Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was hosting a dinner for the Indonesian vice-president when the member for Griffith and former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced his retirement from parliamentary life. So I regret that I was unable to join the tributes to him in the other chamber.

It may surprise a few people present to hear that the retiring member for Griffith, Mr Rudd, and I actually have a few things in common. We both support the same Rugby League teams, especially the unstoppable Maroons in the State of Origin. We are both incredibly proud Queenslanders and share links with the Sunshine Coast and its hinterland. I think we are both unapologetic for our love for serving the people and trying to make our country a better place in which to live. That of course does not say we do not have differences, particularly in terms of policy approaches.

Despite our different views it certainly would be remiss of me not to recognise some of the member for Griffith's achievements during his time in parliament. Mr Rudd became only the second Queenslander to lead his party to a federal election victory, the first being Andrew Fisher, who was the first member for the electorate of Wide Bay. To lead a party to victory, as he did in the 2007 election, was a remarkable feat and one he should be recognised for. The Kevin 07 campaign will long be remembered by many Australians and it is really reminiscent of the famous 'It's Time' campaign that brought the Whitlam government to office.

The presidential style of the 2007 poll will, for a long time to come, influence the way in which election campaigns are conducted in this country. It is a trend that I do not think fits well with the traditions of a Westminster style of government. But, nonetheless, it seems as though it is inevitably upon us and that future elections will be as much about the personality and the like or dislike of a particular individual who will serve as Prime Minister that determines their results.

Mr Rudd defeated a government which history is judging as one of our nation's best. He was able to overcome a Prime Minister who was respected and who most voters thought had done a good job. Indeed, he, at many stages, promoted himself as just a younger version of John Howard, as somebody who would perhaps be a little different but not radically different so that people could feel comfortable with evicting a government that they had actually respected for one that might be a bit more adventurous. In the end of course he was very different and his government will be remembered for its excitement rather than for its methodical approach to government.

His role in particularly promoting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, including his apology to the stolen generation in 2008, will be regarded as one of his achievements. Symbolism has a place in political leadership and, in this instance, the time and the cause was right. It marked a significant day in the history and future of our country. In the member for Griffith's maiden speech, back in November 1998, he said:

I believe Mr Rudd experienced firsthand how powerful politics can be. The shocking dismissal at the hands of his own party will be forever etched in the minds of many Australians and of course the mind of Kevin Rudd. It is no way for a Prime Minister to be treated, let alone in his first term so soon after the people had decided. Perhaps the struggle with the power of politics witnessed over the recent past serves as a reminder to us all that power requires responsibility and should be used to benefit the community we serve.

It is indeed the greatest honour to serve the people of Australia, one that only a relatively few will ever understand let alone appreciate—and, of course, the toll that that service takes on one's family and friends. It is often a thankless job, full of constant scrutiny and pressure, with limited down time. It involves long days of trying to find outcomes to myriad problems, and late nights spent preparing to do it again the next day. Obviously, Kevin Rudd was one of those who gave every minute of every day. He never shirked from a public occasion and was always willing to go the extra mile, travelling the extra distance, and that must have had an enormous personal toll on him as an individual.

Family events and contact with ones who are near and dear are often missed. Holidays are unheard of, and every three years you are subject to the most intense employee review that anyone could ever experience—namely, the judgement of the Australian people. That is as it should be and no member of parliament would have it any other way, but it does take a toll on individuals. Inevitably, there comes a time in every politician's life when you reassess and prioritise for your family that has sacrificed so much so that you can do this job.

The member for Griffith leaves this place with the understanding and appreciation of every member in this chamber. When he made his announcement last Wednesday night, no one could deny that he and his family have made great sacrifices. In his maiden speech, Mr Rudd finished by saying:

Well, Kevin, you certainly made a difference. You have left a permanent impression on Australian politics, which will be studied and poured over for a very long time. I salute the member for Griffith and wish him and his family all the best for the future, for good health and for every happiness.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with some pleasure and a bit of sadness that I speak on the retirement of the member for Griffith, Kevin Rudd, but I think that in terms of this contribution I will probably be one of the few people who speak on this particular topic, in this particular aspect of the work that he has done.

In particular, I want to pay tribute to Kevin's—and I hope you will give me some leeway for using his first name a little; I know that is not within the standing orders—enormous contribution to organ and tissue donation. I had the enormous privilege of being parliamentary secretary for health, with carriage of organ and tissue donation, and the legacy that Kevin has left and the incredible work that has been done in this space. There is much more to do and a long way to go, but it would not have happened and it would not be where it is today if it had not been for the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd taking a decision and actually pushing this agenda and making sure that there was change in this place.

For many of us in this House, our values and ambitions for public office are formed by our own life experiences, especially from the generosity of others in our community who inspire a willingness to make a positive change and to give something back. The member for Griffith was twice a recipient of the most generous gift a person can receive: the gift of life. Such a generous gift is not easy to repay. As Prime Minister, in 2008, Kevin put a world's-best-practice approach to organ and tissue donation at the forefront of the national reform agenda. It was followed up in 2009 by the establishment of the Organ and Tissue Authority, and through the DonateLife network we now have in this country a nationally-coordinated approach to organ and tissue donation for transplantation, in partnership with states, territories, clinicians, consumers and the communities.

DonateLife's research identified that one of the key findings to lifting the rate of organ and tissue donation is to encourage families to have the difficult conversation about their donation wishes, enabling loved ones to make an informed decision at a time of grief and tragedy.

The then Prime Minister had the willingness to share his own story, and to roll up his sleeves and go to hospital after hospital to talk with people on the waiting list and to transplant recipients to gain a complex understanding of what is a very difficult area of public policy, but one that was desperately needed. The importance cannot be underestimated of the then Prime Minister's commitment in taking a submission to cabinet, making sure that the funds were available—some $140 million and continuing—to lift the rate of organ and tissue donation in this country. We are starting to see the results of that work.

Many more Australians are now having that conversation and the results are proving to be what we anticipated, but there is more to do. Since 2009, the number of organ donations in Australia has increased by more than 43 per cent. It would not have happened without the then Prime Minister's commitment. Last year, almost 250 more people received an organ transplant than in 2009. From 2009 to the end of last year, the number of organs transplanted increased by 30 per cent, and the number of organ donors and transplant recipients was the highest since national records began. We are starting to see consent rates slowly improve, and we are starting to see family conversations happen as a matter of course.

