John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 14 April 2014 of Brian Harradine, a senator for the state of Tasmania from 1975 to 2005. I call the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Abetz.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death on 14 April 2014 of Brian Harradine, former senator for Tasmania, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Mr President, the Australian Senate was graced for 30 years by the presence of Senator Brian Harradine, a man of conviction, a man of principle, a man of integrity, a man of humility, dedication and self-giving love, a man of immense talent who committed his life to the service of others through his faith, through his family, through his many elected positions as a union man and a parliamentary representative for the state of Tasmania. He was rightly described by His Grace Archbishop Julian Porteous at the state funeral as a just man as described in chapter 4 of the Book of Wisdom.

Richard William Brian Harradine was born in Quorn, South Australia, in 1935, into what might be described as a typical Catholic Labor family with strong union links. Brian initially embarked on a religious career before working with the Commonwealth Railways and then the Postmaster-General's Department in Adelaide. Then, like his father, uncles and brothers, Brian became a union official. He joined the Federated Clerks Union and became a protege of John Maynes, who, during the 1950s played a leading role in the Australian Labor Party's industrial group known as Groupers, who took on the Left and especially the communists in a battle that resulted in a split in the ALP in Hobart in 1955 and which led to the formation of the Democratic Labor Party.

In 1959 Brian came to our home state of Tasmania as a union secretary. He first lived with the Noonan family, with Mick Noonan becoming a close friend and later Brian's campaign manager for each of his Senate election campaigns and, might I add, a very good and successful record. It was a period of struggle, suspicion and bitterness between the Left and Right factions of the ALP. In the 1950s Cold War atmosphere there were strong fears that communists were securing a significant foothold in the trade union movement to the detriment of Australia's national interest—a fear that history has shown was very well founded. Brian set up the shoppies union in Tasmania and was its president for many years even while a senator. They supported him and I noted that Joe de Bruyn, the national secretary of the shoppies, amongst many other luminaries from that union attended his funeral.

In 1964 Brian Harradine, who was regarded as a very capable right-wing union organiser, was elected secretary of the Tasmanian Trades and Labor Council and to the ACTU executive, positions he held up until his election to the Senate in 1975. Brian Harradine served on the ACTU executive for 12 years, representing the Australian trade union movement overseas on many occasions. His election to these bodies was achieved against strong communist and left-wing opposition and came at a time when those forces were stepping up their campaign to capture control of vulnerable state branches of the ACTU. The political attacks made against him from those within the ALP were vicious, sustained and disingenuous and need to be seen within the Cold War context.

When he topped a poll in 1968 to represent the Tasmanian ALP on the federal executive there was an immediate negative and nasty reaction amongst communist and left-wing forces. Brian's views and beliefs inevitably conflicted with those on the Left. So between 1968 and 1975 he was prevented from taking his seat on the federal executive of the ALP, whose factional composition was becoming more and more critical to Gough Whitlam's internal reform agenda. He stated at the time that he was prevented from taking his seat by that now very famous quote 'friends of the communists'. Brian Harradine sent a long statement to the then state president of the ALP, the late former Tasmanian Premier Bill Nielsen, alleging that, amongst other things: 'Friends of the communists intend to try and silence me. They know that on the federal executive I will support Gough Whitlam if he seeks an inquiry into the Victorian ALP executive.' When this statement was published it became the subject of debate on the ALP federal executive, leading to a showdown for the ALP parliamentary leadership between Gough Whitlam and Jim Cairns. Can I just say, as an aside, that if that was the choice facing me I too would have supported Gough Whitlam.

But despite strong campaigns against him between 1968 and 1975 by left-wing forces, Brian Harradine and his supporters consolidated their hold on the Tasmanian Trades and Labor Council. Brian was even spied on from a cupboard by private investigators engaged by Ray Gietzelt and subsequently accused of attending a National Civic Council meeting in Sydney, a claim subsequently proven to be false. It was in fact an official ACTU subcommittee meeting and the official minutes proved Harradine right and his accusers wrong. Nevertheless, and in the face of the undisputed contradictory evidence, on 2 August 1975, on a motion moved by Bill Hartley, Brian Harradine was expelled from the ALP by a 9-8 vote, a decision described by the New South Wales delegate and a predecessor of yours, Mr President, Labor Senate President Kerry Sibraa, as a kangaroo court. His expulsion was reconfirmed at a subsequent federal ALP executive special meeting on 22 September 1975. The Prime Minister at the time, Gough Whitlam, stated that 'Harradine is a victim of perjured evidence'. The former Liberal Prime Minister, John Howard, described it in these terms: 'Brian Harradine did not leave the ALP; the ALP left him.'

