Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge two very valued members of my community and our local Labor Party in the Illawarra who passed away during the period of the break. The first was the Hon. Laurie Kelly. Laurie was one of the longest-serving speakers of the Legislative Assembly of the New South Wales parliament. He was speaker for 11 years, 11 months and two days. He was the member for Corrimal for a record seven terms, from 1968 until his retirement. Laurie played an important role in the development of the University of Wollongong and served as deputy vice chancellor. He was also chairman of the Wollongong City soccer club and the and the Illawarra disabled persons trust. He was president and life member of Surf Life Saving Illawarra and a patron of the Illawarra Rugby League football club. He was a life member of the Labor Party. His father, Laurie Kelly senior, was also a member of the New South Wales parliament. Only recently, Laurie's beloved wife, Rhonda, passed away. He will be very sadly missed. We will all extend our condolences.

The other was a gentleman called Allan Cobbin. Allan joined the ALP during the great Gough Whitlam's It's Time campaign. He was an educator and a teacher in country towns, and it imbued in him a very strong sense of the importance of education in lifting people out of poverty. He had a very strong sense of social justice that he brought to not only his party activities but also his community volunteering. I extend my sincere condolences to his wife, Pat, family and friends.

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