When I was Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, I met with countless families who had performed the most gracious and selfless act of donating their loved ones' organs. For all the generosity of donors and their families, there are thousands of Australians who have been given a second chance at life. We owe each of these donors and their families our most sincere gratitude but also, in this debate, I would like to pay tribute to Kevin Rudd, the then Prime Minister, for taking the decision on organ and tissue donation. Lifting Australia's quite woeful rates of organ and tissue donation was something that needed the attention of a prime minister, and it took the attention of a prime minister to have it placed on the national agenda and acted upon. I pay tribute to his contribution to many thousands of lives; they now get a second chance. Over the course of these reforms, from the start and for the many years to come, we will continue to see increases in the rate of organ and tissue donation. I do want to highlight not only the fact that this is an area of public policy that was lagging behind but also the fact that we had a prime minister take a decision to invest such substantial amounts of money, as well as research and investigate the best model to adopt. It has made a substantive difference. I know that the member for Griffith has signalled that this is an area he wants to continue to work in, and I certainly hope that he does bring all of his skills to bear on what is probably one of the most fundamental areas of health policy that you could ever come across. It is not often in public life that you are involved in making a policy change that effectively saves lives. This is one of those changes. I want to pay absolute tribute to the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and member for Griffith for having that foresight and for making that extraordinary investment in the gift of life for people in this country.

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Griffith for his service to the nation—as the member for Griffith, as a minister and as the Prime Minister. I was interested in some of the remarks made earlier that suggested that the member for Griffith said in his maiden speech that he would be here as long as he could make a difference. I must say that the remark that I often make about my length of tenure is that I should only remain as long as I can make a difference. I do not wish to disparage his service; a great deal has been said of it, but I would give greater credit for all of the expenditure achievements if we had been able to achieve them without debt.

In relation to the member for Griffith, I notice that there have been a number of comments made as to why he might—and I do not know yet whether he has done so—tender his resignation, and that he might be doing so on the basis of his commitment to his family and their expectations of him. If that is the case, to an extent I can understand because families do bear a very significant load if you are making a contribution to this nation and its future. I notice that some others writing about the former Prime Minister's potential departure have some other comments to make. I was interested in one of them over the weekend in The Australian where Dennis Shanahan wrote:

If his departure is to provide a period of healing for the Labor Party, that may be a significant reason for his departure. But I want to lament the departure of another Prime Minister. Mention was made in the Leader of the National Party's speech about some of the practices that have developed here in Australia in relation to the personalising of elections around a leader—interesting observations. I want to make some other observations about changes that have happened in the time I have been involved in public life.

I have met all of Australia's prime ministers since Chifley. Chifley was removed at an election. I knew Robert Menzies. He was here in government for 23 years and he left of his own accord when he had given very long and very distinguished service to the nation. In a sense I understand why he might have left the parliament at that time given his age. Interestingly, he was followed by Harold Holt, who was tragically taken we believe by accident at sea, who was also followed by Sir John Gorton. I served with Sir John Gorton. He continued to sit in this parliament and in the other house. I served with Sir William McMahon. He remained in the parliament. In fact the practice, as it seems to me, of former prime ministers quickly leaving the parliament occurred with Bob Hawke, Malcolm Fraser and Paul Keating. It is interesting that Gough Whitlam in fact stayed on in the parliament and was Leader of the Opposition for a time.

John Howard was defeated not only in an election but in his seat, but I wonder whether John Howard would have left the parliament had he not lost his seat. Julia Gillard elected not to stand again and now Kevin Rudd has left us. I lament it. I would like to think that, if he believed he could still make a difference, as he said in his maiden speech, he would still be with us.

There is a view that the parliament itself cannot accommodate former prime ministers. I want to say that I think that view is wrong. If Kevin Rudd is leaving because he believes he would be demeaned, in some way ridiculed, seen as a lesser person and simply as a member of the parliament, that would disappoint me enormously. I want to reflect. We are supposed to be modelled upon the Westminster system and I can remember Ted Heath continuing as a member of the House of Commons. I can remember Callaghan continuing to contribute in the House of Commons. I can remember Maggie Thatcher contributing in the House of Commons. Some of them later translated to another House, but they continued to play a role. I hope the time will come when our parliament will mature sufficiently to be a parliament where those who have served us in the highest office can feel free to be able to remain with us without being disparaged in any way.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Berowra for his contribution. I am not sure that I agree with all of his sentiments, but I do think he presents a cogent argument as to how we might mature in this place at some point in the future. My observations about the former Prime Minister come from my personal interactions with him and my admiration for much of what was achieved under his stewardship.

We are all flawed in one way or another, and the previous Prime Minister had flaws, just like you and I. It is not my intention to examine his flaws or even comment on them, because this is neither the time nor the place. I do want to concentrate our minds on the legacy that will be left as a result of his prime ministership and the partnership he had at that point with his deputy Julia Gillard and with his ministry, of which I was a proud member.

We have heard a lot of words in this place, and last week some very moving tributes. I accord with the sentiments of those tributes. From my personal point of view there are a couple of things that I need to make clear. The first of these is that the single most important moment for me in the 24½ years I have been in this place was the apology to the stolen generation. Bear in mind that my electorate, which was all of the Northern Territory at one point, is now Lingiari, which is 1.34 million square kilometres. It is all of the Northern Territory except Darwin, which is the seat of Solomon, which has 330,000 square kilometres. The bulk of the Aboriginal people who live in the Northern Territory live in my electorate. Around 40 per cent of my constituents are Aboriginal people. A significant number of them were members of the stolen generation. Indeed, last Friday I had cause to go to the funeral of a very dear old friend, David 'Weewak' Ross in Katherine. There were 1,000 people there. A significant number of those thousand people were members of the stolen generation or descendants of members of the stolen generation. I know what that apology meant for them. Knowing that the Prime Minister was going to do it, being able to offer to provide assistance with words and make a contribution to the speech if that was thought necessary to him, I was absolutely flummoxed by the breadth of this understanding, the depth of his knowledge and his commitment, and the courage which exhibited in making that apology. The words were his. To be in the parliament, to see him go to Mrs Fejo, a senior Aboriginal woman and a member of the stolen generation from Northern Territory; to see the people in the parliament itself respond in such a way; to see the emotional outpouring across the country; and to see the international recognition that it brought to us was something that none of us will ever forget, I am certain. I do not think we really understand yet the implications for us. I want to make it very clear that this single most important event in my time in this parliament was that apology.

Not only was the apology important, but also Prime Minister Rudd took a great interest in issues to do with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. He was a principal architect of the government's commitment to closing the gap in employment, health measures and education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. We have made a significant contribution as a result of the investments made because of his policy commitment. Significant efforts have been made and improvements have been brought about directly as a result of his leadership. Again, in the future people will look back and see how significant that move was. And it was done in partnership with people in the broader community—with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people right across the country. So I want to say thank you to him for that commitment and for the changes which have been brought about as a direct result of that commitment.

I also want to make some comments about the work he did in the global financial crisis and the leadership shown by him, by the then Treasurer, Wayne Swan, and by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. I know that the then opposition opposed much of the effort made and many of the things that were done at the time, and said that they were a waste of money. They ran around the country talking about the waste of money on school halls and the like. Well, in my own case, I can tell you that every dollar spent was a dollar well spent and a dollar well spent that would not have been spent had it not been for that government and the leadership shown by the Prime Minister to bring us through that global financial crisis. As I travelled around the Northern Territory and open new classrooms, assembly halls or libraries, in communities which had never seen a new single dollar, let alone hundreds of thousands of dollars, or millions of dollars in some cases, for improvements in capital works, it was indeed astounding. And there is not one community that I can think of that I visited that was anything but ecstatic about receiving that investment as a direct result of the decisions taken by that government.

