Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 1 April 2018, of the Hon. Jocelyn Margaret Newman AO, a senator for the state of Tasmania from 1986 to 2002. I call the Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep sorrow at the death, on 1 April 2018, of the Honourable Jocelyn Newman AO, former senator for Tasmania and Minister for Social Security, Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women in the Howard Government, places on record its gratitude for her long service to the Parliament and the nation, and tenders its profound sympathy to her family in their bereavement.

A tough talking lawyer and a formidable reformist minister, Jocelyn Newman's unique legacy will be defined not only by her policy achievements but by her roles as a trailblazing female parliamentarian, as the matriarch of a remarkable political family and as a diligent servant of Tasmania, Australia and a wide range of causes.

Born in Melbourne on 8 July 1937, the eldest surviving child of Lyndhurst and Margaret Mullett, Jocelyn attended Mont Albert Central School and Presbyterian Ladies College before undertaking her tertiary education at the University of Melbourne. I note that in the 1950s it was no mean feat for a young woman to study law at one of Australia's top universities, but her university years revealed more than her trademark tenacity. The political passion that defined much of her life quickly rose to the fore and Jocelyn was an active presence on the University of Melbourne's campus political scene, in addition to coediting its student newspaper, Farrago.

Upon meeting a young Army officer named Kevin Newman while on a blind date at an Army ball in Puckapunyal, her life took a new turn. The first 14 years after their marriage in 1961 saw Jocelyn and her family move in line with the demands of Kevin's service no fewer than 12 times, intersected with his deployment in Vietnam. Following the birth of her son Campbell and daughter Kate, she made the compromise of so many women at that time, pausing her career so as to raise her family. Years later, Army service gave way to the political scrum, when Kevin was elected as the federal member for Bass in the landslide 1975 election result that brought an end to the Whitlam government. When Kevin's duties took him outside of the electorate, Jocelyn could often be found attending local functions and engaging with constituents in his place.

The conclusion of Kevin's political career in 1984, after several ministerial appointments, marked only the beginning of his wife's political ascent. Having declined two previous approaches to run for office, in 1986 Jocelyn was nominated to succeed Peter Rae as a senator for Tasmania, beating no fewer than 12 rivals to fill the casual vacancy left by his retirement. As only the third female senator elected from Tasmania, she took to her new role, brimming with self-belief and zeal, remarking, 'I think I was born to do this job.' In her first speech in this place, Jocelyn wasted no time in committing that she would stand 'for the free citizen—his initiative, understanding and acceptance of responsibility', decrying what she called the 'doctrine of the all-powerful state'. In so doing, she articulated the fierce small-government principles that would later inform her service in the Howard ministry. During her time in opposition, she took on a range of shadow portfolios, spending time as the spokesperson for defence, veterans' affairs, the status of women, family and health, and a range of other areas. It didn't take long for her to develop a reputation for competence, grit and sheer hard work.

As a parliamentarian, Jocelyn drew upon her own experience and made it a priority to improve the living conditions of service families. She would regularly visit military bases and speak with personnel and their relatives, before raising their concerns with such frequency and ferocity that some called her a latter-day Boadicea in the cause of Defence families. She was similarly pugnacious in her defence of Tasmanian interests against what she perceived to be the centralism of the mainland government, arguing for greater autotomy in the management of its environment and for more affordable air fares across the Bass Strait.

Her years in politics did not lack in personal hardship. It's a testament to her courage and resilience that she fought and bested successive diagnoses of uterine and breast cancer, returning to the shadow ministry just four months after her second cancer diagnosis. Ever practical, she turned her energy towards the search for a solution and advocated for the introduction of a Medicare rebate for breast cancer services. At a more personal level, she often discussed her battles with cancer publicly, in the hope that it would encourage Australian women to have more regular health checks.

