Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the legacy of Professor Patrick Troy AO, who, sadly, passed away on 24 July 2018 in Canberra. Patrick was a pre-eminent urban policymaker, engineer and academic. It is difficult to overstate his legacy for Australian cities and urban policy. Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and my friend and mentor Tom Uren set a new course for Australian cities when they established the Department of Urban and Regional Development. For the first time, the national government was showing real leadership in making our cities thrive. At the heart of this effort was Patrick Troy, who was integral in the foundation of the department and rose to the role of deputy secretary.

Patrick was of course also a true comrade. The son of influential Labor figure Paddy Troy, Patrick was a lifelong champion of progressive causes. He brought this progressive attitude to his work as a planner. He wanted to create cities where people could live with dignity and access the services they need. And this is still at the heart of Labor's approach to cities. We want to shape them in the interests of the people who live in them. This is the legacy of Patrick Troy, a widely respected academic. I am grateful that he was also practical. The former head of the National Capital Development Commission, Tony Powell, said:

Troy was ultimately a missionary, a pursuer of causes, a seeker of solutions and a tireless traveller to universities and associations around Australia, fostering groups interested, like him, in making better cities.

I pay tribute to Patrick and express my condolences to his family.