I know we hear a lot, have heard a lot and will continue to hear a lot from the current government about the so-called fiscal delinquency of that government investing in this way, but Australians all know that it was the right thing to do and the right time to do it. Not only was it the right time to do it but it will be seen in the future as a great legacy for this country, for the educational opportunities of people living in the most remote communities and, indeed, in communities with the poorest educational outcomes in this nation in my electorate—all of whom benefited directly from the investments made as a result of the strategies adopted by the then Labor government under the leadership of Kevin Rudd and over the global financial crisis. Despite the cynicism from those opposite, we should be forever grateful. I know I will be and I know that the people of the Northern Territory who receive the benefits of those investments will, too, be forever grateful.

I think there is a lot more to be said about the legacy of Kevin Rudd to this great nation of ours, and I think people are a bit too quick to be critical and do not really appreciate the significance of what was achieved under his very dynamic leadership. Yes, as I said at the outset, he had flaws—but so do we all, and I think that if we all had a bit of time for self-criticism and self-examination we would acknowledge our own flaws. But this is not a time to examine flaws; this is a time to examine his contribution to this nation of ours and say: 'Thank you, Kevin, for your leadership, your hard work, your courage and your commitment.'

Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the retirement of the Hon. Kevin Rudd. I read with interest a long time ago the first speech of the honourable member, because by reading first speeches you get a sense of the character of the person and of what they will champion based on their beliefs and their passions, but, more importantly, of the expectations that I, as an individual in the Australian community, place on that individual based on their first speech. And, as you follow their career while they are in politics, you get a sense of whether they have been true to that level of passion and commitment.

On Wednesday, 11 November 1998, the Hon. Kevin Rudd, as member for Griffith, rose to make his first speech. The thing that struck me was his opening statement:

I saw that evidenced in his leadership as Prime Minister, in the way in which he tackled issues, the way in which he had a strong belief in himself and the way in which he led debates—his position on which we, on our side, sometimes challenged. Politics has a critical role in shaping the way in which our society behaves, believes and responds. He went on to say:

In this, he always strived to influence and make decisions for the greater good of Australian society.

Some of the priorities and policies you find when you read through his first speech are reflected in the priorities that he established within the construct of the 2020 forums that he held. He went on to say:

I think he tried to encapsulate that through those forums, with the hope that what would come out of them, from ordinary Australians, would help to give him the basis to take forward a reform agenda.

Equally, in his youth, and because of the circumstances he found himself in, he reflected on the things that he would include and encompass within his first speech. He said at one point:

When you take those three statements in isolation, separate from the body of the speech, they form the essence of some of the priorities that were established by the honourable Prime Minister, and I do not think that he has ever resiled from them. Even during moments of criticism in some of the key debates, he was consistent in his message in those areas. He believed unapologetically in an active—sometimes too active—role for government. He went on to say:

He certainly played a significant role in all of those areas.

On 13 February, when he delivered the apology, he started the healing process. It was not until I became a member of the parliament that I got to know Kevin Rudd the man. I had a very similar experience to that of my colleague Minister Malcolm Turnbull. I interacted with the former Prime Minister at functions. After my first speech he spoke with me, and on other occasions we shared views and considerations in respect of the future for Indigenous Australians in all fields—how we could enhance their opportunities in life and their capacity and capability to step out of dependency on welfare in directions that would make an incredible difference.

In those discussions he asked me, 'What was the impact of the apology and how did you feel about the significance of that apology?' I said to him: 'The referendum was a defining moment within Australian politics—the recognition that came when Australia, with the majority of states and the majority of votes, ticked off on the 1967 referendum. But, when you did the apology, you created a healing process that has galvanised a lot of people—in acknowledging that there were policies, practices, programs and services that were not conducive to the strength and unity of families or communities.' The decisions of the past had displaced people, but in their coming back together, people's connections with their families was a stage in their healing. But the apology had a far greater potency through the way in which it was delivered at a time when Australia had considered, and given support to, many of the reforms in Aboriginal affairs. The other thing that was important was the way in which Kevin Rudd worked. He became involved with, and immersed in, Aboriginal communities and Torres Strait Islander communities. I compliment the current Prime Minister on doing the same.

I think all of us in this chamber often forget the impact on our families. As Kevin Rudd said in his closing speech in the chamber, our families are important to us, but the time that we take from them to serve in a public role is significant. For prime ministers the burden must be much greater because of the time they are away from their families. All members on the night of Kevin Rudd's announcement recognised both his exaltation in his family and his exuberance in the fact that he was going to be able to spend time with them as a husband, a father and a grandfather, because those elements are often forgotten in the roles that we play.

I said to Kevin—I will call him Kevin because this is what I said to him—'I want to retain a friendship in the work that you do around the apology's Healing Foundation and in relation to homelessness.' I think his contribution on those things will be significant. He will not lose the passion for what he wanted to do as a person.

In closing let me say that I think we should thank Kevin Rudd's wife Therese, his daughter Jessica and son-in-law Albert, Josephine, Nicholas, Zara and Marcus for the time that they allowed Kevin to be with us, because his contribution to public life in many areas will always be there, alive and huge in the psyche of Australia and, importantly, within the history of this country. In particular, I know that Indigenous Australians right across this nation will always consider what he did for them and the journey that has begun. The next stage is our commitment as a parliament to the recognition of Indigenous Australians within the Constitution. That will come through the bipartisan work of many.

To the Hon. Kevin Rudd, I salute you in what you achieved as Prime Minister. I acknowledge that, as an individual—as is the case with all of us—you had your failings. I hope that you enjoy the time that you will now have on your free journey away from the Australian parliament. Thank you for what you have done.

Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many words have been spoken, and eloquent tributes paid to Kevin Rudd on this occasion of his retirement from parliament. Many—including the members for Lingiari and Hasluck, just now—have mentioned the transformative impact of the national apology to Indigenous Australians, the timely and effective response to the global financial crisis—as confirmed by Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, among many others—and the ratification of the Kyoto protocol. Most have mentioned the successful advocacy for the G20 and our place as a nation in it—we are about to assume the G20 presidency for the next year—and for a seat on the UN Security Council at a time of dramatic events and upheavals in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The National Broadband Network, the paid parent leave scheme, the raising of the pension, the championing of organ donation, and the unprecedented investment in schools, local government, public transport and social housing infrastructure, are also achievements for which Kevin Rudd is receiving due recognition.

