Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today on behalf of the Nationals to acknowledge the life and passing of the Hon. Dr Rosemary Anne Crowley, former senator for South Australia, medical practitioner and minister. I'm reflecting on Senator Wong's and Senator Cash's contributions and reflecting on former senator Crowley's contribution. We now have in the Senate a female leader of the National Party, a female leader of the opposition and a female leader of the government as the parties of government, something that I'm sure former senator Crowley would have really appreciated, given her longstanding service towards promoting women not only into parliament but into leadership.

Dr Crowley served in this chamber from 1983 until her retirement in 2002, representing the Australian Labor Party and the people of South Australia with commitment and sincerity, and we rise today to acknowledge her contributions to Australian public life and in tribute to a life lived in service. I also want to acknowledge Senator Wong, who knew Rosemary for many years and had a deep personal friendship.

Rosemary Crowley nee Willis was born in Melbourne in 1938, part of a generation that came of age in a rapidly changing postwar Australia. She attended Kilmaire College in Hawthorn, where she was a recipient of a Junior Government Scholarship, enabling her to continue through to secondary college, and was one of just five girls to graduate in 1955.

After graduating, she pursued medicine at the University of Melbourne—no small undertaking for a woman in that era—and she graduated as a doctor. After doing her residency at St Vincent's Hospital, she would go onto specialise in paediatrics at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, undertaking work that placed her in close contact with young families and children, particularly those doing it tough. Her experience as a doctor, particularly with children, gave her a strong foundation in practical care and advocacy, and helped shape a sense of empathy that she carried with her for her entire political career. Her later roles, in Adelaide Children's Hospital and as a parent education counsellor at the Clovelly Park Community Health Centre, reinforced her longstanding commitment to community wellbeing and family support.

It was during this time in Adelaide that Dr Crowley became actively involved in her local Labor branch. Her growing involvement saw her become president of the ALP's Mitcham branch, and, in 1982, she ran unsuccessfully for preselection in the Unley seat in the parliament of South Australia. However, in 1983, she was successful in being preselected fifth in the double dissolution Senate ticket and was elected to the Australian Senate, becoming the first female Labor senator from South Australia. She would serve the Senate for just under two decades, an impressive tenure by any standard, and was present during the Hawke, Keating and Howard years. Her time in this place coincided with major debates in social policy, health care and gender equality, and she was known within her own party as a consistent voice on issues related to family services, health education and the status of women.

In 1993, she was appointed Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women under Paul Keating, and by December 1993, she was appointed as Minister for Family Services. I'm reliably informed that she took her ministerial responsibility seriously and was respected by her colleagues for her thorough approach and considered contributions. During her time as Minister for Family Services, Dr Crowley was instrumental in delivering a range of social policy initiatives including the Childcare Rebate Act 1993, and her work focused on strengthening the support for families through expanded maternity allowances, increased financial assistance, enhanced disability services and the introduction of carers' pensions and youth training programs.

Following her departure from federal politics, she continued her involvement in public life by remaining engaged in issues related to education, community service and health, and she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2015. This national honour reflects a lifetime of dedication to public service across multiple domains, both within and outside of politics. Her background as a doctor gave her a grounding in practical, real-world challenges, and she used that experience to guide her in her parliamentary career. In reflecting on her life, I'm reminded that, while we may come to this chamber with different political beliefs, we're all driven when we are at our best by a shared commitment to serve the Australian people. Dr Crowley exemplified that ethos through her work as a doctor, a senator and a minister, and, on behalf of the National Party, I extend sincere condolences to her family, former colleagues, friends and all who mourn her loss. We honour her service to this nation and to this parliament, where she served for nearly two decades. May she rest in peace.