Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise here today to pay tribute to my very dear friend and colleague the Hon. Warren Pitt AM. Warren was a teacher. He was a serviceman in the Reserves before serving as the member for Mulgrave—the Labor member for Mulgrave, I might add—in the Queensland parliament for nearly 20 years. He passed away peacefully in Gordonvale, south of Cairns, on 7 February.

He and I shared a constituency in my early days at Yarrabah, and we worked closely together, advocating for the community. He would frequently call me up and say: 'Warren, I'm going over to Yarrabah to see the constituents. Would you like to come?' I would always say yes.

I'd meet him on the Bruce Highway turn-off on the way to Yarrabah, hop into his vehicle, ALP1, and together the 'Two Warrens' would head to Yarrabah to pay a visit to our constituents. I handled federal matters; he did the state.

When Warren was diagnosed with cancer, I continued visiting Yarrabah on behalf of us both, with my office working with his office to make sure that all of these issues were addressed. I did it because of the friendship that we had, and that friendship endured through all of his illness.

Warren, alongside his wife, Linda—who was always willing to be part of supporting Warren—were and will always be a part of Mulgrave. That's why I submitted a proposal to name an overpass after them. It had to be both of them. They were a pair from the beginning. We now have the Warren and Linda Pitt Way, which stands as a tribute to their work in Gordonvale. I wish him well on his next journey. He will never be forgotten. (Time expired)