Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I met the amazing Peta Murphy in the Victorian Labor family a few years before we both came into the parliament in the class of 2019 with Peta's dear friends Kate, Anika, Alicia and Marielle. I was with her in 2016 when she came up short on election night, and you can imagine how she was on that night. I campaigned with her again when she came up trumps in 2019. Peta's determination has been much remarked upon in the past few months—her determination in politics, her determination on the squash court and her determination in her life with breast cancer.

Her determination to win Dunkley was indeed absolutely fierce, and matching the full force of her desire to win the seat was her desire to comprehensively defeat the sitting member, Chris Crewther, at all costs. When Peta passed away in December, Chris posted a truly gracious tribute to Peta, but it did include the following line:

In 2016, I beat Peta. In 2019, Peta beat me. There's a certain symmetry about that.

I felt I could almost hear Peta screaming and shouting, 'You only won Dunkley once and I won it twice,' and I actually had one of those moments where the person I wanted to show the post to, of course, was Peta, as if she were still here with us. I wanted to get that trademark razor-sharp, perfectly cutting and hilarious response. There will be many more of those moments as parliament returns without Peta, and we've already had them just in the last couple of days—those moments when we expect to see Peta getting on the plane to come up, when we expect to see her sitting at the back on the left of the caucus room, and when we expect to see her lighting up our screens with yet another passionate, articulate speech or interview.

As many people have said in the last few months, while Peta was incredibly determined, she was always, at the end of the day, just Peta. Lots of people in Frankston have a really tough life, and they want to be able to put their struggles and their challenges to their local members, and they want a response. They want answers. When I stood with Peta in a shopping centre or at a street stall, Peta always listened. She really listened. She had an incredibly approachable warmth about her, but she also had a real no-BS toughness about her, and people could see that, and that combination made her an incredible local hero. It really did.

So too did the courage that she displayed when she discovered the cancer that she thought was gone had come back in full force—courage that inspired so many people, like Frankston High School student Michaela. As we all said goodbye to Peta at the MCG last year, Michaela spotted former prime minister Julia Gillard. Peta had asked Michaela to introduce Julia at her annual Louisa Dunkley Oration. The oration itself was something that Peta created to inspire girls just like Michaela to strive for equality, like the early equal pay activist for whom the seat of Dunkley was named, Louisa Dunkley. Michaela wanted a photo with Julia, and so we went over to the former PM, who of course was more than happy to oblige. On the way, Michaela told me that Peta had absolutely inspired her and encouraged her to go on to university and just to achieve her dreams. I know Peta would be so proud of Michaela if she were here today, and I think and hope she would be so proud of herself, too, to know that she—Peta—had seen something in Michaela, that she'd been able to give her a lift and experience that she wouldn't have otherwise had—a bigger picture and view of the world and the place she could have within it.

When I was thinking about what to say today, I scrolled through my old phone messages to Peta. They're filled with old plans to catch up in Dunkley, a few arrangements for a G&T and lots of proud puppy pictures going both ways, and—and I think her dear friends who are here in the chamber today will understand this—there are also a few apologies from Peta for perhaps being 'too direct' in a previous interaction.

Peta was incredibly smart, and she never let you forget it. Her brilliance won her widespread respect—including amongst those across the aisle, who have been so generous in their tributes and also in their friendship to her while she was here in parliament. In particular, today I acknowledge the important friendship of Darren and Julie Chester to Peta and her husband, Rod.

Losing Peta at the end of last year was devastating for her fantastic, much-loved and loving husband, Rod, and for her devoted and proud parents, sisters, nieces and nephew, and for Peta's incredible cadre of truly excellent women friends who travelled with her in life. It was also devastating for all of us on this side, in the Labor family, too. I know everyone who loved Peta knows how much we loved her too. Our Labor heart beats a little stronger and a little more proud because such a fierce, funny, courageous and compassionate woman in Peta Murphy was ours, and because she took so much care to light a path for so many more in her community and in her country to follow. Vale, Peta.