Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death on 2 April 2013 of the Honourable Ian Bonython Cameron Wilson, AM, former minister and member for Sturt, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Ian Wilson was a minister in the Fraser government and a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 24 years, from 1966 to 1969 and from 1972 until he retired prior to the general election in 1993. Ian was born on 2 May 1932 in Adelaide to a well-known South Australian family with longstanding links to the Liberal Party. Ian's father, Sir Keith Wilson, was a prominent Australia Party and Liberal Party politician. His mother, Lady Betty Wilson, was the granddaughter of Sir John Bonython, owner of the Advertiser and a member of the first House of Representatives. She was also the great-granddaughter of Sir John Bray, the first Premier of South Australia born in that state.

Ian Wilson was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide, and graduated in law from the University of Adelaide. As a 1955 Rhodes scholar, he obtained a further degree at Oxford. After returning to Australia, he then practised as a barrister and solicitor before entering federal parliament. His father was also the member for Sturt, from 1949 to 1966, serving for 16 years with a brief period out of office from 1954 to 1955. Following in his father's footsteps, Ian was elected to the seat of Sturt, taking over from his father in 1966. Like his father, Ian lost the seat from short period. Labor's Norman Foster held the seat for three years, from 1969 to 1972, before Ian's re-election in 1972. Ian became a member of the executive of the Fraser government when he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, a position he held for four months before being appointed to the ministry. Ian had three ministerial appointments. He was Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment from 1981 to 1982 and was Minister for Aboriginal Affairs as well as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Social Security from 1982 to 1983.

By today's standards Ian Wilson was a liberal rather than a conservative. It is notable that some of the issues Ian Wilson was particularly interested in as a parliamentarian remain current for this parliament some 20 years on. The question on the constitutional recognition of local government was opposed by the coalition in the 1988 referendum, though Ian Wilson supported the question. At the next election, the issue of constitutional recognition of local government will again be the subject of a referendum question. Hopefully the question will be successful later this year, perhaps even with the support of conservative parties. Similarly, and like our current South Australian Senate colleagues, Ian Wilson was interested in addressing the issues of water quality and water flow in the Murray-Darling system. This is another issue that this Labor government has addressed in this parliament, with the delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Ian's position on income splitting for families has in part been met through tax benefits for families with children. Even so, the issue of the appropriate level of income support for women in the workforce who have children remains current for the conservative members of this parliament.

Ian Wilson served as a notable member of the liberal tradition in the Australian parliament. On behalf of the government, I offer condolences as to his wife, Mary, and to his sons, Keith, Richard, James and Nigel, and their families.