Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Kevin Andrews was the member for Menzies between 1991 and 2022. In addition to that long service to that community, he was well known and respected in my electorate, which neighbours Menzies, for both his service to the nation and his role as a devoted parishioner of St. John's in Heidelberg. I do believe that word, 'service', sums up Kevin's approach to public life. It was clear that he approached his many roles as a respected local MP, a minister and as a parishioner with humbleness and devotion.

After I was elected to the neighbouring seat of Jagajaga in 2019, I always appreciated the courtesy and thoughtfulness Kevin brought to our interactions, both in the parliament and in the community. We would meet each other in the corridors in this place, where he also held the role of Father of the House, and we would meet each other back home in places like pre-poll, where even within the heightened emotional environment of a campaign, Kevin continued to steadfastly and politely interact with the community and with me. In that, I think that he did set an important example in this place, that even when your political views do not align—and there are many of my values that did not align with Kevin's—dignity and respect for others should always win out.

I am very aware that, as with so many who choose to serve in public life, the contributions that Kevin made over decades could not have happened without the support of his family—in particular, his wife, Margie, who was so often by his side. It was clear that theirs was a very special relationship, and I once again extend my condolences to Margie, to their children and to all who are missing Kevin. Vale Kevin Andrews.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm really pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the condolence motion of the Honourable Kevin James Andrews, AM. It is important that we stop, recognise, both as a former member of this House for the division of Menzies over a long period of time and as a former minister, and place on the record our appreciation as federal representatives for his long a meritorious public service to our nation. We also tender our sympathies and condolences to Kevin's family in their bereavement. As the Prime Minister said yesterday:

It is a measure of the man that we honour today that, throughout the wealth of tributes paid to his life by his colleagues, his opponents, his loved ones and his friends, the same three pillars stand tall in all of them: his deep faith, his belief in public service and his devotion to his family.

To that, I would add his devotion to family, as in the concept of family and the importance of family, and I will touch on that a little bit. The Prime Minister 's words touched on his deep faith—which I share, as a practising Catholic—but also his belief in public service as being a very important good, and certainly I see my own service in the military and continuing into this place as a continuance of public service to the nation. I was always impressed by that with Kevin.

As the PM also said, we all see issues from different perspectives and we don't always agree, but it's the way in which we conduct ourselves, and the way in which Kevin conducted himself was noteworthy. I certainly didn't agree with some of the principles that Kevin held, but I did agree with a lot of others. For instance, he and I shared a common belief in the primacy of palliative care and the importance of making sure palliative care is available to people that need it during end of life. There were principles of his that I disagreed with, and it is true that he made a mark on the Northern Territory through his principles being applied in the overturning of NT legislation. I don't offer this part of the condolence in any way as a criticism, but he was following his beliefs with the 1996 euthanasia laws bill, known later as the Andrews bill. The Leader of the Opposition commented yesterday on how infrequent it is to have a private member's bill succeed, and Kevin Andrews managed to do that. From my perspective, although I held different thoughts on that issue and successfully brought a private member's bill to extinguish the Andrews bill, I appreciated that he always respected the fact that I was doing that out of a different principle, that being to protect the democratic rights of Territorians. I did appreciate that he was always open to having those discussions.

But it does reflect the conviction that he brought to public life, and I hope that conviction is always here and present in this place. There were all those issues over a long period of time, including when he was working as the defence minister and in other truly honourable and important roles that he was able to navigate—and they are difficult roles. But I was also really impressed when I turned up to a Pollie Pedal, as someone who was quite a bit younger than him, because I thought it was important that our side of politics was present. The member for Hume was also there. I distinctly remember being impressed by Kevin's fitness for an older fella—indeed, the Father of the House, as many people have commented on—but also his resilience. Some people might remember that he had a fall during the Pollie Pedal in the year 2017. We were absolutely flogging it down this hill, very tied up behind each other. We were going fast, and Kevin had hit some gravel and fallen from his bike. He actually broke his collarbone in that fall. I was two bikes back, and I distinctly remember thinking, 'Am I going to run over this bloke?' I couldn't see who it was on the ground, but there was some divine intervention, and, instead, I decided to take a fall to the left-hand side into the bush—which I would have done for anyone. I was pleased when I got up, and he was already getting to his feet. He would have been in a little bit of shock and a lot of pain, and he said to me later, 'I'm going to have to pull out.' I said: 'Yeah, mate, no worries. You've broken your collarbone in a big fall.'

