Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 17 October, I moved a motion paying tribute to Mrs Jo Cox, the former member of the House of Commons in the UK, which was seconded by my good friend the member for Griffith. Having spoken on that occasion, I will not detain the House at length today. But I wish to make a couple of points as the debate resumes on this most important matter for all of us in this place. Firstly, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the member for Watson, the Manager of Opposition Business, and the member for Sturt, the Leader of the House, for enabling this procedure to go forward so that more members can make a contribution to the debate on this most important issue and also so that Australia's parliament can effectively and appropriately pay tribute to a life lived in the service of others, to a person who demonstrated the finest qualities of public life, qualities that I think all of us here aspire to demonstrate and to hold. And we can convey our sympathy, solidarity and respect to the House of Commons in a formal manner. So I pay tribute to the member for Sturt and the member for Watson in that respect.

I would also say this in addition to my remarks those weeks ago: I stand here determined to remember what Jo Cox did, what she stood for and how she went about her political life and her activism—how she lived her life, not the manner in which it ended. I stand here in solidarity with her husband, Brendan, her children, her colleagues and her friends to say that, in this place, we remember her for what she did and we will strive to live up to her example. We will strive to continue her great sense of optimism—a sense of optimism that her incredibly brave husband expressed in writing in TheNew York Timesto continue to think that we can work together for a better world. In doing so we should always call out the forces of division, maintain our confidence in hope over fear and strive for a kinder politics. I commend the motion to the House.

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