Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with sadness that I rise this evening to acknowledge the passing of Andrew Burry. His passing, this week, has come as a great shock to a great many people. Now is not the time for long tributes, but I do want to join with all those in the HIV and LGBTI communities in acknowledging his passing. Andrew recently served as the CEO of the Western Australian AIDS Council for some four years. He has also served as the vice-president of the Australian Federation of AIDS Councils and is well known here in the ACT as the former general manager of the AIDS Action Council of the ACT. He has also been part of the Victorian AIDS Council and sat on the board of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations.

In rising tonight to pay tribute briefly to Andrew, I really want to acknowledge what a significant contributor he has been to the HIV response in Australia. His knowledge, expertise and experience is going to be sorely missed by a great many, especially in my home state of WA. He was well-known as having an irreverent sense of humour but also as a strong champion for disaffected communities. He was a leader in both the HIV and LGBTI communities. As I said before, over a very long time he was an active and significant contributor to the HIV response in Australia. I want to join with people from a wide range of organisations in expressing my condolences to his family tonight.

Andrew Burry served the Australian community with distinction and purpose. The President of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, Dr Bridget Haire, said:

Andrew's powerful, robust advocacy was informed by an unshakeable conviction that community-led responses matter. His leadership, and the AIDS Council's standing, were recognised by the WA Government, which has announced that the Western Australian PrEP trial will be largely managed through WAAC's M Clinic.

Dr Haire also said:

His insights and experience have contributed greatly to AFAO's mission.

It is no small feat to get a PrEP trial up and running in Western Australia, and I think it is really testament to Andrew's great community engagement capacity and his community leadership. ACON's CEO, Nicolas Parkhill, said:

Many in the HIV sector knew Andrew to be a wonderful person who contributed a great deal to the Australian HIV response, in many roles, over many years. Countless people around the country will miss him greatly on both personal and professional levels.

Tonight, in briefly acknowledging Andrew's passing, we have lost a great community advocate. I pay tribute to the legacy that I know he will leave to the community for a great many years to come.