Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When we lost Alby Shultz we lost one of the most colourful, engaging and sometimes irascible members of this House. He was, of course, the longest-serving member for the federation seat of Hume. He was born in Melbourne on 29 May 1939. Alby, who died recently at the age of 76, had been ill for a long time and had retired from parliament at the 2013 election, following a diagnosis of liver cancer.

He was a very passionate liberal, and as many of us have noted the Liberal Party room, which is, as you know, Mr Deputy Speaker—rather, as a member of the National Party the Deputy Speaker does not attend Liberal Party meetings!—the Liberal Party meets at the beginning of each two-week sitting of parliament for half an hour at nine o'clock on a Tuesday. The Liberal Party meetings, of course, deal with matters of great interest to the Liberal Party as distinct from the coalition. Since Alby has left us, there is not nearly so much to talk about. He was quite able to fill up the whole half hour with his observations on matters inter se—let us put it that way!—between the members of the coalition.

Indeed, when he was getting ready to retire from parliament he looked out for a successor and, of course, he was delighted to find Angus Taylor, who is now the member for Hume. As everyone knows, Alby had only two conditions—two critical, absolutely essential conditions—one was that his successor had to be somebody that had the capacity to be Prime Minister of Australia but, most importantly, they could not be a member of the National Party under any circumstances whatsoever!

Alby was a very forthright member of the parliament and of the party room. Of course, he was a member of the party room for many years. He came to this parliament in 1998, having served in the New South Wales parliament for 10 years prior to that. I have many exhilarating memories of dealing with Alby from when I was Leader of the Opposition—some of them more character-forming than others. He had the great characteristic of being always thoroughly himself. Of course, we have made the same observation about another much-loved member of our party, Don Randall, who died recently too. Indeed, in a rather sombre coincidence, Don died on the day of Alby's funeral.

Alby leaves his wife, Gloria, and his sons, Grant and Dean. Grant gave a really powerful and moving eulogy for his father at Alby's funeral. Being a man, I will just speak about men: it is always a very momentous time in a man's life when his father dies. Obviously, we all hope that our fathers live until they are very old—very old indeed. Some of us are fortunate enough for that to happen; others are not. Alby lived well past threescore years and 10, but 76 is not a very old age—at least in the modern world. Grant spoke so movingly of his father. Every person in that huge church in Cootamundra understood the grief of that family and the significance of that watershed event that occurs to most people. Of course, the vast majority of us, fortunately, have our fathers predecease us. Every father wants to die long before their children; no-one wants to outlive their children. Nonetheless, it was a very moving eulogy.

Alby was a real worker. I remember, when I was young journalist working at the Parliament of New South Wales, there were many members of that parliament on both sides who were what the poet might have called 'horny-handed sons of toil', and Alby definitely fell into that category. He started off working in abattoirs, moved on to a management position with a meat-packing company and then found his way into politics. He came from a working-class background, very much so. Indeed, he said in his maiden speech that his grandmother on his mother's side was a personal friend of John Curtin, and reflected that one of his uncles had said that his grandfather would turn in his grave if he knew Alby was a Liberal member of parliament. Alby seemed to think this was quite appropriate and confirmed that he expected that his grandfather would be doing that!

It is my submission to you, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, that he embodied some of the finest values of the Liberal party. He had a very, very big heart. I do not want to suggest that other parties do not have big hearts. But he had a very strong view that people should work hard and get on with their lives with as little interference from government as possible, and rise by their own efforts. He had a very sturdy, self-reliant philosophy and he lived those values.

Alby had many interests. One of them of course, being the representative of a rural electorate, was telecommunications, and he complained about inadequate telecommunications in his maiden speech. So it is good that in 2015, with the Mobile Black Spot Program, we were able to announce 18 new or upgraded base stations in that electorate, and 74 of the 139 black spots identified in Hume were addressed in whole or in part. Alby would be very, very pleased by that result.

On my behalf and on behalf of Lucy, we extend our sympathies to Alby's wife, Gloria; their sons, Dean and Grant, and their spouses; and their grandchildren, whom Alby loved so much.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join the member for Wentworth, with the member for Kooyong to follow me, in commemorating with deep sadness the death of another very hardworking former member of this place. Alby Schultz spent over three decades in service of the public—first at local government level as a councillor in New South Wales, then in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Burrinjuck and, finally, in the federal parliament as the outstanding, well-respected member for Hume.

As a former meatworker Alby knew the importance of hard work—and that is something that has been remarked upon in many speeches—an attribute that throughout his long and varied career was very much associated with him. It was also during his years as a meatworker that Alby discovered his political identity. In Alby's valedictory speech, he retold the story of when former Labor member for Burrinjuck Terry Sheahan questioned Alby about why he was a Liberal. As Alby told it:

I said, 'Terry, with due respect, I am also a worker, and I wanted to work and I kept getting sent home on strikes, so that turned me off Labor politics forever.'

