Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to offer the Nationals and my own most sincere condolences to Mrs Rhonda Evans and her family.

Harry Evans was an institution in the Australian parliamentary system, a man of rare abilities who put them to the service of his country. In 1967 Harry commenced as a librarian in training with the Parliamentary Library on a salary of just $3,239 per year. By 1969 he had come to the attention of the legendary Jim Odgers, Clerk of the Senate, who wanted to bring out a new edition of his Australian Senate Practice. Odgers was looking for a good researcher to work with him on a project; Harry, with his strong interest in history applied for and got a job. It is this promotion that set up his mastery of Senate practice, and 40 years of it. Harry was one of the finest of the new Clerk Assistants and was responsible for the Committee Office until he returned to the Procedure Office in 1985 before being promoted to Deputy Clerk in 1987. In 1998 he was promoted to Clerk of the Senate.

It is the mark of a man that his retirement should occasion a glowing farewell in the usually dry annual report of the Department of the Senate 2009-10. I would like to read an extract from this, which said:

After more than 40 years of service to the Senate, Harry Evans’s contribution can be measured in much greater terms than simply time served. A renowned expert on parliamentary privilege, Harry was the principal critic of the judgments of Mr Justice Cantor and Mr Justice Hunt in the case of R v Murphy which were the catalyst for the enactment of the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987. His next challenge was to rationalise the Senate’s standing orders, transforming them—

as we have already heard today from what some would describe as—

… a somewhat antiquated and motley collection into a rational body of rules written in plain English and appropriate for a modern parliament. While the revised standing orders were a codification of existing practice, they contain many examples of Harry’s formidable capacity for reducing complicated things to simple and crystal clear prescriptions.

The report goes on:

There are many other examples of his ability to devise and draft procedures to give effect to senators’ desires to see the Senate performing its functions more effectively. Also formidable is Harry’s body of writing on parliamentary matters. In 1994, he produced a new version of the classic text, Australian Senate Practice, renamed as Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice after its first author and Clerk of the Senate from 1965 to 1979, James Rowland (Jim) Odgers. During his time as Clerk of the Senate, Harry produced six editions of this major parliamentary work, ensuring the availability of the most up-to-date information about the evolving Senate, its constitutional position and its procedures. ‘The Book’, as he fondly called it, remains as a testament to his endeavours to promote the institution of Parliament, and the Senate in particular, as one of the last bulwarks against executive domination. A collection of his other writings was published in February 2010 as a special issue of the department’s journal, Papers on Parliament.

Senators paid tribute to their retiring Clerk on 19 November 2009 and a recurring theme was the independence and impartiality which Harry Evans brought to the performance of his office and the fearlessness with which he defended the powers and role of the Senate. While his advice was not always appreciated by governments, Harry achieved the distinction of being criticised by governments of all complexions and—

equally, I suspect—

respected by all.

The department's annual report also says:

As a chief executive officer, Harry Evans also represented the highest standards of ethical leadership, probity and the pursuit of value for money on behalf of the taxpayer. The Senate committee inquiry process remains one of the most cost-effective means of scrutinising governments’ policies, operations and legislative proposals, and the Committee Office operates at a fraction of the cost of such agencies as the Productivity Commission or the Australian National Audit Office.

Our current Clerk, Rosemary Laing, said:

Harry was a shy and modest man who led by example. We remember him as a generous mentor to those of us who wanted to learn about the Senate and its procedure. As an administrator, he was not afraid to make a decision and his efficiency in clearing paperwork was legendary. He also possessed a wry sense of humour that many of his colleagues will long remember.

Harry Evans was an astute observer of the parliamentary system, saying in his last Senate lecture in 2009:

Knowledge has always been power, but the management of information has become the key to government.

I came to this place at the same time as the Leader of the Opposition, in 2002. Almost immediately after taking my place in parliament, Harry brought to my attention that it was likely that I was in conflict with section 44 of the Constitution. He was more excited about this than I was, but I must acknowledge that his knowledge of the system assisted me in getting through three years of my term with that hanging over my head. There were a whole range of convolutions surrounding that issue and it was only Harry who was able to guide me through them. He also gave me some simple advice: 'In this place, Nigel, we are not sure what will happen. As long as you are open and frank with the Senate, it will treat you well.' I had three miserable years, but his advice, at the end of the day, was right on the money. I was certainly shocked to hear that Harry had passed away. It seems too soon for a man who had become an institution to leave us all behind. Vale, Harry Evans.