Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with a heavy heart that I rise in tonight’s adjournment debate to pay tribute to my dear friend and comrade Jock Ferguson, who died suddenly a little over a week ago. He was a remarkable man and an inspiration to many, including me. He was a strong leader, whose leadership style was underpinned by strong values. He was a fighter for Western Australian jobs and opportunities for Western Australians. He campaigned for WA jobs by tackling companies that brought in from overseas, components for big industrial projects. He strove to see WA develop its potential, working with government and industry to see the Jervoise Bay project and the Australian Marine Complex get off the ground.

Jock Ferguson could be a militant unionist but, as was highlighted by those contributing to his eulogy, he was not a mindless militant; he was thoughtful and strategic. He fought tooth and nail against individual workplace agreements, agreements that sought to destroy union representation and protection in Western Australia’s north-west. He worked to see smaller companies given the opportunity to bid for work in major projects, by lobbying companies to break down their work into pieces that local firms could bid for. He campaigned against the importation of foreign labour when there were local workers who could do the job, but he also worked hard to protect 457 visa workers from exploitation. He was dedicated to the development of training opportunities for young Western Australians.

It is not hard to understand what shaped his character as a man and a political leader within the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union when you look at the circumstances of his life. He was born in the working-class area of Possilpark in Glasgow. The industrial revolution of the 1880s saw it become a vibrant manufacturing area, with a foundry, engineering and other manufacturing works. But in the 1960s, as the Hon. Jock Ferguson highlighted in his first speech to the WA parliament, the foundry was shut down, taking with it thousands of jobs and many more jobs in associated industries.

From this Jock Ferguson saw firsthand what a life without opportunities meant—high crime, drugs, violence, low life expectancy, malnutrition and poverty. He also knew the strength of unionism. He was mentored by his grandfather, who was a convenor of the Boilermakers Union and a member of the Communist Party. The Western Australian union movement and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union were very fortunate that he made Western Australia his home and put his leadership talents to work there.

But there is much more to Jock’s story and his political leadership than working-class struggle. He was born to an unwed Catholic woman. He was raised by his grandparents, believing that they were his parents. He had no idea that in fact his ‘sister’ was his mother. He only found out some eight years ago that he had a sister who was adopted outside of the family. Jock and his sister, Monica, were born to Protestant and Catholic parents who were forbidden to marry. Jock’s sister spent many years looking for her family and eventually she found her brother, Jock. As Jock said in his first speech to the WA parliament, when he told his story:

… I relate this part of my history … because it is a very human story, steeped in prejudice and secrets that had tragic consequences for my family.

He went on to say:

Of all my life experiences, the discovery of my sister and parentage has highlighted the truly cataclysmic effect that ignorance and discrimination can have on the everyday lives and experiences of families and individuals. My sister was robbed of ever meeting her mother and we were separated from each other for over 50 years.

He said when he was elected to parliament that he intended to work hard as a law-maker towards breaking down some of the barriers and prejudices that exclude people and their families from fully participating in our society and achieving personal fulfilment. Sadly, Jock’s time in parliament was too short. However, in the years I have known Jock, he was true to this vision as a political leader throughout his career. He worked very hard to make sure that people from all walks of life were included, regardless of race, gender or sexuality. This was not something that was always easy in a blue-collar union. He worked hard to give people from diverse backgrounds a political leg-up. His life experiences taught him never to make room for prejudice or discrimination.

Jock was the very embodiment of the fact that the labour movement is about a lot more than protecting workers. He fought for environmental sustainability and against the Iraq war. He fought for human rights and against discrimination. Jock knew that people come together in unions not just because they want to get a fair deal for themselves and their families but because they want a fair deal for everybody. The underlying motivation here, as his life’s work demonstrates, is to protect and defend people’s and individuals’ collective dignity.

Jock’s partner, Tina, his children and all those who were close to Jock should take greater comfort in the legacy he left and the knowledge that the love and care from family and friends that surrounded him underpinned his capacity to give service to others. There are a great many people who, like me, will dearly miss Jock Ferguson. We will miss him as he was a man who had the courage to back his convictions and he displayed great leadership. He was smart and strategic and he could make a tough call. He had a disarming sense of humour and was a great wit. But most of all, he will be missed for his love and compassion for people.

Jock, I know a great many people, including me, will remain inspired by you and seek to be true to the legacy that you have left: to remain motivated by love and compassion for people and to work to make the world a better place for everyone. Jock, you were a man whose vision inspired us, whose strength sustained us, and whose humour lightened our load. When you saw injustice you stared it down. Where you found unfairness you fought it every step of the way. Where you saw equality you drove people towards it. You worked for justice and equality for people everywhere and you made the world a better place. Vale to the honourable Jock Ferguson.