George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great honour that I rise to speak on this condolence motion on the death of Lady Florence Bjelke-Petersen. It is very hard to think of another woman from Queensland who has made a greater impact, not only on our beloved state but also on the nation than Lady Flo, as she was known. She was simply known as Lady Flo. Regardless of whether that term was technically correct, that's what she was known as.

In earlier years she was in the public eye simply as the wife of the then Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the famous peanut farmer from Kingaroy who became the longest serving Premier of that state. She later proved to the doubters and naysayers that she had plenty to contribute to the political landscape in her own right. Florence Isabel Gilmore was working for the Queensland commissioner for main roads when she met Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who was then a backbencher in the Country Party that later became the National Party. The couple married in 1952 and became not only a rhyming couplet—people talked about the famous Flo and Joh shows—but also the leading figures in the state for the 19 years of Sir Joh's premiership and onwards as Lady Flo sat in the other chamber, the Senate.

In the early years, Lady Flo was chiefly involved with family life, raising her four children and supporting her husband in the electorate of Nanango, which is now held by the present leader of the Liberal National Party in Queensland, the Leader of the Opposition, Deb Frecklington. She is another great woman from Queensland. Lady Flo became the de facto member for Nanango as Sir Joh was pretty much consumed with responsibilities of the premiership. I read that, as she attended these local electorate events on his behalf while he was in Brisbane or elsewhere across the state, it became so much of a fixture in the electorate of Nanango that they stopped sending the invitations to Sir Joh and just sent them directly to Lady Flo to come and attend. Not only that but, when there was a state election on, she was again known as a person in her own right. She would campaign right across the state of Queensland, winning the hearts and minds of Queenslanders because of her own personality, and she would do that on behalf of her husband.

But then she moved on from that first lady sort of role in Queensland, where, I have to say, she did exemplify the Christian ideals that she held—the ideals of faith and family. She moved on from that role to serve as a senator for Queensland for 12 years. People said that she was just in the shadow of her husband, but I'd say that in this place she was a champion for policy issues that are still held by many conservatives today, including the idea of family based taxation and income splitting. That's something that I still champion. Cabinet ministers in this government such as Senator Matt Canavan from Queensland also champion those policies. They are policy issues that are long overdue, but she was here fighting that fight in her own right.

I employed a young man, Damien Tessmann, a former councillor from Kingaroy, in my office for a period of time last year. He was a neighbour of Lady Flo and he shared some of the stories on her passing regarding her days as a senator and he also provided this fitting tribute, which I wish to read to the chamber. It goes like this:

The story that I enjoyed the most was that of the Western Australian Labor Senator Peter Walsh, who would say the most awful things about her in the Parliament because of Sir Joh.

They travelled overseas on Parliamentary business and got along famously. Senator Walsh said on their return that before he got to know her, he thought she was an 'old bag' but now thought she was a 'nice old lady'. She said she didn't know what was worse, being called an old bag or an old lady!

Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen represented everything it is to be a Queenslander—passion, tenacity and loyalty. From a personal point of view she was one of my dearest supporters and gave me so much encouragement. I loved our chats about her views on the modern political challenge, her time as Queensland's First Lady and a Senator in her own right.

She never told the same story twice. She never failed to greet you with a smile and had the sharpest of political analysis. She unfailingly asked more questions about you than you would ever ask of her. A more genuine politician you'd go a long way to meet.

I wish we had many more politicians of Lady Flo's calibre—a down-to-earth person, known, famously now, for pumpkin scones, but that is just emblematic of the fact that she was seen as one of us, as an everyday Queenslander in the home, cooking for the family, or down here in Canberra, fighting for her state on bread-and-butter issues.

Lady Flo lived to that prime age of 97 years. She passed away just a few days before Christmas. I've got to say that she, indeed, was very, very worthy of a scriptural tribute which is recorded in the parables of Christ: 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' She was a faithful servant to the National Party, whom I represent in this place now, a faithful servant to the state of Queensland and a faithful servant to the people and her Lord and maker. May she rest in peace.

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It being 6.29 pm, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 192B. The debate is adjourned and resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.