Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 2 February 2006, of the Hon. Sir Reginald William Colin Swartz, a member of the House of Representatives for the division of Darling Downs, Queensland, from 1949 to 1972, and at various times a minister.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate record its deep regret at the death, on 2 February 2006, of the Hon. Sir Reginald William Colin Swartz, KBE, ED, former federal minister, Leader of the House of Representatives and member for Darling Downs, Queensland, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Sir Reginald was widely respected for his service as a member of the Australian military, as a member of parliament and in his business career. Reg Swartz was born on 14 April 1911 in Brisbane, Queensland. He was educated at Toowoomba Grammar. At the age of 17, he joined the Citizens Military Forces and later enlisted in the 2nd AIF. He served with the 2/26 Infantry Battalion 8th Division in the Malayan campaign. After being captured by the Japanese, he was a prisoner of war for 3½ years, spending time in Changi and a period working on the Burma-Thailand railway. He returned to Australia in 1945. He re-enlisted in the CMF in 1947. He was Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Quartermaster-General of Northern Command and he was made an honorary colonel of the Australian Army Aviation Corps in 1969.

Before entering parliament Sir Reginald had worked as an oil company executive. He was elected to federal parliament as the member for Darling Downs in 1949. He was the first member of the Liberal Party to hold that seat, winning it comfortably in the election which saw the coalition returned to office under Sir Robert Menzies. He held the seat for 23 years and served as a minister in a number of portfolios in the Menzies, Holt, McEwen and Gorton governments.

During his time in parliament he also led or participated in a number of overseas delegations and missions, including to India in 1957, the United Kingdom in 1965, South-East Asia in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971. Curly Swartz—which I gather was an acknowledgment of his baldness—was Leader of the House in his last two years in parliament. He was described by a journalist as the government’s ‘most unflappable character and its best diffuser of contentious issues’. Prime Minister McMahon described him as a master of tactics.

He was among 200 Australian former prisoners of war who accompanied Prime Minister Howard to Thailand in 1998 when he opened the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum. The museum is a memorial to the 2,700 Australians who died building the Burma-Thailand railway in World War II.

Reg Swartz was created a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in June 1972 and had earlier been appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1948 for distinguished service in the south-west Pacific. In retirement, Sir Reginald pursued his many and varied interests, living a full life until his passing last week at the remarkable age of 94.

On behalf of the government, I extend to his wife, Lady Muriel Swartz, and children, Barbara, Graham and Rodney, and to other family members and friends our most sincere sympathy in their bereavement.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I join with Senator Minchin in supporting this motion and would like to speak on behalf of the Labor opposition. We offer our sincere sympathies to Sir Reginald’s family and friends at this time.

As Senator Minchin said, Sir Reginald entered the House of Representatives in 1949 as the Liberal member for Darling Downs, a seat he held for 23 years before retiring in 1972. He was re-elected to the seat on eight occasions, on two of which he was elected unopposed. Prior to entering parliament he had worked in the oil industry. Sir Reginald had quite a remarkable and lengthy ministerial career spanning the Menzies, Holt, McEwen and Gorton governments. In researching his career, it struck me that he had quite a remarkable career. Unfortunately, he is not a name known well to my generation. I guess he retired at about the time my political consciousness was developing. He obviously had a very senior and full career and led a very interesting life.

He was appointed Parliamentary Undersecretary for Commerce and Agriculture in 1952. He then served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade, Minister for Repatriation, Minister for Health, Minister for Social Services, Minister for Civil Aviation, Minister Assisting the Treasurer and Minister for National Development. There was not much he did not do. He was also Leader of the House of Representatives in 1971 and 1972. Clearly, he had a very distinguished and remarkable career. Before that time, he managed to fit in very good service for the Australian Imperial Force, and was unfortunately a prisoner of war for 3½ years. He was discharged from the military in 1946, re-enlisted in the Citizens Military Forces in 1947 and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

After retiring from parliament, he continued his career in business. He was chairman of the trustees of the Australian Army Aviation Corps. For his military service, he was made a Member of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire in 1948 and was awarded the Efficiency Decoration in 1950. He was knighted in 1972.

In 1936 he married Hilda Robinson, who unfortunately passed away in 1995. He is survived by his wife of his second marriage, Lady Muriel Swartz, his three children and their families. Sir Reginald, who lived in Buderim in Queensland, passed away on 2 February aged 94. On behalf of the Labor opposition, I extend our sincere condolences to Lady Swartz and all of Sir Reginald’s family and friends. He truly lived a full and active life and made an enormous contribution to Australian politics and government.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask senators to stand in silence as a mark of respect for Sir Reginald Swartz.

Honourable senators having stood in their places—

I thank the Senate.