Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to add to the contributions made by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Prime Minister, the member for Corio and others about the remarkable life of Major General Michael Jeffery. I first met Michael Jeffery in 2003 as a relatively new member of parliament. He was appointed Governor-General after what was clearly a very difficult and controversial period for the position of Governor-General given the way in which his predecessor resigned. It was up to Major General Michael Jeffery to restore normalcy to a very important office. He did that with the professionalism and dedication to duty that he had exhibited throughout his entire military career.

My memory of him in that very significant role is of civility, curiosity and a rather dry sense of humour. He held to the maxim that it's important to adhere to protocols in such positions. He was quite formal in his approach to engaging with members of parliament. But behind that official presentation, that visage, was a very humorous man who was always interested in talking about matters he had an interest in beyond his military career.

His career was one of great success. He left home, Perth, at the age of 16 and attended the Royal Military College Duntroon. He served our nation in Malaya, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam, where he was the commander of the 8th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and where he was awarded the Military Cross and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He continued in his many roles in the military until he was appointed Governor of Western Australia in 1993. He held that important post for seven years, after which he was involved in establishing a think tank to consider medium- and long-term policy challenges that confronted this nation. He was a man of curiosity beyond his military career, and that was on display whenever we had the chance to discuss matters with him. In his role as Governor-General, he played an important part in restoring that office after a very turbulent period. He took to that task with the professionalism and dedication to duty that was a hallmark of his career.

He was also appointed, by the then Gillard government, as the Deputy Prime Minister just mentioned, as the first National Soils Advocate. He had a deep interest and concern for the environment and, as an advocate, he met many people, from the parliament to the paddock. He was engaged in that role, talking about ensuring that our environment could be improved, and his legacy will live on in that role as well.

I extend my condolences to his wife of more than 50 years, Marlena, his three sons and daughter and his seven grandchildren. Vale Major General Michael Jeffery.

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