Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the condolence motion for Hazel Hawke and to reflect on the legacy that she has left this country. Born Hazel Masterton on 20 July 1929 in Perth, it was clear from a young age that this was a person who was not going to miss one moment of life. From an early age, she filled her life with charitable acts and spent many hours honing her piano skills, which eventually paid off, as she became an extremely accomplished pianist, even playing as a soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Hazel met her future husband, Bob, in Perth. They married on 3 March 1956 and had four children together.

She was a passionate woman who was actively involved in many areas of the community, and in June 2001 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. The citation given for her appointment speaks volumes about the work she has done in a variety of fields, including in reconciliation, the arts and environmental care. Sadly, it was also in 2001 that she was diagnosed as suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Even though Hazel had been diagnosed with this debilitating disease, it did not stop her from continuing her work. She became a public figure in supporting Alzheimer's sufferers and established the Hazel Hawke Alzheimer's Research and Care Fund, together with Alzheimer's Australia, which I am sure will be seen as a legacy to her fortitude. Perhaps Hazel Hawke's legacy can be summed up through her own words:

… I can help to promote openness, awareness and support for all people living with dementia. No illness should carry a negative label. None of us is immune.

The fact that Alzheimer's is now more widely talked about and discussed at home, at work and in the community is testimony to the work that Hazel has done.

Alzheimer's disease is a particularly sad and debilitating form of dementia that takes hold of our mental wellbeing, which is something that many of us take for granted. It slowly affects the sufferer, taking away their memories, their intellect and their social skills, essentially disintegrating the individual's personality before heralding a decline in their physical functionality.

Worryingly, dementia rates are expected to rise significantly into the future, with the prevalence of dementia in Queensland for each decade between 2011 and 2050 expected to increase faster than the state's population rate. To highlight the significance of this number, there are currently 2,700 people with dementia on the Gold Coast, but by 2050 this number is expected to rise to 15,700.

The best way to tackle dementia is by receiving an early diagnosis, which is made largely possible through heightened awareness of the disease. At the forefront of this charge is Alzheimer's Australia, and I have spoken in the past about their numerous awareness campaigns and their fundraising for research. They have a highly dedicated team, and I wish to once again thank them for the work that they are doing across the country.

Hazel Hawke was an inspiration to many people, and I know that her legacy will continue through the many fields she gave her time to. Her fight with Alzheimer's disease, although heartbreaking, reinforced the need for better awareness, and her work in promoting awareness has undoubtedly left countless Australians in a better position. This is a legacy that I am sure she would be proud of. I offer my sincere condolences to Hazel's family and friends at this time.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hazel Hawke, as members in this place have so eloquently articulated, was more than the wife of Australia's 23rd Prime Minister, Bob. She was a woman of undeniable strength and tenacity whose ability to raise her family and be, as her children described, 'both a mother and a father' whilst also maintaining a very public persona and a passion for equality will be remembered for years to come. As the member for McPherson just noted, her legacy will live on. Born Hazel Masterson on 20 July 1929 in Perth, Hazel's intelligence, dedication and passion for the arts was on display at a very early age. At her local parish church she met her future husband and the man who was to be Labor's longest serving Prime Minister. Hazel and Bob married on 3 March 1956, and Hazel assumed the role of a loving wife and mother who supported her ambitious husband as he assumed the presidency of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and later as a distinguished member of this House and Prime Minister. Bob's career was such that he was away from home very frequently and often for long periods. This is something to which I am sure we will all be able to relate, but Hazel's loyalty to her husband and family was unfaltering. As the member for Hotham noted, she even typed Bob's thesis while he was studying as part of his Rhodes scholarship.

In her own right, Hazel was an extraordinary individual. She was an accomplished concert pianist who played at the Sydney Opera House and whose singalongs often entertained the press corps and foreign dignitaries on the Prime Minister's international trips. Further to this, Hazel was a passionate advocate on social issues. Whether those issues were feminism, the arts or mental health, community advocacy was her passion. No-one will forget her tireless and brave campaigning on Alzheimer's disease and dementia. In her typical style, Hazel did not let her affliction deter her. Rather, when learning of her diagnosis she said, using that familiar Aussie term, 'bugger' to describe her disappointment. One of her greatest regrets was losing her driver's licence.