Less-well-known but important reforms of the Rudd Labor government include the removal of discrimination against same-sex couples in more than 80 Commonwealth laws, the legislation to prevent the re-introduction by the states of the death penalty, the endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its optional protocol, and the establishment, together with the Japanese government, of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. As Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd oversaw the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness, leading to a more structured, effective, transparent and accountable foreign aid program, as confirmed by the OECD peer review into Australia's aid effectiveness earlier this year—a report which encourages Australia to communicate more widely the structures and achievement of our aid program for the benefit of other countries.

In recognition of the size and importance of the aid program, Kevin Rudd appointed the first Minister for International Development in 20 years—the previous such minister having been Gordon Bilney, during the Keating government. I am very grateful to Kevin Rudd for giving me the absolutely unexpected privilege and opportunity to serve in that role. It was, for me, given my background, expertise and interests, the perfect job. During that fleeting 2½ months I had the opportunity to work with an extraordinary agency, AusAID, that was full of people who only wanted to do good in the world. I had the opportunity to see first-hand in the Solomon Islands and in Timor Leste, some of the significant work being done by AusAID and by our NGO partners in the region, where our international aid program is making a genuine difference to lives and economies.

I feel personally wrenched by the present government's decision to abolish AusAID and roll it into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and I can only hope that the spirit of AusAID, which I was fortunate to be part of for a little while, lives on somehow in our ongoing commitment to combatting poverty and disadvantage wherever it exists—as an extension of our national ethos, first and foremost, as well as with reference to our broader national interest. It was somewhat fitting, therefore, that, as I was having a late dinner last Wednesday night to thank my former AusAID ministerial staff—late because of Kevin Rudd's surprise announcement of his retirement and the subsequent speeches—who should walk into the Jewel of India restaurant in Manuka and sit at the next table but Kevin Rudd and his son Marcus, with other Labor colleagues. Kevin came over to our table to say hello. Upon learning that some of the people were from the entity formerly known as AusAID he said, 'I'm sorry; I did my best.'

Indeed he did. The aid program increased under Labor by 80 per cent from 2007 and, as mentioned, became highly effective and transparent, as well as forging meaningful long-term partnerships with respected Australian NGOs. Kevin did not hesitate to agree to my proposal, as minister, that an ambassador for disability-inclusive development be appointed to advance Australia's efforts to advocate for the millions of people world-wide who suffer the most because they are not only living in extreme poverty but also living with a disability.

I want to recognise the achievements of Labor under Kevin's leadership in two further areas that are especially meaningful to me and the people I represent in Fremantle. The first is action on climate change, which Kevin championed as a key pillar, on Labor's return to government in 2007. At this point I think it is worth reflecting on the fact that life can take some strange twists and turns, and that sometimes it feels as though it is only a matter of sliding doors that separate alternative realities. That was certainly the case at the end of 2009, when, having painstakingly negotiated a bipartisan agreement on the carbon pollution reduction scheme, the leadership ructions of the Liberal Party saw the abandonment of that consensus.

Australian policy and political life might have been very different but for one vote in the coalition party room and the pride and political self-interest of five Green senators. I have not heard any expression of regret from the Greens for their colossal error in siding with the coalition to vote down the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Nor am I likely to, but I think that, in their heart of hearts, they know—certainly with the benefit of hindsight—that they made a terrible mistake. This was a mistake that prevented all of us from moving quickly and comprehensively to an emissions trading scheme which, while by no means perfect, had the support of business, trade unions and the environment movement. It would have been bedded down by now and accepted by the community and it could have been strengthened and built upon without significant dissent. We would not, I think, have seen the rampant growth in climate change denial and the consequent confusion and apathy around climate change that now exists in many parts of the community. The deeply damaging decision by Kevin Rudd to defer the emissions trading scheme would not have occurred, and it is likely his prime ministership would have continued, with, of course, vastly different outcomes for the Labor government, the Labor Party and the nation. But that is life, and sometimes history turns on such fine points as the events of a single day or a handful of votes.

The other policy area in which Kevin did so much, driven by his own experience of social and economic fragility, was housing and homelessness. As Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Parliamentary Secretary for Homelessness and Social Housing, I saw some extraordinary outcomes from our $20 billion investment in social and affordable housing and in programs to prevent and end homelessness. Of course, this investment was only the beginning of what needs to occur to end homelessness and ensure sufficient affordable and social housing in the community, but we made a very good start that I hope can be built upon, together with the necessary commitment from the states and territories.

Kevin came to Fremantle to speak at the Gimme Shelter concert, an annual event in Freo to raise funds for and awareness of homelessness. He and John Butler shared the stage for a while, and I can tell you that, while John Butler, as a local barnstorming, guitar-playing, activist folk hero, received his customary adulation, the crowd around Kevin as he moved through the grounds of the Fremantle Arts Centre was no less supportive.

I do not want to enter into an appraisal of the leadership wars, as there are many others engaged in parsing every incident and betrayal. I believe that Julia Gillard did an extraordinary job as Prime Minister under very difficult circumstances, and there were incredible Labor achievements during her government that I will go into on another occasion. If I were to lay responsibility anywhere for the difficulties Labor finds itself in, much of it would be with the factional leaders—with the fact that power is wielded by so few, that it is frequently wielded for shallow or self-interested purposes and that the few are largely unaccountable, are never held responsible, for the exercise of power affecting so many, however badly it may turn out. Kevin Rudd's party reforms were a necessary beginning to what must come next: root-and-branch reform to properly democratise the Labor Party.

For all his acknowledged faults as a leader and as an individual—and who among us is free of fault?—we owe Kevin Rudd enormous thanks for his vision and for the achievements of the government he led, for they include significant and lasting changes for the benefit of many people and for the future of this nation. I wish Kevin and Therese and their family happiness as they go forward with their lives.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to pay tribute to the 26th Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Kevin Rudd, the member for Griffith. People who come to this House on both sides of the political fence do so, I believe, for the same reason: they want to make Australia a better place. And, by and large, they meet their aims. But when we disagree with each other we have to be big enough to acknowledge the contributions of those opposite. In fact, it was once said that all the good bowlers are not on one team. There are good politicians and people of principle and values on both sides of politics.

At this point, I would like to acknowledge the contribution that Kevin Rudd has made not only to the people of Griffith but to the country as Prime Minister. There are two particular areas of note. The first is his apology in the national parliament to the Aboriginal people of Australia. That was a very significant moment, and it deserved bipartisan support. The second is his deep, abiding and expert interest in foreign affairs. I have been a public critic of a number of things that Kevin Rudd has done in foreign policy and defence policy, but I do accept that he has a level of interest and experience as a former diplomat, and of expertise, that is hard to match in this parliament. Therefore I welcome the announcement by Kevin Rudd that in his life after politics he will pursue both those areas as a public citizen. I am sure he will continue to make a significant contribution to the Indigenous population of Australia, as well as on the international stage as he pursues his interest in foreign policy, in particular his knowledge and expertise around the rise of China.

