Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, want to pass on my condolences to Linda White's family and honour her contribution to public life. It was a real honour to attend her memorial service last week. I found it really to be a celebration of her life. Having gone through a similar vintage in the Labor Party as Linda did, I felt as though I knew Linda and her contribution well. I did know about her union involvement and how significant that was. A lot of people have mentioned airport workers and those low-paid care workers whom her advocacy was so beneficial to. I also knew about her longstanding party involvement, having gone through a similar trajectory as Linda during that time. The thing I really enjoyed about her memorial service was the sense we got of the other side of Linda that I don't proclaim to know. That was Linda growing up and Linda as a mentor, particularly to women, which sounded like it was something that started for her at a very young age. There was also Linda as a friend, and her other interests outside of politics. I think, for those of us in this chamber, politics and—if you're from the movement as well—unions and the Labor Party can become an all-consuming passion. It became pretty clear through the memorial service that Linda had many other elements to her life that brought her great joy. Listening to the friends that spoke, you could clearly see the great relationship that Linda had with them as a result of her commitment to them, as well as what great company she was. To those responsible—I know Ben and Linda's staff put that memorial service together—it was a fantastic tribute to Linda, and I was really honoured to be there and felt as though I learnt a lot more about Linda's life.

My longer term interaction with Linda and how I got to know Linda before she entered the Senate was through national executive. I think it was Penny who said that Linda was elected to national executive in 2004. I became a member of the national executive in 2008. We had a significant—probably 10-year—period where my involvement overlapped with Linda's. As people have probably worked out, we were from different sides of the party. You often end up on other committees as part of national executive—doing election reviews, looking at post mortems et cetera. It can often become quite combative as a result of that. The thing that I found with Linda was that she was always fierce in her advocacy but reasonable in her judgement in that she would be prepared to listen to your arguments. You'd want to come with good ones and you'd want to mount them in a significant way, but she wasn't closed off. For managing the party in the best interests of party members, you really need to have that attitude where you come from your respective corner but you're prepared to park that and put the party first. I thought with Linda I always received a fair hearing. I certainly didn't always win. I think people here have seen how powerful of advocate she can be, but she was always reasonable and constructive. I think there is something in that for all of us, not only in the party but also in the parliament and the broader public life as well—that you need to work constructively with people, know where you come from and be prepared to have the arguments but also try and find solutions as well. I saw that fierce side, I saw that smart side, I saw that tough side—but I also saw that reasonableness and that constructive side as well, which I benefited from, in that opportunity to work with Linda.

Upon Linda being elected to the Senate—I thought the Prime Minister really summed this up well in his contribution at her memorial service, which was just how quickly Linda was able to make a contribution to the Senate, compared to when I first got elected. I never really felt comfortable in the chamber for 12 or 18 months—let alone knowing what happens with documents at 5.30 at night; I still don't know what happens now! I, of course, was sitting on the front bench, which I shouldn't admit to; I remember sitting there one day and Linda coming in—I think it was as chair of the delegated legislation committee, which I was on for a while too, when Kim Carr was on it—and I still had no idea what was going on. I found quite remarkable the ability and confidence of Linda to come in and know what to do and when to do it, and the contribution she was able to make from day one.

I think, in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have found it that way, when you think about her long history, her experience. She was obviously able to come to this place at a later stage in life and know exactly where she came from, and come with that experience, but also confidence, of knowing who she is here to represent and the difference and contribution that she can make. That is something that I know we will miss in an ongoing sense. Whilst we acknowledge the contribution Linda was able to make in that short time she was here, it's knowing the trajectory that she was on and, if she was already able to do that after such a short period of time, what she would have been able to contribute the longer we'd been here and, obviously, the longer we'd been in government as well.

So, whilst it shouldn't have surprised me—and the memorial service probably brought it home—it was something that I often remarked on. I was really pleased the Prime Minister acknowledged that in his contribution because I think it was something that really just goes to her capacity and ability to make a difference. No matter what field she was in, no matter what room she was in, Linda was always someone who was capable of making a difference. So we will mourn her loss. I send my condolences to her brother, Michael, and family and staff. One thing we do know is that Linda made a significant contribution to her union, to her party and to this government and this chamber. That is something that she would absolutely be proud of, and it's something that we should continue to acknowledge into the future as well.