Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

No doubt many members will pay tribute to Michael MacKellar's outstanding service to this parliament, as we have just heard from the member for Berowra. But I also want to speak about the time leading up to his election. I actually knew Michael before he became the member for Warringah. Indeed, Michael MacKellar was one of the reasons I first joined the Liberal Party, albeit as a junior member without voting rights at the time. Many years ago, following the premature death of John Cockle, Edward St John QC became the new Liberal member for the Sydney North Shore seat of Warringah. He was a very well regarded senior Liberal practitioner with excellent business and community connections, who had won his preselection against a large field of candidates with less high profiles.

These were the days of party unity and discipline. So when this new member chose the opportunity of his maiden speech to directly criticise the government of the day, his government, and then Prime Minister Harold Holt, contrary to the practice that still exists today in this place, an enraged Prime Minister actually interjected, in defiance of parliamentary convention that maiden speeches are heard in silence. But the Prime Minister was not the only one who was outraged. So too were the Liberal Party branch members and indeed constituents of Warringah. These were the days of Kevin Martin, Bill McPhee, Malcolm Beveridge and many more—loyal, long-serving Liberal Party members, who worked hard without the expectation of political reward. My own mother, who had not been involved in politics since moving to Sydney some years earlier, immediately joined the local branch of the Liberal Party.

Before party members could express their displeasure and challenge the first term member's preselection, they needed to find a candidate prepared to take on this controversial challenge. And who did they support, but local agricultural scientist and unsuccessful candidate from the previous preselection, Mr Michael MacKellar, supported by his wonderful wife Robbie. As history records, Michael was endorsed by the Liberal Party. But, of course, nothing in politics is that simple. The sitting member resigned from the Liberal Party and chose to run as an Independent, and he had the connections to raise the funds to do so. Members of the local Liberal Party branch worked hard to raise money, but had very limited funds compared to the high-profile Independent. Michael and Robbie ran a grassroots campaign. They turned up to any local event and campaigned relentlessly. I remember my mother collecting my friends and I from school and we would do letterbox drops around the hills of Mosman; with Mum leaving afternoon tea snacks and the brochures for the next street at key points along our route—it was actually safe to do in those days.

Michael was an excellent candidate, and that election highlighted to me the importance of underpinning any campaign with a strong foundation of local involvement—lessons that are still relevant today. And the rest, as they say, is history. After an exhausting and determined campaign, Michael MacKellar was elected as the federal member for Warringah with a comfortable majority. Michael always benefitted from the devoted support of Robbie and later their children: Maggie, Duncan and Cameron, who, being born into a political life, knew nothing different. From that first campaign as a schoolgirl, I worked on all Michael's campaigns and served on his executives, through to 1977 when I moved to Brisbane. And that is yet another connection, as the then member for Ryan, John Moore—for whom I also campaigned—like Michael, was a champion tennis player. And just as John Moore beat Rod Laver is the early days of his tennis career, so did Michael defeat John Newcombe when they were both students at Shore—although Newcombe was five years younger at the time. But when John Moore and Michael Mackellar teamed up, they were unbeatable. In 17 years, they never lost a doubles match against the Senate.

Michael served a record 25 years as the member for Warringah and made an outstanding contribution over his time in public life in several ministerial portfolios. I note that Dr Hewson, the party leader at the time of Michael's retirement, also recognised his role in founding the parliamentary wine appreciation society. Importantly, Michael was not just a great member and minister; he was also a good and inherently decent bloke. While Robbie was Michael's greatest asset, any tribute to his political career would not be complete without acknowledging the unswerving support and loyalty of Helen Ovens, who worked with him from his first days to his retirement.

My sympathies to Maggie, Duncan and Cameron and their families.

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