Following the election of the Howard government in 1996, Jocelyn served as the Minister for Social Security between 1996 and 1998 and as the Minister for Family and Community Services from 1998 through to 2001. During this time, she prosecuted an ambitious reform agenda in an area that she openly admitted was complex political dynamite. Her busy years at the helm secured the creation of Centrelink in 1997 as the nation's one-stop shop for welfare services, in addition to the introduction of the family tax package and a suite of measures to tackle domestic violence and support its victims.

Regarded by many as one of the most capable social services ministers in our nation's history, she reflected at the conclusion of her time in parliament that she had restored public confidence in Australia's social security system. Be it in the Senate chamber or at the cabinet table, Jocelyn made sure that her voice and views were heard. This determination played a key role in the success of her legislative agenda and the life of the early Howard government.

The latter years of Jocelyn's service were touched by an intense personal trial following the passing of her husband, Kevin, in July 1999, after 38 years of devoted marriage. In December of the following year, Jocelyn tended her resignation from the ministry before leaving her seat in the Senate on 1 February 2002. This brought to a close a political career that at its height had seen her dubbed 'the minister for courage' and 'Australia's most powerful woman'. Despite her retirement, her public service was far from over. Jocelyn continued to support a range of worthy organisations, including the Australian War Memorial, the Defence Families of Australia and the Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Indeed, so many of her achievements cannot be found in the halls of Parliament House or the records of Hansard. As a champion of her local Tasmanian community, Jocelyn supported volunteers and community workers throughout her life, most notably working to establish the Launceston Women's Shelter as a safe place for women fleeing domestic violence. That effort speaks to the other key element of Jocelyn's legacy: her fierce advocacy for the rights and interests of women. This passion largely sprang from the early days of her legal career during which she saw firsthand some of the hardships that women and children can face. It was also tied to her own sense of justice and a fair go—the wish of a talented and driven woman who had no time for the restrictions of the status quo.

It is sometimes noted that her pursuit of a political career commenced in earnest when a department store refused to provide her with a personal credit account without the signature of her husband. That momentary act of discrimination did nothing to stop her and during her time as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women she worked tirelessly to combat domestic violence, secure historic reforms to postmarital superannuation arrangements and promote female involvement in the small business sector.

Yet, whenever asked, Jocelyn was always quick to anchor those efforts in her abiding belief in personal opportunity and responsibility, articulating this in her stated conviction that:

…every citizen in this country deserves an equal opportunity in life. That does not mean having their paths smoothed for them every inch of the way. Citizens need an equal opportunity to start and then they have to proceed on their own merit.

The breadth of her achievements was summarised well upon her appointment as an officer of the Order of Australia in 2005, with the citation noting her service to the community through contributions to the development of government policies in relation to social security reform, as an advocate for women's issues and as a supporter of local organisations in Tasmania.

In closing, I note that the remarkable life of Jocelyn Newman presents many similarities to that of another trailblazing Australian and servant of Tasmania, Dame Enid Lyons—whom she knew personally and admired greatly—drive, courage, tenacity and a willingness to break with the status quo in pursuit of her own convictions and the good of others.

To Jocelyn's children, Campbell and Kate, and to her granddaughters, Rebecca, Sarah, Emma and Samantha, on behalf of the government, I offer my sincerest condolences. Jocelyn was one of the substantial figures of Australian politics.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the opposition to acknowledge the passing of former Senator and minister, the Hon. Jocelyn Margaret Newman, AO who passed away on 1 April 2018 at the age of 80. At the outset, I wish to convey the opposition's condolences to relatives and friends of Mrs Newman, including those on the opposite side of the chamber.

Jocelyn Newman was a leading woman in the Liberal Party in federal parliament from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. A long-serving shadow minister, with the election of the Howard government in 1996 she entered cabinet with Amanda Vanstone, becoming the second and the third Liberal women to hold ministerial portfolios in cabinet.

As Minister for Social Security, as well as Minister for the Status of Women, she had a platform to implement a number of programs that significantly altered the direction of policy in Australia. A natural conservative, she was the face of the Howard government's policies that substantially affected Australians who were reliant on government support. She brought her experiences as a lawyer and community worker to bear in her determination and her largely successful and enduring approach to policy implementation. Her legacy is that of a strong and competent minister.