The federal executive decided that Harradine's appeal against expulsion would be heard at the ALP federal conference in July 1977, but Harradine wanted to avoid any further damage to the state ALP, the party which he had been a member of since 1961. He decided that, in order to effectively continue his work on behalf of the people of Tasmania, he would stand for the Senate at the December 1975 election. Running as an Independent for the Brian Harradine Group he won 12.8 per cent of the primary vote and went on to be re-elected at the 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993 and 1998 elections—an unsurpassed record; the highest vote ever for a truly Independent candidate; and the longest stay of an Independent in this place. In his maiden speech in 1976, the now Senator Brian Harradine said:

Never have I had a desire to enter this place. But I am a trade unionist. I have been a full-time union official for over 17 years. That is my love; that was my life. I was committed to uplifting the poor, to championing the cause of the underprivileged …

…   …   …

Why, then, am I here? I am here because, after years of constant, unremitting, relentless pressure being directed at me by the extreme Left coalition forces—

and I stress for Hansard here: small 'l' coalition—

It required a detour to be taken and it may be—I hope I am right—that I have found the highway upon which I can advance the objectives of the people that I represent; namely, the people of Tasmania.

And, as they say, the rest is history. His hopes were, without doubt, fully realised.

Brian holds the dual titles of being the longest-serving senator and longest-serving Independent senator in the Australian Senate. He was a senator for about 30 years, holding the balance of power on a number of occasions. He never abused this power and, in its exercise, was always guided by deeply held principles. Perhaps the greatest testament to Brian's integrity and achievement is that his exercise of this responsibility enhanced the respect in which he was held. Brian was the joint Father of the Senate from 1993 to 1999 and then singularly held that title from 1999 until his retirement in June 2005. Brian Harradine became identified with this title of Father of the Senate not just because of his fatherly demeanour but also, I am sure, because of the paternal role he personified in relation to the affairs of the nation.

He never compromised on his principles when dealing with legislation. His labour roots and his loyalty to the working class guided his decisions on industrial relations. He maintained a principled stand on issues such as the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death and same-sex marriage because of his commitment to the welfare of children. He strongly opposed stem cell research, pornography, the use of foreign aid for so-called family planning, as well as the Northern Territory's euthanasia legislation.

He demonstrated his political and negotiating skill during the 1998 Wik native title debate in the Senate, maintaining as best he could in that poisonous political atmosphere his strong commitment to Aboriginal rights and his care for Australia's Indigenous community. He wanted to avoid a race-based election in 1998 and his political judgement was demonstrated in arriving at an agreement with the Howard government which history will show was the best that could have been secured at that time.

Brian Harradine was intensely loyal to Tasmanians and he used his position in the Senate when the opportunity arose to benefit Tasmania. The partial sale of Telstra presented such an opportunity, and on two occasions—in 1996 and 1999—he was able to negotiate financial benefits for his home state without compromising his firmly held principle of majority public ownership.

To the introduction of a GST in 1999, despite a mandate from the people at the 1998 election, he famously said that two-word sentence 'I cannot' to the Howard government, based on the loyalty he felt to working people. I confess I may or may not have entertained uncharitable thoughts about the good senator at that time but yet recognised his sincerity and that there was no hint of populism or cynicism in his decision; it was just pure sincerity. It helped imprint on me that men and women of good faith can come to differing conclusions on the issues of the day. Indeed, after he uttered those words 'I cannot', he said in the next paragraph in Hansard:

I know my name will be mud, whichever way it goes, but it has been mud before today, and it will be mud again later on.

Today I can assure his family that his name is most definitely not mud; in fact, it is held in very high regard.