In that brief response, Alby verbalised the value he placed on a fundamentally liberal concept—that is, reward for effort, the power of human aspiration and the belief in the right of the individual to determine his or her own priorities.

Alby was passionate about helping people. He was a strong voice for many in rural areas and always stood up for what he believed in. The story of how Alby was elected Chairman of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is well known in this place and highlights Alby's determination to ensure that people got the help and advice that they deserved. Alby was committed to ensuring proper representation by those who have a deep understanding of the land and rural life. When Alby discovered that a chairman with, in his view, limited knowledge or experience of the agricultural sector was to be appointed, he was less than impressed. He translated his values into action by enlisting the support of the Hon. Martin Ferguson, the then member for Batman, and with his vote secured the position. Through Alby's sheer determination, he won the ballot, and I suspect that the committee was all the better for it.

That episode demonstrates what is clear to all in this place—that Alby had many friends across the parliament. This was due to his warm personality and genuine and pragmatic approach to helping and to listening. To the younger members of this place, such as the member for Kooyong and me, he always gave very free and fulsome advice and he was keen to mentor.

For Alby, public service extended well beyond the corridors and halls of this place and through to the Australian community which he served for over 30 years. During this time, Alby worked with many different community groups across his electorate, providing assistance where he could. He did not shy from rolling up his sleeves and getting hands-on. He worked with the Trefoil Guild in Canberra, helping to purchase, pack and deliver tonnes of items, from food to schoolbooks and toys, to assist families still suffering the effects of drought.

It has often been said that the people of Hume got two for the price of one when they elected Alby. He and his wife of 53 years, Gloria—or Glo, as he called her—were very much a team. In fact, he often referred to them as 'the team'. I know that her continuous support meant a great deal to not just Alby but also their community.

To Alby's family—his wife, Glo, and their children, Dean and Grant, and their families—I extend my deepest sympathies. Alby, you will always remain, in the minds of those you helped, someone who was dedicated, passionate and, most importantly, a great bloke. We commemorate you. To Alby.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In his maiden speech to the federal parliament on 26 November 1988 Alby Schultz asked the rhetorical question: what can this parliament expect from me? He went on to say:

… I do not subscribe to political correctness. I intend to defend the mainstream family values which have been pushed aside for political expediency; and I will never compromise my principles, honesty and integrity, no matter the cost. I seek no favours and I ask only that my rural constituency be given a 'fair go'.

This was Alby to a T, and all sides of politics and his constituents would agree he delivered.

He was a man of courage, conviction, vigour and generosity. Alby Schultz represented the best of us and our vocation. In a humble way he exuded confidence in who he was and what he wanted to do. He did not seek fame or higher office or pretend to be someone he was not. He took people as they were and expected the same in return. This authenticity was the secret of his success and a reason why he was so admired, for in politics authenticity is a characteristic professed by many but found in very few.

My friendship with Alby really took shape during the life of the last parliament. I was his 'chamber mate', sitting side-by-side in the House during the tumult of those years. We shared many stories and laughs, and I learnt much from his wise counsel. While we played on the same team we were in many respects on paper polar opposites. I was a new kid on the block from the inner-suburban Victorian seat of Kooyong. Alby was a veteran of three decades in public life from the regional New South Wales electorate of Hume, which he boasted was bigger than Belgium. I was worried about the rise of the Greens and Alby was more focused on the Nationals, three-party contests and defending what he termed the 'lost legion of rural Liberals'. Despite these differences, Alby would never talk down to you or dismiss your views. He was interested in what one had to say, not who had to say it. This was reflected by the fact he struck up genuine friendships with a number of younger members of the coalition's parliamentary team as well as those from the ranks opposite.

In the Menzian tradition, politics for Alby was not meant to be a clash of warring personalities but a battle of ideas. Martin Ferguson, Simon Crean, Dick Adams and Tony Windsor were all good friends and, interestingly, sometimes political allies. Alby was fond of recounting the story about how his family had strong Labor roots. His grandfather was close to Prime Ministers Chifley and Curtin and, given his working-class background, some of his political opponents were surprised when he first put his hand up for the Liberals. But this said as much about the broad church of the Liberal Party as it did about Alby and his deep beliefs in the power of the individual and the broad appeal of Liberal tradition.

Alby was deeply committed to helping his fellow man. He was a remarkable advocate on behalf of fathers who had been driven to despair and sometimes suicide by the break-up of their families. He would constantly rail against the Child Support Agency and court system, which he felt let them down. He subsequently became patron of the Lone Fathers Association. His moral and political support provided more than just much needed comfort; it actually produced positive and tangible outcomes for thousands of men in their darkest days.

