Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Today we honour a long life lived for others. Sir Ninian Stephen brought gravitas, good humour and calm dignity to the office of Governor-General, and his qualities and capacities were held in the highest regard by all Australians and by all sides of politics. It's a measure of the man that he was initially chosen by Malcolm Fraser but would later have his term extended by Bob Hawke. Sir Ninian's passion for internationalism also broadened the scope of the role, expanding the program of overseas visits now so central to the Governor-General's responsibilities as a representative of Australia. Indeed, this was a recurring pattern of Sir Ninian's public life: he enhanced, enriched and elevated every position that he held. In the uniform of his country, in the High Court, in high office and, later on, on the world stage, Sir Ninian Stephen embodied the ideals of service, duty and justice.

Perhaps no Australian has received more accolades, yet he was also a person of profound humility who shunned the spotlight and never sought a curtain call. As a young man he deferred his legal studies at Melbourne University when he was called upon to serve in Papua New Guinea and Borneo with the Royal Australian Engineers. He would later become a recognised authority on constitutional law, which, as honourable members know, can be complex and evolving! He was a QC before the age of 45 and a High Court judge before 50. Instead of Governor-General being the pinnacle of his public service, it became a springboard for further acts of truly global significance. As Australia's first Ambassador for the Environment, his advocacy and diplomacy helped preserve the entire continent of Antarctica from mining. A quarter of a century later, it's easy to look upon this as a fait accompli, but, amidst the end of the Cold War, this was a highly charged and fiercely contested question, and Sir Ninian's role—indeed, Australia's leadership—in the world's largest conservation decision ought to be better known.

As a young man, Ninian was taken to a Nazi rally in Nuremberg, following the annexation of Austria—one face amongst tens of thousands on those vast concrete terraces, close enough to photograph Hitler. Nuremberg would later serve as the home of the war trials for the Nazi leadership, the first of their kind. But, in one of those quirks of history, Sir Ninian would subsequently serve as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, investigating the atrocities committed there. Indeed, his intellect and diplomatic gifts made him a highly respected mediator in the Northern Ireland peace talks, in the political conflict in Bangladesh and in the dispute over Timor-Leste's sovereignty. On every occasion, Sir Ninian brought a measure of justice, reconciliation and peace to these troubled places, and in doing so he brought honour to all of us—to Australia. Our parliament, our country and future generations of Australians are forever in his debt. We offer our condolences to Lady Stephen and their family and we thank them for their contribution, and for the contribution their loved one made, to the life of our nation and to the cause of justice around the world. May he rest in peace.

See this speech in context