Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for La Trobe for his patience. I just wish to make two remarks about our good friend Don Randall. Don Randall was the first MP I met when I walked into this place in 2007. We came down to the party room meeting and he was the first MP I bumped into, not knowing anyone. The first thing Don did was to welcome me into his office, break some bread, and he had been a great colleague ever since.

We heard the member for Dickson, Minister Dutton, speak about a group every Tuesday morning that would go out for lunch, after party room and before the House began with question time. It is something we should consider bringing back again, having the House start a bit later on that Tuesday. Those less informed—on the Left he was referring to my good friend the member for Moncrieff—called us the 'book burners club'. It was sound and suitable members of the Right—I was one of them—who for a number of years always went out, mostly to Timmy's, and broke bread together. He was a tremendous man. He was a man of humanity, he never left people out—he was an inclusive sort of guy—and he was taken from us far too early. He was a man known for controversy and not a man known for political correctness, but he was an extraordinary colleague, he was a good friend and we will certainly miss him.

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