Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Hansard source

I offer my condolences to Julie, Tess and Elliott, to the extended Randall family and to Don's staff. My contribution today will be brief but no less heartfelt than those who have spoken before me. Today there have been some outstanding speeches where people spoke from their heart about Don Randall and the Don Randall they knew so well. I have had the opportunity to sit here and listen to them and to remember the Don Randall that I knew.

Many of the discussions I had with Don were about our respective families and our children in particular. Neither of us ever tired of talking about our children's achievements, even though to many people they might have been small achievements, to us they were achievements that were pretty outstanding and pretty wonderful. When I first heard of Don's death I was actually on a plane that had just landed and I switched my phone on to receive the text message that Don had died. I immediately thought of Tess, whom I knew, and then I thought of Julie and Elliott, whom I had not met, but felt I knew through listening to Don speak about them. My first thoughts were: Julie has lost her husband and Tess and Elliott have lost their dad. I know what it is like to lose a parent and I know that, whilst time does certainly take away the sharpness and the acuteness of that pain, it takes a long time for that hurt to ease. It was a comfort to me after my dad died to know that he was well regarded and well loved. I hope it is a comfort to Don's family—to Julie, Tess and Elliott—to know that their father was well regarded and well loved, particularly in this place.

I had a lot of time for Don. I enjoyed the opportunity not only to work with him but also to speak to him and get to know him. He will be very sadly missed. He made a great contribution to this place and he will be remembered for a very long time. To his family, I again pass on my condolences. It is a very sad time for so many people here but not as sad as it is for his family. Don was well regarded and he was well loved. May he rest in peace.

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