Born in Melbourne, Jocelyn Mullett practised as a barrister and solicitor prior to entering parliament, after graduating from the University of Melbourne with her degree in law. She was also variously a farmer, a hotelier and a community volunteer. It was whilst working in family law in Tasmania and witnessing firsthand the impact of poverty and domestic violence on women and children that she formed some of the policy positions that she would carry into her political career. She was also on the foundation committees of women's shelters in both Launceston and Hobart. She married Kevin Newman in 1961, and they would go on to have two children, Kate and Campbell. As is generally well known, the latter served as Premier of Queensland from 2012 to 2015. The former is an assistant commissioner for taxation. After living in different states and overseas, the Newmans settled in Tasmania. Kevin, an army officer, was a member of the House of Representatives from 1975 to 1984 and a minister in the Fraser government and passed away in 1999.

Jocelyn Newman entered the Senate when she filled a casual vacancy caused by the retirement of Tasmanian senator Peter Rae. She joined Doris Blackburn and Dame Enid Lyons as the only women who had followed their husbands into parliament, with the latter also being a Tasmanian. The Sunday Tasmanian cautioned against assumptions that she would merely be a mouthpiece for the former member for Bass, but for 'the thoughts, opinions and always of an independent, self-confident woman'. Mrs Newman would be re-elected in 1987, 1990 and 1996, retiring in February 2002 after serving nearly 16 years.

She noted in her first speech that she had already taken her place on an estimates committee and on the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. Mrs Newman, as is customary, also set down her views on various matters of public policy. She denounced the welfare state, decrying the way in which individuals, community groups and industry alike looked to government for support before making any effort on their own part. She sought a reduction in the burden of taxation and saw the key role of the federal government as protecting Australians from internal violence and external aggression. Consistent with this, she also identified the importance of wise and efficient spending in the Defence portfolio. She believed that it was not a question of a particular threat but of being prepared, an area where she had personal experience through her husband's service and which would go on as a significant focus during her time as shadow minister. Mrs Newman took considerable time to articulate some of her concerns about the management of this portfolio. These included loss of skills and experience, the standards of accommodation for military personnel and their families and investment in reserve forces. She also placed herself firmly behind her home state—and all states—against what she saw as encroaching Commonwealth power on the rights of their citizens and the responsibility of their governments.

As a senator, Mrs Newman took a place on a variety of committees until the election of the Howard government in 1996. However, it was her rapid entry into the shadow ministry that would consume most of her energy. First appointed in 1988, in the Defence Science and Personnel portfolio, Mrs Newman would go on to accumulate and relinquish roles in areas which included the status of women, veterans affairs, the aged, family and health, family matters and, finally, defence. Mrs Newman was a champion for better conditions for service men and women and their families. She might have been considered unlucky not to have continued in the Defence portfolio after the election. When asked about whether she would encourage more women to get involved in politics, Mrs Newman replied in the affirmative, encouraging women to take on more prominent roles in community organisations and local government as a stepping stone to higher office.

Being a member of parliament involves many trials. Mrs Newman showed determination of a different sort, and these challenges were accentuated, by confronting and overcoming cancer, which forced her to stand down for a brief period in 1994. When she first entered the Senate in 1986, some commentators thought then opposition leader John Howard was on the cusp of leading the Liberal Party back into government. But it would be 10 long years before Jocelyn Newman would have the opportunity to emulate her spouse and serve as a minister.

Following the election of the Howard government in 1996, Mrs Newman entered the cabinet and took on the role of Minister for Social Security and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women. Prior to this, Dame Margaret Guilfoyle was the only other woman who had served as a cabinet minister with a portfolio under a Liberal Prime Minister. With Amanda Vanstone, who was also appointed to cabinet at this time, Mrs Newman broke new ground. One expects that having a minister in the family and her long experience as a shadow minister were of great benefit personally and in the cabinet room.

