Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, as Senator Minchin points out, he then became Minister for Defence, so I am not sure how that would have gone down. After the war he returned to the bush and completed a Diploma of Sheep and Wool. In 1949 he married Joyce Buley.

James Killen was involved with the Liberal Party from a very early age. He was Foundation President of the Young Liberal Movement of Queensland in 1949—so he does have a bit to answer for!—and was also a member of his party’s state executive. From 1953 until 1956 he was Vice-President of the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party. In 1955, at the very tender age of 29, he was elected to the seat of Moreton, beating his ALP opponent by a little over 2,000 votes. He then retained his seat at 11 subsequent elections, famously winning by just 130 votes in 1961.

Sir James was known as a strident anticommunist. In his first speech to the parliament in 1956 he addressed his considerable rhetorical skill to a scathing critique of the then Soviet Union. During his time in parliament Sir James also worked to complete a degree in law. However, it was some years before he gained his first ministerial position. Sir James was made Minister for the Navy by Prime Minister Gorton in November 1969 and held the post until William McMahon became Prime Minister in 1971.

In opposition between 1972 and 1975 he served first as shadow minister for education and later held the shadow Defence portfolio. It is probably for his time as Minister for Defence in the Fraser government that Sir James is best known. He held that position for nearly seven years, which made him one of Australia’s longest serving defence ministers. In his time as minister he oversaw much of the work to establish the Australian Defence Force Academy as well as the development of the joint operational doctrine. Sir James moved from the Defence portfolio in 1982 and for the last 10 months of the Fraser government served as Leader of the House and Vice-President of the Executive Council. He resigned from parliament in August 1983.

In addition to his long service as Minister for Defence, Sir James was well known for his distinctive personal style. He was formidable in debate and his famous wit and rhetorical skill helped him to thrive in the environment of parliament and to leave such an enduring impression on Australian public life. Sir James was a committed conservative, but his beliefs did not isolate him from those who did not share his political views. He is fondly remembered by many from across the political spectrum. He had close friends from all sides of politics.

The guests at his 80th birthday celebration in 2005 included Barry Jones and the late Don Chipp, with whom he had served as a minister before Chipp left the Liberal Party to lead the Australian Democrats. He was also very close to Fred Daly and Gough Whitlam. I think it is fair to say that all of the political figures I have mentioned could not be described as ‘white bread politicians’, as some of us are so unfairly described these days; all of them are characters. His friendship with Gough Whitlam continued, and I understand they spoke on the phone on nearly a weekly basis. When in parliament, the two were known to pass to each other across the chamber notes peppered with classical references.

At the request of the Killen family, Gough Whitlam read the eulogy at Sir James’s state funeral service on 19 January in Brisbane. Whitlam spoke of Sir James’s love of the parliament, saying:

In his career, parliament was as significant as the ministerial offices he held with distinction. His influence, his abiding interest in the great affairs of our country, his fascination with the intricate interplay of the political machinery, his knowledge of and respect for the Constitution all came from his love of parliament.

Outside parliament, Sir James was passionate about horse racing. He made the headlines in 1981 when he argued for the Queensland Turf Club to relax its restrictions on female members, saying that the club’s refusal to do so would amount to ‘an exquisite form of absurdity’.

He had a great love of words, literature and reading. His distinctive rhetorical style was said to have been influenced by Sheridan and Edmund Burke. Sir James was knighted in 1982 and made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2004. He continued to practise law during his retirement in Brisbane. Sir James’s first wife, Lady Joy, passed away in 2000 and Sir James himself passed away on 12 January this year. He is survived by his second wife, Lady Benise Killen, his daughters, Diana and Heather, and his grandchildren. On behalf of all Labor senators, I would like to offer to Lady Killen and his family our most sincere condolences on the loss of a most remarkable Australian—someone who provided great service to this country and to Australian public life. Labor senators all regret his passing.