The fact that, in his advanced years, he was out there raising money for Soldier On, was mixing with the member for Hume, Tony Abbott and others and was a lot fitter than some of the rest of us was impressive. His depth of faith—and I look forward to reading his memoirs—was something that was also impressive to me, as a person of faith. I've mentioned some of the things that I think he can be proud of in relation to being the Minister for Defence and trying to do his best according to his beliefs and his principles. I, too, see this job and politics as a vocation, and I'm lucky to be a member of this place with people of the calibre of Kevin Andrews and to have had experiences like being in the Pollie Pedal with him.

Finally, his focus on the family—I haven't read his 2012 book,Maybe 'I Do'. In defending marriage and the family as being such important parts of society's building blocks—that is part of my commitment, too, in this place and as a leader in public discourse. The family is so important. We need to support Australian families in every way we can. I'm sure Kevin is up there, very happy, that there are people in this place that will continue to support Australian families and the institution of marriage, as important as it is. In saying that, I pass from my family, from my wife and children, our condolences to Kevin's wife, Margie, and to their children, Emily, James, Stuart, Catherine and Benjamin. Kevin Andrews, rest in peace, and God bless you.

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today's condolence is not one that I—up until Kevin's untimely death—thought I would ever be giving in this place for my very close friend, confidant and ally Kevin Andrews. Kevin, as others have indicated, lived an extraordinarily consequential life. In Parliament House, we often judge people's impact using the titles they've held and the duration that they've been here as quick markers of how consequential they have been. He left parliament as the Father of the House. He was the member for Menzies for over 30 years. He was a minister in the Howard and Abbott governments. He played a huge role—even from the backbench, initially—in the Howard government. At the end of his parliamentary career, he ticked the boxes of being a huge political figure not just for the Liberal Party but in this country, by any of those metrics.

But they are not the reasons why he was a huge figure. Kevin was a giant of Australian politics. For many of us, his approach and his values were a reflection of Australia at its best and a reflection of a time when politics wasn't a blood sport. It wasn't about playing the man; it was about playing the ball. It was a vocation, not a career pathway. For many of us in the parliament, Kevin embodied the best instincts of what many imagine a parliamentarian to be.

Kevin took on difficult fights. Kevin stood up for important causes. From my perspective, he stood up for causes I wholeheartedly agreed with. Kevin's fundamental view that strong nations, strong states and strong communities are built on the foundation of strong and healthy families is the most significant touchstone of his political ethos and one with which I entirely agree. His defence of life, at times when it was unpopular and at times when it was difficult, and his abiding view on the sanctity of life was a thread throughout his career.

I remember being a humble branch member in his electorate in my early 20s handing out how-to-vote cards in the thick of the debate around euthanasia. Whilst those of us who were supporting Kevin couldn't have been prouder of him, I witnessed firsthand the ferocious, targeted and coordinated attacks he faced at that time when he was standing up for the primacy and importance of palliative care and the sanctity of human life. That was a fight that not many backbenchers would take on, but that was a fight that Kevin took on with relish and succeeded. He may not have succeeded for all time, but he succeeded at that time and in that moment.

Kevin obviously took that vein of thinking throughout his political career. As I said, being a minister in two governments is quite extraordinary and a testament to his capacity, not just his values. A lot of us instinctively reflect on Kevin's values and the fact that he was tethered to firm values. One of the dirtiest words in politics today is 'pragmatism', which often is the shortcut for selling out your values for what is politically expedient at the time. Kevin took on those difficult fights, even at a personal cost to himself, even when the zeitgeist was against him. Even though we focus on his values, it's also important to focus on his ability and his capacity.

