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 express our condolences following the passing of the Hon. Timothy Andrew Fischer, AC, Tim Fischer, a former member of the House of Representatives and former Deputy Prime Minister. As we mourn his death, I convey our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and particularly extend our sympathies to his wife, Judy, and his two sons, his wider family and many friends, especially those with whom we serve in this parliament.

Australians share a lot of fond memories of Tim Fischer. Some of these are the famous Akubra, the tie collection, the laconic speech and an endless enthusiasm for railways. But, beyond these impressions, Tim Fischer was a complex character. He could be as enigmatic as he was idiosyncratic—he was the trade minister who bucked protectionist history and helped to navigate the next stage of trade liberalisation; the National Party leader who looked to advance the national interest; a man who served at the heart of federal government but remained humble to his roots. John Howard described him as an authentic character. It was this authenticity, something that by its nature cannot be manufactured, that endeared him to so many people, and perhaps explains in part the wave of sadness in so many parts of the country that accompanied the announcement of his passing.

Born in Lockhart in the Riverina in New South Wales in 1946, his early education was at the Boree Creek Public School and he maintained a connection to this place, including in how he was described, all of his life. Later he completed his education at Xavier College in Melbourne and, of course, a formative experience of his 20s was his military service, as officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, both in Australia and Vietnam between 1967 and 1969. During his time in the House of Representatives, he was one of a very small number in this place with an active service history.

As a relatively young man, still in his 20s, Mr Fischer successfully entered the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Country Party member for Sturt, and later represented the electorate of Murray. Over 13 years he served mostly in opposition, owing to the success of Neville Wran's Labor government in that period, but this gave him the chance to refine his parliamentary skills and to hold portfolios across a range of areas—conservation, water resources, transport, forests and corrective services. But state parliament was just one stop on Tim Fischer's journey of public service. In 1984 he successfully contested the division of Farrer for what by that time was known as the National Party, and entered the House of Representatives. At that time the seat ran from the border with South Australia, along the Murray River, all the way through Deniliquin and Albury to Mount Kosciuszko. His state parliamentary experience enabled him to join the federal opposition frontbench almost immediately, and, in the 12 years that followed, he took on a succession of portfolios including veterans' affairs—to which he could bring profound personal experience—energy and resources, and trade. In 1990 he was elected the Nationals' parliamentary leader. He took on the role in the face of some scepticism about his capacity for the job, and he would later delight in reminding others of their misjudgements.

Tim Fischer became Deputy Prime Minister on the election of the Howard government in 1996. At that time he served as the Minister for Trade, continuing what at that time had been a long tradition of this position being held by the Nationals—dating back to Black Jack McEwen in 1956. He took on this role after the sweeping trade liberalisation reforms of the Hawke and Keating Labor governments that helped deliver lower tariffs, higher living standards and higher wages for working people, and elevated Australia's multilateral engagement. In today's world of rising nationalism and populist protectionism, all of us should recall that Tim Fischer was not a protectionist; he was an internationalist. He saw the survival of the regional economy and communities as dependent on engagement with international markets. He did not envisage an Australia that was shut off from the rest of the world. At a time when some were questioning Australia's place in the world and seeking to turn us away from Asia, he acted to form stronger relationships with the region. This was particularly the case with Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, incorporating bilateral and regional approaches into the broader multilateral agenda.

In the days since his death, many have reflected on what was undoubtedly Tim Fischer's finest quality—that is, his courage. It was his courage that set him apart—his willingness to put the national interest ahead of his own political interest and to stand up for what he thought was right, even when it meant disagreeing with his own constituencies. Tim Fischer's courage was most demonstrated by his advocacy on two issues: guns and race. On guns, with Prime Minister Howard and Opposition Leader Beazley, he recognised that the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 had to be a catalyst for change. This event was a national tragedy. But the leadership and cooperation displayed across geographical and political borders in its wake to bring about the National Firearms Agreement was a national success. There is a reason bipartisan support for these initiatives is so critical. Telling people that they will no longer be allowed to access or do something they previously were able to do isn't easy. Gun owners don't like having their guns taken away; this was certainly the case in National Party heartland. But Tim Fischer acted not out of his own political interest but in the national interest. He responded by taking the argument for the national buyback and gun law reform to the places that found the message hardest to hear. As a consequence, Australia's gun laws are amongst the best in the world and Australians are safer.

