James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to pay tribute to Peter Reith as a values-driven reformer and a great Victorian Liberal. In doing, so I want to associate myself with the remarks of other senators, in particular, my coalition Senate colleagues. Like many, I was the beneficiary of Peter's wisdom, his advice and his mentorship. What I admired most about Peter was that he did not review reform as a technocratic exercise or a process of planned consensus building; he believed it was an opportunity to put Liberal values into action. For him, those Liberal values were the dignity of individuals and the power of free markets, and he looked for every opportunity to be bold in implementing them in government.

Fightback, of which he was the principal author and intellectual driver, is historically judged as a political failure, because of the way in which it contributed to the Liberal Party's loss in the unlosable 1993 election. But, viewed with the benefit of time, it is undoubtedly and unquestionably a policy success. It's agenda for the GST, industrial relations, privatisation and tariff reduction were all, ultimately, implemented by the Howard government and largely remain intact today. In fact, the only undealt with element of Fightback that remains to be considered by future parliaments is his view that we should introduce a more user-pays system in the public health system.

It is very timely for us as Liberals to reflect on Peter's legacy now as we find ourselves in opposition. Peter is someone who used his time to reflect and think deeply about what we should do if and when we're returned to government—ultimately, in 1996. I think it's one of the key reasons why the Howard government was so effective when it finally returned to office. We should be very proud if we can use our time in opposition now as productively as Peter Reith did in the 1980s and 1990s. He also distinguished himself in that time, in opposition, leading the campaign on behalf of the coalition against the then Labor government's ill-judged and poorly thought out 1988 referendum proposals to change the Constitution.

My thoughts today are with his wife, his four sons, his many grandchildren and, particularly, his brother, Sandy, and his sister, Janet, who I am very proud to call friends. We have lost a great Victorian Liberal.

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

(Quorum formed)