Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I want to join all others in paying my respects and giving my thanks to Peter Reith. I think the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and everyone who has followed have spoken eloquently and to the point about what made Peter such a great person. The current member for Flinders has just supported all those speeches with a magnificent address herself.

I want to talk a little bit about Peter Reith—the man that I knew. When I first became a candidate seeking election to the parliament, I went and saw Peter to get his advice and to seek his support. I've got to say that I was incredibly nervous going to see Peter because he was someone that I looked up to and admired. That's because growing up in rural Victoria in the seventies and the eighties, industrial relations had been at the heart of the battle that farmers had fought against a militant union movement that had held Australia back year after year after year and had diminished productivity in our nation. In particular, they had done that by crippling our wharfs. You've got to remember, when it comes to Australia, that we send more than 60 per cent of what we produce in agriculture to markets overseas, so it goes through those ports. If you're crippling productivity in those ports, you're actually crippling the heart and soul of regional and rural Australia.

Peter Reith took on that battle and took it on in a way that showed immense courage. But he knew that ultimately it would lead to productivity gains at the ports that would enhance Australia as a nation. He never lost sight of that. It wasn't ideology for ideology's sake. It was knowing that his convictions would actually lead to improving the lives of others that drove him. He set about that task and he achieved it. He got great support from his Prime Minister but not always from his colleagues. It's a good lesson for all of us on our side. When the going gets tough, always unite around the person who is doing the tough things. It's very easy to pull back and say: 'They might be making a bit of a mess of this. I could do it better.' But, when someone is striving to improve this nation, collectively we should always back and support them.

Peter Reith, fortunately, had the impeccable, strong support of his leader, and he did not take a backward step—and our nation is all the better for it. I know that Peter would look at what has happened in the last two weeks, with the industrial relations changes that have been made by this government, and would shake his head, because they are not going to improve productivity in this nation. In particular—and this is something that we need to keep a close watch on—they are going to do real harm to productivity at our ports, and that is going to hurt our nation and potentially set back the great work that Peter did.

I lost my track a little bit there, but that was the man that I looked up to and knew and admired and followed. When I went and saw him, I came across someone who was humble, respectful and just keen to help. I can't thank Peter enough for the support and advice that he gave me. He ended up, with his family, with Kerrie, buying a weekend retreat in my electorate, in the Stony Rises, near Camperdown. To give you a sense of the man: whenever there was a Camperdown branch meeting and he was in the Stony Rises, he'd come along. At the Camperdown branch meetings, we'd have 15 or 20 people there and we'd have a meal. He would come along and he would just add his support, his advice, his wisdom. He never wanted to dominate the discussion. He never wanted to say: 'I've been there and done that. I know what's best.' He came along and just wanted to participate and contribute like every other ordinary branch member. That, to me, shows the calibre of the man. He had achieved the greatest heights and yet, after having done all that, he was still willing to just come along and help at the grassroots level—no airs, no graces. He didn't want to be revered. He didn't want to be giving the guest lecture or guest speech. He just wanted to come along and support and help the cause.

I had the great pleasure also of getting to know, through Peter, Peter's sister Janet and her husband, David. They became great supporters of mine. I want to say to Janet and to David: I've really been feeling for you the last few years, because it has been incredibly tough for you and all the family. But you, I have no doubt, got your strength and your ability to deal with those tough times through the sheer admiration that you had for Peter and the sheer love you had for him.

Janet, I will never forget at state council this year being able to have a chat with you about how tough things had been. We exchanged views on how sad it is to see a loved one just disappear before your eyes, and that conversation will always stay with me. The courage you showed in that conversation said to me that Peter was in great hands when he passed away because he had love and support of his family around him. For anyone who has been through watching someone they love die before them, I think the greatest thing when that happens is the love and support of family around you. It must have given great comfort to Peter to have that love and support of Kerrie, his sons and his broader family.

Peter was an extraordinary man. It was my immense pleasure and joy to have known him. He was someone I will continue to admire for the rest of my days. Australia has lost a giant. We are the poorer for it, but he gave every moment of his life to improve the lives of those around him and he should be absolutely commended for that.

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