Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister for his warm words and for his message of condolence. It is, indeed, sad news—the passing of a sitting senator, Senator Alex Gallacher. Alex represented South Australia in the Senate since 2010. He was born in Scotland on the first day of 1954 and came to Australia 12 years later with his parents, like so many migrants, to seek a better life.

Alex dedicated his life to the interests of working people both as a trade unionist and as a senator. He came to this parliament with 17 years of experience of hard, physical work as a labourer and a truck driver as well as a ramp services operator at Trans Australia Airlines. He joined Labor in Darwin in 1988, when he also began to work for his beloved Transport Workers Union, where he became the secretary of the South Australian/Northern Territory branch.

In his first speech in the Senate, he named his priorities as the transport sector, superannuation and road safety. In that speech we saw a glimpse of Alex's humility, as he spoke of his love for the transport sector and the people who worked in it. He said this:

There is no smoke and mirrors, just plain-talking, hardworking employees and employers alike in a tough, competitive industry which works harder than most people imagine and continues to work while most people are asleep.

Alex's career was, indeed, a fine one. We in Labor are very proud of Alex. He was a conscientious, no-nonsense man who knew what he stood for. Along with his mate 'Sterlie', he was a long-time member of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committee. He particularly prioritised road safety for those people in the transport sector who keep our country going and who during COVID have continued to keep our country going.

Alex was also a family man who was dedicated to his wife, Paola, and also to his children and grandchildren. In that first speech, he quoted US President Theodore Roosevelt, who said:

Far and away the best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

Alex did that. He did that as a working man, as a truck driver in the transport sector, as a transport union official and then as a senator.

On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, for which he was a dedicated member and which he loved and truly served completely every day, we express our condolences to his family and to his friends. May he rest in peace. We will have an opportunity to more formally honour Senator Gallacher tomorrow.

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