I would also like to pay tribute to his family. In his farewell, Kevin Rudd mentioned that his family had said, 'Enough is enough,' and that they had been extremely supportive of him during his time in office. Members on both sides of this House know that they would not be here but for the support of their families. So, to his wife, Therese, to his children, Jess, Nick and Marcus, and to their extended family: I wish you all the very best. I wish Kevin all the very best for his career post parliament. He can rest assured that during his time in office there were things that he did that made Australia a better place.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to be able to stand here today in this chamber and pay tribute to Kevin Rudd, somebody who I believe is one of the finest prime ministers that Australia has ever had. From the perspective of a Labor member of this parliament, when he led Labor to victory in 2007 I would have to say that that was one of the most exciting moments of my political career. It felt as if a veil had been lifted from our society here in Australia and that as a nation we were regenerating. We were a country that had ideas, we were a country that had a hope and we were a country that was looking to the future. I think that great excitement, hope and joie de vivre was really generated to a large extent by Kevin Rudd and the victory that we enjoyed in 2007.

Following that, we had the apology to the stolen generation. I would without a doubt say that was the most moving time that I have had in this parliament. It made me proud to be a member of parliament. I was proud to stand there with members from both sides of this House as the apology was given to the stolen generation. I still remember very vividly looking up to the press gallery and seeing a young Indigenous journalist. As the apology was delivered, he jumped in the air. He cheered. He had tears running down his face. If you looked around the gallery you could see the raw emotion that existed in the House as that apology was delivered. It was something that was long overdue.

I know many members in this House and past members were involved with the Sorry Day. I walked across the bridge on Sorry Day. As I crossed the bridge, I spoke to three young girls who came from Taree. They were so excited. They said to me, 'This is the third time we have walked across the bridge and we are going back to do it again.' I think the apology was the culmination of that Sorry Day, something that had been building and building for a very long time. And it took a person like Kevin Rudd, a person who could grasp that momentum, to actually deliver that apology and bring us all with him.

The other thing that is quite often forgotten is the apology to the forgotten generation, the British children who were brought to Australia as migrants. I have met and spoken to many of them, some of them in my own electorate. They were so emotional about that apology, as were those people covered by that apology who grew up in orphanages and institutions. Those were two really significant apologies that changed the face of our country and changed the lives of those people that those apologies were directed to. That would not have happened when it did without Kevin Rudd.

Kevin has a unique ability to connect to people. Australians love and identify with Kevin Rudd. As a Prime Minister, he was able to listen to what people were saying to him and then actually move towards bringing that to a reality.

One of the first things that Labor caucus was given as a challenge after the 2007 election was that we were to visit a centre or organisation which worked with homeless people. We all went out and learnt of the issues that confronted the homeless on a daily basis. Then we had to come back to report to caucus. Once again, I think that showed the unique quality of Kevin. We were not just sitting down and reading books about homelessness; we were actually connecting with homeless people and understanding how it affected their lives.

The member for Fremantle spoke about foreign aid and the work Kevin did on foreign affairs. He was the person who started the push for a seat on the UN Security Council. While many on the other side may not agree with the action taken in the global financial crisis, I know that it made a real difference on the ground in my electorate. I have heard people on the other side criticise the money that was spent in schools and in the enormous infrastructure programs. On the other hand, I had employers coming to my office, employers who have always voted Liberal, who said to me that, but for the actions of Kevin Rudd and the Labor government in 2008-09, they would have lost everything. Providing that work in schools was their savour. Once again it was his forward thinking, his ability to look at a problem and develop a strategy, to work towards a resolution that really did save Australia. Despite what those on the other side might say, Australia did come through the global financial crisis better than any other country.

Under Kevin we have undergone enormous party reform. Since his election, we have changed the way we elect our leader. This has shown what a democratic party the Labor Party is. Members of the Labor Party now feel they can have a say in who should lead their party. It gives a new value to Labor Party membership. You are not just a member of the Labor Party handing out on election day. As a member of the Labor Party, you can vote to choose who leads your party federally. Once again, this would not have happened without Kevin Rudd. I think that is just the start of many more reforms which we will see in the Labor Party.

Every Australian should be proud to have had Kevin Rudd as prime minister. He delivered much to our nation. As has already been said, he will be studied throughout history and I am sure that the place reserved for him will be very special, one where all his attributes are touched on. Everybody has touched on something a little different. Kevin Rudd is a man of enormous empathy, a man who gives his all and a man who is now going to spend more time with his family, but at the same time a man who has established goals, with the establishment of the indigenous foundation, with continuing his involvement with homelessness and with organ donation. These are all very important to Kevin Rudd and really epitomise the person he is. Thank you, Kevin. I have appreciated being in parliament with you and I have appreciated all you have given to the Australian people and to the Labor Party.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are there any other statements? I call the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and congratulations on your elevation to high office.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will be brief in my remarks but I think it is important that we acknowledge the contribution of people who reach the highest office in the land, and Kevin Rudd obviously spent two terms as Prime Minister of our great country. He was—and still is, of course—a great intellect and a man of great passion. But it is not an insignificant feat to defeat an incumbent Prime Minister. It happens very rarely in our political system and, when it does, it is substantial.

When you change the government you change the country, as Paul Keating famously once said, and undoubtedly Kevin Rudd changed the country when he became Prime Minister and during his terms as Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, you leave a mark on our nation; you leave a legacy for future generations to reflect upon and to live with, good, bad or otherwise. He is someone who has contributed in that significant way, and we should acknowledge and honour people who have been in that great office.

He was a very difficult candidate for the former Prime Minister—speaking as a member of the staff in 2007, it was a difficult election for us. Undoubtedly, that was the case because Kevin Rudd was a very skilled professional at campaigning and put the Labor Party in the best position that they had been put in for many, many years. They had the success that he undoubtedly brought for the Labor Party in that election.

No doubt he would be reflecting now upon what he achieved in that office, and I am sure he would wish some of the events had played out differently. But this is the life that we are given, and you deal with the events as they unfold.

I think Kevin Rudd has made a brave decision. He has been in parliament a relatively short time for somebody who reached the prime ministership. It is not usual. I think maybe in some ways he reached the prime ministership too early on in his career. It is an office which is enormously demanding. You have to be extraordinarily disciplined and utterly prepared for the mental and physical demands which the office puts on prime ministers, particularly in modern political life. The term that Sir Robert Menzies had in office was undoubtedly longer due to the fact that he did not face the intense scrutiny that modern prime ministers do, and we are unlikely to see a 12-year service such as John Howard's again in our lifetime because of that very fact—that the intensity, the pace, with which we now serve in this business has been ramped up to be so much more than what it once was.

It is an intrusive lifestyle, as all of us know, and it is an extremely lonely experience being a candidate in a federal election, particularly on that night when you are waiting for those votes to be counted. There are very few people across the country who can really understand what that experience is like, and that is exaggerated many times when you are sitting there waiting for the results as the leader of a party seeking government, as Kevin Rudd was in 2007, or the leader of a party defending government, as he was in 2013 at the recent election.

