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

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death on 14 March 2014, of the Honourable Warwick Raymond Parer, AM, former senator for Queensland, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Warwick Parer was genuinely a man for all seasons. He was a man that did it tough in his early life, made a substantial commercial contribution, made a substantial public contribution and, most importantly to him, made a very important family contribution.

Warwick Parer was born in Papua New Guinea in 1936, his family being involved in the timber industry. With the emergence of World War II and the theatre of war coming to Papua New Guinea, he was repatriated to Queensland. Regrettably, his father was one of the first casualties of the Japanese attack on Papua New Guinea, so most of his life he lived without his father. Nevertheless, he did well in his education at Brisbane's St Joseph's Nudgee College and at the University of Melbourne, where he obtained a bachelor of commerce degree.

The name 'Parer' may be known to some people on the basis that one Damien Parer was the uncle of Warwick Parer, Damien Parer being the renowned World War II photographer. For those of us from Tasmania, the name Parer is well known, as there is a hotel establishment on King Island that rejoices in the name of Parer's Hotel. That started off in Crotty on the west coast and was pulled down and reassembled on King Island. When it was burned down and later rebuilt, Senator Parer was invited across to do the official opening.

I know that two of my former Tasmanian colleagues, senators Paul Calvert and Brian Gibson, would also wish to be associated, as they were close friends of former Senator Warwick Parer. I know that Senator Harradine would also want to be associated with these comments. It is indicative of the breadth of friendships that Senator Parer was able to gain in his place here that there were many fine tributes to him when he retired and left this place of his own volition.

Warwick Parer became a member of the Senate in 1984 and, from March 1996 to October 1998, he was the Minister for Resources and Energy, in Mr Howard's first government. That ministry was a natural fit for the man who had a long history in resources and energy and who played a pivotal role in the Queensland coal industry. He was a man with genuine real-life experience. Despite his very strong business credentials, he was not one to seek a handout for business; nor did he ever seek favourable treatment for business. Indeed, way back in his maiden speech in 1985 he said:

… examples of unwarranted and harmful intrusions by government into the economy are legion. I need only mention the distortion effects of featherbedding inefficient industries at the expense of more productive enterprises, of tariff walls and of subsidies to favoured groups. Yet the vested interests which enslave governments, when engaging in their special pleading, can always point in their defence to some other groups in receipt of similar artificial advantages. Such interests need to be exposed to the disciplines as well as the advantages of free markets.

He was a man of great principle who talked straight in his first speech, and that is how he stayed throughout his parliamentary stay. He retired from the Senate at a time of his choosing, having served 16 years. His commitment to public life was motivated by his desire to be of service to his community. Anybody who bothered to have a look at his register of interests would know that there was no need for him to come into this place for any financial benefits.

Warwick's interest in being of service to the community continued following his retirement from the Senate. He undertook the role of President of the Queensland Liberal Party from 2006 to 2008. I know that during that time he continued to be a great source of advice and wisdom to the then Prime Minister, Mr Howard, with whom he enjoyed a very close friendship—another friendship that Warwick Parer gained during his time in this place. After his retirement from the Senate, he was also Chairman of the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Foundation. His public service continued, and he was the Chair of the Stanwell Corporation Board until his untimely death.

But Warwick Parer will be remembered for more than just his dedication to serving his country in both the public and the private domain and his tireless commitment to many community organisations. He will also be remembered as a man who was compassionate and grounded. Possibly that compassion and grounding was a result of the loss of his father in that Japanese strife on Papua New Guinea.

Around Parliament House, he was known as a man who did not let partisanship get in the way of friendship. His life experiences—growing up without a father, carving out his own path as an executive with Utah and Australian coal exporters and, above all, experiencing the joy of his own family—meant that he had a deep sense of what was truly important. His friendly, fatherly demeanour would impress all in the coalition as he would enthuse about political issues while sucking his trusty pipe. Those were the days when you were still allowed to smoke in this place. That reminds me of an occasion when an ample lump of ash that he knocked off a cigar and put into some facility or container led to a fire in that certain container and to fire alarms going off. I am not sure if he ever admitted to being responsible, but some of us on this side believed that he may have been. He was part of a generation that had a deep and abiding belief in service and living for others. That is why his service to his party and country continued long after he left office.

Above all those achievements I know that Warwick Parer grew the greatest strength and purpose in life from his family, and he considered them to be his greatest achievement. He indeed credited his calm and affable nature to the stability that comes from a loving wife and family. Today our thoughts are with Warwick's charming wife, Kathi; their four daughters and three sons, Carol, Martine, Helen, Sonia, Warwick, Justin and Rowan; and now the many, many grandchildren. On behalf of the government I place on record our acknowledgement and thanks for Warwick Raymond Parer's lifetime of outstanding service to the people of Queensland and Australia, and we express our deep regret at his passing.