Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to start by recognising and paying my respects to Linda's brother, Michael, her closest friends and the ASU family, and her staff, Ben Armstrong, Ekta Mahal, Ned Lindenmayer, Ead Stokes and Amit Aalok, all of whom, I know, are hurting and all of whom have shown such strength and such love over the last number of months. I'd also like to reach out some thoughts to the ALP family—my ALP family—who are feeling a deep sense of loss for someone who's been such a mighty power within our Labor family for so very, very long.

She had an impressive career, as we've rightly heard over the weeks since she passed, and well-deserved accolades: buckets of love, beautiful stories, funny stories—stories she may not necessarily have appreciated coming out but probably would have chuckled about anyway. I wish to associate myself with all of the stepping through of her history and her career, because I'm not going to do that.

When I first met Linda 20 years ago, I found her to be a very intimidating force. It was the early days of the community sector pay case and I was, at that time, running the peak body in South Australia for community services and she was the assistant secretary of the ASU. I was a member of the ASU and I was well aware of who Linda was. We'd spun in adjacent circles, but I'd never actually met her properly, one to one. I remember being in this room full of people, and I can still visualise her, standing there. As she walked through the door, there was this kind of air. I have some things that I would associate it with, but this is a very public forum, so I shan't. But I was both deeply impressed and just a little bit terrified. I was very, very glad that she was on my side and very adamant that I wanted it to stay that way.

It did take me a while to see past that formidable character. She was so impressive and had done so much, and I looked up to her very, very much indeed. But she was the person who got stuff done, so getting past that pedestal that I think a number of us, as we were coming up through the union and through the party and building our own careers, looked at was hard. It was hard to get past that to see her as a close human—as a friend—and to build that next stage of your relationship.

She was such a mighty advocate of working people and, as has been mentioned numerous times, her first speech was not the first time when she had stood up and said that no-one would die wondering what she thought. It was something she'd said many times before. But she wasn't just a fierce champion for working people; she was a skilled strategist who didn't look at things purely, or firstly, as a fight. She looked at them as an outcome—the outcome she needed to achieve—which was, without exception, for the good of other people. She was able to bring people together—we've heard that from our colleagues opposite—and, with her deep intellect and her compassion, was able to bring those people to a place where they could find an agreement. That's what she did throughout her career and what she continued to do with a great deal of expertise here.

She knew how to look ahead, how to run the chess game, how to navigate the twists and turns and, fundamentally, how to get stuff done, and she was very impressive to watch. Her name is etched in the heart of every single woman in the ALP, if not every single person in the ALP. That includes those who knew her and did not know her, because she was such a vital cog in the fights to take the ALP towards affirmative action. She was a very strong, genuine and diligent mentor, and had no problems sharing her knowledge, her power and her access with other comrades—especially, but not exclusively, women. I know a handful of blokes within the party who would not be where they are today without her.

I will miss her deeply and I feel a great sense of loss sitting beside her empty seat—a seat that she should have occupied for so much longer. But I also can't help but chuckle at the memories: the banter on these benches; the lollies; the laughs; the cheeky out-of-hours glass of wine, cheese board or lunch; and the debate over who had the more meaningful artwork in their office—and yes, I lost. She was a kind and compassionate friend who stood beside you when needed, and she stood beside me. She bolstered your resolve when you needed it, and she bolstered mine. She gave people strength when they needed it, and she gave me strength on a few dark days, which I will always be deeply grateful for.

Linda, you will always remain in my heart, in my head and in my battleground toolkit, and I will continue to ask myself the important question as those in the ASU will understand—WWLWD. Vale, Linda White.