He should be congratulated on his career. His family should enjoy, now, that time with him and also be able to reflect upon what has been a very significant career. Very few people reach the office. Kevin Rudd was one of the very few lucky people in our country to have achieved that office. He should be congratulated. We should remember him fondly for the contribution he made to this place, and we should wish him well in whatever future he seeks to make for himself and for his family.

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker , may I take the opportunity to congratulate you on your elevation as well. It is a very fine job. I did it in the previous parliament.

I will take this opportunity to say a few words about Kevin Rudd—as I know him—the member for Griffith, who, as the House is aware, chose to resign and therefore end his active parliamentary political career. It is very important, I think, to say a few things about Kevin. I met Kevin all those years ago when I first came into parliament as a much younger member. One of the things that struck me the most about him was his incredible knowledge. Kevin is one of those people who has incredible knowledge. Basically, there are people in the world who can very quickly learn lots of things, and he was one of those people. He was also one of those people who had travelled extensively and obviously had a great love for foreign affairs. He is, if I can describe him as such, probably the consummate global citizen, which is what he described himself as the other day as well. He is a very proud Australian, very committed to this country, but is also recognised and moves in a very global community. In fact, that is pretty much the way of the future for all of us. I think we all at some point in time have to become, at least in our thinking, global citizens, and certainly Kevin has embraced that global thinking.

Kevin is also well known for the fact that he has a very strong connection to the Australian people. I think everyone has seen that relationship over the course of his time here in parliament and certainly as Prime Minister. He had a remarkable ability to connect with people. For me in particular it became very obvious and evident at the time when he became the Leader of the Opposition in 2006 and then led the then opposition through to the 2007 election campaign victory.

I have been lucky to have Kevin visit my electorate on many occasions throughout the time that I have been the member for Calwell. In fact, his very first meeting was in a tiny little house in one of our neighbourhoods. He came to visit my local Iraqi Christian Chaldean community. I was not sure how the meeting was going to go, because the emerging Iraqi community were in the middle of being involved in the Iraq war. They are refugees here in Australia.

I have to say that there was nothing that Kevin did not know about ancient Mesopotamia, nothing he did not know about their history and nothing that he did not know about the ancient church of the east. I was struggling to understand all of those nuances. Kevin knew them all, and he forever impressed that community, so much so that they became devotees of him. In fact, that was so not only for that community but for other communities in my electorate, to the extent that I have often referred to the federal seat of Calwell as very much a Rudd seat. Certainly the people that live in the federal seat of Calwell had a very high regard for Kevin Rudd as a parliamentarian and in particular as Prime Minister of Australia.

One of the most remarkable examples of his visits to my seat was in the lead-up to the 2007 election campaign. It was the Monday before the Saturday, and it was supposed to be a very low key, sort of secret meeting with people in my electorate. I will not disclose any further—it was not me, but I just had an office close to the airport. We had to work very hard to make sure that it was kept secret or low key. But he was spotted. My office is in a railway station centre, and as he entered he was spotted by busloads of schoolkids who were going home. They refused to leave the station. They waited for Kevin to come out, because they wanted to see him, to shake his hand. For me, that was an indication of just how popular he was amongst young people. In fact my constituent Ian Hogarth had popped into my office that day to say hello—I know that he would want me to say this and to quote him—and he said to me: 'Do you know what this feels like? I walk into your office and there's Kevin Rudd. It's like going to church and God shows up.' This is a quote from Ian Hogarth. I do not mean to offend anyone or anything, but that was the extent of the impact that Kevin Rudd had on people.

Of course, you cannot speak about Kevin Rudd and not make reference to the events of 2010. I do not want to say very much other than to say, again, that it was a turbulent time and one that horrified the Australian public. I think it is fair to say that it horrified the Australian public and that in fact it traumatised them. I was having dinner that evening with Shane Maloney, the author of the Murray Whelan series of crime novels, who was in Canberra, and he was later to write about that day:

That is from a very interesting article about Shane's experience here in Canberra on that day.

Kevin visited the electorate of Calwell on many other occasions, and in particular last year. I want to thank him for his friendship. I want to thank him for his contribution to the Labor Party. But I particularly want to thank him for his contribution to Australia, his foresight, the stolen generation apology, and all the things that he did to enhance our country's reputation abroad. He is highly respected by the diplomatic corps. Wherever I travelled overseas as an Australian member of parliament, everybody knew Kevin Rudd and I think that that is an indication of the extent to which he is recognised internationally as well.

I believe that Kevin still has a contribution to make. I want to wish him well. He is very devoted to his family. His little granddaughter, Josephine, is delightful, and he is totally besotted by her. So I wish him well and look forward to seeing him again. I also look forward to his further contributions on behalf of Australia in the international community.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was a fine speech by the member for Calwell, and I think she encapsulated exactly what we all think about the member for Griffith, Kevin Rudd, in that he had so much to offer and yet—and this is such a shame—that potential was perhaps never fully realised. He was a self-confessed 'policy wonk', and the member for Calwell spoke about his infectious enthusiasm—and the Australian public's infectious enthusiasm, at times, for Kevin. I know that when he came to Wagga Wagga one day, unannounced, he was treated like an absolute rock star.

In 2007, when Kevin Rudd swept to power and swept John Howard out of office, I was the campaign director for Kay Hull, a very popular member for Riverina—and I will come back to Kay in a moment. I had been Kay's campaign director at the previous election in 2004. My seat is not a Labor stronghold, and in 2004 Kay was enormously popular. We got out there and we campaigned, as we always do, as the National Party, and won the seat very, very well. It was a different story in 2007. The whole Labor movement was engaged. They had their Kevin Rudd corflutes up many, many hours before the National Party had got to the polling booths—and, let me tell you, that is a feat in itself, because we always get out there if not the night before then very early in the morning. But when we got there every polling booth—and there are more than 100 in the Riverina at any given election—was just plastered with 'Kevin'. You did not see the local candidate; it was just all about Kevin. And I think that probably pretty much sums up his prime ministership as well, in some ways—and I mean that nicely, but it was all about Kevin.

For someone who had the love and the admiration of the Australian public, it was such a shame, in one sense, that he did not realise his full potential. It is unfortunate that factionalism also cost him dearly. I am glad that I belong to a party which does not have factions, because it must be so difficult to achieve and fulfil—

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Come to South Australia!

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Makin says, 'Come to South Australia!' I hear you loud and clear! I assume that you are talking about Labor; not the National Party. Anyway, we digress.

Much has been made of the retirement of the member for Griffith, Australia's 26th Prime Minister. As the member for Mayo indicated earlier, you do not get to be the Prime Minister unless you are an extremely talented person. Whatever your politics, it is fair to say that Kevin Rudd's contribution to this place has been historic. He will be remembered for many years to come. In his retirement statement to parliament last Wednesday, 13 November, Mr Rudd praised Australia's enduring egalitarianism and the fact that he as the son of a dairy farmer in Queensland could make it to the top of Australian politics. This is certainly true.

