Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to join with my Senate colleagues in extending my deep condolences to the family, friends, staff and colleagues of Senator Linda White and to Linda's broader Labor family. Labor members and senators are still recovering from the tragic passing of Peta Murphy and now the tragic loss of Linda White. Much has been said in this condolence motion about Linda's extraordinary contribution here in this place for a relatively short period of time and for decades as a leading member of the labour movement.

I was re-elected as a Victorian senator in 2022, when Linda was first elected. I'm sad to say that our paths never really crossed and I did not get to know Linda all that well, but in the short time she was here she built a reputation for extraordinary hard work and commitment, from her work chairing the Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission—when she worked extraordinarily hard to hand down a unanimous report, which is a great achievement in itself—to her work chairing the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation.

In her first speech, Senator White spoke of the importance of taking responsibility both for ourselves and for others. She said:

For some people, their pathway in life is determined by the circumstances of their birth. Governments, however, have the power to open up new choices and opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach. The power we have in this place to change lives is significant. For many this power came into sharp focus during our COVID years, but the reality is that this power is there all the time. Not a day will go by here when I won't reflect on the consequences of our actions for those we represent.

In her own words, Senator White wasn't here to make a name for herself or to build her career; she set out simply to create better pathways for those who needed a leg-up in life. That was what she tried to do through every part of her working life, from being a young lawyer tackling injustices to being the assistant national secretary of the Australian Services Union, which included standing up for the rights of Ansett workers and leading the campaign for equal pay for social and community service workers. Linda was also broadly known and admired here and in all of her previous roles as a formidable negotiator, but one who was also highly respected in the work that she did.

There is now another rose on an empty table in front of an empty chair in this place. We have lost too many serving MPs and senators since I was elected in 2013: Don Randall, Alex Gallacher, Kimberley Kitching, Jim Molan, Peta Murphy and, now, Linda. To those opposite, I say I am deeply sorry. Vale, Linda White.