Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm a little bit earlier on the speaking list than I expected, and I have to say that Peta's passing did catch me, like many others, by surprise. It makes you reflect on the conversations, on the relationship and on the person who she was. Peta was a remarkable person, and today is our chance to pause in this place to reflect on that and the way in which she touched many of us. So big was her orbit that so many of us have those beautiful stories to share. I first heard about Peta, being a woman from Victoria, through EMILY's List and colleagues in the south-east—that she was fierce and fantastic and would make a brilliant member of parliament. When she was first preselected for Dunkley, we all watched in awe as she campaigned in 2016, and the Attorney-General has reflected on how that was a tough campaign. I'd add to that that, if it weren't for the CFA dispute in Victoria, I truly believe she would've been here that little bit earlier both in Dunkley and in Corangamite. It was tough in Victoria in that election, and I truly believe she would've been here that bit sooner. That would've been a great opportunity for the people of Dunkley to have her as their voice in this place that little bit longer.

After that election, she became chief of staff to the then shadow minister for workplace relations, Brendan, and that's where I really got to work with her. In that parliament, I was the shadow assistant minister and I had one of those very long titles that you can get in this place: shadow assistant minister for workplace relations and shadow assistant minister for rural and regional Australia. It's one of those ones where your title takes up half a press release. In that role is where I got to work closely with Peta, and one of the things that I can say about Peta is that she had an amazing policy brain and ability, also, to navigate politics. She was that rare combination of policy, politics and values, and you could see that in her work. A lot of what is in the closing the loopholes bill that is before us is Peta's work and the work that she did in her time when we were in opposition, where they say you have time to think and to work through. It is the result of the way in which she engaged with the many people within the union movement and the high regard in which they held her. You can see that by the people who came out to campaign for her in 2019—the number of union members and union delegates that campaigned for her.

There are some other things that I want to share about Peta. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in her late 30s, a very similar age to Peta. When Peta was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37, that was rare. And so when I mentioned to her, 'My sister's been diagnosed'—she'd never met my sister—she said: 'What's her number? I'll text her. I'll reach out to her. I know the best oncologists. I know the best support groups. It's really important that we look out for each other, that we support each other.' And the way in which she was organised and supportive and encouraging for a woman that she had never met spoke volumes to the character of who Peta was in her fight against this disease.

My sister was very lucky, early detection meant that she didn't need chemo and she is in a very good place. But I can remember having this conversation with my sister Deb about Peta's battle when her breast cancer came back. We talked about how it is warriors like Peta that encourage other women to think more closely about their health and to take the time to make that doctor's appointment, because you might not be so lucky. And that's exactly what my sister did.

But I also remember those days of campaigning. Peta was fun to campaign with. She was so honest. Even though I had that very long, silly title she'd be like: 'I need you to come so I can meet with this sporting club. Would you come to the electorate?' I can remember going there on one occasion. The teams were gathered and she spoke so passionately about the importance of sport. She was so proud of her community, and in particular of all of the sports which were active in her area. One particular announcement was in relation to change rooms for women at this local sporting club—before it was topical. Before it was something that we would all stand in this place and discuss, she was out there campaigning for it.

I also remember her sharing the heartbreak of not being able to have children and how cancer took that from her. I think that's what made her so determined to keep coming back to this place. Cancer had taken so much from her. I can remember her saying to me—not that I'd had cancer, but I have severe endometriosis—'Don't wait. Go on the right side of 40.' I actually had to postpone a visit to Peta's electorate in the lead-up to the 2019 election because I was going through the process of IVF. I couldn't tell her at the time; I just said, 'I have to delay the visit to the electorate.' Years later, we were talking about it, and I said, 'Well, that was actually the Daisy appointment.' She said, 'Well I'm glad my sacrifice was worth it.'

But the truth is she didn't need me to be campaigning next to her in Dunkley. When we went to an early learning centre, even though she was a candidate, she knew half the educators, she knew the parents. To stand with her in the shopping centres, she knew everybody. They would come up to her. It was remarkable and encouraging and inspiring to see the way that she engaged with people. She truly embodied what it meant to be a local representative. At this difficult time, I think of good friends like Senator Jess Walsh, in the other place, who spent a lot of time campaigning with Peta in the seat of Dunkley. I think about all the union members, in particular from my own union, and the days they spent there. They just loved to be around her because she was inspiring. That fun, that wit, that humour.

To the class of 2019: you're an incredibly close class and I cannot begin to think of the pain and of the grief that you're going through to lose such a dear and close friend. Coming into this place is a culture shock for a lot of people, even those who might have worked here as staffers. And you are close to your class, particularly when you come in in opposition. So, to the Labor class of 2019: I have to be honest, a lot of us in this place have always looked upon your class with a little bit of envy at how close you are and how supportive you are—in the last parliament, there were a lot of babies of that class—and the way in which you rallied around and supported one another. But I will never forget in those moments that, even though there were lots of photo ops and lots of babies and lots of fun moments, Peta never missed one of them. She was always there. She was always supportive, particularly of her sisters who had had children. She was an aunt and a best friend to all of them. That just spoke to her character and who she was.

To her family: thank you for letting her be here to spend time with us and be that warrior that we all need—that good person—because she was one of the good ones. To her second family, her staff in her electorate office: thank you, and we feel your pain, and we know it's real. It's going to be a tough few weeks, months and years. You were there for Peta when she most needed it, and we now need to be there for you when you need it. That is what we can do.

To all of us in this place: her first speech is something that we should remind ourselves of each and every day. She came here last week and asked a question. She was struggling, but she wanted this place to be better. She wanted politics to be better. She wanted to be part of a generation that changed politics. We have the opportunity to embrace that and do better, to create the change that people can be proud of. She believed in justice and a fair go, and she was a warrior, and, if we really want to honour her, we should take that on board.

I will miss her in question time, sitting behind me, and her remarks. She is much funnier than the member for McEwen, so I do worry about what next year will be like. But, like everybody knows, it was her energy, her smile, her tenacity, her wit, her generosity and her large orbit, and the way in which she would include people and the way in which she inspired people. Thank you, Peta, for your time, your words and your support.

See this speech in context