Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

One of the great, unexpected joys of this job is the ability to bring other people's words, feelings and ideas to life in this place. I did not know Gary Nairn particularly well. He was in his second term as the highly respected member for Eden-Monaro, the exemplar of a local member, when I first trod the blue carpet at the other end of this building. Sometime later I worked for who somebody who loved Gary, truly loved him, and I feel so lucky that in my early years of service in this place, the Australian parliament, I saw real, meaningful, enduring friendships and loyalties between politicians, both on the same side and across the aisles.

Brendan Nelson would've lain in front of a train for Gary Nairn, so high was his esteem for him. So it was with humility that I reached out to Brendan in London earlier this week to ask if I could read his words about Gary Nairn today, and I'm honoured to read them out now. By word of warning, I should note Brendan has always had an ability to make me cry—so exceptional is he in giving voice to matters of emotions, spirit, what it means to be Australian and, indeed, what it means to serve. I suspect this particular speech may be no different, but here goes:

Decent, intelligent, thoughtful, ethical, honest, earnest, loyal, hard working, humble, analytical and methodical.

Gary Nairn manifest these qualities over the almost thirty years that I was blessed to know him.

Indeed, I am a better person for Gary Nairn having been a part of my life.

We first met in 1995.

I was the Liberal Party candidate for Bradfield and he, candidate for the then sprawling Labor held bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro.

Bradfield and I were to provide him whatever support we could in fundraising and electioneering over five elections.

We were colleagues, but we were also friends.

As a marginal seat member, Gary was on the backbench placed strategically behind John Howard.

As such he would be seen regularly on news reports of parliamentary question time, nodding approvingly with whatever the prime minister was saying.

On one occasion when I was attending a Liberal Party meeting in the south of Gary's electorate, he was confronted by one of the party members, "why do you agree with the prime minister all the time?!!"

Three days before the 2001 election in which the Tampa controversy had dominated, I was campaigning with Gary deep into his electorate.

A large truck arrived delivering freshly minted oversized billboards for placement in proximity to the polling booths.

We both pulled the top one from the rear of the truck.

An enormous black and white photograph of an emphatic John Howard beneath which was his statement days earlier, "we will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come".

Gary and I looked at one another. He simply said, "I think Saturday will be a good day".

Gary's wife Kerrie died in 2005 from the cancer she had battled.

She had asked to see me at their home.

I was privileged to share those last hours with her and Gary.

Her love for him was such that she wanted him to continue in every way to build a better Australia, continue what they had built together and in due course, find happiness again.

Although Gary was a stoic man, we both shed our tears with Kerrie.

Gary did find love. True love, in Rose. The Liberal Party has had many 'servants'.

Gary Nairn came to serve the Liberal Party, not to be served by it.

So too, the people of Eden Monaro were to be served. We are a better nation and a better people for Gary Nairn.

In that, the love and support he received respectively from Kerrie and Rose were the foundation of his life and service to us.

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