Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

In the Senate leader's office of the National Party here in Parliament House hangs a two-metre parchment scroll honouring the service of every National Party senator for the past century. Almost exactly at midpoint on that scroll of five-dozen senators is former senator Jim Webster, who served as my predecessor, as a Victorian Country Party senator, the leader of our party in the Senate from 1976 until his resignation in 1980. Today the Senate records its deep regret at the death on 3 April 2022 of the former senator and places on the record our appreciation for his service to parliament and the nation and tenders its sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Jim Webster served in the Australian Senate from 1964 to 1980, representing initially the then Australian Country Party and from 1975 the National Country Party. He was Deputy President of the Senate for a period of almost two years, from early 1974 to the end of 1975, including a period as Acting President. Jim was the Minister for Science and later the Minister for Science and the Environment for the Fraser government. He's remembered as an enthusiastic minister, relishing the new roles of science and the environment that had not been previously held by the Country Party. His achievements include most notably his work for the environment, for Australia's Antarctic research efforts, establishing the national marine science research centre in Hobart and the CSIRO's Australian National Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong, which provided a world-class facility for the safe handling of exotic animal diseases, and his support for the fledgeling Australian film industry. One of the great achievements of Senator Webster was his work in ending pirate whaling. Often in the National Party, and previously the Country Party, as Senator Farrell has noted, what seems like being a contradiction is simply challenging stereotypes. And I don't think it's anything unusual for National Party or former Country Party senators to care about their environment and, when they have the opportunity as ministers in this place, to make pragmatic changes to our environmental system and efforts. He was instrumental in introducing the Indian Ocean whale sanctuary. Greens senators please take note: we want to achieve actual environmental outcomes, not merely virtue signalling.

I wish to place on the record to the Senate a brief account of Senator Webster's formative years. Jim's family moved from Tasmania to a farm near Melbourne when he was four years old, and later, whilst a student at Caulfield Grammar, he found himself running the family farm whilst his older brothers served in World War II. In what was a clear desire to serve his country, Jim joined the Air Training Corps in Essendon, achieving air crew status. After the war and further study primarily in accounting, Jim joined a firm of timber merchants and became a delegate of the Australian Timber Workers Union—we love our forestry industry. Stints as a clerk at the log mill and as a tallyman on the Melbourne wharves, where he joined the Waterside Workers Federation, made for an interesting background, which could have put him on a path for a different seat in the Senate. He was an elder at the age of 21 in the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, whilst also active in the junior chamber of commerce and Rotary Club of Caulfield, and he was a member of the West Brighton Club, which amongst its members included one RG Menzies.

Jim's father had served three years in the Victorian parliament, and Jim became active in the Australian Country Party, ultimately leading to his nomination in 1964 to fill a casual vacancy in the Senate. Reports suggest Jim was very much reflective of the breed of fresh-faced senators keen to put their stamp on this chamber, becoming a member of many committees and vocal in support of rural and regional areas of Victoria and more broadly across Australia. The dairy industry was the focus of perhaps his strongest and fiercest support, with Jim explaining to anyone who'd listen in the margarine industry that was seeking to break the Australian dairy sector. He rallied against dubious advertising of the margarine industry, such that one Labor senator referred to him as 'the honourable senator for margarine'.

Jim had a particular interest in Papua New Guinea, having earlier been active in the then territory through the national YMCA movement. Jim once sailed a 50-foot yacht from Melbourne to Rabaul and had walked over much of PNG and New Britain over the course of his many visits. He advocated strongly for PNG's independence, but his prerequisite was for a sound economic base to be established before independence.

Jim became embroiled in events which ended in the dismissal. He was one of two senators who asked the High Court of Australia to stop a joint sitting of both houses voting on a group of bills that had been the catalyst for the 1974 double-dissolution election. The bid failed, with the court ruling that the government of the day could stockpile bills that failed to pass the Senate before proceeding to a double-dissolution election.

He did survive another engagement over his pecuniary interests in the family business and also survived pressure from Liberal members to resign over oil drilling in the Great Barrier Reef. He was also pivotal in ministerial service.

Jim also strongly encouraged Australian involvement in Antarctica, from a national sovereign interest perspective, and backed an agreement negotiated with the United States and New Zealand for a cooperative air transport system to Antarctica. He twice visited bases and the South Pole, and his commitment to the continent is recognised with Webster Bay in the Australian Antarctic Territory being named in his honour.

Jim's service to Australia did not end with his time in the Senate. He resigned in 1980 and became Australia's High Commissioner to New Zealand, a position he held for four years before returning to farming and business in his beloved home state of Victoria.

On behalf of the opposition and the Australian Senate and the Victorian Nationals, to Jim's loved ones, his four sons and four grandchildren, I extend our gratitude for his service to a thankful nation and a grateful party. Our sincerest condolences.

Question agreed to, honourable senators joining in a moment of silence.