Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of coalition senators, I too extend our sincere condolences to the family of former Senator Bernie Kilgariff, a senator for the Northern Territory and a member of the Country Liberal Party, who died on 13 April this year at the age of 86, after a long and very rich life. His contributions have set the bar high for those who follow. His life was full in so many ways. His life was inspirational and a living expression of the coalition philosophy.

Mr Kilgariff was one of the modern pioneers of Central Australia and was instrumental in the formation of the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory. He was born at Mile End in South Australia in 1923 and arrived with his family in Alice Springs at the age of seven.

He went on to make extensive contributions to the outback, pastoral, aviation, construction and resource industries, defence, tourism, Aboriginal affairs and the community—all in partnership, with the support and encouragement of his wife, Aileen, and their 11 children. I note: no baby bonus or paid parental leave was needed here. His 11 children were undoubtedly a great apprenticeship for his later role as whip of coalition senators.

Mr Kilgariff’s political career started in 1960 in the Legislative Council of the Northern Territory. He went on to become the first Speaker of the first fully-elected Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory in 1974 and then, in 1975, he was elected as one of the first Territory senators and one of the first senators to represent the newly-formed Country Liberal Party. From 1979 he represented the Liberal Party. I recall meeting with the then senator when I was a very young President of the Australian Liberal Students Federation seeking support for voluntary student unionism, which I note was finally achieved about four or five years ago. I had the privilege of steering the legislation through this place, never expecting it would take so long.

Mr Kilgariff retired from politics in 1987 and continued contributing to every facet of the community for the rest of his life. His contributions were rightly recognised through the Order of Australia. He received the Medal of the Order, OAM, and the Member of the Order, AM, in 1996. On receiving the Order of Australia, Mr Kilgariff said:

It sounds corny, but the biggest pleasure of my career has been representing people.

Mr Kilgariff exemplified commitment to and engagement with the community. He genuinely wanted the Northern Territory—and I quote from his maiden speech in the Senate in 1996—to be ‘capable of performing mighty feats which will be to the benefit not only of the Territory but of Australia’. He was a devoted servant to the parliament and the Northern Territory.

To Mr Kilgariff’s widow, Aileen, and his children and grandchildren, the coalition extend our sympathy in their bereavement and place on record our appreciation of his public service throughout his life. I know Senator Scullion, who so ably represents the Northern Territory and the Country Liberal Party in the Senate, will provide additional supportive comments.