David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the skills minister for the touching, fitting, and beautiful tribute to your friend. You did her justice and you should be proud—and she'd be proud.

On behalf of the Nationals, it is with deep sadness and regret that I extend our condolences and heartfelt thoughts and sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues, and the residents of Dunkley, on the passing of Peta Jan Murphy. Tragically, on Monday, we lost a wonderful Australian who during her life embodied the very best of the human spirit—a woman who was admired on both sides of the aisle for her courage, her strength and her razor sharp wit and good humour. She was a woman who contributed so much to this parliament and to the communities in her electorate, that she represented with pride and distinction.

Born in 1973, Peta was a self-described public schoolgirl from Wagga whose authentic Labor values were inspired by the Hawke and Keating governments. She grew up with a passion for helping the less fortunate. She wanted to be an advocate for those Australians who found themselves living on the margins of society and who felt forgotten and neglected. She wanted to stand up for others and proudly, it was these convictions, along with her intellect and drive, which have always shone through across her professional career.

Before her election to parliament, Peta had an accomplished career as a solicitor, barrister and senior public defender, working directly with Australians doing it tough. These roles provided her with a hands-on insight into the devastating impacts of inequality and social hardship. In her own words, she said:

…I have represented the damaged and the difficult, victims and perpetrators, the blameless and the blameworthy. At every turn, I have seen the corrosive effect that intergenerational disadvantage can have on people, families and communities.

In terms of breaking these vicious cycles, Peta had a strong belief in developing integrated and holistic solutions for vulnerable communities, an approach that she brought with her into this parliament as the federal member for Dunkley.

She was elected in 2019, winning her seat off the Liberal Party and becoming the first Labor MP to represent Dunkley for more than two decades. She also made political history as the first female MP to represent this electorate. During her 4½ years as a parliamentarian, Peta Murphy left an enormous legacy. Her lifelong passion for helping the disadvantaged and the marginalised never left her, and it showed. From her efforts in driving online gambling reforms to her advocacy for a national registry for metastatic cancer patients, and her leadership in setting up the Parliamentary Friends of Women's Health, Peta touched so many lives. Of course, the member for Dunkley wasn't only a hardworking and effective MP; she was a kind and generous soul who fought so heroically during her long battle with cancer. Her determination and bravery will remain an inspiration to us all.

Ever since her first diagnosis in 2011, and its recurrence just a couple of weeks after being elected to parliament in 2019, Peta was always open, honest and up-front about the challenges that she was going through. But, despite this adversity, despite her serious illness, despite the stress and despite the obstacles, Peta showed incredible resilience. She always turned up to parliament whenever she could, she was always eager to get on with the job of representing her constituents and she was determined to do her absolute best to translate what was an excruciating personal ordeal into something that could potentially help millions of others. Speaking of her circumstances, she said:

I am neither unique nor alone, but I am someone who has a platform that can be used to benefit others. And as long as the people of Dunkley continue to vote for me to represent them in this place, I intend to use it.

Peta was true to this pledge. In partnership with Breast Cancer Network Australia, she worked tirelessly to promote more public awareness about the crucial importance of early screening, diagnosis and treatment of this awful disease.

All of us in the National Party family are saddened by the loss of Peta. Her generosity of spirit and decency of character set an example for all MPs to follow. These qualities were obvious to see, and it's not surprising that she forged many friendships on this side of the House. It was no better exemplified than in the special moment that we saw last Tuesday right in the middle of a fierce parliamentary sitting week and that happened just before question time. What we saw was a personal and sincere tribute for the member for Dunkley that was delivered by her good friend the member for Gippsland. It was an address that recognised her courage, her humour and her strength. It was one of the finest tributes that I've ever seen or heard, and, particularly with her passing on Monday, how special it was that Peta was in the chamber to hear it for herself. It was an act of humanity and kindness that I wanted to recognise today, and I acknowledge the member for Gippsland for giving Peta this wonderful gesture of support during her final days.

I want to conclude my remarks by saying that there's no doubt that Peta Murphy has left this parliament and our nation a better place. To everyone who loved and adored Peta, especially Rod—her husband of 24 years—her family and all her Labor Party colleagues, we offer you our prayers and heartfelt respects as you grieve the loss of a truly remarkable woman.

As we honour her memory today, I end with Peta's maiden speech in 2019. When reflecting on what she wanted to achieve as a parliamentarian, the newly elected member for Dunkley said the following:

… I would like to be able to say that I left Australian politics—Australian democracy—in better shape than when I joined it, that I was part of a generation of Australian politicians who worked to recover the public's faith in our democratic system and who strove to reharness politics as that vehicle for enlarging opportunities and enlarging our national imagination …

When we look back on Peta Jan Murphy's record of public service, we can say with appreciation and certainty that she has accomplished this aim and so much more.

She'll be missed, and may Peta rest in peace.

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