Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I did not know Ron Mulock personally; I knew him by reputation. It has been said of reputation that the great difficulty is to first win that reputation, the next is to keep it while you live and then the next is to preserve it after you die. When affection and interest are over, nothing but sterling excellence can preserve your name. So today I seek in this chamber to play a small part in preserving Ron's name. I note too the presence of the member for McMahon, the member for Blaxland and also, importantly, the member for Lindsay. We all rise to pay tribute to a great Labor Party figure in New South Wales, Ron Mulock, who passed away this month aged 84 in the city he loved so much and was instrumental in shaping—Sydney.

Ron Mulock was drawn to a life of public service, and we in New South Wales are all very grateful that he was. As a minister in a string of portfolios, Ron Mulock would also go on to prove himself a capable and loyal deputy premier to both Premiers Wran and Unsworth. It is a difficult year when we lose two icons in the same year— Neville Wran and Ron Mulock. Such was Ron's versatility and value to his leaders, following is the list of ministries he held down during his illustrious cabinet career: Minister for Justice, Minister for Transport, Minister for Services, Minister for Housing, Minister for Education, Minister for Health, Minister for Mineral Resources and Development, Minister for Highways, and the Attorney-General.

I am personally indebted to Ron Mulock, because it was he, along with then Premier Unsworth in 1987, who concluded a Commonwealth-state agreement to establish the University of Western Sydney. I would become the first person in my family to attain a university degree because of this university, and to this day many young Australians have that campus to thank for shaping their lives. So, Ron Mulock, we thank you.

As friendly and easygoing as Ron was, he was certainly no pushover, as I am sure many of the executive of the Teachers Federation would attest during his tenure as education minister. He was a doer, a school and curriculum builder, but he had a budget to adhere to. In fact, it was the government's biggest at the time and he knew his maths.

One word that stands out whenever I have heard the name Ron Mulock is 'loyalty'. I loved a comment made by Ron's son Mark during his recent eulogy, where he said that Ron was the best friend you could ever have, in good times and especially in the bad times. That loyalty was recognised and later rewarded when, in 1973, Neville Wran asked Ron for his vote in a ballot for the Labor leadership against Pat Hills. Ron Mulock declined, but promised Neville his undivided loyalty if he won. The rest, as they say, is history, and the string of portfolios I have just mentioned is testament to the trust Neville and later Barrie Unsworth would have in him.

Ron Mulock was proudly Western Sydney. Ron set up shop as a Penrith lawyer, and it was not long before he knew just about everyone and just about everyone knew him. Just over a decade later he had become Penrith's mayor, a position he would hold three times with distinction. He became a member of the Labor Party in 1968, and many years later would be rewarded with life membership. He was warmly remembered across Western Sydney, regardless of politics, for his contribution to the region. As I said, he had an impact, in particular for people growing up in Western Sydney, like the member for McMahon, the member for Blaxland and me. Importantly, across politics he was regarded and respected, and the fact that the member for Lindsay wanted to ensure that we remember Ron Mulock's memory today is testament to that fact.

Macquarie Street called on Ron Mulock because of his talent as a young politician, but he was also a very talented sportsman. The records prove he was an excellent cricketer, in particular a fine bowler with the three grade clubs he represented. Ron would be one of Sydney's best first-grade performers, with the incredible figures of 8 for 59 in one match in the summer of 1962-63. His other sporting love was the Penrith Panthers Rugby League club, of which he served on the board and was honoured with life membership. I can only imagine how excited he would be in the knowledge that his Panthers are potentially just one win from a grand final appearance after a stellar season.

Ron is survived by his wife Desley, two sons Mark and Paul, daughter Jane and nine grandchildren Max, Beth, Georgia, Dominic, Gabby, Ruby, James, Tess and Peta. He was also much loved by sons Peter and John, who sadly passed on at too young an age. To the entire Mulock family, we are sorry for your loss but we are deeply proud of a very great man.

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