David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to also support the motion of condolence moved by the Leader of the Government in the Senate and to add a few words of tribute to the life and work of the late Shirley Walters, both on my own behalf and on behalf of my fellow Tasmanian Liberal senators, Senator Abetz, Senator Duniam and, of course, you, Mr President.

Shirley was, as has been mentioned, a trailblazer for women in politics in my state, although, as hinted at by Senator Wong, she scoffed at the very description. She was only the 12th woman to be elected to serve in this place and the first woman of any party to be elected as a senator for Tasmania. But in 1975, when she was preselected in a winnable position on the Liberal Party ticket and the Launceston newspaper The Examiner asked her about being a woman going into politics, she responded that she had stood because she felt that she had the skills that would be useful, not because of her gender.

As noted by Senator Brandis, Shirley came from a strong political background. Her father was a significant figure in Australian politics in the first part of the 20th century. After a significant business career, when he stood for preselection for the United Australia Party in 1931 for the seat of Wentworth, the local party could not decide between him and the sitting UAP member, so they endorsed them both. Each stood and won a major share of the vote, with Shirley's father, Eric Harrison, emerging victorious. As has been noted, he became a minister in the Lyons government and went on to become Deputy Leader of the UAP and then the first Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party under Robert Menzies.

She married Dr David Walters in 1949, and they moved to Hobart. They had five children—Rob, Pam, Susie and Jim—and Shirley spent their formative years supporting her husband and bringing up the family. However, she also found time for community activities and was heavily involved in supporting the National Trust.

Although she declared that she was never a women's libber, it is interesting that many of the views that prompted Shirley Walters to stand for the Senate have now become mainstream. For instance, she felt that sex education was important but that it should emphasise the obligations of men, as well as a practical approach to contraception.

For years Shirley campaigned against pornography and was criticised by some at the time for being a wowser, and yet her strong view was that much of it was exploitative of women. In this view, she was well ahead of her time.

She was a strong defender of her state and, as noted already, crossed the floor a number of times when she felt Fraser government measures would be detrimental to Tasmania. However, she never did this in an ambush. She always told the leader of the day and the party room what her intention was, and she did not grandstand on those issues.

In the chamber, Shirley Walters was a frequent interjector, as we have heard from a number of speakers today, and knew just how to get under the skin of her political opponents. But she kept any of that stridency strictly in the chamber, and was ever courteous and friendly outside the field of political combat.

Having been a nurse, she brought to the Senate a strong interest in health care and, in particular, aged care. She and former Labor senator Pat Giles were a formidable pair. In the years of the Fraser government, she chaired the Senate Select Committee on Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes, with Pat Giles as her deputy, and after the election of the Hawke government they swapped places. As a footnote, I note that this was the first committee of the Senate to initially comprise only women senators.

Unlike many, Shirley Walters remained active in the Liberal Party after she retired from the Senate. She was a regular attendee and speaker at branch meetings, as we have heard already, state council and Senate preselection—and I personally remember her asking me challenging questions at my own first preselection in 2007. The Tasmanian Division of the Liberal Party rarely confers the honour of life membership, but, as we have heard today, she received that honour in 2003.

She also supported her husband in his own role as a respected alderman of the Hobart City Council, and of course she enjoyed being a grandmother to 13 and a great-grandmother to three.

Some senators may also know that Shirley's oldest child, Rob, has been a leading advocate for men's health in this country. He is very highly regarded and was the overseas medical officer to the Prime Minister during Julia Gillard's tenure in that office.

I know that her family are feeling her loss keenly at this time, and I send my sincere sympathies to all of them. On a personal note, can I say to all her family how grateful I was for Shirley's wise advice and support, and can I also say how proud they can be of their mother's significant contribution not only to their state but to our nation.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.