Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep sorrow at the death, on 18 December 2017, of the Honourable Barry Cohen AM, a former member of the House of Representatives for the division of Robertson and Minister for Arts, Heritage and Environment in the Hawke Government, places on record its gratitude for his service to the Parliament, and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Barry Cohen's life was one of remarkable achievement in public life, defined by his persistent concern for the good of others and an unflappable—and very Australian—sense of humour. Born on 3 April 1935 in the regional centre of Griffith, New South Wales to local dentist Louis Cohen and his wife, Phyllis, Barry undertook schooling at Griffith High School, Sydney Grammar School and North Sydney Technical High School. Following this, he went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University.

Barry's grandparents left the Polish region of Russia in the 1890s at a time of a wave of Jewish immigration to countries like Australia, which welcomed them with open arms. Decades later, in one of the darkest chapters of human history, several members of his extended family perished in the horrors of the Holocaust. A proud and active member of the Jewish community, Barry remarked about his time at Griffith High School, 'Seven Jewish children in a school of nearly one thousand made us a curiosity.'

From an early age, Barry's commitment to public service was clear. In 1953, he enlisted in what was then the Citizen Military Forces, today's Australian Army Reserves, and he served ably with the Scottish Regiment until 1957. Two years later, in October 1959, Barry married Rae McNeill, with whom he had three sons, Stuart, Adam and Martin. Running a gentleman's outfitters prior to entering federal parliament, he occasionally considered pursuing his dream of becoming a professional golfer—so I'm told. Barry's work running a modest retail business might seem unremarkable, but it was a significant part of what shaped Barry's strength in his subsequent political career. As one of the few people on the Labor side to have experienced owning a small business, he was a strong policy counterweight to the union voices in the Labor Party. Even after his retirement from parliament, he often took Labor to task in his prolific newspaper columns whenever he felt that the parliamentary party was becoming detached from realities.

One of Barry's most important contributions to public life was his work as the deputy campaign manager for the 'yes' campaign in the 1967 referendum on Indigenous Australians. That referendum involved a significant public discussion on the treatment of Indigenous Australians that built the momentum towards a resounding result of over 90 per cent support. Knowing his opinions, the suggestion of a friend prompted him to join the Australian Labor Party in 1964. From there, Barry's deepening party involvement, coupled with his passion for the New South Wales Central Coast, led him to run as the Labor candidate for the district of Robertson at the October 1969 federal election. Barry was elected the first Labor member for that seat since Thomas Williams' election defeat in 1949.

Only a few years after his entry into parliament, the election of the Whitlam government saw Barry exposed to a period of substantial reform. After serving in the shadow ministry between 1977 and 1980, the election of the Hawke government saw Barry appointed to the role of Minister for Home Affairs and Environment, retitled as the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Environment only a year later. Barry was also made a Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Bicentennial in 1984, continuing in that role until 1987 when he left the ministry.

During this time, he became quite close to the then Prime Minister Bob Hawke, with the two having bonded over shared appreciation for the state of Israel and the fierce passion for golf. That friendship was on full display at a 1986 dinner celebrating Barry's career, with the Prime Minister noting—tongue in cheek, I'm sure: 'All of us in the Labor Party have had cause to be grateful that he chose politics over the glittering promise of life on the pro golf circuit.'

Barry's most enduring legacies can be found within the environmental space. As Minister for the Environment, he stewarded the processes that came to protect some of our nation's greatest natural wonders, including legislating additional protections for the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. In addition, Barry played a prominent role in securing the stage 2 listing of the Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage site, a process that would reach its completion a few short years after his retirement from parliament.

His commitment to the environment was a truly personal one. This was most evident after Barry's retirement, when he threw his life savings into building a wildlife sanctuary. This involved years of toil for Barry and his son Adam to build the park, and he ran the facility until 2005. Of equal significance were the stands that Barry took in his continuing fight against discrimination. His early life experiences instilled in him a passion for justice that was first articulated in his maiden speech. Barry passionately advocated for an end to discrimination in South Africa and Rhodesia, which he charged had raised the dogma of racial superiority 'to a fine legislative art'. However, his efforts extended beyond words and into action. Of particular note was Barry's role in shining a light on the suffering of the Soviet Union's Jewish population.

Following his departure from the Hawke ministry in 1987, Barry retired from parliament just prior to the March 1990 federal election. The years after Barry's retirement were spent as a prolific writer, penning numerous opinion pieces in leading Australian newspapers alongside eight light-hearted books on the nature of Australian politics. Throughout that time, his larrikin spirit shone through, with Barry once noting that 'the only thing that kept me sane during the pressure of the last 20 years was to have a good laugh'. Isn't that something that all of us should always remember?

In recognition of years of dedicated service in both the Australian parliament and a wide range of other community roles, Barry was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday honours in 2007. But Barry's commitment to public service did not end with his parliamentary career. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014, and his final years were spent campaigning for greater awareness around Alzheimer's disease and for additional resources towards a search for a cure and the care for those that it affects.

Beyond his advocacy, Barry's candid and frank public writings on his experiences battling the disease helped to bring the tragic reality faced by hundreds of thousands of Australians further into the national spotlight. In the life and service of Barry Cohen we find so many of the traits that are most prized as part of our national character—good grace and humour, hard work and an unfailing commitment to those around him.

To Barry's wife, Rae; his sons, Stuart, Adam and Martin; all of his grandchildren; and his whole family, on behalf of the government, I offer my most sincerest condolences.