He was a great friend and champion of the Baltic states and the people from those countries. He supported their rights and independence—a role acknowledged by the Baltic community on his passing. Gough Whitlam's disastrous de jure recognition of the incorporation of the Baltic states into that evil empire of the USSR—as he did, might I add, with East Timor and Indonesia—left Brian Harradine very cold and a champion for the Baltic communities, especially in Tasmania.

Brian Harradine has been variously described as humble, intelligent, just, canny, wily, principled, complex, honourable, anticommunist, politically savvy, a fine orator and debater, the silver fox and one of the most capable and effective politicians of our time. I would not demur from any of those descriptions. In 2004 he was awarded the Papal distinction of Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great for his contribution to public life and public debate over many years.

The humility of the man was shown by the fact that he left instructions with his family that he was not to be eulogised at his funeral. I think his son Bede would make an exceptionally good black-letter lawyer because, in the order of service that we were given at the funeral service, there were some words of remembrance published, and his son Bede, with whom I contested student political elections at the University of Tasmania more years ago than both of us would care to remember, said this: 'He most certainly had no desire to be eulogised.' But then he went on to say: 'To my knowledge, however, the words "Do not print any words of remembrance" never passed Dad's lips.' And, therefore, he thought he could have a written eulogy without offending his father's wishes. But this is what he wrote about his father:

Brian Harradine, my father, was a humble man. Throughout his life he never sought the praise of others. In death, he most certainly had no desire to be eulogised. As a family we are honouring his wish that the focus of the Mass of Christian Burial to be not on his life and legacy but, in the ancient Christian tradition, on prayer for his soul as it passes into eternity.

On the back of the Order of Service was a wonderful contemplative photo of Brian Harradine on one of his beloved bushwalks—a man who understood that you can actually support forestry, wilderness and bushwalking all at the same time. The verse that was under that contemplative picture was: 'What return can we make to the Lord for all His goodness to us?' And I have no doubt that that was one of the driving factors in Senator Brian Harradine's life.

But, above all, his commitment to his family was legendary. In 1962, Brian married Barbara Ward with whom he had six children: Bede, Gemma, Mary, Richard, David and Ann. He had only been a senator for five years when Barbara tragically passed away in 1980. In 1982, he married Marian, a widow and mother of seven children: Anthony, Paul, Fiona, Phillip, Nicola, Cushla and Benjamin—which of course made a great campaign team of 13 children.

So Brian Harradine leaves his wife Marian, 13 children and 38 grandchildren. Our condolences go to all of them. They are his legacy and a true reflection of all that he worked so hard for during his long and productive life. Allow me to again quote his son Bede: 'For family, he was far more than a man with a three-song piano repertoire who loved a game of cards and who once had a fifth share in a sixth-rate racehorse. He was a practical witness to self-giving love.' If anyone deserves eternal rest after this life of unrelenting principled battle, it is in fact Brian Harradine. So the card we were all handed at the state funeral was most apt when it said, under a picture of a smiling Brian Harradine: 'Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,' and to that the coalition says, 'Amen.'

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the opposition, I support the condolence motion moved by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, and extend our condolences to Brian Harradine's widow, Marian, and to their children and extended family—and I understand that one of his daughters is present in the gallery today.

Brian Harradine retired from the Senate on 30 June 2005, having given three decades of service to this place as a senator for Tasmania. He was the longest serving Independent senator since Federation. Although Brian was a passionate Tasmanian, he was in fact born in South Australia. He began his lifelong love affair with Tasmania when he moved there in 1959. It is fair to say that that love was reciprocated—reflected not just in his election to the Senate in 1975, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993 and 1998, but in the reaction by Tasmanians to his passing last month.

Before entering the Senate, Brian was a committed trade unionist. He was the secretary of the Tasmanian Trades and Labour Council, and a member of the ACTU executive. Brian was a member of the Australian Labor Party until he and Labor had, shall we say—and described well by Senator Abetz—a parting of the ways in 1975.

In his inaugural speech on 25 February 1976 Brian said:

… I am a trade unionist. I have been a full time union official for over 17 years. That is my love; that was my life.

Brian may have left his life as a full-time union official behind in coming to this place, but he never lost his passion for the underprivileged or the disadvantaged. From the crossbenches, he was a powerful advocate for Tasmania and a champion for the causes in which he believed. He played critical roles in important debates and decisions in this place on such issues as native title and the privatisation of Telstra.

