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

The member for Curtin left, as she started, with a fierce attack upon the Labor Party at the start. That's fair enough. She loves her Liberal Party. I suspect today that there will be Liberal supporters, Western Australians and, indeed, people around Australia who like her particular brand of politics and will be disappointed by this news. I recognise how they will feel too. Even though she was a fierce adversary of Labor, I always felt that she admired the fact that the Labor Party did such a big job in terms of trying to encourage women into parliament. She was always generous in that regard.

I just want to talk more about the fact that she was a trailblazer: the first woman foreign minister—that's a big achievement. There can never be another first. I hope that whatever she chooses to do in the future—and I'm sure she won't be short of offers—she contemplates some form of public service. I think this country needs to be better at using our former prime ministers and senior representatives. I recognise her experience and breadth.

Personally, from Chloe, I would like to say that she and Chloe got on very well. The member for Curtin always said to me that I punch above my weight, as, I suspect, many blokes here in this place do. She and Chloe are good friends, so Chloe would want to extend to her and David the very best.

In closing, there was one moment as I was listening to her when I thought, 'It's a bit of an end of an era.' After all my dealings with her and watching her, I think about her time as foreign minister after MH17 was shot out of the sky. Former Prime Minister Abbott would remember that very much so because of his fierce passion about that event and the terrible tragedy and murder that it was. I don't just remember that flight, MH17, and the morning we gathered here in the chamber to learn the news that 38 Australian lives had been stolen. A lot of it fell to her. I saw firsthand how she showed up for the families, and her calm, composure and kindness was real; it was authentic in that grief and bewilderment. I remember the service in Melbourne at St Patrick's. She really was a leader.

But I also saw her steely determination in international forums to help pursue justice, and she was very strong. In that regard, if any of us were ever privileged to be in the position that she was in, dealing with the Russians and other people, I hope that we would show the same strength that she showed. That she did is to her everlasting credit. She did Australia proud that day and in those weeks.

I wish Julie and David well in everything that is ahead. I feel that the Liberal Party can have nothing but good regard for her because she has been a faithful servant of the Liberal Party and she has done everything she ever should for that party. Congratulations to the member for Curtin.

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