In all of his endeavours Alby was closely partnered by Gloria, who he confessed was the bigger drawcard at the ballot box than he was. Indeed, she was more than his partner for life; she was the love of his life and to the very end was influencing his thoughts. In his valedictory speech in 2013 he noted it was the second speech he had written and said:

I wrote one, and my wife … said to me, 'You're not seriously going to bring that into the chamber … You really do have to write something a little bit softer than that, love.' So I have succumbed to that wise counsel … as I have done for many of the 51 years that we have been married …

Amen to that.

But the last word should be left to Alby. In his final speech to the parliament he said, 'To say the past 15 years in the parliament have been a magnificent experience is an understatement.' Alby, we look back at your achievements and see that you were a man of principle and purpose, brave and bold and truly magnificent. We will miss you dearly and our love, thoughts and prayers are with Glo, Grant, Dean, Bec and Dev and their families at this difficult time. Farewell, friend. You will never be forgotten.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 21 July, in the middle of the parliamentary winter recess, a number of parliamentary colleagues of Alby Schultz attended his funeral in Cootamundra. For those who were there it was a sad occasion, farewelling a friend and a colleague who had played an important role in the life of his party, the parliament and the nation. But it was also a joyous day to see so many of his family and friends and community representatives coming together to celebrate a life well lived.

It was impossible not to like Alby. As with so many people from the country, he was as tough as nails. He was proud of his working-class roots. He believed in hard work and self-reliance. He had little time for unnecessary formalities and even less for political correctness. Buried within him was a heart of gold. Alby was a fierce defender of rural Australia and the interests of his constituents—he shared in their joy and felt their pain. He was deeply moved by the social and economic impact that the loss of jobs, services and infrastructure had on rural electorates such as his. He spoke with passion about the devastating impact of falling commodity prices, high interest rates, inflation and the drift of young men and women away from rural Australia towards the big cities.

Alby and I were among a handful of Liberal members to enter the parliament in the GST election of 1998. Having grown up on an apple and cherry orchard in the Adelaide Hills, I identified with many of the things Alby said and Alby stood for. His words carried beyond his electorate, resonating with everyone who knows the pleasure and the hardship that comes with a life on the land. Alby was a consummate local member, and on visits to his electorate over the years of our friendship I was struck by the number of people he knew and for whom he had solved a problem or taken up their cause. And he was fierce in his defence of their interests. As Alby said in his first speech to the Australian parliament:

… I am not in the business of compromising my constituency expectations by concentrating my energies on self-interest politics. I am closely aligned to grassroots politics and, whilst that may at times create some discomfort to a number of my parliamentary colleagues, it is in line with what the bulk of Australians expect from their local elected representatives.

This was Alby Schultz in a nutshell—it is what made him such a respected and formidable politician and a cherished friend to many people on all sides of the House. Alby represented his community for 33 years, first as a local councillor, then as a state member and finally as the federal member for Hume. Outside of the office he devoted himself to helping the families in his electorate that were suffering the effects of the drought. He was also the patron of the Lone Fathers Association, an organisation supporting men following the break-up of their family.

There is a common expression that the two things you never want to see being made are laws and sausages. As an abattoir worker and a politician, Alby got a pretty close look at both. It was his experiences outside of politics, coupled with his passion for his community, which made him such a colourful and well-loved character. In his valedictory speech he recalled an incident in Melbourne where he 'shirtfronted' an individual who mistakenly, or rather foolishly, made a disparaging remark about rural people—and this was before shirtfronting went mainstream.

I join with other members of this House in offering my heartfelt condolences to Alby's wife Gloria—a remarkable woman, a beautiful woman, with whom Alby shared an extraordinary marriage of over 50 years—and to his two sons, Grant and Dean, and their families. Vale Alby Schultz.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join others in farewelling Alby Schultz. He was a country man, and I mean that as the most sincerest form of flattery. He did not just wear the RM Williams boots and pretend—he was a man born and bred in rural-regional Australia and he understood the differences in representing a rural seat compared to a small patch of densely settled suburbia. He understood that when you become a member of parliament in a regional seat it is a vocation in every sense of the word because your anonymity is gone and you are expected to live and breathe 24 hours seven days a week the needs and wants of your electorate. In a rural-regional seat in Australia today, you face extraordinary hardship at every level. There are very high rates of youth unemployment compared to metropolitan Australia, and there are the vagaries of the seasons where, even when there is a bountiful harvest, prices can collapse and your whole year of effort can come to nought. He understood the emotional trauma of living through seasonal disasters like drought, and he and Gloria understood that you did not just put food on the table of those families doing it tough; you also took around pamper packs. Gloria and Alby would ensure that the most basic essentials like a jar of coffee or a bottle of shampoo were available in the kitchens of those houses. He understood the dignity and respect that needed to go along with those offerings—they should never have been seen as a charitable gesture.