As Minister for Social Security and then Minister for Family and Community Services from 1998, Mrs Newman was responsible for some of the Howard government's most far-reaching changes of its first and second terms. These were described by the current Prime Minister as:

… some of the most complex changes to the social security system in a generation …

Former Prime Minister Howard gave her great credit, both for being Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women at the beginning of his government and especially for the work she did in reforming social security policy. Her achievements included: the creation of Centrelink; reforms to family tax, child support and youth allowance programs; and measures to combat domestic violence. Mr Howard praised Mrs Newman for successfully navigating important savings measures through the Senate and for her overall contribution to cabinet discussions.

There's no doubt that Mrs Newman came to the Social Security portfolio with well-developed views about the role of government in supporting individuals and families. These policy positions have been described as 'hardline'. At the time, the opposition criticised the Howard government for a lack of commitment to combating poverty and child neglect and sought greater investment for early intervention. Whether such opinions are fair or not will be for others to judge, but she was consistent and forthright in implementing these policies.

Measures implemented by Mrs Newman extended to efforts to curb fraudulent welfare claims and to limit claims for support to those determined to be in significant need. She was an advocate for the implementation of the recommendations of the McClure report to extend certain measures applicable to the workforce sector to a larger number of welfare recipients, such as those on disability and supporting pensions, taking on ministerial colleagues Messrs Peter Reith and Tony Abbott. Her previous experience at the coalface of family law doubtlessly provided motivation for her determination to relentlessly pursue men who did not obey court orders to support their children.

Those of us who have been ministers understand the considerable personal sacrifices that are made as a consequence of the demands of office. Having already confronted her own health challenges while in opposition, Mrs Newman was devastated by the sudden death of her husband while she was on ministerial business overseas in 1999. In characteristic style, Mrs Newman continued administering and restructuring one of the largest portfolios until resigning in late 2000, formally concluding her term as a minister in January 2001. She stood down from the Senate on 1 February 2002 and was replaced by Senator Richard Colbeck, who is in the chamber today.

Leaving parliamentary politics gave Jocelyn Newman an opportunity to indulge in her hobby of gardening, but she was never going to walk away from public service entirely. There was much speculation that she would be appointed Australia's first female Governor-General. Whilst this did not eventuate, amongst other roles, Mrs Newman brought her long experience in defence and veterans' affairs matters to the Council of the Australian War Memorial, on which she served from 2002 until 2009. She also served on the board of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

In 2005 Mrs Newman was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia 'for service to the community through contributions to the development of government policies in relation to social security reform, as an advocate for women's issues, particularly in the health and welfare areas, and as a supporter of local organisations in Tasmania'. She also gave her energy to supporting her daughter, Kate, and her son, Campbell, the latter in his roles as Lord Mayor of Brisbane and later as Premier, as well as their families. On one occasion Mr Newman drove his mother around the city he controlled for seven years, not for a scenic tour of Brisbane's top attractions but to keep an eye out for pot holes. 'I was the spotter,' Mrs Newman told The Australian in 2011. In more recent years Mrs Newman lived on the South Coast of New South Wales, where she passed away at the nursing home as a result of Alzheimer's disease.

John Howard described Jocelyn Newman as a tenacious, forthright and devoted colleague and particularly noted her legacy in the social security policy area. Mrs Newman fought welfare fraud and championed self-reliance in her portfolio of social security, family and community services and the status of women. She leaves a considerable and enduring legacy as a senator, minister and leading woman in the Liberal Party. Her place as a notable contributor to Australian political life will be continued by her children, who are already active in politics and public service, and doubtless by her grandchildren, all of whom will mourn her passing. We extend our sympathies to the family and friends at this time.

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

I rise on behalf of the Nationals to support this motion and to pay my respects to the late Hon. Jocelyn Newman, who, sadly, passed away on 1 April this year. It's always bittersweet to farewell a colleague who contributed so much to this place. Not only do we say goodbye with great sadness and sorrow to those who sat on these benches and passionately proclaimed their convictions, but we also reflect on and celebrate their lives and their achievements.