In every portfolio he was given, there were difficult challenges. I suspect, without knowing firsthand, they were given to him because there were difficult challenges in those portfolios. With a steady hand and a safe pair of hands, Kevin was given those difficult portfolios at difficult times because of his capacity. Whether it was his time in defence, industrial relations, social services or aged care, no-one would suggest that Kevin was given an armchair ride in the portfolios offered by Prime Ministers Howard and Abbott. For him to take those on and, in most cases, not only succeed substantively—which is the most important thing—but also succeed politically is a testament to his capacity for good policy, for hard work and for his capacity in the political sphere, which, in the end, he was a part of.

As I alluded to at the beginning, I was very close to Kevin as a confidant and as a very close ally. He supported me when I was a candidate in the preselection for Deakin back in 2012. Our very close mutual friend, the late Sandra Mercer Moore, who was one of the trio that many would refer to—it is a very sobering moment when I think that two of my closest allies and confidants have both now passed. I do know that Kevin and Sandra will be catching up on all things politics in a better place now. The one thing that I think is of some comfort to Margie and Kevin's wonderful family is the legacy that Kevin leaves behind. Importantly, Kevin lived what he preached. Everyone in this chamber—and I'm as guilty of this as many—says one thing publicly and sometimes acts a little bit differently privately or when there aren't cameras on. Kevin was a remarkable man, in that he practised what he preached.

Kevin was a staunch advocate for marriage and the importance of marriage as an institution—the foundational institution to support strong families, which in turn support strong communities, a strong state and strong nations. He lived that with Margie, his wonderful wife, who was by his side throughout his political career and before and after. During his time in parliament, in what I think is the greatest mark of success, Kevin raised a wonderful family and had a marriage that was as strong at the end of his political career as it was at the beginning. I think that is the greatest mark of success that any of us can hope for. Kevin practised what he preached.

It's also been remarked just how courteous Kevin always was. Kevin was under attack a lot. Being a conservative Liberal is not particularly popular with large swathes of the media or our political opponents, but Kevin had something I wish I had a bit more of; Kevin had this unflappable ability to remain courteous with everybody, no matter what the attacks were. That speaks to a character trait, again, that we could all aspire to have a bit more of. I think that has come through in the condolence motions over the last few days.

An extraordinarily consequential life—Kevin was a giant of Australian politics, a giant of the Liberal Party and a giant of the Victorian Liberal Party. The Victorian Liberal Party didn't necessarily treat him with the respect he should have been treated with at all times, but Kevin never spat the dummy. He was a Liberal through and through, and he remained true to our values and our cause even at times of disappointment, which again speaks to his character.

To Margie and their wonderful family, I say at this extraordinarily difficult time that I hope you are drawing comfort from the fact that Kevin was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary legacy, who, most importantly, helped countless people throughout Australia and in his local community, which is probably the greatest legacy that anyone can leave behind. May he rest in peace.

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a great honour to speak about my friend and mentor, Kevin Andrews. I think this condolence motion to him is incredibly important, because he served this country in a way and for so long that so few have been able to—as Father of the House. He's someone for whom I had enormous respect, both in his time here and beyond.

Much has been said already about his background. One of the really important parts of that background is that he grew up as a country boy, born in Sale. His family ran a small trucking business, and many of his values that you can see he lived by came from that background. It was a background that I think breeds some of the greatest Australians—I would say that. It tells you something of his old-world values, in many ways, and where they came from.

He won his seat of Menzies in 1991. It seems like a long time ago, 1991, but he was here a very long time. He won it in a by-election, and he served the people of Menzies with enormous distinction over almost three decades. For that, we should all be enormously grateful.

