Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This has been an interesting week of condolences for me. It is interesting in that when we pass away we are survived by the legacies that we leave behind. Singapore's founder and master builder Lee Kuan Yew ran the island state of Singapore with a fierce pragmatism that made it matchless. In the wake of Lee's passing on Monday I want to remind the chamber that indeed the beat of Lee's drum will be heard for generations. Asia will forever feel the ripple effects of this significant leader in history, and one only has to visit Singapore to see not only the structure of its society but the way in which people interact with each other with dignity and respect.

Today I want to speak about this leader who broke the mould, a revolutionary who once defied fierce communism and believed in a strong work ethic. The world, and especially Australia, will remember Lee not only because his legacy will not just be left behind within the history pages but because he has strengthened the friendship between us and Asia. Many of our former Prime Ministers can thank Lee for his assistance, including the late Malcolm Fraser, who also has sadly passed away. Lee was a man of strong convictions, and his pragmatism was driven by expert consultations with world leaders, rightfully earning him the accolade of being a 'one-man intelligence agency'. Indeed, he truly distinguished his doctrine.

We will not forget him, because he was a spot-on leader. Lee was one of Asia's great architects, a remarkable statesman and a much-revered thinker on politics, society and state-building. With China accelerating its military modernisation, Russia continuing its slow-drip incursion into Ukraine, and an expanding section of the Middle East devolving into chaos, it has become fashionable again to argue that the West is in decline. One of the most vigorous dissenters from this pessimism was Lee. He believed our future to be a bright one.

I extend my sympathies to Lee Kuan Yew's family and to the nation of Singapore. Today we have farewelled a world-recognised leader, a figurehead for modern democracy in Asia, and a friend of Australia. May we remember the pursuit of a strong work ethic in our nation, and may it live on within all of us as it did in him.

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