We also remember his opposition to the introduction of the goods and services tax. During the debate on the GST bills, Brian Harradine said this:

Decisions we make now on this issue are not for the next three years; we are making decisions here that will affect generations.

What Brian enunciated there during the GST debate was his approach to all legislation that came before this place. In the statement he issued announcing he would not be recontesting his seat, Brian reflected on his role as a senator in these terms:

I am particularly proud of the role I have played in promoting and defending the Senate not as a rubber stamp for the government of the day, but as a true house of review scrutinising and refining the laws under which we all live.

Brian Harradine did just that during the three decades in which he represented the people of Tasmania in this place.

I think some of the tributes described by Senator Abetz are very apt. 'The silver fox' is probably my favourite. He demonstrated that time and time again in negotiations with all parties. He always negotiated in good faith. I would say—from one of my previous roles—that I have always admired his decision to gain for Tasmania what was called 'fibring up the isle of Tasmania'. He negotiated to get government funding many years before the debate about fibre ever started, and he insisted on getting many benefits for Tasmania. But that far-sighted vision that he gained from the government demonstrated that not only did he mean what he said about getting policies over time; he delivered on getting policies over time. That fibre serves Tasmania well today and it will continue to serve Tasmania.

I say to all of us who served with him: it was a delight to deal with him. I was not as lucky as Senator Abetz to deal with him as regularly, but it was a great pleasure to discuss many, many matters with him—and, as always, some entertaining matters about the ALP's past.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion, and I also rise to speak as a fellow senator reflecting on the enormous contribution made in this place by Brian Richard William Harradine, who was born in 1936 and who sadly passed away on 14 April 2014. I am sure that all of us here concur with the sentiment that a truly bright light was extinguished from private and public life on his passing. I offer my sincere condolences on behalf of the National Party and the government to his spouse and the rich legacy he leaves behind in his children, stepchildren and grandchildren.

I want to start off by noting that, as many have said, Mr Harradine was a humble man. His battles were never about seeking to draw attention to himself, even if political attention was never far from him. His battles were always about others, in keeping with his deep Christian beliefs and convictions. Whilst his views were not considered to have been fashionable by some, he has been universally respected on all sides of politics and beyond. This is because he followed his internal moral road map without wavering.

If I can draw on the words of our former Prime Minister, John Howard, who spoke at Brian Harradine's funeral. He said:

It's an indication that when you make a contribution to public life that's based on integrity, it crosses the political divide …

In an entry in The Companion to Tasmanian History, Wendy Rimon describes Mr Harradine as starting off as a 'union official and politician', even if this is not how most people remember him. This was prior to his parting with the Labor Party in 1975 because of his fierce anticommunist views and his association with social conservatives. After his departure from the Labor Party, the Father of the Senate, as he came to be called, served as an Independent—and there was no-one who was more fiercely independent in thought and conscience, as well as conduct, than Brian Harradine, serving in that capacity for 30 years, the longest-serving Independent senator since Federation.

While it is true that it is difficult to fully appreciate the profundity of his vision, and whilst I may not be able to do justice to the breadth of that vision, the common theme that informed all his battles in this place was a sense of community service. This was reflected in his commitment to the state of Tasmania as the patron of Tasmanian jobs and families, despite his having hailed originally from South Australia. It was no mean feat that he managed to secure a $350 million cash deal for Tasmania, which he negotiated in return for his vote on the partial sale of Telstra.

Of particular interest to me was his role in brokering the Wik native title agreement. He was pivotal in the Wik native title legislation because he feared an election based on race, something he could not countenance. And it should be remembered that it was not Mr Harradine who gave ground in those difficult and protracted negotiations; it was in fact the then government. Mr Harradine was not one to give ground when he firmly believed in something.

Mr Harradine was also a great negotiator, whether it was on the parliamentary stage or indeed in dealing with Indigenous people, for whom he had a deep respect and care. He was always motivated by securing their interests. He was not only the Father of the Senate but a father figure for the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society.