Of course, as he would have said, the most important part of his life was his family, and many have made that point. He was married to Margie—an extraordinary marriage. She was the head of his Praetorian Guard, and anyone who knows Margie will know exactly what I mean by that. She is a formidable and wonderful, wonderful woman. Their partnership was an extraordinary one because—as I think the Leader of the Opposition pointed out yesterday—the complementarity between the two of them was great. Perhaps, sometimes, similar people attract, and sometimes it's those who are more complementary. Certainly, that was the case between Kevin and Margie.

It was an incredible partnership—their life together. I saw it time and time again when I saw both of them. I saw them most when it came to cycling—and I'll talk about that in a moment—but their partnership is a model to so many of us, because it showed you how two very different people could complement each other and support each other. The support they gave to each other and what they sought to do in their lives were amazing. Even though some might say that their marriage was one steeped in old-world values, I think they're values that are the hallmark of a great partnership, because that's what their marriage clearly was, with their children, Emily, James, Stuart, Catherine and Benjamin.

He was a man of great faith, devoted to God, and I'll come back to that in a moment. But another of his great passions in life was cycling. I learnt over time how passionate he was about cycling, because I spent a lot of time sitting on a bike right next to him. One of the wonderful things about sitting on a bike for each year for eight days over a thousand kilometres, is that you get to talk to people and get to know them in a way that you might otherwise never get to know those people. You've got a lot of time, and, if you talk, some of the pain goes away!

I had a lot of time to talk to Kevin and a lot of time for Kevin when I talked to him as we sat on the bikes together. We were both on Pollie Pedal each year for many, many years, starting in 2013. In Canberra on Wednesday mornings a group of us go out, and Kevin would come along to that as well. The conversations would often meander to all sorts of weird and wonderful places, but Kevin would always come back to the basics of why we were doing what we're doing and the basics of what was important in our lives—the relationships we have and the people and values we stand for. With Kevin, it was so consistent and coherent every single time. Over time he became a truly great role model and mentor for me, not by instructing me on what to do but by demonstrating how to live. That kind of role modelling is the most powerful of all. It's role modelling he would never have fully realised he was giving. Some of the best mentors in life don't even realise they're your mentors. Kevin was one of those for me. He was absolutely one of those.

His passion for cycling combined with his passion for writing. He wrote a number of books, but one of his truly remarkable ones that, I think, has not been given enough attention is his book about cycling and the history of Italy. Now, you might all think, 'Well, that's kind of a weird thing to write a book about,' and initially I thought, 'That's right.' Then I looked at what he had written about. He had written what I think is a really masterful contribution about the history of Italy, how Italy—as a state , as a government, as a country—was formed, the rivalries in that formation and how cycling had a parallel to that. The great rivalries in cycling in Italy were parallel to the great rivalries in politics in the formation of Italy. Of course, anyone who knows something of the history of Italy will know it was a cathartic formation that took centuries. Just as there were great rivalries throughout that formation of Italy, there were great rivalries in the story of the great cyclists of Italy—which we continue to see today, by the way; it continues to be one of the great cycling countries of the world. This was vintage Kevin Andrews: combining his passion for history, his passion for writing and his passion for cycling in a book that I think was a really novel contribution, emblematic of the way Kevin Andrews looked at the world and the way he contributed to the world.

Our time on Pollie Pedal together, over all those years, was really wonderful. The member for Solomon made a nice contribution; I didn't realise he was there when Kevin broke his collarbone in 2017. In 2017, he'd just been defence minister, and we visited many of the defence barracks along the route that year from Albury through to Manly, including Holsworthy barracks—I think that was the last one we visited before we went up to Manly. We were leaving Holsworthy Barracks down Heathcote Road, and Kevin took a tumble But you wouldn't have known; this guy had a capacity to manage pain like few I have ever seen. It was vintage Kevin. His demeanour never changed. It was always calm, it was always gathered and it was always coherent even when he was in extraordinary pain.

