Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion of condolence on the passing of Allan Charles Rocher, a senator for Western Australia from 1978 to 1981 and the member for Curtin in the other place from 1981 to 1998. I convey at the outset the opposition's sympathy to Mr Rocher's friends, family and other relatives. As Senator Scullion said, former Senator Rocher was elected to the Senate in 1977, representing the Liberal Party of Australia, prior to which he had been President of the Master Builders Association as well as a company director and commercial arbitrator. In his first speech, he defended the Senate's rights and privileges, stating:

… we in the Senate provide one of the more important checks and balances within our constitutional democracy.

He also said:

Our constitutional obligations can be further strengthened, by developing the Senate's other powers of scrutiny and review of federal affairs.

Less than three years later, he made the decision to seek what he no doubt saw as greener pastures in the other place, and he resigned from this place to contest, and subsequently win, a by-election in the division named for former Labor Prime Minister John Curtin in February 1981. He went on to win re-election in that division six times, the last as an independent.

He served as a member of the opposition shadow ministry from April 1990 to April 1993, primarily as parliamentary secretary to Dr John Hewson, the then Leader of the Opposition. His split from the Liberal Party came as a result of losing preselection in 1995, despite the support of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Howard. As the record shows, it was a preselection battle fought amid significant debate about the role of factional powerbroker Noel Crichton-Browne in the Western Australian division of the Liberal Party. As an independent, he continued to strongly support the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Howard, characterising himself as 'a more reliable supporter of John Howard' than his endorsed Liberal opponent. He had earlier crunched the numbers for Mr Howard when he brought the ill-fated leadership of Alexander Downer to a close. Mr Howard returned the favour, stating Mr Rocher was likely to become Speaker in a Howard coalition government. However, although Mr Rocher retained Curtin in 1996, this did not transpire. Mr Howard supported his repatriation to the Liberal Party, although others, including the then state president, David Johnston, and the President of the Western Australian Legislative Council, George Cash, were less encouraging. Mr Rocher remained an independent and was defeated in the 1998 election by Ms Bishop, the now Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. He went on to serve as consul-general in Los Angeles.

As with many Liberals from Western Australia, Mr Rocher strongly asserted the principles of individual rights in economic affairs. Quoting from Hayek's publication Individualism and economic order in his first speech to the Senate, he emphasised a belief in free markets with minimal government interference. Indeed, he took on established interests in business and the National Country Party, whom he saw as paying lip-service to economic freedom whilst being, in the words of Hayek:

… defenders of privileges and advocates of government activity in their favor rather than opponents of all privilege.

A reversal of the trend towards centralisation of powers in Canberra was another cause Mr Rocher espoused, as well as what he perceived as the need for fairer treatment of Western Australia in the distribution of Commonwealth government assistance.

He passed on 18 March 2016 at the age of 80—a long and full life. We, the opposition, extend our sympathies to his family, friends and former colleagues at this time.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.