Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its sadness at the death, on 14 December 2024, of the Honourable Kevin James Andrews AM, former Minister for Ageing, Employment and Workplace Relations, Immigration and Citizenship, Social Services and Defence, and member for Menzies, places on record its gratitude for his service to the Parliament and the nation, and tenders its sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Before his retirement, Mr Andrews had the honour of holding the parliamentary title Father of the House. He held the seat of Menzies for almost 31 years, from 1991 to 2022, and served as a senior minister in the Howard and the Abbott governments. Yet it was not the length of service that defined Mr Andrews but his unwavering faith and his personal principles. His integrity and conviction earned the respect of all regardless of their political persuasion.

Mr Andrews was born in the city of Sale in Victoria. He would proudly say that he came from 'Little Australia', with his parents running a small trucking business and a mixed farm in Gippsland. He saw the value of hard work firsthand. His parents worked from the early morning to the late night—his mother taking on the full running of the business when his father passed away. He inherited a strong work ethic and a belief that you can only rely on yourself to become the person that you want to be.

He would leave his family farm to pursue a career in law, completing a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Melbourne, having resided at Newman College, and later a Master of Laws at Monash University. Mr Andrews quickly made a name for himself as a barrister and was named the Australian Young Lawyer of the Year for his work in establishing a legal scheme for disaster victims.

He would leave the same impression on entering parliament as the member for Menzies in 1991. Mr Andrews spoke about the transition to politics as a vocation, not as a career:

A career is about the individual; a vocation is about a cause …

And, over three decades, he would fight for his cause—a cause built on individual empowerment, family values and faith.

The passing of the 1997 Andrews private member's bill, which overturned the Northern Territory's euthanasia legislation, was a historical moment, as one of the only handful of private members' bills to ever pass the parliament. Mr Andrews served on multiple portfolios over his three decades in parliament. Appointed as Minister for Ageing in 2001, Mr Andrews worked hard to expand care and the number of beds. In 2003, he entered cabinet as the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and would go on to become Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Minister for Social Services and Minister for Defence.

Yet that is not where his contribution ends. Mr Andrews was a prolific author, writing books on politics, marriage, religion, and—one of his great loves—cycling. He was an avid cyclist, and, despite his relentless schedule, he would prioritise charitable rides, including the annual Pollie Pedal event. I might add, on a personal note, that he was a regular attender at the Tour Down Under, in Adelaide, and I'd often see him there either riding or meeting the great riders who ride in that wonderful event.

In 2025, he was posthumously appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the people and the Parliament of Australia, to the Catholic Church and to the community.

I extend my sincere condolences to his wife, Margaret, his five children and his seven grandchildren. The loss of a loved one is heartbreaking. While he will be sadly missed, he'll be forever remembered as a man with boundless energy, of profound faith and with strongly held personal principles.