Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great sadness that I rise today to speak about the passing of a much loved member of my community and an extraordinary contributor to the South Australia labour movement, Mark McEwen. Mark passed away suddenly and very sadly last month at just 73 years of age. First and foremost, Mark was a loving husband to Josie, a loving father of Chris and Kate, and a very proud grandfather of Mimi and Catalina.

In his working life, Mark was a signwriter for the Adelaide City Council for almost 40 years. He was also an active member of the CFMEU and a passionate advocate for workers. He achieved significant change for council workers through his union activities. Mark was key to bringing unions together to negotiate an EBA for council staff. I'm told he was always the brains and strategist behind the negotiations between the union and the council. Mark believed in the importance of core protections for workers, and his advocacy was instrumental in securing an extra one per cent in superannuation for council workers.

Mark's membership with the CFMEU continued on for 52 years, including an incredible 30 years of service on the state branch committee of management. But Mark's love for the union movement did not stop when he retired. He was also an active and motivated member of the Retired Unionist Network of South Australia. He would encourage others to get involved and regularly organise events, rallies and protests.

Not surprisingly, Mark was also a true believer in the Labor Party, its values and its plans. Mark was also ahead of his time. Mark was a passionate supporter of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and a strong advocate of improving outcomes for Indigenous Australians long before the Voice became a commitment of this government. For a time, Mark was raising motions about supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart at every FEC meeting, until the office bearers reminded him it was actually against the rules to submit the same motion over and over again.

He was extremely committed to his causes and generous with his time. Mark was always one of the first to answer the call for volunteering for the Labor Party. He would invariably pick up more than his fair share of letterboxing, and he was also keen to hit the doors and speak with voters about the Labor Party's progressive ideas. In a true indication of Mark's commitment, and also the unfairness of his passing, Mark was out only two weekends before he died doorknocking for the 'yes' campaign.

With Mark's passing, the union movement, the Labor Party and the southern suburbs of Adelaide, as well as his friends and family, have experienced a great loss. Vale, Mark McEwan.