campaigns; democratic elections for the upper house; fixed four-year parliamentary terms; one vote one value; the XPT trains; the Powerhouse Museum; the University of Western Sydney; and the Eastern Suburbs Railway. New South Wales also led much of Australia, and the world, in liberalising various laws, particularly in respect of same-sex relationships.

Wran governed for the entire state, not just for the inner city elite. One of his early and most controversial actions was to instruct his then health minister, Laurie Brereton, to redistribute hospital beds from the well-supplied and well-maintained inner city and eastern suburbs to the more resource constrained outer suburbs and rural areas, a move that certainly did not endear him to the medical profession or to many in the media; but for those who reside in the outer suburbs of Sydney or in remote and rural areas it was something that will always be appreciated.

He was cultured, charismatic, urbane—he may have been those things to many—but I have got to say he will be remembered as a highly colourful person. As someone who had the wrath of his colourful language bestowed on me once or twice I can say that you remember the conversations.

In those days I worked for an organisation called the Professional Officers Association and we covered many of the professional categories employed in the Public Service. One of the things we always wanted for our people was, obviously, to have the best terms and conditions, as you would rightly expect. But when Neville did not agree with you, you did not walk outside thinking 'Maybe he is just hedging his bets here.' You knew precisely what this man stood for. For a person who grew up in Balmain, was very well educated and excelled at law, in terms of use of abusive language I have never seen anyone better. He may have been cultured and urbane and will be remembered as such, but he was a very forceful, very feisty engager of any conversation, particularly when it was between warring parties. It is a testament to his greatness that he is still fondly remembered in his old seat of Bass Hill. In the words of another famous entity from this place, Diamond Jim McClelland, Neville was 'both smart and lucky' but he will be remembered as a person of courage, daring and a great vision.

With respect to all those who occupy the benches in this house and others, I do not think we should expect to see the likes of Neville Wran again any time soon. On behalf of my local community and those in the south-west of Sydney who were the beneficiaries of many of the decisions that Neville Wran made—from redistributing hospital beds to the creation of and access to Western Sydney University and encouraging young people, particularly those from western Sydney, to go to university to graduate and become a part of the professions—I express my condolences to Neville Wran's wife, Jill, and the other members of his family. I conclude by simply saying that, in losing Neville Wran, we really have lost one of our greats. May he rest in peace.

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