Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to join with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, who recently paid tribute to the life and work of Anthony Allan Staley. As the current member for Chisholm, I felt it was right to pay tribute to Tony Staley, a former member for Chisholm, and to honour his contribution to both local and federal politics. Despite being of a different political colour to Tony, I think it's important to mark his service. We've already heard in this place that, as a schoolboy, Tony Staley was drawn to drama, history, poetry and debating, which happen to be interests I share and to which I was also drawn as a schoolgirl. Tony studied law and politics, and then he completed a master's degree in politics and subsequently taught at the University of Melbourne. In terms of his parliamentary career, he was able to win the faith and confidence of the very good people of Chisholm in 1970, in a by-election. Tony would end up holding that seat for 10 years, and I'm sure he treasured the opportunity to represent such a wonderful community as much as I do.

Many will be aware that one of Tony's lasting legacies was his role as communications minister in the Fraser government. It was during Tony's time in the communications portfolio that he oversaw the establishment of the SBS—a legacy that has shaped the way our communities participate in and engage with the media and a wonderful legacy our nation is richer for. It was also well known that Tony was a strong advocate of the ABC and community radio, seeing them as providing vital services to members of the community. I know that the people of Chisholm and I share these sentiments. Tony also served as the federal president of the Liberal Party between 1993 and 1999. Former Prime Minister John Howard cited Tony's personal qualities of having immense personal courage, having a great sense of humour and possessing considerable grace and eloquence. These qualities were evident even amid great personal challenge, notably a near-fatal car accident in 1990, when Tony was hit by a drunk driver, which left him partially paralysed. Tony was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2007 for his service to politics, to the telecommunications and arts sectors and to the development of the Liberal Party.

At Tony's funeral, his son Sam noted that Tony's greatest legacy was his knack for seeing potential in others and helping others to realise that potential. I note that the member for Maribyrnong represented the Prime Minister on behalf of the government at Tony's funeral. It's been said that Tony's love of politics was only exceeded by his love of family. Tony's daughter, Lucinda, has said that her dad was kind, generous, supportive and had endless and unconditional love for his children. I'd like to provide now some comments here in the House from one of Tony's children, Sam, who spoke recently to the Australian Financial Review. He said:

Few people have the courage or good fortune to be able to phone their friends to say goodbye, but Tony did this recently, a testament to his generosity of spirit and the love with which he regarded his friends. As you can imagine, not all of these friends were quite so happy to receive the call.

In the end, Tony died peacefully and without fear, surrounded by his children and neighbour in the exceptional care of the staff of Rathdowne Place in Carlton, with books of poetry on his bedside table, Leonard Cohen playing on the iPad, paintings by his partner, Susie, on the walls, a glass of Cointreau, a soda and lemon, the TV remote, two tissues and a crumpled Age newspaper by his side. A happy end to a long and interesting life.

Tony is survived by his five children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. My condolences to all his loved one. Vale, Tony Staley.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I thank the member for Chisholm for paying her respects to Tony Staley. Can I also commend the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition for their words on the sad passing of Tony Staley. I had the great honour and privilege to be at the funeral, and to hear the speakers talk of Tony Staley's life was truly remarkable.

Tony was someone who lived life to the absolute full. He had some very interesting loves. He loved poetry, he loved drama and he loved politics, and the poetry and the drama, I think, helped in his very, very successful political career. I got to hear about that unique success in two facets of politics. First of all was his success in being a parliamentarian and being able to shape the very nature of the parliament in which he operated. He was able to do it with regard to who ultimately led the Liberal Party, and who very successfully led the Liberal Party, Malcolm Fraser. He was also able to do it as a successful minister, as Minister for the Capital Territory and as Minister for Posts and Telecommunications. Being able to set up and establish community radio in Australia was something that he was very, very proud of.

He also was able to do it on the administrative side of politics as well, and it's a rare talent that is able to mix all those parts of politics. When he became the Liberal Party federal president, it's fair to say that the party was down on its luck. It had been in opposition for quite some period of time, for over 11 years. Once again he was able to shape, this time from the administrative ring, the very nature of the political party, which saw John Howard take on the opposition leadership and ultimately, in 1996, defeat the Keating government. He was very much able to change Australian political history and our nation forever, because John Howard went on to become the second most successful Prime Minister that this nation has ever seen. That was the mark of Tony Staley. He was able to see leadership and values in others like no-one else could, and that's how he was able to identify who the Liberal Party needed as its leader, whether it be in the time to defeat the Whitlam government or in the time to defeat the Keating government. Through that, he has left a lasting legacy on our party.

Having had the privilege of being at his funeral, while there were a lot of politicians from both sides there, and while there was a lot of reminiscing of the legacy that Tony left to the Liberal Party—and it is an extraordinary legacy—the most telling thing was the eulogies given by his children. The love, the admiration and the respect that Tony's children had for him and that he had for them was something that you had to be there to see. I don't think there was anyone at that funeral who didn't leave thinking that if you could get half the send-off that Tony Staley was given, you would have lived a very good life—a life where love was absolutely central to it.

So, to Tony's children, Richard, Sam, Ali, Jon and Lucinda, I pay tribute to you for the way that you paid tribute to your father, because, although our nation is much the richer for his life through what he was able to do through politics, the legacy he was able to leave through you, his children, is without doubt his greatest achievement, and that was on display for all of us to see. The way that you paid tribute to your father was absolutely commendable. He lived an extraordinary life. You told the many parts of that extraordinary life so very well. We have lost a great Australian, and it's wonderful to be able to pay my tributes to the extraordinary life that he lived.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand it is the wish of honourable members to signify at this stage their respect and sympathy by rising in their places.

Honourable members having stood in their places—

I thank the Chamber.

Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

PHILLIPS () (): by leave—I move:

That further proceedings be conducted in the House.

Question agreed to.