Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In this parliament we often acknowledge the passing of national and international leaders and of former parliamentarians. We acknowledge their contributions to building a better Australia and, hopefully, a better world. Tonight I rise to pay tribute to a person who deserves to be acknowledged in this place, the Australian parliament, for his efforts to make our community a better place. John Griffin was a small business man in my electorate who owned and operated one of the better known furniture stores on the lower North Shore in Sydney. Running your own business in a competitive market is time consuming and hard enough, but John was the type of person who thought and acted a lot bigger than just for his own business. His shop, Penfold’s Furniture, was located in the heart of Crows Nest, and for almost four decades John dedicated his life to making this important centre a strong and vibrant retail and commercial precinct. He did this as a local businessman and as President of the Crows Nest Chamber of Commerce for the past 20 years.

John was passionate about our area on the lower North Shore. He could speak more knowledgeably about the history of the North Sydney municipality and its growth than most. He often talked about Crows Nest’s role as the largest retail and commercial centre north of the Harbour Bridge before places like North Sydney and Chatswood came to rival and overtake its place. In the face of competition from other centres on the North Shore, Crows Nest faced a potentially grim future. John knew that if nothing were done then Crows Nest ran the risk of sliding into history as a tired and run-down retail precinct that would have little to offer residents, businesses and shoppers. With the drive and determination that were to be his hallmark, John set about creating a new future for Crows Nest. He knew that to survive Crows Nest needed its own character and its own niche. The Crows Nest Mainstreet program which he, more than any other, convinced North Sydney Council to establish and support did just that. The area was transformed through streetscape works and the addition of outdoor dining. The business community came together and worked to ensure that their area had a future. Crows Nest became a model for many other retail centres that ran the same risk of decay around Australia. To this day, it is cited as an example of how a precinct such as this can save itself in the face of competition from other locations and the emergence of the giant shopping centres.

Of course, nothing stands still, and neither did John. He worked hard to ensure that Crows Nest remained vibrant and met changing times. As many of its traditional businesses faced financial difficulties, John was at the forefront of looking at new ways to keep the centre humming. To achieve all that he did, John firstly had to convince fellow shop owners and businesses that concerted action was necessary. He then had to convince council and others to get behind the revitalisation project. John achieved both of these, not through strident table-thumping but rather through persuasion and the passion of his commitment. John, the man, was a true gentleman. He succeeded through hard work and also by treating others with respect and understanding. He gave of his time without hesitation.

John’s interest in the community extended to state and national politics, and in this regard I am very grateful for the support that he gave me and others like John Spender and Jillian Skinner over many years. I have to say that there is not a campaign office that I have had that was not lent its furnishings from John’s store, and last year when he announced that he was winding down his business we just hoped it would not be before the federal election was called.

It is people like John Griffin who, to use that well-worn phrase, are the backbone of our community. After a life working for others, he faced his own challenge when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was an inspiration in facing this battle in the way that he kept his good humour and his work for the community right to almost the very end. He showed courage that all of us in the local community could admire. All of his friends, and particularly his family, have my sincere condolences, and the recognition of John in this place is appropriate. Tonight I say farewell to the person dubbed ‘Mr Crows Nest’, and to his wife, Sue, and his children, Robin, Ryan and Dani, and the many friends that John had in our local community I extend my deepest condolences.