In this place he served on many committees, bringing to bear his indomitable style founded on conviction and hard work. As I noted earlier, it would be difficult to go through all his achievements in public life. In terms of his personal life, his devotion to his family and those closest to him was immeasurable. His authenticity is sadly missed. Frugal with himself, he was generous with everyone else. It should not, however, be forgotten that, for all his seriousness and dedication to his work, Mr Harradine did have a sense of humour, and this dry humour was invariably aimed at himself. It was a truly beguiling trait that a man with so much talent and power refused to take himself seriously.

Brian Harradine, may you rest in peace—a peace you justly deserve. Vale, gentle soul.

John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the motion and, as others have, to pay my respects to former senator Brian Harradine. Senator Harradine was a great man, a just man and a great Australian. Senator Harradine was one of my political role models. He represented his constituents, he fought for his state, and he stood up for what he believed in. He did so with compassion, grace and humility.

Senator Harradine's political career lasted three decades, and he sat in both this chamber and the old chamber. He successfully contested five elections. He was known as 'the Father of the Senate', which is an apt description for a great man. The people of Tasmania trusted the senator to represent them and deliver for them. He delivered time and time again. Senator Harradine's achievements are too numerous to list.

Senator Harradine believed in the sanctity of life. Through his negotiating, he ensured that Australian aid money was not spent running abortion clinics in Third World countries. He successfully blocked the abortion pill RU486 from being sold in Australia for many years. He also saved the lives of Chinese women and children who fled their country under the nation's one child policy. He stood up for the rights of workers. His background as a trade unionist served the people of Australia well, especially when it was his vote stopping the Howard government from passing draconian industrial relations laws. Senator Harradine was particularly proud of his role in brokering the Wik native title agreement, and rightfully so.

The few minutes I have here in this place cannot begin to do justice to the man Senator Harradine was. I would like to quote from the homily delivered at Senator Harradine's funeral by His Grace Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart. He said:

Brian worked tirelessly for the common good seeking to promote the conditions necessary for the advancement of individuals; he sought to protect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Brian Harradine recognised that politics ultimately should not be viewed in terms of parties but instead should recognise its role of service to the community. Brian provided a clear example of the role of someone in political service. His Catholic faith was the inspiration of what he did. It motivated and informed his actions. He did not seek to impose his beliefs but allowed his faith to provide the inspiration to his decisions and actions.

Senator Harradine was an inspiration. He truly was a public servant, not a public master. He put the common good back into the Commonwealth. Well done, good and faithful servant. You will be missed.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join my colleagues in this motion of condolence. I was fortunate: I sat next to Brian Harradine for 10 years. I suppose I knew him as well as anyone in this parliament knew him. Brian was elected as an Independent senator in 1975 and served in this parliament until his retirement. He had a passionate understanding not only for the blue-collar worker but for the underprivileged and the unborn. He was a person who really got a grip straightaway on how the system works.

I was young enough to remember that after the 1975 election there was a lot of ill-will against the sacking of the Labor Party. At that time the Labor Party in protest moved out of the parliament and left the opposition benches vacant. Senator Harradine went up and sat in the Leader of the Opposition's chair. He said to the people, 'If you walk out of the battleground and leave it uncontested, then I will represent the opposition.' He moved up and sat in that chair up there. I knew then that he was a skilled performer.

He was an Independent. He put in 30 years of service. I can remember the day he was standing there giving his address on native title and he fumbled. I could see that something was going wrong. He got through that speech with tenacity, and I believe that was the time that he realised that he had a minor problem.

Thirty years is a long time in politics. That is what his tour of duty was all about. He stood up as an Independent for Tasmania. I do not think anyone will ever again see an Independent or, in fact, another senator that used his leverage and pivot in the Senate with such great effect. He was an old-school politician who fought to get the best deal for his home state of Tasmania and, by gee, didn't he deliver. He was a devout catholic who opposed gay marriage. He campaigned against abortion, stem cell research, pornography, the Northern Territory euthanasia legislation and the use of foreign aid for family-planning purposes. I am proud to say that on all those occasions I stood with him. His abhorrence to China's forced adoption program was emphasised when he boycotted President Hu Jintao's address in parliament in 2003.

