Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand tonight to thank in the first instance all the Liberal senators who are retiring. I want to thank them as a whole for their contribution to the Liberal Party, to their state and to their country, this great nation of Australia. I want to wish them the very best for their future endeavours. Specifically and firstly I turn to my fellow Liberal senator from Launceston, Senator John Odin Wentworth Watson, the father of the Senate. It is 30 years this year since Senator John Watson entered the Senate in November 1977. He was the former general manager of Kelsall and Kemp in Launceston. He worked hard to get a fair deal for his fellow workers at that facility when the plant closed. Those were tough times in the mid-seventies, just after the Whitlam era.

He was successful in gaining preselection. He has seen out six elections and five prime ministers since then. It was only last Saturday that the West Tamar Branch of the Liberal Party hosted a farewell tribute to Senator John Watson. It was a great event organised by Julia Gulson, Murray Gross and their team, together with Max Burr, a former federal member initially for Wilmot and then for the Lyons electorate. Many here would remember Max Burr. It was a great night, with all Liberal senators present to pay a tribute to Senator John Watson for his service to the state, to the Liberal Party and to our nation. Of course, there have been other special farewell events from the Launceston Women’s Group of the Liberal Party, the Hobart Women’s Group of the Liberal Party and numerous other branches and indeed the Bass electorate meeting, which is the home electorate of Senator John Watson, paid a tribute to him just last week.

He has been a fighter for Tasmania over those 30 years and has made an enormous contribution which is hard to put a value on. I would not wish to do that tonight other than to say that it has been substantial in many respects. It was lovely hearing Senator Watson speak earlier tonight about his advocacy for different people who are disadvantaged in the community, for the local people, for the little people and for the small businesses. These are the people that he has been standing up for. He has been representing their concerns and their interests and advocating for these people when they have been in difficulty. As an example, he has been a great supporter of the Launceston Benevolent Society over many years, and I know Ivan Badcock came to the special tribute event last Saturday night.

Of course he has become well known in the area of superannuation and tax and was Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Superannuation for many years. I think that started on 20 June 1991 and for nigh on 10 years he served as chairman of that committee. He is renowned, not just in Tasmania, but throughout Australia and the Commonwealth, having received invitations to many parts of the world to speak on that very topic. He was a member of the shadow cabinet from 1990 to 1994 and held various parliamentary secretary positions plus numerous committee positions. He has been an executive member of the Tasmanian Chamber of Manufacturers and the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is an accountant by profession, with degrees in economics and commerce. But he has also been a survivor of the political bearpit as it were. The contribution that he has made over those 30 years has been fantastic.

He is held in high regard in Tasmania. There is a very high level of respect for Senator John Watson. I want to pay a tribute tonight to Jocelyn Watson, who has been with Senator Watson from day one. She is a steadfast, true blue supporter and loves her husband and their family. It was lovely to see Jocelyn Watson in the chamber tonight with John’s family as well. I know that for Senator Watson his family come first and he will now be able to spend more time on his farm and also with his family. I pay a tribute to Senator John Watson.

I want to refer to Senator Grant Chapman, who is in the chamber tonight and who I class as a friend. He has been here since 1987 as a senator, some 21 years, and has been a member of the House of Representatives for Kingston for some eight years from 1975 to 1983. He served on numerous committees but is probably best known as Chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services. He led some of the reforms under the Howard government, worked with former Treasurer Peter Costello for many years and brought in those reforms which are still there today. I want to pay a tribute to Grant and to say that he is a man of kindness. He is thoughtful and is a man of integrity. That is acknowledged and respected and I think people accept that. I thank Grant for his friendship and also for his faith and beliefs. As he indicated in his valedictory address, he was a secretary of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship for many years and has made a great contribution not just to the fellowship but to the parliament in terms of crossing the divide and supporting relationships across political boundaries. That is not easy to do but he has been an advocate in that regard and he should be thanked for it. He highlighted the important role of sport in a politician’s life and he has been a great advocate for sport. He has travelled widely and that has been well acknowledged.