Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, it is with great sadness that I rise to acknowledge the passing of the late United States Senator John McCain. On this day 17 years ago, 11 September 2001, Australians woke up to the news of a terrible tragedy that had been thrust on our friends in America. Three thousand innocent people lost their lives in coordinated terrorist attacks across the United States. It is poignant that on this day we recognise a friend of Australia in Senator John McCain. Senator McCain led a life dedicated to service. Whether we look at his early military career, his experience in the Vietnam War or his extensive contributions to political life, it is plain to see that John McCain was a man who always put service to others first. The Prime Minister has already remarked that it is unusual for this House to express condolences for foreign politicians who are not heads of state. But it is right and proper to make an exception for Senator John McCain, a man who defined an era of the modern Republican Party, a defender of truth and a staunch friend and ally of Australia.

There have been many tributes to Senator McCain in the past weeks, flowing from right across the political spectrum. Various eulogies have remembered him as a war hero, a statesman and an American icon. But, importantly, there has been a universal recognition that John McCain was a man of integrity with strong principles. Former President George W Bush remarked:

John was, above all, a man with a code. He lived by a set of public virtues that brought strength and purpose to his life and to his country.

It was this code which informed so much of Senator McCain's political outlook, his courage, his love of freedom and, most of all, his recognition that some principles and beliefs are so fundamentally important that they transcend politics and party lines. Senator McCain's determination to always put the interests of the nation first earned him a reputation as a political maverick, but it also manifested itself in his commitment to bipartisanship and in his great ability to reach across the political divide, uniting those from different backgrounds and ideologies in pursuit of common cause.

This sense of duty and service to the nation runs deep in the McCain family, with four generations of McCains having served in the armed forces. Senator McCain's grandfather, John S McCain Sr, was an admiral in the United States Navy who was involved in several assignments during the Pacific campaign of World War II which were critical to the defence of Australia, including the Guadalcanal campaign. Senator McCain's father, John S McCain Jr, was a submarine captain active in the Pacific campaign of World War II. Later he was promoted to admiral, becoming Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command, during the Vietnam War. Since then, three of Senator McCain's own children, Jack, James and Douglas, have served in the armed forces, with Jack and James undertaking tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside Australian soldiers.

Senator McCain's own service in the Vietnam War would prove to be a defining moment in his life and a test of his character. During a bombing mission in 1967 McCain's A-4E Skyhawk was shot down over Hanoi, and during ejection from the aircraft he suffered fractures in both of his arms and one of his legs. McCain was subsequently captured by North Vietnamese forces and would receive the most marginal of medical care over the next 5½ years of his life as a prisoner of war, two of which he spent in solitary confinement. In fact, far from receiving medical treatment, McCain was repeatedly interrogated and tortured by his captors, who were seeking to extract information or a confession to be used for anti-US propaganda purposes. The injuries he sustained during this time would leave him with a permanent limp and impaired mobility in his arms. Even in the face of such extreme adversity, John McCain's courage, strength and determination did not waiver, and he again proved himself a man of principle. Upon discovering he was the son of a United States Navy admiral, the Vietnamese hoped to score a propaganda victory by offering McCain early release, but in keeping with the code of the United States fighting forces McCain refused the offer on the condition that he would only accept it if every man captured before him was released as well.

Through his unique family history, Senator McCain knew better than most the important role of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, and he was a vocal and passionate supporter of the Australia-United States alliance. It was a position he maintained throughout his 35-year political career. He was a proud champion of our bilateral defence relationship, most recently in his role as chair of the powerful US Senate armed services committee. Just last year, Senator McCain was in Sydney to address the United States Studies Centre. In his remarks he reflected on the shared sacrifices of American and Australian soldiers over a century and emphasised the shared values of Australia and the United States. In his own words:

… America's greatest strength comes from the values of our society, values we share with Australia—our commitment to truth over falsehood, fairness over injustice, freedom over oppression, and the immortal spirit of humankind.

These remarks were typical of John McCain's brand of politics, one characterised by a vision of America carried onwards and upwards by the strength of its principles. This idealism is a far cry from the hyperpartisan atmosphere that we find in Washington today.

If we reflect on John McCain's life in politics, we can see that he never shied away from doing what he believed to be right in service of these principles. Entering politics as a congressman, representing Arizona's 1st congressional district in 1982, McCain served on the US House of Representatives committee on interior affairs and the foreign affairs committee while taking an active interest in foreign policy of the Reagan administration. Even in the early stages of his career McCain demonstrated that he was not afraid to speak his mind, when he criticised President Reagan for his delay in pulling troops out of Lebanon. In 1987 McCain made the move to the Senate, succeeding Barry Goldwater as a senator for Arizona, a position he would be re-elected to six times. During his Senate career, McCain would serve on the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, which was chaired by Democrat and fellow Vietnam War veteran John Kerry. During his time on this committee, McCain and his fellow committee members investigated the fate of US service personnel listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War. They handed down a unanimous report concluding that there was no compelling evidence suggesting any Americans were left still alive and in captivity. This, coupled with a 1994 Senate resolution co-sponsored by McCain and Kerry calling for an end to the existing trade embargo against Vietnam, helped lay the groundwork for President Clinton to normalise diplomatic relationships with Vietnam in 1995. This was a move that Senator McCain was strongly supportive of. He stuck to his principles in spite of vilification by many POWs and activists and of his own experiences as a prisoner of war.

This is just one example of Senator McCain's decency and magnanimity. As a the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, Senator McCain famously defended his rival, Barack Obama, against a voter's assertion that Senator Obama was untrustworthy, because of her belief that he was an Arab. John McCain's response was:

No ma'am, he's a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues …

Politics has changed a lot in the decade since Senator McCain ran against Barack Obama in 2008. Sometimes it seems as if the politics of John McCain are the product of a bygone era. As elected representatives we must honour his legacy by remembering that our No. 1 duty is to serve our communities. Even in his final years, when his health was ailing, John McCain was still steadfast in speaking out for what he believed to be right.

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