He did occasionally inflict pain on Pollie Pedal, I have to say. The Leader of the Opposition yesterday in the House made reference to 'what happens on Pollie Pedal stays on Pollie Pedal'. That is largely true, but Kevin's contributions on karaoke nights at Pollie Pedal, one night each year when the karaoke machine came out, were not always his best contributions, I have to say. He and Tony Abbott would combine each year to give a rendition of 'Suspicious Minds' that is best forgotten, because they couldn't hit the note on any of the notes. But they would do it each year and each time they would hold themselves out as the greatest singers of 'Suspicious Minds' since Elvis himself. That wasn't Kevin's best, but it was something we will always remember. Those of us who have heard it will always cherish it as a wonderful example of the authenticity of Kevin Andrews.

His role modelling for me, personally, extended into many different areas. One was his civility. We've just heard the member for Deakin and the member for Solomon talk about the wonderful civility of Kevin Andrews. Much of that, I think, came from his upbringing, but it also came from his faith. His deep faith was something that I have great respect for. Each of us who are people of faith in this place live that in different ways. The most important way that Kevin lived it was by living those values in the parliament every single day, in every moment. He just wouldn't depart from them. That is difficult because, as the member for Deakin just told us, this place can be faddish. We can be slaves to fashion, to whatever is the latest piece of thinking. That was never Kevin. Kevin would always go back to those bedrock principles and values that he grew up with and that he believed in. That expression of faith is something that I have enormous respect for. I can only hope to be even close to that level of coherence of Kevin each day. But we saw it—all of us—in the party room, we saw it in our informal interactions, and we saw it in the parliament as well.

I've talked about family and his belief in family. He wrote about this, and he spoke about it often. Of course, that relationship with Margie and with his kids was right at the heart of that. But I think the important point here is that he did something which is difficult in this place. Often, here in the parliament of our great nation, it is easy to believe that the answer to all problems is just a better government policy. Government policy is important—don't get me wrong—but Kevin always understood that ultimately human fulfilment and happiness come from the relationships we have with those people close to us. That is the bedrock. That is the most important thing of all. To the extent that policy can have a role in making sure that we enable people to have a great family life, that's important. That is fundamentally important, and I think Kevin's commitment to those values is something we should all revere.

He also had great commitment to our flag. Alongside faith and family, he believed in this nation like few others. He was an incredible servant in his many roles, including his ministerial roles. I saw him being particularly proud of his time as defence minister. I think he thoroughly enjoyed the role he played as defence minister because he saw it as one of those bedrock services and roles that the government can play that are so important to our security and our future as a country.

It has been a true honour for me to be a colleague and a friend of, and certainly to be mentored by, a man as wonderful as Kevin Andrews. Can I wish my very best to Margie, to the family and to the kids—Emily, James, Stuart, Catherine and Benjamin. May Kevin Andrews rest in peace.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Waste Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In paying tribute to Kevin Andrews, I first acknowledge and associate myself with the remarks made in the contributions so far by other members. It's particularly difficult, when we have these condolence motions, to speak on them when they involve someone that you actually served with in this parliament. It was my honour to serve with Kevin in the 46th Parliament—his last term in this building and my first term in this building—and to be able to observe him and his great understanding of this building and of being a parliamentarian. All members, I think—even the Prime Minister—have referenced him being in a position of mentorship to everyone that served with him, and that was the case for me as it was for all members that have commented in this debate so far.

I describe Kevin as a parliamentarian, knowing full well that he made a very distinguished contribution to the executive of this nation as well—of course, serving as a minister in both the Howard and the Abbott governments, to great distinction. But in our Westminster system, which is quite different to many others around the world, obviously our executive comes out of our legislature. You can't serve in the executive government if you're not a member of parliament. But it does sometimes diminish the importance of reflecting on the role of a legislator and parliamentarian, and in the case of Kevin, even though it's quite warranted to talk about his service as a minister, I would like to focus on the great legacy he leaves as a parliamentarian and as having served in this place, in the House of Representatives, for more than 30 years. Of course, he was the Father of the House in the last few years of his career here, and that is extremely significant. The 30-year club is a very small and exclusive one. We have one member of the current parliament, the member for Kennedy, who is in that club, and there are times when not a single member of the House of Representatives has met the 30-year milestone, which says all we need to know about how significant it is that Kevin served for more than 30 years. But time served is not in and of itself the metric; it's contribution made.

