Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm in the class of 2022, and I don't pretend to know the member for Dunkley, Peta Murphy, as well as those who have spoken before me, but one of the things about being in this place is that you get to work together on committees. It's in committees that you really get to know someone, and I worked with Peta on two committees. One was the Voice referendum committee, where we didn't agree, and the other was the social and legal committee, for gambling reform, where we did agree. When you see someone in both of those circumstances, you really get to test and know each other in ways that no other profession can or does.

I recall—I think it was the last week she was here, or maybe it was two weeks before that. We had our inquiry, which she was chairing, into carers. As often happened, I arrived late to the committee and sat down next to her. As she was doing her work, diligently and professionally, focused on the task at hand, I saw blood pour from her nose, both nostrils. We all knew, and you would just want to wrap your arms around her, but she didn't feel sorry for herself for a second. She just got some tissues, cleaned it off and got on with the questions. That is her to a T. She knew her body was breaking down, yet she turned up every day. Over there are some flowers that add colour to a place that often doesn't have much colour, but, when she was there in person, she added colour to a place that often doesn't have much colour—through her personality and through her conviction. As I sat there and saw her, with great resilience and care for others, not care less about the physical act of her nose bleeding in front of everyone, I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me and, in the short space of time that I'd known her, how much I'd learnt from her. I learnt from her when we disagreed on the Voice committee, and I learnt from her when we agreed, through her leadership in bringing us all together, on an area of reform that is sorely needed. It's because of her that the report stands; that's why it's called the 'Murphy report'. But I didn't have the courage to tell her that in person. I didn't feel it was appropriate and, as many others have said, I didn't think she would welcome it. So I went back to my office here and thought I could do my best in a Christmas card message that I sent to her.

After seeing the member for Gippsland do what he did in this place, in the most extraordinary way—we never get to tell people what we really think when they're here; instead, we do it like this—this morning when I saw him while I was in the gym and he was having a swim, and I caught him when he was in his Speedos, I asked, 'Can you tell me how that happened?' He said, 'I knew she wouldn't like it, so I told her I was going to do it and she said she wasn't sure if she'd come to even hear it.' But she did, and he delivered it. I think he did it on behalf of so many of us. I think back to that meeting, and those were the very words I wanted to say to her. I'm glad he did that in that way.

When we as the class of '22 did our induction for being members, someone gave the quip that you should be very careful writing your first speech, because in many respects it's your obituary. That really causes you to focus on what words you put on that paper. The Parliamentary Library very quickly and beautifully puts together a biographical booklet on someone. Here is the one for Peta Jan Murphy, with her beautiful, smiling face on it. In it is her first speech, some newspaper clippings and other achievements she has accomplished. So many members have referred to her first speech: the Pippi Longstocking quote, how she was proud of being from a public school in Wagga, and the final reference that many give, which is: 'I would like to be able to say that I left Australian politics—Australian democracy—in better shape than when I joined it.' And she certainly did. She certainly did.

She also said in her first speech that this parliament is the cauldron of Australia's national conversation. We are not just participants in it; we're custodians. And custodians know something that others don't: you know that you don't own it, and you know it's going to end. Peta knew that her time here was shorter than for most and that it was going to end. So she made sure that every day counted and that she made a difference.

She also noted that ideas should be contested, and sometimes fiercely. I saw her do that in her passion and commitment to the wording of the Voice referendum. But she also said we should separate that contest of ideas from attacking each other personally—recognising the dignity and the work that we each have to do.

The Attorney-General quite rightly noted a moment in a campaign that she ran earlier, where some from my party in a social media post criticised her for the clients that she represented as a barrister. She'd never do that to anyone. It's called the cab-rank rule. You're supposed to represent everyone you can with your best efforts. It's a very noble thing to do, because our system requires people like Peta, with passion and conviction to do their very best, while knowing that in the end a judge or a jury will be the final decision-maker.

I didn't know her as well as others did, but she left a mark on me and I will be forever grateful to her. My sincere condolences to Rod, her sisters and her parents. You're quite right: parents shouldn't bury their own children. And to her colleagues in the Labor Party, she is a member of your family and you all mourn, and we mourn with you.

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