Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to add a few words about how much I enjoyed working with Jeannie on various issues to do with women’s reproductive rights, in particular on the vote that we had here in the Senate around the issue of RU486. On those issues to do with women’s reproductive rights, the passion that Jeannie had for achieving change and her commitment to working to achieve that were really great to see, and it was great to work with her on those issues. Everyone knew how unwell she was at the time, but that was not going to stop her standing up for the things that she thought were important and the issues that she thought were important for Australian women. It was quite incredible and impressive to see that, even though she herself was so unwell, that was not going to stop her fighting for the things that she thought were really important.

The Senate inquiry into gynaecological cancers was something else that was really personally important to her, and she ensured that she did what she could to contribute to trying to ease the difficulties that other women in circumstances similar to hers might experience. She had a real passion and a real commitment about standing up for the rights of women when it came to women’s health issues and, in particular, women’s reproductive rights issues.

It was great to have somebody so committed on those issues who was very happy to work with people—women in particular—from all across the board, whatever their views were on other issues. If you were going to stand up for the rights of women and women’s health, you were a friend of Jeannie in working on those issues. That was great and I really enjoyed working with Jeannie on those issues. I miss that spirit in here on those issues, and I think for many of us Jeannie’s spirit and commitment on those issues will be there when we are involved in various different debates around those sorts of issues in the future. I just want to say thank you to Jeannie for her passion and commitment on those issues and for the contribution that she made to women in Australia and their health and their reproductive rights.