Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute to a great member of the Casey community who passed away in May this year, David Horner. David was a life member of the Healesville Cricket Club. He was husband to Robyn and father to Tom and Nick, and he was also a friend of mine. Dave was influential in our community in Healesville, saving the Healesville Cricket Club 20 years ago when it was on its knees. He put in time, dedication and financial resources to support the club so it could continue to be a great place in the community, supporting young men and women.

Dave was a larger-than-life character, and that was shown at his funeral just five weeks ago, when it was standing room only and great stories were shared about a man who loved his family, loved his community and loved fishing and a beer. He was a humble man, but he was a great man as well. Dave had a huge influence on my life when I was a young man, supporting me through my challenges and providing the fatherly wisdom that a senior person at a sports club can when you listen to them and not your family. His funeral was a tribute to the man that he is and the influence he had on his community.

Dave was struck down with cancer 12 months ago, and it was a shock to a lot of us. But I was fortunate during the campaign to run into Dave at the Terminus Hotel, where he and the table of knowledge were discussing the world's problems. What struck me was that, despite the challenges that he had and knowing the fate that he would have, Dave didn't change. The smile was there. The humour was there. The love for his friends and family was there. I was so honoured that I could run into him on the campaign and spend some time talking to him, sharing our journey together. What will stay with me is the pride that Dave had in me and others who are representing our community and the joy that I saw and had. So I was overwhelmed that he was with us on election day so he could see the result.

I want to put on the record my thanks to David Horner for the support that he provided to me as a young man to help me be here today, and the support he's provided to many young people in our community over not just his amazing journey at the Healesville Cricket Club but the time he's spent at the Seville Cricket Club. In many ways, Dave Horner represents what community spirit is all about: looking after your friends, looking after your family and looking after your community for no reason other than to help people enjoy their lives.

See this speech in context