Jocelyn was a rare gem whose value and contribution to so many areas in the community was totally unprecedented. It's fair to say that Jocelyn spent her life breaking barriers in society and achieving a great deal of success through her life, through her career and as a mother. She spent her life pursuing issues such as women's rights, changes to the welfare system and better support for Defence personnel and their families, but all in all she never failed to serve her own family first.

What strikes me as most fascinating about Jocelyn is not actually the fact she achieved so many things whilst raising a family; it's the fact that she overcame so many health setbacks during that period of time. She let none of them deter her from continuing along the chosen path of supporting and advocating for so many of her passions. As we've heard, Ms Newman pursued a lifelong advocacy for the rights of women who suffered violence at the hands of an intimate or domestic partner. She started this in her early days as a lawyer and continued this passion throughout her life. Her legal career, however, was put on hold after her marriage to Kevin Newman and their relocation to Tasmania in 1973, where her husband served in the Army.

It's important to acknowledge that during this time Ms Newman experienced firsthand the challenges of being a family member of serving personnel whilst her husband was in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. Her efforts to improve the support for our armed forces and their families would be something of an ongoing cause of hers through the span of her career, and it represents her habit of taking hold of own experiences and observations in order to bring forward awareness and change.

The mid-seventies saw the beginnings of a new Newman family dynasty of sorts in the Liberal Party of Tasmania with the election of Kevin to the division of Bass in 1975. I understand that Jocelyn spent much of her time representing her husband at many functions around the electorate and, I dare say, got a bit of a taste of public life and what she could really contribute to her community. She went on to hold many positions in and around Launceston, including, notably, establishing a women's shelter that I believe still remains.

However, Jocelyn was determined to carry out her goal of the ultimate service to the community by representing the people of Tasmania as a senator in the Parliament of Australia. Her success in being selected—you have to remember this was in 1986—out of a dozen men to replace former Senator Peter Rae after his resignation was to many an extraordinary achievement that displayed the tenacious parliamentarian that indeed she turned out to be. I was pleased to serve alongside Jocelyn for a very short period, literally a month or so—being a Territorian, I started the day after the election; I think it was a month or so before Senator Colbeck came. But even in that short period of time, with crowds of people in this place, she still left the indelible mark of someone who knew what she was doing here. She was a very strong, very resilient character.

In the party room I recall she had absolutely no qualms about stating her views but, most importantly, she would have a little chat to those people who were asserting their views but not in a respectful manner. When I heard of the shopkeeper asking Jocelyn for Kevin's signature on an account, I shudder—knowing that the shopkeeper wouldn't have survived that event! Jocelyn brought to politics, I think, a very practical circumstance. I remember that. I came here with a naive experience. I had not come from a parliamentary background. She quizzed me about my experience in the Northern Territory. She quizzed me all about Arnhem Land. She talked to me particularly about the plight of Aboriginal women—what did I think, what happened and a whole range of stuff. I felt she had such a focused interest in her business of protecting women, understanding more about the domestic violence and how it affected different demographics.

But Jocelyn was also a bit of a character. Some of us recall when she pulled a bit of a stunt to highlight the Hawke government on a serious issue of airport security. She gave a staffer a red briefcase and said, 'Get on the plane, book in and off you go to Canberra.' Of course, at the last minute, she got the staffer not to go and to leave his case on the plane that went to Canberra to make this point that the security really wasn't what it was cracked up to be. You can imagine nowadays the furore that would cause but that was Jocelyn.

I would be surprised if this place delivers a better minister for social policy. They were tough times to make changes from a conservative government. Many of those who have been here a while understand there's a perception that it's harder to make social changes from conservative government—I'm not making a political point—because those on the other side think that's their job. She did such a remarkable job of reforming Australia in that area at such an important time.

