Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the National Party to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution to public life made by Clyde Cameron. Mr Cameron, a cabinet minister in the Whitlam government and a member of parliament from 1949 to 1980, died at his Adelaide home at the age of 95. That was 31 years in parliament, 23 or so of which were in opposition—I do not think anyone would envy that. Obviously, this was a man of incredible capacity, passion and commitment. He was the son of a Scottish shearer and a shearer himself before entering the union movement, where he was the most influential South Australian Labor powerbroker. During his time in politics, he achieved the position of Minister for Labour and Immigration. Mr Cameron won the West Adelaide seat of Hindmarsh in 1949 and retained it through 13 consecutive elections before retiring. During his 31 years in parliament, Clyde Cameron, as I said, spent 23 years or so in opposition. To continue to make an impact on politics throughout that time is, I think, the envy of the people who find themselves on this side of the chamber.

Clyde Cameron was a legend amongst the true believers of Labor politics. He left school at the age of 14, on the eve of the Great Depression. He found work in the shearing sheds across south-east Australia and in New Zealand. Someone leaving school at the age of 14 and later becoming a federal minister is, I think, just an absolutely extraordinary achievement. He lived through two world wars and deployments in Korea, what was then Malaya and Vietnam. These were of course the subject of significant discussions in parliament and public life, and history records that he made an incredible contribution to those debates.

He worked as a shearer and in the shearing industry through the Great Depression. That time was obviously fundamental in cementing Clyde Cameron’s beliefs in the deficiencies of capitalism and his path towards a leading role within the Australian Workers Union. This prominence led to Clyde Cameron being acknowledged as the most influential figure in the South Australian Labor Party and ultimately being elected to the House of Representatives in 1949.

He achieved striking advances in the areas of wage justice and trade union reform during his 2½ years in charge of industrial relations in the Whitlam cabinet. He pushed through equal pay for women in 1973 followed by an increase in the female minimum wage a year later, and he won better pay and conditions for Commonwealth public servants, knowing their gains would flow on to the private sector.

Clyde Cameron was also known to be a hard man, and he fell out with many ALP figures, including Gough Whitlam. I read a description that said the softest part of Clyde Cameron was, in fact, his teeth. I can understand that a man who had come through so much, and because of his upbringing, would have some absolutely fundamental beliefs and that whether he was arguing with the Prime Minister of the time or anybody he would stick to those beliefs. That character of a man has to be admired by the wider Australian community.

He was also a very compassionate man and believed passionately in building the social fabric of Australia. Clearly Clyde Cameron was a man who brought to this place a series of priorities—as many of us like to do—and those priorities were for those in the most need. It was the most needy in the community that he spent his time focusing on.

Clyde Cameron was most likely not the best friend of many of the Nationals or Country Party members and voters, certainly at that time. But he will be remembered as either a loyal friend or a formidable enemy, depending upon which side of the argument you found yourself. On behalf of the National Party I extend my condolences to the family of Clyde Cameron and acknowledge the extraordinary contribution he made to Australian public life.