I refer to Kevin as a parliamentarian. I think it's regrettable that we, in some ways, use the term 'politician' a little too often. Yes, I concede that we are politicians and that we engage in politics, but, when you're elected to this building, you become a parliamentarian. It is a worthy career, and one to be proud of. For too long, the things that are focused on and reflected on and dwelt on about parliamentarians are usually the negative sides of the process of what happens here. But, fundamentally, what we do here is a very good, important thing. We're a democracy. We represent our communities. We draft, debate, amend and pass legislation that the entire population of this nation becomes subject to. It's a very serious responsibility. And Kevin, when I think about his service, was first and foremost a person that embodied a career that should be looked upon with pride. He serviced in this place as a parliamentarian.

He experienced a lot, and there has been a lot of commentary about some of the brave causes that he took up as a legislator, bringing private member's bills that succeeded through the parliament. There are things that will always be associated with Kevin's service here. Other members have reflected on the great challenges that you can face when you stick your head above the parapet, when you take on a cause or an issue that has different views in your own community let alone across the entirety of the Australian community. The bravery of Kevin and the principles of Kevin and the values that he held were his guiding fundamentals for the long period of time that he served in this parliament.

I'm probably breaking important party room conventions by talking about the last meeting that Kevin attended in the party room, when he made the point that he was going to try and write a book on our party room. Particularly, he wanted to try and encapsulate the great mysteries of how the Liberal party room operates and maybe make it a little easier for some of us into the future to understand just exactly how we do what we do. I'm not sure how far along Kevin got on that project. When the time is appropriate, I'd be very interested to understand how far along he was. I think that would have been a very interesting and helpful project for those of us that are in the current party room—to understand more about the history of some of the decisions that were made and some of the ways in which we operate. From Kevin's point of view, the body of work would have been very much about how to make sure that the lessons of the past inform a great equality for our party room into the future, which was exactly the same approach he had to service in our chamber, to the service of the people of his electorate of Menzies and to his service of the people of Australia.

I thank Kevin, as the defence minister, for the decision he made to commit to the surface fleet vessel construction in Adelaide. With a very different hat on, I was at a press conference that was held out at the Osborne naval shipbuilding yard. In 2015, Kevin was the defence minister. The parliament was sitting. There was a degree of ambiguity around whether or not those vessels would be made in Australia, and Kevin flew to Adelaide that morning from Canberra—he made sure he was back in time for the parliament sitting—to make a very clear announcement of commitment to the people of South Australia around that project and those future jobs. That is one of many significant legacies he leaves behind as a minister. He also leaves behind a remarkable legacy is a legislator.

Most importantly, we've heard, from so many people who knew Kevin well, about the legacy he leaves behind as a husband and a father. I think, if Kevin were able to choose which he would most prefer to have as his legacy, husband and father would, beyond question, be at the top of his list. So to his wife Margie and to his family—it is an incredible loss to them. Having Margie in the chamber was very poignant and touching for the condolence motion's movement yesterday. Our hearts are with them. We're very grateful to the service of Kevin to our nation, to this parliament, to his community and to his family. Vale, Kevin Andrews.

Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

():  I was first elected to this parliament in 2010. On average, as members of this parliament, we would stand twice a week and offer a minute's silence in question time for members of this place that had passed. For over a decade, this ritual has continued—an honourable ritual. It just speaks of the fragility. When something moves or shifts with people from 'you didn't really know who they were' to 'now you know who they are'—the men and women that you have served with—and you're standing to offer a minute's silence, it speaks of the fragility of life and the inevitability. When the news of Kevin Andrews's passing found me, I was shocked. At the age of 69, that is below the average life expectancy for an Australian male. Kevin, in his last contributions in the party room as the member for Sturt—aptly appointed to—showed no signs of illness and no signs of frailty. He was fit and well with a plan and a destiny to invest time with his family. He had plans to write yet another book, which has been spoken about in a number of speeches. And so it is a life lost too early.