He remained loyal to his faith throughout his political career. He was a member of the Labor Party and he always had the Labor Party brand on him. You could always tell that is where his roots were: for the working man and woman. I recall one time when we were debating section 121C of the taxation act, which said that cooperatives could get a double tax break. I went to Brian and said, 'Brian, you've always believed in cooperatives. I want you to stand up and vote against our government,' and he did. We won 121C due to Brian Harradine. It is the only thing that keeps cooperatives viable at the moment. Rural Australia owes him a strong debt of thanks.

He was expelled from the Labor Party because he nominated some people as friends of communists. The Labor Party expelled him—what a terrible mistake that was. The Labor Party lost a man of conviction and courage; a truly decent man who championed the cause of the underprivileged, the vulnerable and the blue-collar worker. What a loss that the Labor Party could ill-afford. What a loss not to have him standing over there with the Labor Party. What a tragedy for the Labor Party. If he had been with them, I am sure that his wise counsel would have prevented them from going down some of the courses they took that were against the blue-collar worker.

Brian was beholden to no political party, and held firm to his values and beliefs. He applied those values to the issues that confronted him in the Senate. He was guided by three principles: the protection of human life; delivering for Tasmania; and minimising the impact on his beloved battlers. Harradine held the balance of power in the Senate during the Fraser government in the eighties and in the Howard government from 1996 to 1999. I know that wore heavily on him—he just wanted to be a feather duster again—and he was relieved when the balance of power was taken from his shoulders. He took responsibility for important legislation, and he did it very seriously. He had enormous pressure on his shoulders when he was the one vote that could swing the parliament. He was a wily negotiator. He was able to secure $353 million for Tasmania as part of the Telstra sale. Tasmania got $183 million as a result of Harradine's vote for T1 and $170 million for T2. I can remember standing here saying, 'Brian, if they put another telephone on that island, it will sink!' And we had a good laugh together. But he certainly delivered for Tasmania. He extracted so much for Tasmania during the Telstra debate.

I have a cartoon in which Brian was debating the Wik legislation and defending the Aborigines, and I was taking forward the voice of the graziers of Australia. The cartoon shows Harradine and me, stripped down to boxing shorts—he was a very thin man; I was pretty rotund at the time, and still am—and boxing gloves. I have still got that cartoon on the wall of my office. It shows us fighting for the people who we thought deserved a voice.

Brian was recognised by his beloved Catholic Church with the papal distinction of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great. That was conferred in October 2004. He suffered a stroke in March 2005. I am not sure whether it was at that exact time that I saw him fumble his speech when he was debating on native title. He continued on, kept pressing forward, to reach out to the people of Tasmania. In his valedictory speech on 21 June 2005, he stated:

I have maintained that the true measure of our society and our civilisation is not how rich, powerful or technologically advanced we are. Simply, it is how we treat the weakest and most vulnerable among us. It underpins my unwavering defence of pro-life, pro-human values against the despondency of abortion and euthanasia.

Brian was one of the most formidable politicians I have ever worked with. He was a true Australian patriot guided by a deep love of country, its blue-collar workers, its Indigenous people and its natural heritage. I was sad to hear of his death on 14 April this year. On my annual pilgrimage to Tasmania I always called into his house. To Brian's wife, Marian, I say thank you for the hospitality, the cups of tea and the beautiful apricots—they have the most wonderful apricot tree in Tasmania. To Marian, to their children—Bede, Anthony, Gemma, Paul, Mary, Fiona, Richard, Phillip, Nicola, Ann, Cushla, David and Benjamin—and to their children, I express my deep sympathy on the loss of your beloved husband, father and grandfather. I doubt that we will ever see the likes of Brian Harradine in the Australian Senate again. He will be missed.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join in relatively few condolence discussions, but this is one I think I should make a brief contribution to. I shared the last 10 years of Senator Brian Harradine's period in the Senate and I recall him with enormous fondness. We shared many things over that time. I would like to thank Senator Abetz for his contribution to this discussion; I think he covered the history and contribution of Senator Harradine to Australian public life with enormous respect. I would like to add some of my fondness and personal anecdotes to this discussion. The one principle that I saw Brian Harradine representing, and that I too was inspired by, was that of the common good across a very broad range of public policy issues. I too remember the day when Brian Harradine said, 'I cannot.' He supported progressive taxation; he saw the GST as regressive. In that role he had, with the balance of power in the Senate, he tried to see if there were ways to ameliorate its potential effects, but at the end of the day he said, 'I cannot.'