Jocelyn is well regarded as the champion of women and the champion for her beloved Tasmania. She never stopped going in to bat for Tasmania and, can I tell you, she has such a deserved reputation as a dogged and fierce advocate. So, on behalf of the Nationals, I would like to recognise the life of Jocelyn Newman and her contribution particularly to this parliament and to the nation. Our thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends at this very difficult time. Vale Jocelyn Newman.

Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to contribute personally to this debate on this condolence motion. Jocelyn Newman was in this chamber for many years, from when I first came here in 1997 until she left in 2002. For much of that time, I had responsibility for social security and social welfare issues for my party so I had plenty of cause to have discussions and debate with her in this chamber on legislation as well as outside of this chamber. I wish to pick up a particular word Senator Scullion used that I had already written down, which is 'respectful'. It is no great surprise that I disagreed with her—in fact, if I look back through the record I probably voted against most of the legislation that she put forward at the time; that is probably why I had so many exchanges with her in this chamber, trying to amend what the government of the time was doing—but she was genuinely respectful. I would also say she was genuinely sincere and competent at her work. It's not making a partisan point to say I wouldn't say that about everybody I've had exchanges with in this chamber from all sides.

All of us, if we are here for any length of time, have cause to have conversations with staffers and others who work with various ministers and MPs. It was only a year ago while I was having dinner in Brisbane that somebody at the adjoining table recognised me and started to speak to me. He had worked with a number of ministers from that time, and he specifically singled out Jocelyn Newman as the best that he had worked for in terms of her competence and her respectfulness—again, I think that is the right word. As Senator Scullion also alluded to, she certainly wasn't someone who would leave you in any doubt about what their opinion was—she was certainly very capable of being firm in her views—but she was still respectful in her dealings with everybody. That person's opinion reaffirmed what I had thought: she was someone who knew her stuff very well. That is always appreciated. You can disagree on people's policy prescriptions for something, but it's at least reassuring to know that they understand what they're talking about, even if you disagree with their view. Others have mentioned her views, her commitment and her record with regard to women, particularly her efforts on behalf of women experiencing domestic violence. I didn't always agree with her policy prescriptions, but I definitely agreed with her genuine commitment to try to assist the many women who did, and unfortunately still do, have to deal with those circumstances.

I really wanted to put on the record my own appreciation, acknowledgement and personal experience of Jocelyn Newman's very strong contribution to the role of this chamber and the way the Senate in particular works when it's at its best: not the policy positions it comes to, but the way that people engage with a genuine attempt to deal with issues on their merits and engage with all of the competing views that are put forward. I did find her to be one of the best coalition ministers that I had to engage with during that time with regard to how she went about her business, and I really wanted, albeit in very sad circumstances, the opportunity to put that on the record.

This has also been alluded to in some of today's contributions, but I also want to say something about her commitment and her genuine feelings towards her own family and her husband, Kevin, who died while she was a member of this chamber. It's funny sometimes the things that stick in your head. I particularly remember a time, it would have been a year or possibly even two years after her husband had passed away, when there was a debate in this chamber on some piece of legislation. It may have been to do with family law or divorce or sole parents—I can't remember. Senator Newman was there, and I think Senator Chris Evans from the Labor Party was there. She made an off-the-cuff comment about people who get remarried. She then said: 'I wouldn't get remarried. I've only just done that. Once was enough for me.' The memory that that obviously brought up in her of her husband, even after he had passed away a year or two before, brought her to tears here. It was sad but very touching to see how deeply that still affected her all that time afterwards. I think they'd been married 37 or 38 years, and to me it was a sign of her personal, genuine, emotional commitment to the issues she believed in and the people who she worked with. I very much appreciate being able to join in this chamber's acknowledgement of not just Jocelyn Newman's contribution to the Senate but what she also did throughout her life.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is indeed an honour to join with colleagues this afternoon in paying tribute on this condolence motion to our former colleague Jocelyn Newman, with whom I also had the great pleasure and honour of serving between 1997 and 2002, as Senator Bartlett has observed. Jocelyn Newman was a fine role model and colleague for me, as a then very new senator in 1997, and for many others. I still have the letter she wrote to me that year on the day of my first speech. I valued her feedback and her advice enormously. She was, as anyone who sat with her around the cabinet table or in committee or engaged with her in this chamber will tell you—and as I think colleagues have adverted to in their remarks—a formidable interlocutor. She was smart, quick, witty, determined and immensely focused on the task at hand. In fact she had the most powerful blue-eyed focus I can ever recall, long before that was a thing.

