Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise to associate myself with the motion of the Leader of the Government in the Senate and also the comments made by Senator Abetz and others following the passing on 15 November of one of Western Australia's icons and certainly one of the icons of the Liberal Party in our state, the Hon. Mr Reg Withers. I look forward to attending on Friday the public memorial service to honour his life. At that time I am sure his wife and his family will enjoy the many accolades that will be spoken about him.

I have to differ somewhat from my colleague Senator Johnston. He commented that Bunbury was a relatively small town. Indeed, I grew up in Bunbury. I was there from the mid-1950s until the mid-1960s. I did not know him, but my father, who was a bank manager in the town, certainly did, and I do recall his name at that time. I think his first foray into local government was when he was a member of the Bunbury City Council. There were some luminaries on that particular council—not least of course Dr Ern Manea, who went on for many years to grace the city and, indeed, our state.

Reg Withers cast an enormous shadow over federal politics, particularly from Western Australia. He was a mentor to so many people who came up through Liberal ranks, from students and eventually parliamentarians. As has been said, he remained an active member of preselections—with a few acerbic comments and some advice here and there that one would be very unwise to have ignored. Rather than repeat the comments of others, I think for history it is important to record, without going into political partisanship, just how important from our side—and I can understand others having a different view—the circumstances were in 1975 that led to the events that had their finality on 11 November that year.

Its genesis, of course, was an attempt by the then Minister for Minerals and Energy to bypass the Treasury-approved Loans Council process to borrow some US$4 billion for the purpose, I would say, of nationalising the resources sector and also for some projects associated with rail transport and others. That $4 billion in 1975, according to the Parliamentary Library only this afternoon, would translate into $17.65 billion today. Of course, today if anybody tried to go outside the approved Treasury process to borrow, there would be the same outrage that there was then. History records that, rather than go through European or United States approved borrowing processes and facilities, the attempt was made to access Arab petrodollars through one Tirath Khemlani. Remember that, at that time, the price of oil had gone up a multiplier of four times between 1973 and 1974, so the Arab world was flush with cash.

History records that by May of 1975 these attempts—which had prior to that time been secret—were made public, and the then Prime Minister, Mr Whitlam, directed Mr Connor to cease any further negotiations with Mr Khemlani and his troops. Mr Connor did not do that; he continued discussions behind the scenes. All of this Mr Withers, in his position as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, would have been aware of as a result of some excellent work done by others, including Mr Phillip Lynch. It did cause the then Prime Minister to sack his Treasurer, Dr Cairns, in July of 1975. Then in October of 1975 it became publicly known that Mr Connor had continued trying to negotiate with Mr Khemlani. It was at that time that Mr Whitlam had no option but to sack Mr Connor.

I give that historic perspective simply because they must have been incredibly difficult times in this parliament. It must have been very difficult for the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate—knowing what was going on—to, as others have said, keep the troops together. Indeed, as I understand it, there was a motion moved in the Senate which would have had the effect of Mr Whitlam going to the people to get a validation for the actions that had been taken with regard to the Arab loans affair. If I remember correctly the words that were read, the motion was that the loans affair was an example of extraordinary and reprehensible behaviour. History, of course, records that Mr Whitlam did not accede to that motion.

At a time like this, one should reflect on the public service that all of us do provide to this place—by those coming from the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania and by us from Western Australia. We know what the cost is. We know that families suffer. It is bad enough today when we have a direct flight from Canberra to Perth, but in days gone by, when a journey from Perth to Canberra would have probably taken the best part of a weekend, the likelihood of people getting home at all for weekends would have been slim. We know that the burden on families and the sacrifice on families are incredible.

There is no doubt at all that history records—and I think it has been stated today by Senator Abetz and Senator Wong—that a wrong was visited upon Reg Withers in relation to the outcome of the royal commission, and that must have weighed heavily on him and, no doubt, his family when that event took place and its consequences played out. But, as Senator Johnson has said, Reg Withers went on to become Lord Mayor of Perth at a very interesting time in its development—and it was pleasing to see the comments of today's Lord Mayor, Ms Lisa Scaffidi, paying tribute to Reg Withers' contribution to the development of our city.

In conclusion, I do look forward to the opportunity to attend the service on Friday during which the life of Reg Withers will be played out for those of us who did not know him well. I have no doubt at all that his family will be justifiably proud of the contribution he made in this place.