Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I speak on the condolence motion for Alby Schultz. Alby was elected as the member for Hume in 1998. One of the interesting things about that electorate is that when he came in it had previously been represented by the National Party, by John Sharp. Of course, Alby held it for the Liberal Party and my colleague the member for Hume has held it for the Liberal Party as well since Alby retired.

On our side of the House, there are some seats that are Liberal Party seats and some that are National Party seats and have been ever thus, but Hume is the sort of seat where, depending on the candidate, it can be represented by the Liberal Party or the National Party. Alby had worked as a meatworker and as an abattoir worker. I remember hearing people often say that nothing would really faze Alby Schultz because of what he had gone through in his early life. He would not blanch at anything.

I know that some of Alby's fights with the National Party, on our side of politics, were quite legendary. I want to recall a couple of spirited fights that he had with cabinet ministers, including Liberal cabinet ministers. The first one I remember happened very soon after Alby was elected. Alby being elected to Hume meant that there was a vacancy in the New South Wales electorate of Burrinjuck. His wife, Gloria, was the Liberal Party candidate. The National Party candidate was Katrina Hodgkinson, now a minister in the New South Wales government. Katrina had worked as an adviser in this place for Nick Minchin, industry minister and finance minister and a formidable political operator. After the by-election, which was won by Katrina Hodgkinson, I well remember a party room—

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