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

I rise on behalf of the opposition to join with the Leader of the Government in the Senate and acknowledge the passing of former senator and parliamentary secretary Brian Francis Gibson AM, who passed away this week. At the outset, I convey our condolences to Mr Gibson's family and friends. He was a senator for 8½ years and, considering his contribution, particularly in the context of economic policy, I think it is reasonable to say he was unfortunate not to have had the opportunity to contribute for a longer period as a member of the executive. However, his contribution as a leader in both public and private enterprise and his work as a senator means his legacy stands tall, particularly in economic policy.

Born in Victoria, Mr Gibson's professional career was in the forest and forestry products sector. Initially an employee of the Forests Commission Victoria between 1957 and 1972, it was a job opportunity with Australian Newsprint Mills in the Derwent Valley that saw him cross Bass Strait and make Tasmania his home. I note that prior to taking up this position he fulfilled his commitment to using his professional skills for greater economic and social good by working for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations on a forestry project in Jamaica.

In 1980 he became managing director of Australian Newsprint Mills, a position he held until 1989, and he also served between 1987 and 1991 as the President of NAFI, the National Association of Forest Industries, an organisation with which I have some familiarity and which has played a prominent role in Tasmania's forest debates over many years. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the industry in 1988. It was his professional and managerial experience that led the Tasmanian government to appoint him as the chairman of Tassie hydro in 1989. He would serve on the commission at a time when it was attempting to modernise to meet the challenges posed by the impending introduction of the National Competition Policy, coincidentally a policy which accorded with his views on microeconomic reform.

As the Leader of the Government has said, Mr Gibson was elected to the Senate in 1993, replacing the late Shirley Walters. Re-elected in 1998, he served until 2002. He immediately indicated his interests and demonstrated his expertise in economic affairs by making a first speech that repudiated the protectionist policies that he described as the legacy of Alfred Deakin. He decried the way such policies had inculcated, in his words, 'an inward-looking attitude within a high proportion of Australians that so many believe they do not have to be internationally competitive'. He went on to speak about the links between investment and microeconomic reform. He also advocated for major efficiency gains within the budget sector of government in order to reduce the taxation burden on individuals and business so that people would be encouraged to work harder, to save and to invest.

Given his views, it is unsurprising he associated himself with what is known as the Modest Members group of parliamentarians, who championed fiscal responsibility and accountability. He also found a place with conservative senators and members connected by a shared Christian faith. He served on many parliamentary committees. I won't list them all but I do note in particular the role he played as chair of the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee and of the Senate Economics Legislation Committee. As we know, the legislation committees play an important role in our Senate and, in particular, in the estimates process. Senator John Faulkner, who spent a fair amount of time in the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee in particular had this to say about him:

But in relation to Brian Gibson, I do want to say something quite genuinely. Brian Gibson was one of the best chairs of a parliamentary committee I have seen. He was a very good chair of an estimates committee basically because he understood politics—that was the difference. It was really crucial.

However, as Senator Brandis has referenced, by far and away Mr Gibson's overarching contribution throughout his time in the Senate was in the area of economic policy. He came to this place with well-formed views about the place of government in the economy and the reforms he saw as necessary to lift the productivity of the Australian economy. His arrival was timely, as it coincided with a period of economic reform: the Keating government's own push for microeconomic reform. Then, of course, his career also flowed on to the Howard government's election and the changes that government sought and achieved for the tax system.

First in opposition and then in government, Brian Gibson articulated three fundamental reforms to the budget process. These were the application of an accrual accounting method to Commonwealth budgets; the appointment of a National Commission of Audit to report on Commonwealth finances and to lay out mid-term economic priorities; and the introduction of a Charter of Budget Honesty because he wanted governments to be held properly to account for their fiscal and economic policies. It says something about Mr Gibson's contribution that two of those have become the practice of the Commonwealth. Of course, the National Commission of Audit is something the previous governments have utilised. It is a testament to the way in which Brian Gibson made use of the opportunities presented to him by the parliament—such as through the Public Accounts Committee and as a member of the Select Committee on Functions, Powers and Operation of the Australian Loan Council—as well as within his parliamentary party that all three of these reforms were enacted during his time in the parliament.

Brian Gibson was a natural choice for the role of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer following the election of the Howard government in 1996. He initiated overhauls in corporate law and administration, including corporate law simplification and reform. Senator Brandis has outlined in some detail the professional disappointment associated with his resignation after 10 months.

Brian Gibson went on to chair a government members' taskforce on taxation reform and to assist in the public consultation process on the new taxation system. His role in the development of what became known as the A New Tax System package, best known for the introduction of the goods and services tax, is another lasting contribution to public policy, notwithstanding our political differences on that policy. He described these measures as 'probably the most important bills with regard to the structure of the economy of Australia that this parliament has seen for many a long day'. Brian Gibson left the Senate on his own terms in 2002 and went on to serve as an executive and board member in the private and public sector.

Brian Gibson's political career was not long, but he made a substantial contribution. Any reading of his involvement at the forefront of many of the significant economic policy reforms of the mid to late 1990s shows a legacy that has endured. Perhaps most of all, he will be remembered as someone who stood by his principles both in ideology and in personal integrity. To leave politics with a reputation for dignity and honesty is something to which we would all aspire. On behalf of the opposition, I extend our deepest sympathies to Brian Gibson's family, friends and former colleagues at this time.