Just recently, I attended a presentation evening at the Batlow Technology School in my electorate. While I was there, the principal, Michael Rathborne, gave a tremendous speech, one which I think the Prime Minister's statement last week embodies. Mr Rathborne's advice to students was simple: because I am from Batlow I can. This statement sums up perfectly the Australia we live in today, the one which allowed the former Prime Minister, growing up in Nambour in country Queensland, to assume this nation's highest office. It is a statement that is true of all our regional communities. For the former Prime Minister it must be said that it is because he was from Nambour that he could. The former Prime Minister was from a country family, too. His father, Albert, was from the community of Uranquinty in my electorate, about 15 kilometres south Wagga Wagga. When visiting the city of Wagga Wagga in 2008 for a family reunion, the community, as they always are, were very welcoming of the then Prime Minister. I know that he remembers the Riverina, the region of his father, with pleasure. After his speech the other day I walked over, as did all the coalition members in the House at that time, shook his hand, warmly bade him farewell and wished him all the very best. I reminded him of his family's Uranquinty origins. He remembered and said, 'Yes, wish them well.' That was nice; that was good.

While it is notable that Kevin the dairy farmer's son made it to the very top, I like many other members, believe that it was Mr Rudd's apology to the stolen generation which means the most to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of this nation. It is important that this legacy is the one that we remember the most. Members will be aware that my electorate has a large and proud Wiradjuri tradition. They are a people that I feel very proud and honoured to represent in this place. Like many communities, the city of Wagga Wagga was an Aboriginal mission during the stolen generations. Mr Rudd's apology meant a tremendous amount to the people who were part of or affected by the stolen generations. Like many communities, we salute Mr Rudd for his historic apology on 13 February 2008. I certainly echo the words of the current Prime Minister, the member from Warringah, from his speech at the opening of this, the 44th, parliament on Tuesday, last week. The welcome to country, facilitated by Ngambri elder Matilda House-Williams, is a fitting, appropriate, right and proper way for this parliament to open, and it was the member for Griffith who made that part of the ceremonies of the opening of the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia.

But it would be remiss of me not to mention that some of the Rudd government's policy changes had an impact on the Riverina that was not all that desirable. I refer particularly to the decision by the former Prime Minister's government—and Mr Rudd was certainly very much conspired with by the member for Watson—to abolish the single desk for wheat in June 2008. The Nationals considered this decision not to be in the best interest of wheat growers and reacted accordingly. Then, as now, it is the National Party that people in rural and regional Australia can rely upon to stand up for their interests.

However, we come to this place today to acknowledge the role Kevin Rudd played. I mentioned Kay Hull earlier. I mention her again in as much as on 24 June 2010, that dark day when Kevin Rudd announced that, having been tapped on the shoulder the night before, he would not be continuing as the Prime Minister of Australia. He came into question time that day—and that was a brave and bold decision by him, as the just ousted Prime Minister—and sat up in the back benches. That must have been terribly embarrassing, and hard for him to do, but he was gutsy; I'll give him that. He sat up in the back benches and Kay Hull, the member for Riverina and Nationals Chief Whip, stood up, wandered over to the government side and sat beside Kevin and asked him to sign the children's book he wrote. I am surprised more has not been made of Kevin's children's book, because he is a children's author of note. She got him to sign the book Jasper + Abbyon behalf of her grandson, Ashton Hull. And, not an hour ago, Kay told me that that book—that great children's book—is a treasured part of the Hull household library. Certainly, little Ashton, who has grown up a bit now, absolutely loves that book. That will be a treasured piece and, I am sure, a family heirloom in years to come. Kevin wrote in the book: 'Be a good boy for your mum.' That shows the warmth and humanity of this fellow. It also shows the warmth and humanity of Kay Elizabeth Hull that when Kevin was sitting there desolate and alone, she would get up and go over to him. I suppose some of her colleagues probably thought, 'well, you know, we have had a change of leader and sometimes you leave the isolated wildebeest there for the jackals to devour'—but not Kay Hull. She went over and sat beside Kevin and offered him encouragement. Certainly, that was very much appreciated by Kevin. I know Kevin said in his farewell speech to us in this place, 'be gentle with each other'. I think that those words are also something we should take on board. I see Tony, the member for Makin, Andrew, the member for Fraser, and Kelvin, the member for Wills, opposite—and I will use their Christian names—and I think, we do form good relationships in this place; it is not all about the argy-bargy and the adversarial nature of the place. We form friendships in this place. I think Kevin, by his words and his actions and his deeds, formed a lot of friends in this place on both sides of politics. That is a good thing. May that long continue into the future, and may Kevin Rudd's legacy—the member for Griffith's legacy—live long into the future.

Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to rise in this place to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Kevin Rudd's prime ministership was one of towering achievements, but on a personal level—as the member for Riverina has said—Kevin Rudd's time in this place also touched many of us. I remember an event which I organised for Labor members of parliament where we talked about engaging with one's community. At that forum, the member for Griffith told the story of Rudd Bikes, and of how Rudd Bikes provided him with just one of many ways of engaging with his local community and making a real, tangible difference, by providing a BMX bike to a child whose family might not have been able to afford one. In the Queensland floods, Kevin Rudd was out there, working with sandbags, with his local community—the community that he knew so well.

On the evening I was preselected as the member for Fraser, I decided that it might be nice to buy a gift for my campaign manager for the hard work that he had done. And so, between the announcement of the preselection result and a post-election party, I decided I would stop off at the Dendy Cinemas in the city and pick up a couple of gold passes for my campaign manager, Dan Ashcroft, to enjoy. Having bought those gold passes, I immediately stepped back, turned around and saw Kevin Rudd there with, I think, his son Marcus. Without thinking anything more of it, I went up to him and blurted out: 'Kevin, I have just been preselected as the member for Fraser. I am delighted to be joining your team.' He looked slightly nonplussed at this, and it was only as he stepped away that I realised what this scene must have looked like. Kevin Rudd must have thought to himself, 'So, you have just been preselected as the member for Fraser, and now you are going to the movies—on your own.' It was one of those moments where you realise that you have made a terrible mistake, and you can't take it back.

The reforms of the Rudd government will stand tall. Many have spoken in this place about the apology, that significant act of contrition to the stolen generation. I think the most lasting legacy of the Rudd government is steering Australia through the global financial crisis, a crisis where unusually we got a telegram from the other side of the world in effect saying, 'The slump is about to hit. You have a couple of months to put something in place.' Australia listened to the experts, listened to Ken Henry's advice, 'Go early, go hard, go households,' and got that timely, temporary, targeted stimulus to households in December 2008, well ahead of the stimulus that was reaching households in many other parts of the world. That quick action meant that Australia did not slide into recession, one which almost every economic commentator at that time thought was inevitable. We avoided recession.