On race, Mr Fischer again did not buckle in the face of challenge. I have spoken in this place on past occasions of the importance of rejecting racism and right-wing extremism in Australian politics—a key issue of national importance. Tim Fischer, supported by others in the Nationals, like former senator Ron Boswell, was part of the rebuttal of the far Right political movement in Australia. Again, he acted in the national interest—often against the advice of others who sought a more accommodating arrangement with individuals and political parties espousing such views.

He was the only government minister to sign Labor's parliamentary code of race ethics. And, by describing certain interventions on race as 'divisive, dumb and wrong'—pretty pithy, hey—he set about isolating such views and ensuring they remained outside of the political mainstream at that time. It should be remembered that there were those in the then government who were countenancing the accommodation of these perspectives. The National Party had a particular connection to many of the constituencies that extremists sought to influence, making it all the more important for courageous leaders within its ranks to take a principled stand against what these extremists stood for. Such a principled stand against those whose views and policy prescriptions are divisive and wrong looks even better in hindsight. His courage is an example his successors should reflect upon—an example all of us should reflect upon. At a time when debates about racism and freedom of speech are still present in this country, Tim Fischer's position has been vindicated and is an important element of his legacy.

After standing down as Nationals leader in 1999, Tim Fischer remained on the backbench until departing at the 2001 election. At this time, he was an observer during the independence process for Timor-Leste—something about which he later wrote. One thing he didn't do when he left parliament was fade into the background, and, whilst his retirement from politics enabled him to devote a greater amount of time to family and especially his beloved sons, it also enabled him to continue to serve the nation and advance causes large and small. He also didn't lose touch with politics. A number of new Nationals politicians have doubtless been recipients of his wisdom in many ways, including that contained in, I understood, a tip sheet that he sent when they were first elected to the parliament—10 tips which ranged from the very practical, such as when to travel to Canberra and which ABC Radio news bulletins were most important to listen to, to guidance on how to survive a life in politics. These pointers included ways to maintain good contact with non-political friends and, consistent with Mr Fischer's global outlook, the recommendation to select a country, preferably within Asia, for detailed contact and study. He finished with: 'Enjoy it all.'

Following from his experience as Minister for Trade was his appointment by the Rudd government as Australia's Ambassador to the Holy See, holding the position between 2009 and 2012, the first resident ambassador of our country in the Vatican. He contributed to Australia's successful campaign for election to the United Nations Security Council in 2012, a priority of the then Labor government. He also served as chair of Tourism Australia and the RFDS, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and was the author of a number of books. Many of these particularly reflected one of his great passions in life: trains. The ways in which he weaved this fascination into so many elements of his life demonstrate some considerable skill. He even managed to organise a special steam train from the Pope's platform during his time as Ambassador to the Holy See. It was a passion seamlessly coupled to his love for people. Train travel took him everywhere within Australia and abroad but especially in his post-political life. It is inseparable from the impact his presence, contribution and enthusiasm had on so many Australians.

It is the stories of these people that perhaps most vividly demonstrate the personal qualities of Tim Fischer. Following his death, one railway enthusiast spoke of how he waited on a dark station platform in the north of my home state, South Australia, seemingly in vain, only for a train to arrive and Mr Fischer to emerge with a donation for a local heritage railway. Nothing was too much. He'd often be heard on ABC Radio with Macca on a Sunday morning—a program that truly speaks to the whole of the country—calling in to update listeners on a particular railway anniversary he was helping to celebrate or a special excursion he was participating in. One such trip was organised in the month before his death. Chronicled on Australian Story and elsewhere, it was a one-off trip that raised funds for the cancer centre in Albury-Wodonga and took him back to Boree Creek where the local park was named in his honour. Of course, that wasn't his final journey. As my friend Senator Cormann has outlined, Tim Fischer's passion was reflected to the end when his body was carried by heritage railmotor to Albury ahead of his state funeral service.

Tim Fischer and I don't have completely compatible political views, and there are some matters on which history shows that he didn't make the right call—his position on native title and the Wik decision, for example—but he deserves to be well remembered and well honoured for his selfless and tireless contribution to our nation inside and outside of the parliament. He loved Australia, its back roads and its branch lines, and Australians loved him, especially in the bush.

Tim Fischer was always grounded in what he thought was right for all Australians, and this goes to the heart of the matter, because today we are acknowledging someone who was guided by the national interest ahead of political convenience and who on some critical issues had the courage to take the route that was right even when that was not the journey of least resistance, and it was to the benefit of our nation that he did so. We are better for his service. As I farewell Tim Fischer again, I express the Labor Party's condolences to his family and friends.