In trying to make a suitable tribute to Hazel, I thought I would go to country Labor's local representatives in my electorate. I spoke to Glenn Elliott Rudder, who is the president of the Wagga Wagga branch, and he certainly extended his condolences to Hazel's family and to Bob. He described her as a strong role model throughout her life. He said that she did it very tough, not only being from such a public family, but also the fact that she was expected to look after the kids and to raise them in the times her husband was frequently absent. He said she was a person in her own right and she certainly led the way. She was a great role model in those difficult days of the 1970s and 80s, when women's rights were really being extended and when women were not prepared to stay at home but were forging their own way in the world. She was a great exemplary model for women during those years.

Peter Knox, who is the senior vice president and publicity officer for the Griffith branch of country Labor, talked about Hazel's championing of Australian content on Australian television and he was fondly reminiscent of how she championed the cause of more Aussie programs on our own television stations rather the some of the foreign content that we so often get. He also talked about Hazel as a role model to others. I also liked the tweet of my colleague Barnaby Joyce. He probably best described Hazel as having the warmth and familiarity of an everyday mum—somebody we could relate to. That best described Hazel. She was certainly up there as the first lady of Australia—the wife of the Prime Minister. Everybody knew her in that role, but, as Barnaby put it, she had the warmth and familiarity of our own mums. Vale, Hazel Hawke. May she rest in peace.

Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion of condolence for Hazel Hawke AO and to support the very fine words of other members, including the member for McPherson, the member for Riverina and the member for Hotham, who have paid respect to her and have honoured her life.

We are here today to reflect on the life and contribution of a truly remarkable and inspirational Australian. She was a respected member of Australian society who influenced political opinion more so than many elected representatives. Hazel Hawke AO was born on 20 July 1929 and was the first wife of Hon. Bob Hawke, the former Prime Minister of Australia. However, what we witnessed with Hazel Hawke was her ability to step out from behind the personality and shadow of her then husband and create and forge her own very special identity. Those of us in this place know only too well the pressure and the neglect that is placed on our spouses and families with the demands placed upon us as elected representatives. However, we can only imagine how it would be magnified for the families of prime ministers and national leaders. And in that capacity, Hazel Hawke became a role model for others in similar situations.

As Bob Hawke said in a statement after her passing:

She was more than a wife and mother, being father as well, during my frequent absences as I pursued an industrial then political career.

I also note Hazel's passion in the earlier part of her life for women's issues and her role as a prominent supporter of the pro-choice movement and an advocate for women's rights and HIV-AIDS, particularly when it was not particularly popular to hold those views. Her influence on health policy through her husband during the years of his Prime Ministership was hugely significant. She is also remembered as an excellent pianist and a patron of the arts.

However, the most well-known aspect of Hazel Hawke's public passions was clearly her advocacy for Alzheimer's sufferers and research. As some of us well remember, she revealed that she was battling with Alzheimer's disease in a 2003 episode of Australian Story. She went on to become one of the country's most prominent campaigners for mental health awareness. As co-chair of the parliamentary friends of Alzheimer's group, I enormously appreciate the work that she and her family are continuing, including the work that enabled her great work in setting up her own foundation to raise funds for Alzheimer's research. As her good friend Wendy McCarthy wrote in an article on The Drum about her battle with Alzheimer's:

She so hated having it, but decided if it was in the public interest and might do some good, she would speak out.

The former Lord Mayor of Brisbane Sally-Anne Atkinson had numerous dealings with Hazel Hawke and said that her legacy will be her advocacy for dementia sufferers and research, but that should not overshadow the fact that she was a strong woman in her own right.

I was particularly moved by some of the comments by her family and her friends in the print media during the days after her passing. They wrote with such beautiful words and compassion for the mother, grandmother and friend that they so loved. One thing that has become increasingly evident during the past few days is that everyone who knew and was close to Hazel Hawke cherished and respected her and held her in the highest regard. Sometimes in life there are individuals whose contribution to our society demands universal admiration and respect. Hazel Hawke was one of those individuals, and I join in adding my support to this motion. I express my sincere condolences to Hazel's family and friends for their loss, especially to her remaining children, Susan, Stephen and Roslyn, who have been so steadfast. Our nation is saddened at Hazel's passing, but we are richer for the life she was generous enough to share with us all.

Debate adjourned.