Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I was greatly saddened when I learned, on 12 January this year, of the death of the Hon. Sir James Killen AC, KCMG. Sir James, as others during this condolence motion have amply and very well said, was a longstanding and distinguished member of the Queensland Liberal Party. He made an outstanding contribution to Australian politics and government as the federal member for Moreton between 1955 and 1983, and as a minister in the portfolios of Navy, from 1969 to 1971, and defence, from 1975 to 1982.

As Senator Brandis said and as the Hon. Bill Hewitt said through Senator Brandis’s contribution, Sir James Killen was the Foundation President of the Young Liberal Movement in Queensland in 1949. Like Senator Brandis, I was proud to follow in his footsteps in this position many years later. He continued to support the Young Liberal Movement through his entire political life, which included in the early 1980s his giving permission for the establishment of the Sir James Killen Young Liberal Foundation, which has placed the Queensland Young Liberal Movement on a very sound long-term financial footing.

Senator Brandis mentioned the publication of a manifesto which Sir James wrote in his very early days and I would like to place on the record the fact that Sir James, in the early 1980s, relaunched that manifesto when under the Young Liberal presidency of Allan Pidgeon—if my memory serves me correctly—that document was revived. It was updated, approved by Sir James and republished, which gives a very clear indication of his long-term commitment to the Young Liberal Movement, the Queensland Liberal Party and, indeed, the Australian Liberal Party.

Often when people leave politics, particularly after they have scaled the great political heights that Sir James did, they dissociate themselves from the great profession that they participated in and often move away from the political party that spawned and, indeed, nurtured them. Sir James Killen was certainly not one of those people. He continued to support the Young Liberal Movement, the Queensland Liberal Party and the Australian Liberal Party with great gusto and vigour. His legacy to the Queensland Young Liberals continues to be as strong as ever. Only last Saturday, the Queensland Young Liberal Movement, with the approval of Lady Killen, named the public-speaking competition that the Young Liberal Movement hosts every year the Sir James Killen Young Liberal Speaking Competition. I think that is one of the most significant and thoughtful tributes that the Liberal Party, particularly the youth wing of the Liberal Party in Queensland, could pay to its founding president, a life member and arguably its most distinguished member.

Sir James was also vice-president of the party’s Queensland division between 1953 and 1956. They were tumultuous times, and he served with distinction and with a clear sense of the direction that the Liberal Party had to take at that time. Invariably, his views and his counsel prevailed.

Most of all, as others have said in their contributions to this condolence motion, he was a tremendous orator whose ready wit and extraordinary intellect ensured that he was able to shine in any speaking performance or political debate. Again, Senator Brandis gave strong anecdotal evidence of that. Sir James was also an inspiration to generations of younger members of the Liberal Party, including me. He showed us all that it was possible to engage in serious and meaningful political debate without surrendering dignity, good manners and respect for others.

So much was he revered that, in his later years, it seems to me that everyone wanted to celebrate his life and his legacy. I know of at least three major testimonial dinners that were organised just in the last three or four years alone, and all of those dinners were sell-outs. People came from all over Australia—Liberal Party members, National Party members, Labor Party members and indeed members of other political parties and movements—to celebrate his life and his achievements and, whilst he was alive, to clearly give him a sense of the great appreciation that people had for him. People like me who continue with great pleasure, great pride and a great sense of privilege in the great and noble profession of politics often lament that we only say the great things about great political practitioners and great Australians like Sir James Killen at a funeral or memorial service. But it must have been so very satisfying for Sir James and his family to be able to go to dinner after dinner—and they were not small affairs; they were significant occasions—where his contribution was eulogised, with great appreciation expressed.

Sir James Killen will be sorely missed by thousands of Liberal Party members across Australia who strive to emulate his genuine political achievements and his dignified, intellectual and very witty contribution to public life. The Liberal Party has lost a great hero, and Australia has lost a fine servant and citizen. I extend my most sincere sympathies to Lady Killen and his daughters, Heather and Diana, and their extended family and friends.