Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

At this time of year we often find ourselves remembering those who are no longer with us. As I look across the chamber, I remember, as his friends on both sides of the chamber do, Don Randall. When someone we see every day in this workplace is suddenly gone, I hope that it reminds us to be perhaps a little kinder to one another—not gentler, necessarily, because politics is about things that matter, and it is important to be fierce in our arguments, to debate fully and forcefully, but perhaps a little personally kinder, a little more conscious that those sitting opposite are, as Gough Whitlam used to insist, our opponents but not our enemies.

Last year we lost Gough. This year we lost his great opponent, Malcolm Fraser, a tireless and outspoken advocate for human rights, among his many other achievements. We also farewelled three of Gough's ministers. We lost my dear friend and very generous mentor, Tom Uren, and Kep Enderby, former Attorney-General, another friend of mine and a branch member of mine, as Tom was. Kep spent his later years working hard on a number of issues that were very important to him, including voluntary euthanasia, something that he was passionately committed to. And we lost Les Johnson, a former Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and the local member in my seat when I was growing up—a wonderful man. All three of them were wonderful men and part of the great enterprise of the Whitlam government. All three of them left legacies that continue to shape Australia today.

Les, as I said, was my local member when I was growing up—the member for Hughes. It was a sign of just how much he was loved by the local community he represented that, when I went to his funeral earlier this year at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre, it was full of people whom he had represented—branch members, of course, and community members but also ordinary people who remembered him as a very hardworking, very dedicated local member. Despite the fact that he had left politics in 1983, the funeral, as I said, was very well attended by his former constituents.

1983 was also the year that the then member for my seat of Sydney, Les McMahon, left politics. This year Les also passed away, leaving a great record of devotion in the seat that I now represent—his home and his constituency. He stayed interested and involved in his local community, including in the Labor Party locally, throughout his life and long after he left parliament. This year too we lost Peter Walsh, the long-serving finance minister of the Hawke government—six years in that portfolio. It is a tough portfolio. Anyone who has done it knows how tough it is. And we lost Alby Schultz, who was elected to the federal parliament in the same year that I was, in 1998, and went on to serve his electorate of Hume until the last election. He gave 15 years of service in the federal parliament after 10 years serving his community in New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

We also lost Joan Kirner. This really was a deep sadness for many of us, men and women, on our side and I think more broadly across the Australian community. Joan was an inspiration. She was a mentor and an encouragement to so many on our side of politics, so many women in particular. She was a great role model for continued political engagement long after leaving parliament. Her work with EMILY's List and for affirmative action made it possible for many women who might not have otherwise got their foot in the door to represent their community. I think Joan's pushing for our affirmative action targets sees us now at about 45 per cent of Labor representatives being female

It is really, truly a remarkable life's work, aside from her many other great political achievements. I think all of us here, whether in the House of Representatives or in that other place, got involved in politics for a pretty simple reason: to make Australia a better place. And when I look around the benches on this side of the House and see a party that looks like the community I know that Joan is one person who could honestly say that she succeeded.

On the international stage, the founding father of independent Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, died this year too, and I was pleased to be able to offer my condolences in person on a visit to Singapore. His role in steering his nation and developing the institutional architecture of our region remade the Asia-Pacific. His achievements were extraordinary.

We saw two Labor senators leaving this year for very well earned retirement—Senators John Faulkner and Kate Lundy. Of course, we miss both John and Kate—very much. We miss them tremendously, and we sent them off with our very best wishes for a post-political life that is full, rich and enjoyable. These two much-loved senators have been replaced by two wonderful new additions to our senate team, Senators Katy Gallagher and Jenny McAllister, who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to their positions. We know they will make an enormous contribution in coming years—indeed, they have already.

Three Labor MPs and one Labor senator have announced that they will not contest the next election: the member for Bruce, the member for Oxley, the member for Wills and Senator Jan McLucas. Each of them has made an enormous and important contribution not only to the Australian Labor Party and to the Australian parliament but, most importantly and most particularly, to their constituents, the people who put them into the House of Representatives or into the Senate in the first place. We look forward to working with their replacements after the next election.

On the other side, I want to make a particular mention of the member for Maranoa, a wonderful gentleman who I am sure will be missed not just by his own colleagues but indeed by many of us on this side too.

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