Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm honoured to be able to make a contribution on this condolence motion for the late Andrew Peacock. As one of the few members of this place who served with Andrew, it's a particular honour to do so. Much has been said about Andrew's considerable contribution to Australia as a member of parliament, as a minister, as Leader of the Opposition and as our ambassador to the United States of America. He served in several ministries, including five years as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, but he is best remembered for his critical role in the independence of Papua New Guinea when he was the Minister for Territories.

It is sometimes said that a person's reputation is enhanced—or diminished—by comparison with whom they replace and with whom succeeds them. On any reckoning, Andrew Peacock had enormous shoes to fill in 1966, when, at the age of 27, he replaced Sir Robert Menzies, who had served as the member for Kooyong for 32 years, 17 of which were as Prime Minister of Australia. It is fair to say that Andrew Peacock filled those shoes as well as anybody possibly could.

Much has been said about Andrew's love of the turf, a passion we both share. I clearly recall the 1974 Melbourne Cup, as it was the first time I attended that famous race at Flemington. As history records, Andrew's horse Leilani was sent out as favourite, having won the Turnbull Stakes, the Toorak Handicap, the Caulfield Cup and the LKS Mackinnon Stakes that spring. The New Zealand bred mare was given a perfect run by jockey Peter Cook, crossing the field to settle behind the runaway leader, High Sail, as the field swept out past the post the first time. As they passed the 1,200-metre mark, legendary race caller Bert Bryant observed: 'Leilani's getting a charm run if she's good enough. There should be no excuses.' But as followers of the turf know, the only certainty on a racecourse is the uncertainty. After hitting the front with 100 metres to run, Leilani was run down by her stablemate Think Big in the shadows of the post.

Andrew never forgot that loss. Speaking many years later, he recalled:

… I have had a lot of fun in my life. I have had a lot to do. I even got 52 per cent in an election once and lost it. I have had a few disappointments. I can tell you there is no more distressing, depressing moment than having the favourite that runs second in the Melbourne Cup. Whatever the tribulation in life may be, nothing is quintessentially as bad as that. It was 1974, and I still feel pissed off about it—

Forgive the expression! I'm quoting—

You put on a brave face and go through life saying, 'well that's it,' but it is part of that great allure that Les Carlyon calls 'chasing a dream'. Les had some phrase in one of his books that said 'If you believe that two and two makes four and everything that calculates always levels out like that, then forget about the turf because racing is about dreams and those fractions do not matter'.

Little did I know, as I watched the two Bart Cummings trained horses fight out the finish at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November in 1974, that two decades later I would be a parliamentary colleague of the dapper owner of Leilani.

When I arrived here some 30 years ago I encountered a warm, generous man interested in assisting a new member. By then John Hewson was the Leader of the Opposition. The old Howard-Peacock rivalry had seemingly run its course. I recall Andrew's advice at the end of my first week, as we sat together on the 6.30 am flight back to Melbourne on the Friday morning. Having sat until 11 pm the night before, as was customary at the time, I told Andrew I didn't know how I'd be able to survive the long hours. He said: 'Do something at about 5 pm in the afternoon. Have a cuppa or go for a walk and tell yourself that the day is only half over.' I'm not sure that the advice was very helpful, but to this day I recall him saying that. Thankfully the sitting hours are much more reasonable these days.

Andrew had a serious interest in policy. He was the shadow Attorney-General in my early years, and we had many discussions about policy relating to the legal system and legal matters. He could also be a prankster. In those days the parliament's public address system was commonly used to message members. During one of Paul Keating's two challenges against Bob Hawke, several of us were sitting in the opposition lobby, in the evening, whiling away the hours until the 11.00 adjournment was reached. Andrew phoned the parliament's telephone switchboard, asking that a message be broadcast asking Mr Keating to come to the Prime Minister's office immediately. This was much to the amusement of Andrew's colleagues when it was broadcast around the House. Whether Mr Keating, who was challenging Mr Hawke at that time, took any notice of it, I don't know, but it was certainly amusing.

I visited Andrew on several occasions when he was our ambassador in Washington. On the first occasion I was there it was as part of a delegation that attended a reception at the residence. As the group of us entered the residence Andrew pulled me aside and ushered me into his study, saying there was something important he needed to discuss, while the other members proceeded to drinks. What was so important, I wondered? Sitting down in a lounge chair he proceeded to play the taped replays of the previous week's races at Flemington—tapes, presumably, having been flown over in diplomatic bags to Washington—discussing the merits of various horses and how they might go in the next few weeks in Flemington.

On another visit, Margie, who's here today, and I were invited to lunch at the residence. We'd just commenced the meal when a maid came in to tell Andrew he was wanted on the phone. 'Not now. Tell them to phone back later,' he brusquely replied. A few minutes later, the maid returned. 'Ambassador, it's Ms MacLaine,' she said. Looking slightly sheepish, Andrew announced that he had to take the phone call, leaving Margie and me to enjoy lunch together, for most of the time.

There was a serious side to Andrew Peacock. I was at the embassy on another visit when he was negotiating to exempt Australian meat exports from proposed US tariffs, something he achieved in part because of his very vast and extensive contacts with so many members of the US administration and Congress when he was our representative in Washington. Contrary to what is sometimes perceived or conveyed as the popular image, I found Andrew more conservative on many issues than often thought. He was a considered, sincere man who contributed greatly to this nation. I express my condolences to his family and friends. May he rest in peace.

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