Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I would also like to express my condolences, and those of Tasmanian Labor, on the passing of former senator the Hon. Don Grimes. It is with sadness that we see the passing of a giant of the Labor Party. Don's contribution to the nation, and to Labor, was significant. His list of achievements in the service of Australia, Tasmania and his people is immense, ranging from grassroots involvement to the highest echelons of government—a local GP, a senator for Tasmania, a federal minister and an Australian ambassador. He was a leader on disability, women's refuge, Australia's response to HIV, and community and aged-care services. Don's contribution, and his legacy, has had long-lasting significance. He served as Minister for Social Security and Minister for Community Services in the Hawke government, as well as Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate. Don was a much-loved and well-known GP prior to entering politics, and his kindness and wit were appreciated by all who came across him.

I had the privilege of knowing Don Grimes. I first met Don in 1983 as a Young Labor member. He was larger than life. His reputation for genuine caring and being a generous man was always on display and was well earned. Not once did I hear him personally denigrate an individual to make a political point. He was a brilliant representative of his adopted state of Tasmania in the Senate and in government. Don didn't shy away from the challenges or a policy fight. He had an enviable reputation for pushing through and getting results.

Don moved to Tasmania in 1966 and made Launceston his home. He took on various medical roles, including providing general practice service in Launceston. It was here that Don joined the Australian Labor Party, acting on his disapproval for the Vietnam War and his support for Medibank. By 1974, he was representing Tasmania as a Labor senator. Legend has it that he worked on his first speech in the Senate the night before he was due to deliver it. He rose to begin his address when the then senator Lionel Murphy took the draft and told Don that he would perform better thinking on his feet. My dear friend former senator Alex Gallacher would have indeed approved of this action.

Don's passion for politics, public policy and equality were well known and widely regarded and never wavered. As many will recall, he was a great Minister for Social Security in the Hawke government. It was during this time that Don pioneered the first-ever federal Disability Advisory Council. He also established—and I note the language of the day—the Handicapped Programs Review, which was to examine the impact of social policies and procedures on people with disability. This was the first time that people with disability had been invited into the federal policymaking process. As a result of this review, the Disability Services Act 1986 was born. At the heart of the review and legislation was the principle that future government funds should be directed towards services and programs that provided people with disability the greatest amount of flexibility possible. Although the language of the day is clumsy, Don's recognition of the need for flexibility in directing funding towards disability services and supports was ahead of its time. In many respects, his long overdue recognition of the needs of people with disability at a federal level was the beginning of the journey towards the NDIS.

Don's experience in medicine and his passion for inclusion and equality also meant that he played a leading role in the Hawke government's effective and enlightened approach towards recognising and combating AIDS and supporting those with the virus. Don was adamant that any government action and policy should be science based—again, as Senator Gallagher has indicated. And, again, he was ahead of his time. Don would later go on to serve as the first-ever federal Minister for Community Services. During his time in this role, one of the most significant achievements was the funding of an additional 40,000 childcare places. To provide some perspective on how important this commitment was, it is equivalent to roughly one million additional places today.

One of his colleagues at the time, another great Labor minister former senator Susan Ryan, described Don's many social policy achievement as 'enormously effective new programs'. She went on to say: 'He has done all those things without great fuss, without pomposity or high-flown rhetoric. He's kind, decent and humane.' His contribution to the fight against AIDS was recognised while he was serving overseas as Australia's Ambassador to the Netherlands, when he was appointed as chair of the World Health Organization committee on AIDS in prisons. On returning to Australia, he continued his work and advocacy in this area by chairing the Australian National Council on AIDS from 1992 until 1996.

When Don announced his retirement from the Senate due to health reasons, he left an important departing message, calling on politicians and the wider community to develop a more loving and caring society. In making this call, Don urged people to reflect on what happens in times of national tragedy and disaster, when we see how members of our society come together and use their skills and resources to help one another, particularly those in difficulty. We have all witnessed many modern-day examples of this during the pandemic.

Don was loved and admired by many in Tasmania and throughout the Labor Party and the Labor movement. He was respected in the federal parliament, with friendships extending across party lines. His extensive involvement with public health administration was recognised by his appointments as a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators and as a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in January 1992.

In retirement, Don returned to his home in Launceston to be closer to his children. In 2015 Don received a lifetime membership of the Tasmanian branch of the Labor Party—the highest honour the party can bestow on a member—for his outstanding service to the party and to the community. Supporting Don's honour were Michelle O'Byrne MP, the honourable member for Bass, and his longstanding good friend Anne O'Byrne. Both spoke strongly of Don's achievements and contribution, and fondly and warmly of the man as a good friend, a wit, a true believer and a true Labor man—there is no higher accolade.

While we mourn his passing, we acknowledge his many achievements on behalf of the party, the community and the nation. We thank his family for their support of him throughout his time in public life. I also acknowledge Senator Urquhart and Senator Bilyk—Labor senators from Tasmania—for being in the chamber today as we say farewell to Senator Don Grimes. My thoughts are with his cherished family and friends on his passing. He will be missed. Vale, Don.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.