Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the death of the Hon. John Murray Wheeldon.

Leave granted.

I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death, on 24 May 2006, of the Hon. John Murray Wheeldon, former federal minister and senator for Western Australia, and places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

John Wheeldon was born on 9 August 1929 in Subiaco, Western Australia. He was educated at Perth Modern School and then attended the University of Western Australia, graduating in arts and law before commencing work as a solicitor. Despite later serving as a minister in the Whitlam Labor government, we note with interest that John Wheeldon’s political life began when he took on the role of President of the Western Australian Young Liberals. Given his subsequent illustrious career and his rather dry views on a range of subjects, he was clearly a loss to the Liberal Party.