I was so pleased to see a man of Alby's background and character in this place, and of course he is typical of Liberal members—we are a very broad church. We have people who are not just lawyers or officials from a trade union background but who have been, as in his case, an abattoir worker who has understood the problems of being a salaried man, of being someone who works on contract. Then, of course, he represented the three tiers of government—local government, state government and then the federal parliament. He spent over three decades in public life trying to bring about a better place for his constituents. I will always be grateful to Alby for the time he crossed the floor with Michael McCormack, the member for Riverina, and me to say no to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. It involved a disallowable instrument, and Michael and I were not aware that Alby was going to vote with us. When he did come and sit with us, all by ourselves on the bench over on the opposite side to both the Labor and the Liberal parties, he was showing the solidarity which he understood was absolutely essential if the Murray-Darling Basin communities were going to survive. If he were alive today I am sure he would be looking on with consternation at the unravelling of that plan's best intentions.

Alby was a man with a marvellous sense of humour, and when tragedy struck and he lost his eye it took a while for his prosthetic eye to become available and so he would wear a patch into parliament over his injured eye. On different days of parliament, that patch would be a different picture from a school. Sometimes it would be a union jack on his eyepatch; sometimes it would be a picture of an animal or a bird. Alby wore them proudly as representations of his school students. What a marvellous gesture that was, when someone else would probably have been cringing and hiding their injury, perhaps being embarrassed by the affliction they were bearing in a very public place.

To say that Alby had honesty and integrity is an absolute understatement. He also had extraordinarily strong views, and it was not unusual for him to lose his temper, but I believe he always did so for a cause that was just. Sometimes you have to throw rocks to draw attention to an issue before it can be solved. Alby certainly understood that, if a matter was of significance and people were not paying attention, you had to draw attention to that issue, and he did. The issues were invariably about rural and regional Australia.

He also championed the business of fatherhood, which he saw as under threat in Australia due to the way our welfare system works and the very sad outcomes of the dissolution of many marriages. We have heard from others about him as the leader of the Lone Fathers Association. I understand exactly where Alby was coming from, and so do many of my fellow members in this House, because we have so many grieving fathers come to us in our constituency offices asking for support as they seek to see their children or seek not to have their children used as a weapon in battles about financial arrangements. Alby understood all of that very well, even though in his own family he did not have any shadow of the marriage strife that he was dealing with in the lone fathers movement.

His sons, Grant and Dean, loved and respected their father. Somehow Alby managed to be a good father despite the incredible days, weeks and months that we must live removed from our families as we serve the nation as federal members. No doubt that was in part due to the extraordinary mothering by Gloria, his wife for more than 50 years. When Gloria became terribly sick, Alby supported her and took up causes related to her cancer. Then, of course, we were all so saddened to hear that Alby had cancer himself—an incurable and inoperable cancer that meant he only lived to 76. Alby was the youngest looking 70-plus person you could imagine, with his dark hair and his rugged country looks. But he was gone by the age of 76, a cruel shortening of his life. I always imagined him living to a great old age with Gloria and his grandchildren. It is farewell to a great country member; he will be sadly missed.

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my privilege to join my colleagues to speak of Alby. Unfortunately, I did not have a long time to know Alby. I cannot say that I was his best friend or that we shared many times together, but you did not have to know Alby for a long time to know him very well. He said exactly what he thought; he did not beat around the bush. When he said he was willing to fight for something, that was actually literal—he did fight for things.

He was a great character and, as the previous speaker said, a complex person in some ways. While he enjoyed the very best of marriages, he had great sympathy and worked hard for those who did not have such good fortune. The story of his valedictory and his consultation with his lifelong partner Gloria was a typical Alby story. He was full of fight and feistiness and he was going to tell everybody what he really thought, and then he sought that good counsel.

In many ways you would think they were opposites, and it is often said that opposites attract, but, as I understand it, when you delve into it more deeply, you seek an opposite to become a whole—you seek in your partner what you do not have. Alby and Gloria made a great whole—they made a great team. Our thoughts go to Gloria in this time of loss; it is a terrible loss. Alby loved people and people loved him; he loved Gloria and Gloria loved him right back. I have often said that the best fortune of coming to this place is the colleagues you engage with who become your friends. This was certainly the case with Alby. He will remain in our thoughts; his spirit will remain here. We will treasure his memory and his spirit.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take the opportunity to put on the record my condolences to Alby Schultz's family. I was one of the class of 98 who was elected at the same time as Alby. He was one of those truly defining characters in this place. I do not think we get to see as many anymore—a man who was truly dedicated to his electorate, his constituents and his family, but his family always came first. You could not have known Alby without knowing everything about his wife and kids and the great extended family that he considered his electorate. He will be missed in this place. I was sad that I did not get to hear the feisty speech he was going to make at the end; I thought there would have been some lessons to be learnt. The one thing with Alby was that you always knew where he stood.