Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I join with members of the House in this condolence motion to mark the life and service of the member for Dunkley, Peta Jan Murphy. There have been many significant moments in this chamber over the years: presidents and dignitaries have delivered addresses, budgets have been passed, there have been national apologies and there have been quite a few shouting matches. But, aside from the pomp and the ceremony, aside from the day-to-day theatre and the political contest, there have been countless quiet moments too. These quiet moments might not make the headlines, but they are examples that remind us all of what we have in common as Australians, and that is much greater than what divides us in this place.

Occasionally those quiet moments are captured by those who sit above us in the press gallery, and we thank them for what they do because often those quiet moments are the gift for our memories. Often those moments get printed off and stuck by one of our staff members on the back of a door, or they might end up in a frame to gather dust on a shelf. But, on days like today, these moments are indeed gifts, and today these gifts are priceless because, sadly, today those moments are ones that many in this place will cling to as they remember a dear friend.

Indeed there was one such moment on 22 March 2021 in this chamber. It was a moment that, in my mind, is unique in our nation's history and indeed I believe uniquely captures Peta Murphy. It was captured by Mike Bowers, one of Australia's great photographers, and it came as the member for Lilley was delivering a speech on multiple births. She was, rather impressively, doing it with her twin boys in her arms. As a mother myself, I have to say it was quite a feat from the member for Lilley. How she kept those twin boys in check would have been a mystery to many at home, with the camera tightly focused as she spoke. But, thanks to Mr Bowers, we can reveal how she did it. Behind the member for Lilley was Peta Murphy doing that most human of things—making the happiest of faces to those beautiful children, with her eyes wide, her mouth in an open smile and no doubt some very interesting faces being made. Many will have seen the image, and, for those who have not, I would recommend that you do because that image is one which captures the person that was Peta Murphy—bright and fun, engaging and curious, a dear friend to many and a beloved colleague. But it is also a deeply sad image because, in its joy, it reminds us of what we have lost, and for that I extend my deepest sympathies to the entire Labor family and to Rod, Peta's loving husband.

Another quiet moment I want to recognise was more recent. Women, especially in public life, are judged relentlessly for how they look, the clothes they wear, their make-up and, of course, their hair. That is why I was so moved, whenever I saw Peta stride into this place—outwardly unfazed, clearly unwell, with no head covering—because what you saw was a woman with passion in her eyes and a resolution to claim back her identity, an identity which cancer had tried to snatch from her. And in that moment I recognised that among the many things she was, she was, without doubt, a beautiful woman and a beautiful person.

But Peta Murphy was more than just those quiet moments. She made history in 2019 as the first woman to represent Dunkley. The seat, located in south-east Melbourne, had been jostled between Liberal and Labor since being created in 1984, but always jostled by men. It is ironic as the seat is named after a woman, Louisa Margaret Dunkley, a strong campaigner for women's rights and equal pay for equal work. So for Peta to be elected in 2019 was quite fitting. The seat could finally be represented by someone that reflected the history of its name.

Peta was perhaps not unlike Louisa Dunkley. She was a strong campaigner for women's rights. Not only did she advocate for over 100,000 people in Dunkley for over four years, she chose to advocate strongly for women, particularly for greater outcomes for women's health. At the time, being sworn in as the first woman to represent the seat of Dunkley should have been a history-making moment or a cause for celebration, but the achievement was marred by the news that unfortunately Peta's breast cancer had returned. Instead of letting that keep her down, letting that shift her focus, she became only more driven to advocate for women's health. Along with my colleague, the former member for Robertson Lucy Wicks, Peta established the Parliamentary Friends of Women's Health, and she did not give up fighting and advocating for women's health issues. I thank the member for Bass, Bridget Archer, for her continued work with this friendship group.

In Peta 's final weeks and months she continued the work of the Parliamentary Friends of Women's Health. She continued many of her parliamentary commitments, including last week's sitting. She advocated for women's reproductive health care and the opportunity for long-acting reversible contraception to improve women's health and participation. She advocated to ensure workplaces are safe for nurses, given the unacceptable rise of violence against nurses, and she advocated for people with metastatic breast cancer to be consistently counted on cancer registries in order to better plan for health and support services. I'm sure Breast Cancer Network Australia will continue this important work so we can continue to improve the lives of those living with breast cancer and improve early diagnosis so the chances of survival increase.

Breast cancer is the second-most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, and it's the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women. One in seven women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. That equates to potentially eight of the women in this chamber. Another 57 Australian women will be diagnosed with this terrible disease today alone. Unfortunately, Peta joins over 3,200 Australians who have passed away from breast cancer this year; however, her legacy and her advocacy will live on, and the impact she has made has saved and will save lives.

In her maiden speech to parliament in 2019 she told our country that her cancer had returned. She had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. In her speech she said:

I am neither unique nor alone—

in this disease—

but I am someone who has a platform that can be used to benefit others. And … I intend to use it.

And that she did, up until her very last moments.

As she hoped, Peta has left politics and our democracy in better shape than when she joined it. Peta Murphy served the Labor Party, her constituents and the Australian people with grace and with distinction. I pass my sincere condolences, once again, to her husband, Rod, to her family, her friends, her staff, her colleagues and the wider Labor Party. And to end, I quote her words:

Ladies, check your breasts! Men, stop ignoring what your body's telling you.

May she rest in peace.

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