Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I came to this place as a kid in my 20s, on the cusp of the new century. Within my first 12 months in this building, something terribly sad happened. The member for Isaacs, Greg Wilton, took his own life while in office. He was 44. I was a young assistant adviser back then, on the blue carpet. I listened to the condolence motion speeches throughout the day. Question time was cancelled, and the speeches rolled through the afternoon and into the evening. In those speeches, I saw something of the character of the men and women I so greatly admired in this place at that time—John Howard, John Anderson and Tony Abbott, among others. That day, they spoke of their affection for Wilton, a Labor man through to his bootstraps, who had served both the ASU and the NUW. He was a member of the class of 1996. Wilton was pretty friendly with some on our side. Bruce Billson, then the member for Dunkley, referred to him in his condolence speech as 'an electoral neighbour, a colleague and friend'. He said:

We had a common boundary between our electorates, which occasionally meant there was friendly and spirited banter between us … but what I remember most about Greg was that we worked alongside and with one another when it was in the interests of our local community.

The speeches that day were not just a reflection on Wilton or the odd bite of bipartisanship required to get stuff done here; they were also a reflection on this place and how, at its core, sat a compassion, empathy, goodwill and gratitude towards the 1,800-odd people who have been elected to it. Tony Abbott's words on that condolence motion were particularly strong when he said:

… Greg Wilton came with high hopes to what he regarded as the greatest institution in the nation for helping people … and yet … he died of a broken heart.

…   …   …

He hated the character assassination which sadly is so much a part of the public discourse and the private conversation here and for which all of us bear a heavy responsibility.

…   …   …

We often complain about the low public standing of politicians, but other people take us at our own estimation, and we are always running each other down. Of course, there is a place for judgment, and sometimes there is a place for furious denunciation, but I think Australia would be better off without the feral quality which so often contaminates our public lives.

A few weeks ago, in the pages of the Australian newspaper, I was referred to as 'a new breed of Liberal'. I can assure the good folk of Flinders I am very much an old breed of Liberal, formed in this place when many of its current inhabitants were still in short pants. It was here I learned the values and practices which sustained stable, mature, responsible and strong leadership in this country for over a decade, the most successful coalition government this country has ever known.