Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I rise, on behalf of the opposition, to pay tribute to Dr Rosemary Crowley AO. Rosemary, without a doubt, created some history in this place, being only the fourth woman elected to the federal parliament from South Australia and the first from the Australian Labor Party. She was the only female ALP senator from South Australia throughout her 19-year term and the first female minister from South Australia.

Rosemary was frequently invited to speak on issues of women and parliament. She argued for initiatives to return more women to parliament, believing that when women were given a voice:

… they opened huge possibilities for the whole of society. They dramatically extended the agenda, they broadened the topics for discussion—

and that—

it is striving for fair recognition of the variety of talents and contributions that women can make … it is a matter of justice, it is a matter of equity and it is also a matter of best practice.

She was an ardent advocate of having 50 per cent representation of women in the parliament.

Rosemary Anne Willis was born in Melbourne on 30 July 1938, the second of six children of Monica Mary Willis and Everard Joseph Willis, an accountant. She was raised as a Catholic, and her primary and secondary education at Kilmaire Brigidine Convent in Hawthorn was between 1943 and 1955. Rosemary's Catholic education, combined with her family upbringing, instilled in her a passion for social justice and community service. She won a junior government scholarship in grade 8, which then enabled her to stay another four years at school. After school, Rosemary was accepted into the University of Melbourne on yet another scholarship, a Commonwealth scholarship. It was there that she completed a medical degree, from 1956 to 1961. After university, Rosemary became a junior resident medical officer, then a senior RMO at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, in 1962 and 1963.

In 1964 Rosemary married James Crowley, and they moved to Berkeley, California, where James was studying for a PhD, from 1965 to 1969. Berkeley was at that time seething with political activism such as civil rights, the anti-Vietnam-War movement and draft resistance, and the beginnings of a women's movement. In Berkeley, Rosemary trained as a children's and family counsellor. The Crowleys returned in 1969 to Adelaide, and Rosemary continued working in the medical profession in a variety of roles.

But Rosemary's experiences in the US had whet her political appetite, and she became active in the Australian Labor Party. The dismissal of the Whitlam government, which she described as an injustice, helped to fuel Rosemary's political ambitions. She served as a junior vice-president and president of the ALP's Mitcham branch before securing a South Australian Senate spot in the double dissolution election of 1983. In that year she was fifth on the ALP ticket, but she would be elevated to pole position in the subsequent four elections she contested.

Rosemary was an enthusiastic and energetic member of the new Hawke government, contributing to Labor's 'towards equality' women's policy statement. As a backbencher and committee member, she campaigned with gusto on the issues dearest to her heart: welfare reform; needs based child care; community health; disability and aged care; occupational health and safety, especially for union workforces; and arms reduction—even joining a protest group of women at Pine Gap. When Bob Hawke proposed a Medicare co-payment, Rosemary opposed her own party's policy. She subsequently threw her support behind Paul Keating when he challenged Hawke for the leadership.

After the 1993 election, Rosemary was appointed Minister for Family Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women. As minister, she initiated a program of financial assistance and support for low-income families, disabled Australians, carers and students. Child care was one of her key areas of focus and passions. In 1996, after Labor lost the election, Rosemary returned to the Senate committee work that she had always loved. She headed an inquiry that led to recommendations to improve the participation of women in sport and associated media coverage.

Rosemary, without a doubt, inspired and mentored many women, especially in the Labor ranks. She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her parliamentary service and for promoting the status of women. On behalf of the coalition, I offer my deepest condolences to all who loved Rosemary: her family, especially her sons Stephen, Vincent and Diarmuid; her friends; her Labor Party colleagues. May she rest in peace.