David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute and acknowledge the life of an extraordinary man. Bruce Goodluck, a champion of the people, a colourful politician and a much loved family man, died on 24 October, at the age of 83, after a long battle with his health. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, 14 May 1933, he spent his life working for others, becoming one of the few Tasmanians to serve in all three tiers of government. He had an unusual childhood as he grew up during the war years. His father worked as a boiler attendant at Boyer and received a very modest wage. His mother left the family when he was only seven, taking his eldest sister to live with her in Melbourne. Sadly, he never saw his mother and sister again. Bruce and his younger sister, Betty, remained with their father at Dromedary, in Tasmania's south.

In spite of a somewhat isolated and lonely existence, in a house with no electricity, Bruce made fond memories as his hardworking father made the most of the little they had, to make their lives as comfortable as possible, often snaring and cooking up rabbit for dinner. Several years flew by in Dromedary before the family moved to the isolated town of Bundella, further west along the Derwent River, to a house with electricity but still no hot water. Bruce spent much of his time swimming in the River Derwent and playing footy with the local lads. He became a capable swimmer, and, at the age of 13, he saved a local boy, pulling him out of the icy Derwent waters, after he had difficulties swimming against the strong current. For this feat, he received a Royal Humane Society Award for bravery.

While attending the Bridgwater State School, Bruce was tested for his abilities and subsequently moved to the Hobart High School.    He actively partook in boxing, football and cricket, captaining both the footy and cricket teams in his final years. At 16 years of age, Bruce faced the hard-nosed headmaster of the day who, during class, asked to speak to him outside. With tears in his eyes, the headmaster informed the boy that his father had passed away at the age of 47. The headmaster assured Bruce he would be well looked after, and this was certainly the case. He went to live at the Hobart college hostel and fondly remembers the many teachers who looked out for him while he was there. Still at the age of 16, Bruce was scouted by the Melbourne Football Club during a game against Launceston. Upon finishing his studies he took up their offer and moved to Melbourne to play with the Melbourne Thirds. However, he moved back to Hobart not long after and readily admits, 'I wasn't as good as I thought I was and I wasn't as good as what other people thought I was.'

He subsequently started working at Eastern Shore Motors, which was taken over by the Golden Fleece service station shortly after, where he remained working for 15 happy years, raising his five daughters alongside his wife, Cynthia. During this time, Bruce also started his own tyre company and became president of the Tasmanian Automobile Chamber of Commerce. He was also avidly involved in community life and became Warden of Clarence in 1972. In 1974, after furthering his studies following encouragement by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce, Bruce became president of the Australian Automobile Chamber of Commerce. Shortly after, he was offered a position to work in Melbourne. He decided to accept the offer and made arrangements for his children to catch the ferry across Bass Strait and start school in Melbourne.

Just when he was about to leave, in early 1975, the Tasman Bridge was infamously taken out by the oil carrier Lake Illawarra. Bruce felt morally obligated to remain in Hobart and fulfil his duty as warden and champion for the Clarence population, now cut off from Hobart City Centre. In later years, reflecting upon this decision, Bruce made the comment that it was the best decision he had ever made. His local government experience and small business background attracted the Liberal Party, who asked him to stand for the electorate of Franklin in the House of Representatives in 1975. Bruce admits he did not know much about federal politics at the time and went to the preselection wearing his Golden Fleece overalls and grease still on his hands. When asked whether he would cross the floor, he had no idea what that meant. Upon being enlightened, Bruce remarked that, if he felt he was right and thought he had to, he would. Of course, he ended up crossing the floor 11 times during his time in federal parliament.

In a 2014 interview on the ABC, Bruce remarked that he was dogmatic and difficult at times, stating, 'I would have been very difficult for years. I wouldn't get elected these days.' In any case, the preselectors chose him to run, but he had his work cut out for him. The seat was held with a 13 per cent buffer by the sitting member, Ray Sherry, father of former Senator Nick Sherry, and required a massive swing away from Labor to win. Needless to say, it was a long shot. But Bruce ran an unconventional campaign and exclaimed that the majority of his electorate supporters probably did not know if he was Liberal or Labor, especially as his posters and campaign material were coloured black and yellow, which at the time were old Labor colours. When approached by a lady on polling day who asked him whether he was Labor or Liberal, Bruce replied, 'Madam, I'm both,' and he subsequently won her vote.

The bridge disaster had also caused a subdued mood in the electorate and the Whitlam government's total disarray worked to the Liberals' favour. The supposedly safe Labor seat was defeated in a landslide and Bruce rode the wave which carried the Fraser government to power in December 1975. In Tasmania, new Liberal MPs won all five seats, including Michael Hodgman in Denison. Bruce held Franklin for 18 years until his retirement in 1993. For over a decade of that time, Bruce shared a cramped Canberra unit with Michael Hodgman during sitting weeks. The pair earned national renown with their antics, earning them the nickname, The Hodglucks. Their antics included entering into a cringe-worthy dummy-spitting contest and inviting TV cameras into their flat, with Bruce posing next to a vacuum cleaner, exclaiming that he did all the housework in that apartment.

He certainly had an interesting relationship with the media. He once started his own, albeit very short lived, newspaper in protest against the bad run he was receiving in the media. He also boxed the ears of 60 Minutes reporter, Charles Wooley, with a burnt Mercury newspaper because he disliked the line of questioning that he was receiving.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The chicken suit!

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am getting to that. Bruce and Wooley, however, remained on good terms and, in fact, together caused a major upheaval in the Canberra press gallery when Bruce insisted on accompanying Charles into a budget lock-up reserved for the media, earning the displeasure of then Treasurer Paul Keating. The most well-known antic of Goodluck was, of course, the infamous chicken suit incident. Upon a dare from a Labor colleague, Bruce turned up to federal parliament in 1985 wearing a full chicken suit. The Deputy Speaker of the time yelled out, 'Remove that thing from the House!' and, with his feathers thoroughly ruffled, Bruce flew out of the chamber and managed to elude capture.

Extraordinarily, despite everyone being well aware that Bruce was the culprit no-one ever came forward to dob him in, showing that everyone must have enjoyed the antic more than they could let on at the time. It was only years later, shortly after his retirement, that Bruce confessed to the misdeed. While not keen for the antics to become his legacy, he acknowledged that the escapade worked to his advantage when he returned to politics in 1996 after three years of retirement from federal parliament. This time he stood successfully as an Independent member for the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1996 and held the seat until the 1998 election.

While Bruce was a renowned prankster, he also did some very serious work. Influenced by his childhood and upbringing, people and their welfare always remained the most important aspect of his work—evidenced in his grassroots political style. His resolute commitment and track record for getting things done earned him the title, 'the little Aussie battler'. Michael Hodgman dubbed him 'the champion of the people', emphasising that Bruce was always determined, passionate and authentic. He advocated on behalf of thousands of Tasmanians, extending beyond the borders of his electorate with problems ranging through public housing, pensions, taxation and health care to immigration, and even to neighbourhood feuds.

His experience of being brought up by a single father led him to champion extending the then sole mothers' benefit to become the sole parents' benefit. He also worked hard alongside Michael Hodgman to put Tasmania on the map, as they wanted the rest of the nation to know the many good things that my home state—and your home state, Mr President—has to offer.

Bruce Goodluck led a full life and his legacy is one that any man would be proud of. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and by the many people on whom his hard work and determination had such a positive impact. Rest in peace Bruce, Goodluck.

Senate adjourned at 19 : 16