Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great sadness that I mark the passing today of a much-loved member of my community, Wally Curran. Wally joined the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union in 1954, and served as the assistant secretary for 16 years and secretary from 1973 until 1997. He had a big vision for the role of workers, trade unions and government—not only in our workplaces but also in the broader Australian society—and he lived this vision. He was a strong advocate for the rights of workers within the meat industry, campaigning for safety and the improvement of conditions. Often regarded as a soft touch, Wally never permitted migrant workers to be treated any differently from locals. Wally also championed superannuation in the meat industry for workers in the 1970s—decades before any industry superfunds. As Michael O'Connor, National Secretary of the CFMEU, rightly noted today about Wally's pioneering support for meatworkers' super: 'Wally fought for it. It was not given.'

Despite a very busy career, Wally managed to remain an active member of the community for many years of his life. Notably, Wally was a proud member of the Australia Council between 1974 and 1978, and was a tireless advocate for arts in Melbourne's west. This is a legacy I take very seriously in Gellibrand. I know from my branch members that Wally was a mentor to generations of activists in the labour movement. He was a stalwart of the Labor Party's Williamstown branch, often turning up and giving various people a blast when he thought they were not working hard enough—and fair enough too. Wally was a very familiar face to many people in Melbourne's west, and he prided himself on taking an active role in his community—including the Williamstown Sailing Club. The thoughts of the labour movement are with his partner, Kay Morrissey, his daughters, Lisa and Cyndy, and his two grandchildren.