Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to add my condolences on the passing of the Hon. Joan Child AO. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet Joan Child, albeit very briefly, in the late 1980s. Joan was the first female ALP member of the House of Representatives. Reflecting on this in her first speech, Joan said that she felt 'deeply honoured at being the first woman elected to this House as an endorsed Labor Party candidate'. Joan's election, unfortunately, did come some 30 years after Senator Dorothy Tangney was elected to the Senate in 1943. Joan won the seat of Henty in 1974, being defeated in 1975, before serving as a member from 1980 until she retired from federal politics in 1990. Joan was appointed Australia's first female Speaker in February 1986, holding the position until 1989—a groundbreaking achievement. Joan could only be described as an ALP true believer. We have heard here today about Joan's commitment to the party prior to standing for the Labor Party, and continuing her commitment and passion for the party, as well as the work and the policies that the Labor Party believes in, long, long after she left federal politics.

Joan was strongly committed to those in our community who were less fortunate. In particular I note from her first speech her commitment to and argument for appropriate support for people living with a disability and her hope that any legislation concerning people with a disability should pass easily, with compassion and understanding; that it would be accepted by states and would not be faced with a states-rights wrangle. I think she would certainly be very proud of the current Labor government's commitment to the NDIS and, indeed, the cross-party support for the NDIS.

Joan came from a true working-class background, having worked at a number of jobs including as a sales assistant, a cook, a cleaner and on an assembly line before entering politics. Joan will be fondly remembered as a passionate advocate for women's rights and for those in our community who are doing it tough. Joan believed that as a rich nation our wealth cannot be measured in building roads, airports and swimming pools. A nation's wealth is measured by the care and compassion it is prepared to extend to the old and lonely, the dependent, the disabled and the young who are at school. She also had a strong commitment to improving the lives of women, and this was evident right from the moment she was elected to parliament. On her election she refused to be photographed in her house as a housewife, saying: 'I am not standing as a housewife. I am a member of the ALP. As for the housework at home, my boys and I do it between us.'

As the first female Speaker things were very different for Joan. Reflecting on her time as Speaker, the current Speaker Anna Burke said when Joan was first elected Speaker, no-one knew what to call her. 'It started off as Mrs Speaker, but when it was later changed to Madam Speaker, Joan wryly observed she was not in charge of a brothel.' It is anecdotes such as these that highlight Joan's good sense of humour. She was blessed with humility and never forgot who put her into politics or why. For women in the ALP, Joan's election was a milestone, an indication that the battles waged to have women's voices heard in parliament had worked. Women were inspired and encouraged to face the challenges to continue our campaign for equal representation with determination. Joan's commitment to remembering where she came from also shone through in her first speech and it is an important message for all of us to remember. She said:

The basis of election to a seat in Parliament is service to people. We are really public servants. The people made our election possible. They made it possible for us to take our seats in this House. That should be remembered, but it is all too often forgotten.

Joan will indeed be missed by her Labor family. I extend my sympathies to Joan's children and their families.