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

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death, on 18 March 2016, of Mr Allan Charles Rocher, former senator for Western Australia and member for Curtin. May it place on record its appreciation of his long and highly distinguished service to the nation and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Allan Rocher was born on 16 February 1936 in Deloraine, Tasmania and educated at Burnie High School. Before being elected to parliament, Allan undertook national service and worked as a commercial arbitrator and then as a registered builder. A leader in the building industry, he went on to become the President of the Master Builders Association of Western Australia. Allan was elected as a senator for Western Australia at the 1977 election, taking up his seat on 1 July 1978. He served in the Senate until February 1981, when he then resigned to contest the by-election for the seat of Curtin in the House of Representatives.

Senator Brandis, who regrets he is unable to be here to move this motion, has told me it was around this time that he first came to know Allan Rocher, for whom he had a very warm regard. Allan served as the member for Curtin until 1998, first as a Liberal and from 1995 as an independent. He was rightly conscious of being the third of the four distinguished individuals to serve as the member for Curtin since the creation of the electorate in 1949—commencing with Sir Paul Hasluck, Sir Victor Garland, Allan himself and now Ms Julie Bishop.

Allan was a champion of free enterprise and small business, and showed a strong commitment to providing opportunities for all Australians to benefit from national prosperity. He was part of what, in his first speech in this place, he called 'the movement against state control' towards 'the discipline of the competitive market'. This included strong opposition to protectionism. Allan was an advocate of 'budgetary restraint' and also of what he called 'reversing the trend towards centralisation of powers in Canberra'. He was deeply conscious of 'the past and potential contribution of Western Australia to the wealth-creating process'—and how right he was.

Allan served as Deputy Government Whip in the Senate and held various positions in the House of Representatives, including as Deputy Chair of Committees from 1983 to 1990 and as Second Deputy Speaker from 1994 to 1996. Allan served in the opposition shadow ministry from 1990 to 1993, including as shadow minister for defence science and personnel. Allan was a member of several parliamentary committees and participated in various international delegations. He served as parliamentary adviser in the United Nations General Assembly from September to December 1991.

Allan was a strong supporter and 'close associate' of John Howard. Despite his departure from the Liberal Party, Allan's personal loyalty to his colleagues and commitment to his principles remained steadfast. He never lost sight of the great privilege of serving in this place and knew that his most important duty was to the people of Curtin and to bettering Australia for all. I think it is important in this place to reflect on Senator Rocher's efforts to reach across the party divide during his two decades of service.