Brian dealt with an enormous range of issues over that time. For most of that 10 years, as the Labor Party spokesperson on workplace relations matters, I worked with him across a range of those issues in the Senate. And I share Senator Scullion's recollections of Senator Harradine's humour and dry wit.

Brian Harradine and I shared offices nearby. We shared babies; my own, and his staff's. We shared the atmosphere here in the parliament that can often seem to all of us a bit like boarding school. His humour and his wit were those things that help lighten some of the stresses of life here. His passion and commitment to public life, his level of astuteness, his tenacity both to his political adversaries and with respect to his health are all important things to note. But Brian Harradine balanced that passion with his skills, his tenacity and his judgement.

I can recall one day—I cannot recall the debate—standing pretty much in this position as the shadow minister at the time, and he walked past me. He had obviously been listening to the debate up in his office as he came down to the chamber. As he walked past me he gestured—I was being passionate but maybe a bit too much—that I might want to tone it down just that little bit. I think that reflection highlights that whilst Senator Brian Harradine was an Independent, he was indeed father of the Senate. He could proffer support, advice and guidance not only to the crossbenchers but also to those of us within the major parties participating in debates and discussions here. I recall Senator Harradine with great fondness and I note this place has been quite different since his absence. He struggled with his health for a number of years. I would like to thank Marianand his family for the support that they have provided to him over many, many years and share with them their loss. Thank you.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to express my condolences on the passing of former Senator Harradine and especially to pass on my condolences to his wife Marian, their 13 children, and their children. I had the privilege of attending Brian's funeral a couple of weeks ago at the cathedral in Hobart. It was an absolutely terrific send-off for a very great Australian.

He is best known as a Tasmanian, but of course, he was not in fact a Tasmanian; he was a South Australian. He grew up in the mid-north of South Australia, some of the most austere parts of the country. He left that part of the world, that dry and arid region in the mid-north of South Australia, to go down to Tasmania, a very verdant and lush environment. So it was quite different world. As Senator McEwan would recall, he went down there as an official of the Federated Clerks Union. From that position, he eventually became the Secretary of the Trades and Labour Council down in Tasmania. As a number of people have referred to, he was expelled from the Labor Party in 1975, but then ran as an Independent and won successive elections for the next 30 years.

He did hold the balance of power at a number of crucial times. We have heard about the role that he played in rejecting the GST. He understood the regressive nature of that tax. He was under enormous pressure from the Howard government to back the introduction of the tax, and of course, he very correctly and courageously rejected that tax. We subsequently saw the consequences for the Australian Democrats when they did support that tax. We saw what happened to them. I think there is no doubt in my mind that Senator Harradine made the correct decision.

But there was one other issue that he played a crucial role in. Although he started out as an official of the Federated Clerks Union, he ended up as the President of the Tasmanian branch of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association—that great union. Not only did he serve as president, but he was also on the national council of that organisation for many decades. In 1975, that union was under great challenge by the New South Wales branch of the union. A fellow called Barry Egan had amalgamated the shop assistants' union in that state with the Building Workers Industrial Union, and was in the process of devouring each of the branches of the union. Brian used his position in the balance of power in the Fraser government to ensure that the New South Wales branch could not achieve that takeover of that union. One can imagine how different the Labor movement would be had Brian not stepped in and intervened at that time.

It was very sad occasion to see Brian pass away. I was at the funeral as were his sister Joan and her daughterChrista. It was a sad occasion, but I think Brian would have absolutely loved the celebration afterwards at the Glenorchy racetrack. It was terrific to be there with all of his friends, including Paul Griffin, the current Secretary of the Tasmanian branch of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employee's Union, and with all of his family. I want to pass on my deepest condolences to his wife Marian and all of his children.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before putting the condolence motion, I rise briefly to offer my deepest sympathies to Marian and the family on behalf of my wife Sue and myself. I express our disappointment at missing his funeral because of a personal commitment. As is obvious, I knew Brian over a long period of time and, of course, had formed a friendship independent of this place but based on my involvement with the SDA and his involvement with the SDA. Whilst we did not come together very often, I did respect the man and what he stood for. He will be sadly missed in life by his family.

Question agreed to; honourable members standing in their places.