I know the impact of recession all too keenly, having graduated from high school in 1990 in the teeth of the last Australian recession. Recessions have a huge human toll on young people who do not have an opportunity to get a job, sometimes for years, and that corrodes their sense of self-worth and their skills. Australia averted that in large part because Kevin Rudd was then our prime minister. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands owe Kevin Rudd a debt of gratitude. Many small businesses which exist now would have gone to the wall were it not for the quick actions of the Rudd government—supported in the case of that first stimulus package by then opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull.

Kevin Rudd's legacy is a proud one on the international stage. He strode it with the pride of a Doc Evatt or a Gareth Evans in the great Australian Labor tradition of internationalism and engagement in the councils of the world. I remember a foreign aid forum which Kevin ran at the Australian National University with me and with Gai Brodtmann, the member for Canberra. It was packed. There was standing room only and Kevin Rudd impressed everyone in the room not just with his passion for foreign aid but with his knowledge of the issues and his evident compassion for the world's poorest. It was Kevin at his best, understanding the issues but sensitive to those helped by government policy. He clearly took great pride in increasing Australia's contribution to dealing with world poverty, bringing it up to the average for the developed world. Many in that room were informed and impressed by the power of his oratory on foreign aid.

Kevin Rudd has many things in front of him. He has mentioned his apology foundation. I am sure there will be international organisations clamouring for an opportunity to have him assist them with his knowledge of the world and with his contacts. I have benefited personally from reading many of the speeches Kevin Rudd made at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. He is so well informed about China and its leadership and, through the leadership transition, was thinking creatively about the transitions still to come in China. Many of us in this place will continue to draw on Kevin Rudd's expertise, knowledge and experience. I wish Kevin and Therese and their children Jessica, Nicholas and Marcus all the best for this next stage in their lives. Kevin Rudd has great contributions to make to Australia and to the world and I look forward to seeing them over the decades to come.

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Wednesday night, Kevin Rudd announced that his time in this place had come to an end. His announcement, I suspect, caught most of us by surprise but reflecting on it now I believe he made the announcement knowing that his time here and what he had been hoping to achieve had indeed come to an end. I believe that for any member to know when their time is up is in itself a reflection and a strength of their character. It says much about their own understanding of their ability and their own understanding of what is proper and right to do.

It is often said, and has been said perhaps even more in recent days, that politics is a tough profession, tough on the individuals and even tougher on family life and family members, who are not in a position, like each and every one of us, to respond, whether it be in this place or through the media, but who nevertheless have to endure the attacks sustained on the family member who happens to be in public life. It is something that often has its own very severe price. As we all know in this place, family members often are the ones who are the worst affected as a result of the work of someone who puts themselves up for public office.

Few people that I have known in public life, and I have known such people now for decades, have endured the pressures, the scrutiny and the criticism that Kevin endured, particularly after 2007, when he became Australia's Prime Minister. Perhaps Julia Gillard was in a similar situation as well and equally endured a great deal. It was a kind of criticism and public scrutiny that I had never, ever seen applied to any other public leader prior to either of those two people. And yet they both worked right through that and continued with their focus on the job which they had been elected to do.

For Kevin it was indeed a huge task. It was a mammoth job. He had just been elected at the end of 2007 after a long period of conservative government in this place. He had a massive social reform agenda that he was committed to and had committed to in the lead-up to the 2007 election, and then almost immediately on being elected he was confronted with the global financial recession. Managing the two, I believe, was a challenge that few leaders of this country have ever had to deal with. Yet, in the relatively short time that he was in office, I believe that he did manage the two and managed them very, very well, because, whilst on one hand Australia was shielded from the worst of the global financial recession through the leadership efforts of Kevin Rudd and his team of ministers, his government simultaneously got on with the reform agenda that he had committed to in the 2007 election campaign. These were massive challenges, achieved under extraordinary circumstances.

Other members have talked about the apology, reforms in education and health, the River Murray agreement, tackling climate change, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the NBN rollout, pension increases and IR reforms, and the list goes on. None of these singly were small challenges, but they all were underway by 2010 when Kevin was replaced. They all originated under Kevin Rudd's leadership. They were all major social reforms that only a Labor government ever could or ever would deliver. And they were all well overdue.

Commentators will each have their own views about Kevin's achievements, what his best achievements were and perhaps what he did not do so well. My view is that his greatest achievement was that he changed both the direction and the nature of Australian politics and the direction of our nation in 2007. He took us from a government that was truly stuck in the past to a government that was focused on the future, the challenges that lay ahead and the importance of Australia's engagement with the rest of the world, bringing his own personal experience in international affairs to the prime ministership. In doing so he earned the respect and won the respect of international leaders across the world for his own leadership of this country and on global issues.

My view, however, is that his greatest achievement was, as Kevin put it himself in his speech last Wednesday night:

What I believe that statement also says is how extraordinary Kevin himself was. He did not come to the prime ministership or to the position he did in this parliament through the union movement. He was not a Labor Party official or staffer in the real sense but a highly motivated and determined intellect who became Australia's 26th Prime Minister. He did that through his own ability and he did it his way. It was that very ability that his adversaries feared the most.

Whilst he was a much different personality in many ways from two other great statesman that I speak of, Gough Whitlam and Don Dunstan, he also had a great deal in common with the two of them, Gough Whitlam being a former Prime Minister and Don Dunstan a former Premier of South Australia. They too were great intellectuals who became leaders through their own merits, who took over from long periods of conservative governments and who also embarked on major social reforms that last until today. In Gough's case he changed the direction of this country and in Don Dunstan's case he changed the direction of South Australia. They too were subjected to intense personal scrutiny and frequently cruel media commentary.

Some commentators have also said that Kevin was driven by his ego. I think I got to know Kevin fairly well having first met him in 2004. Kevin was as much driven by his sense of justice and his sense of getting things done as he was by his ego. I suspect his greatest regret was that his time as Prime Minister of this country was cut short in a similar way again to that of Gough Whitlam, where so much of what he wanted to do was still unfinished business at the time he had to step aside. That I suspect is partly what would have also caused his very emotional speech last Wednesday night. But though he did not achieve all he wanted, my view is that Kevin Rudd achieved so much. I spoke about some of those things earlier. Much of the work that he commenced was finished later on but it is still a credit to him that it was done in the first place.

In closing, I will say a couple things about Kevin on a very personal level. Kevin came out to my electorate in 2004 and 2007 on several occasions and later on in the last year or so. One of his real strengths was his ability to connect to the broader Australian people. It enabled him to communicate directly with them and people after many years once again reengaged in Australian politics. That in itself is an achievement, because our democracy in this country is only as good as the number of people who take an interest in democracy and the governance of this country. Kevin was able to engage with people. (Extension of time granted)

In closing, I wish Kevin all the best in his future. Of many MPs I have got to know in this place, I consider Kevin a friend. I consider that his time in this place is a time of great achievement. I have no doubt that he will go on to serve this country in one capacity or another. I also have no doubt that his family, Therese and his children, will welcome him back home.