Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

There are people in our world who have a significant effect on the lives of others whose paths they cross, whether it be in their jobs or something they are involved in, elected to or appointed to. Some of these people are very well known to all. Others go about making a difference just by being who they are and by the values that they hold. There are people we know—people we've known for a long time—but about whom we still don't really know everything. To me, Linda White was one of those people.

Last Thursday in Melbourne I attended a wonderful memorial service for Linda and—we've heard this all through the themes today—I learnt so much more about Linda than I had known about her. The cinema at ACMI, the Australian national museum of screen culture, was full of people whose lives had been touched by Linda, whether it was at university, the law firm where she began her career, the union where she worked or the Senate, her final role. I thought I knew who Linda White was, but I really only knew a snapshot of the woman that was so loved, respected and cherished by those who knew her, those who were related to her, those who worked with her and those long-time friends who spoke so fondly of her at that memorial service.

I remembered Linda from the ASU days, when she fought so hard for the Ansett workers to ensure that they received every cent they were entitled to when the company went under. I didn't personally know her—but she was on the TV every night, so I felt like I actually did know her—but I remembered her. I remember her from many ALP conferences that she attended and at which she spoke passionately about women and about workers. I remember her from my short time on the ACTU executive, and I remember her from meetings we had regularly with the union movement in the lead-up to conferences.

When Linda was sworn in to the Senate, I thought I knew a lot more about her, but I really only knew a snippet of her life. I learned more, as we would have lunch on those Saturdays in between sitting weeks, where the challenge was always—always—to find some of the best restaurants that Canberra produced, because we know Linda loved good food. I do too. I also learned that she did like a good glass of gin and tonic when the final adjournment bell would ring on a Thursday afternoon to finish the weekly sitting, and a number of us—I'm not going to give away who they were—would share in a good Tassie gin, or a Victorian one, that she would provide. I'm not going to look at anyone; I'll just look broadly across my side and you can all guess who might have come and helped us.

What I do know is that Linda had a promising career here in the Senate, which we now know was not long enough. We will miss her. I will miss her. And today I send my thoughts and love, and those of my staff in the whip's office, to her family, her friends and her staff, especially Ben—I didn't really get to know the others, but I did know Ben very well—who travelled to Canberra with her regularly. I will remember the kind, generous, funny, witty, smart, wonderful—and all those other lists that I think Katy outlined—woman that Linda was. Rest in peace, Linda White.

Question agreed to, honourable senators joining in a moment of silence.