I first met Jocelyn in about 1989 when I was an adviser to the then opposition leader in the Senate, Senator the Hon. Robert Hill. She was the shadow minister for defence science and personnel—speaking of formidable, the then Senator the Hon. Peter Durack was the shadow minister for defence. She was phenomenally committed to her shadow role of defence science and personnel. I learned a great deal from her in that time, which I would like to say, starting with that role of hers and the one she took subsequently, has stood me in very good stead in recent years. But her true passion for matters defence came to the fore as the shadow minister for defence for the coalition between 1994 and 1996. I think it's fair to say that Prime Minister Howard was very honest indeed when he noted at her state funeral that he ultimately knew how much he had disappointed her when he did not make her the Minister for Defence after the 1996 election. The mark of the woman, however, was that notwithstanding that disappointment she took to the ministerial role she was given by Prime Minister Howard in 1996 with enormous application and, as others have reflected, was a true reformer no matter your view or perspective on the reforms that she pursued on behalf of the Howard government. She was a true reformer of the delivery of social services in this country.

She was indeed an exceptionally diligent minister: highly regarded, as others have said, by her departments and by her colleagues. She was also a member of a fabulous team of Liberal Senate women at the time of—it's invidious to start naming names, as I don't want to leave anybody out—then Senator Margaret Reid, then Senator Sue Knowles, then Senator Kay Patterson, who were all able to attend her state funeral, and then Senator Amanda Vanstone. For people like me who had joined the team relatively late in those relationships, it was a real thing to watch. They were an extremely strong and powerful team and a great pleasure to have as friends and colleagues.

Jocelyn was, as everyone has observed and as I know her Tasmanian friends and colleagues will go on to say in greater detail, a passionate Tasmanian. She was also passionate about the role and position of women in Australian society and, in fact, the world. She was particularly passionate, though, about the men and women of the ADF and their families, and she earned their everlasting respect; indeed, the Federation Guard were her pallbearers. Reflected in the extremely moving service that was held for her, the state funeral at the Anzac Memorial Chapel of St Paul at the Royal Military College, was that commitment to the men and women of the ADF and their families—in my humble opinion, taken by her not just because of her own service experience but because of her absolute passion for the men and women who served and those who support them much more broadly.

I acknowledge the very many beautiful words that were said on that day by so many in a service led by the Reverend Sarah Gibson, the senior chaplain at RMC Army—beautiful words of a life so well lived and of great service to our nation and to her state. She was a leader of Liberal women and a much-loved mother and grandmother. I acknowledge her family: Campbell and Kate, their spouses and her grandchildren. I acknowledge her granddaughters Rebecca and Emma, who spoke so lovingly of their grandmother. It's hard to know the difficulties of living with and losing someone to dementia. They painted a beautiful and powerful picture. All the Liberal women who follow in Jocelyn Newman's footsteps owe her an enormous debt.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For all but her first three years, I served with Jocelyn Newman in this particular chamber. I express my condolences and those of my wife, Lesley, to Jocelyn's family. The Newmans were a very significant political and military family. I certainly wasn't in parliament at the time, but I well remember when Kevin Newman won the electorate of Bass at the Barnard by-election, which was the start of the shift against the Whitlam government and the inauguration of the Fraser government. Kevin, himself a distinguished soldier, served in this parliament for many years in various portfolios, initially as Minister for Repatriation, going on to serve in many other portfolios. Jocelyn was steeped in the military tradition, as was her son, Campbell, who, of course, I knew well in his role as Lord Mayor of Brisbane and later as Premier of our great state of Queensland.