In my contributions today, it is not my intention to speak of the biography of what Kevin Andrews was and his assorted ministries as such, because my colleagues have done that so appropriately and I don't want to cover that ground. I want to speak more to the man and the contributions and the effects that he had on me. I just think that Kevin Andrews walked the walk and talked the talk. He was a decent human being, and I cannot recall a particular point in the 15 years that I've served here where I sat with him where he said an unkind word about anyone. He used to get frustrated with some colleagues, but I think that's just a by-product of working in a place where robust debates happen and points are different, because he was such a conservative. Our political ideologies were very much aligned, and so we found comfort in each other's similarities of our beliefs. We were not always 100 per cent aligned, but for the most we were very much aligned. His Christian values and his commitment to family go hand-in-hand. You can be a great father without being a Christian, but, when you're both, it is another set of values that you live by.

He was someone that I found very easy to look up to. When I had a particular issue that was vexing me, I pondered for some time as to who I would take advice from, because the issue was sensitive, and I went to Kevin. And we spoke, and he gave me advice that reaffirmed what my problem was. I left that meeting, without divulging what it was, with a sense of calmness and a sense of healing and most of all, through the Christian learnings, a sense of forgiveness. The bitterness that I had gone there with was gone. And it is a powerful skill that one has to be able to impart that generosity.

But the point of the contribution that I wanted to make today is that Kevin's contribution to this country was cut short too early. I just want to challenge members of the House that, if Kevin Andrews were here listening to these contributions about him, what would his reaction be? What would he be saying? He'd be embarrassed by the generous comments that were made. He'd be humbled. But most of all I think he would feel a sorrow for his family of not being able to wake up the next day with Margaret or take a phone call from one of the children. And those months and years ahead—having lost a father myself at a very young age, I know the pain never leaves you, but it does subside. Those that leave us are always in our presence, and I think Kevin will always be in our presence here as a political mentor.

So what gift has he left us as politicians? I think, passing away at the age of 69, you could argue that the gift he has given us is to live every life as if there is no tomorrow. Leave nothing in the tank. Stay true to your values. Stay true to your family values. Stay true to your beliefs. Live them, share them, embrace them, and encourage others to do the same thing. Be forgiving. Be charitable. And, when it comes to your children, the greatest gift you can give them is your time. I know this task takes away an enormous amount of time, as politicians, that we would spend with our children. I offer my condolences to Margaret and the children, who now go through life having the memories of a wonderful father but without being able to touch or hold their hand or pick that phone up again. Kevin Andrews's gift to us is to be good to your family. Live your life by the principles that he taught us.

In passing, my final comment is that someone will write the book that Kevin Andrews was going to write. With my conversations with him, he kept with granular detail party room meetings. I thought: 'Are you leaking to the press? Are you doing this for vexatious reasons or clandestine reasons?' And he said: 'You should keep a diary. You'll be surprised when you go back a couple of years after being here by how much slips your mind.' He said: 'My intention is to write a book. We won't divulge names or anything. It's more about helping the next politician, the next style of politician that will be coming to this House, because there are no rules in our party room. There are procedures and there are traditions, but there's no one tradition that binds one party room to the next. Unless we know the procedures and how situations have been managed, choreographed, and the outcomes of those, that history becomes lost.' His gift to our party was that granular detail that he has, and let's hope those diaries that he has don't get discarded, but they end up in the hands of a wonderful journalist that may fulfil Kevin's legacy in writing that final book in his memory.

To Kevin Andrews, thank you for your friendship and your contributions to this place. To Margaret and the children, I cannot imagine the sorrow and hurt that you will be enduring in the months and years ahead, but know that there is a parliament that respects your husband with unlimited capacity, and that he has left behind a legacy in this place of amazing generosity and a gentleness that we should all live by. Vale, my friend.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National 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 Federation Chamber.

Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That further proceedings be conducted in the House.

Question agreed to.