Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise today to honour the service and the life of the late Victorian senator Linda White. In the time, I didn't know her very well, and I only got to know her just before she left this place. But in the time she was here, from listening to the tributes that have been paid to her, it is clear she made her presence known and felt very forcefully in this place and particularly in the committees that those on all sides of this chamber had the privilege of working with her on. It has been quoted here—and I certainly took note of this comment in her first speech—that she made the promise that nobody in this place would be left wondering what she thought and that people would always know where she stood and know that she was not afraid to say what was on her mind. And, I think, in the time that she was here, which was all too short, she certainly did that.

From my observation—and as we have heard from Senator Scarr and others who worked on committees with her—she was clearly a very passionate leader and a very good woman, and she had so much more to contribute to this place, particularly to our committees. I say thank you to those opposite and others in the chamber who have shared with those of us who didn't know her very well personally some of their memories and some more of her history about who she was as a woman, as a leader and, as we saw, as a senator.

Senator White served, as we've heard, as chair of the Joint Select Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. I know from anecdotal stories that she certainly did that without fear or favour, in the finest traditions of those in this place. I served with Linda in my role of the deputy chair of the Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, which those in here know is an incredibly important committee but is not one that is well known or necessarily well appreciated outside of this building. As we know, having been on that committee more than once, and now as the deputy chair, it is incredibly important. What Senator Scarr and I saw from Linda was that she absolutely understood the importance of scrutiny of the burgeoning amount of delegated legislation going through the parliament. She was meticulous, she was scrupulous and we saw her wit but also her commitment to detail and to doing what was the right thing. I think it was Senator Wong this morning who said, in that role, it was certainly to the bane of many a minister of the government on her own side.

Could I express my most heartfelt condolences to all colleagues opposite and to all other colleagues in this place who will feel her loss so keenly, including to her staff. I can't imagine how difficult it has been for you over the last few months to support somebody who was so close to you and who you obviously had a great deal of admiration for. I know how important staff are to us all, and, as we've heard from Senator McAllister, you meant a great deal to her. We also had the opportunity to pay our respects to her at the delegated legislation committee meeting this week, and the sadness of the secretariat staff was very clear to see.

I extend my sympathy to her family and everybody else, and I thank her for her service to this nation over many, many years, her service to this place and to the friendships that she extended to so many. May she rest in peace.