I last saw Jocelyn during Campbell's first campaign, and she was very much part of it in those days. She certainly assisted Campbell with a lot of advice in that difficult time when he was leading the LNP but wasn't in parliament himself. I remember that Jocelyn was a tower of strength. Unfortunately, ill health in the latter part of her life while Campbell was Premier really prevented me or too many others from visiting her, but she was a wonderful person. Senator Payne mentioned former senator Robert Hill, who was Leader of the Opposition and then Leader of the Government in the Senate. I happened to run into Robert Hill earlier today and we were talking about Jocelyn. Robert described her as a very efficient and effective shadow minister and then minister but, more importantly, as a warm and loyal friend. I think that sums up Jocelyn very well.

I particularly remember her in many fields. When I first came into parliament, the Liberal Party in Queensland almost wasn't known outside of Brisbane. I'd come in and was based in the north, but people didn't know what a Liberal was. I used to organise groups of Liberal senators to come to North Queensland so that people could see that there were such things as Liberal senators and that there were, indeed, Liberal women senators. I remember Jocelyn was part of the team that came up on several occasions to float around the whole of North Queensland spreading the word.

I do remember well the 1996 election, which, of course, John Howard won as Prime Minister, and Jocelyn was the shadow minister for defence. They happened to be in Townsville, no doubt on a shadow cabinet meeting or doing other good work in opposition at the time. I do remember Jocelyn as shadow minister for defence standing at the front counter of my office at the Suncorp building in Townsville, taking phone calls and making last-minute adjustments to the coalition's defence policy, which at late notice she had decided she was going to release the next day or the subsequent day. And I well remember how efficient she was, how forceful she was with the leadership and with those who were advising her on the coalition's policy for the '96 election in the defence area. She is, as Senator Payne and others mentioned, a tower of strength for women and for the Liberal Party in this chamber and everywhere else.

I particularly wanted to acknowledge Jocelyn but also extend my condolences to Campbell and Lisa, who I knew—I'm afraid I didn't know other members of the family, but my condolences to them. I know that always Campbell gained great inspiration from the strength of his mother and father, but particularly his mother in those later years of her life, when he led his party to the biggest ever election win of any election, I think, anywhere in the Western democratic world at that time. And I know that Jocelyn contributed to Campbell's strength and forbearance at that time. May she rest in peace.

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

The Hon. Jocelyn Newman AO will be rightly remembered for her many fine attributes: lawyer, wife, mother, army wife and Defence Force advocate, women's shelter founder, senator, cabinet minister, grandmother and, indeed, even a former Miss Melbourne University—a well-rounded life devoted to her family, her sex, her state and her nation, a true champion with whom I had the honour of serving my Senate apprenticeship.

It was an honour to be able to represent you, Mr President, at the recent memorial service celebrating the life of the Hon. Jocelyn Newman AO. The tributes paid to her on that occasion by former Prime Minister John Howard and her grandchildren were as good a send-off as one could wish for. Today she has received even more deserved accolades, and I appreciate in particular Senator Fifield's fine contribution in that regard. Her public life is on the record and speaks for itself. Suffice to mention two quick issues, which of course were very big issues: the formation of Centrelink in her ministerial capacity and the beginning of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme in her capacity as senator for Tasmania.

When you have the privilege of working closely with a person, you get to appreciate the real person and you see the real person, so let me give a brief personal insight. Jocelyn was a true lady with a steely determination, a loving nature and a good sense of humour, a woman whose love of husband and family were always foremost in her mind, a woman who held her own in any debate through intellectual prowess and rigour and had a capacity to articulate. An issue dealt with was an issue to be forgotten, and you moved forward. It was a privilege to be an apprentice to Senator Newman.

I extend to her family my sincere condolences, noting that the Tasmanian Liberal Party has been holding minutes of silence at the various meetings right around the state of Tasmania in recognition of her excellent service to the Liberal Party, the state of Tasmania and our nation of Australia. May she rest in peace.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to make a contribution in recognition of the life of my immediate predecessor in my first incarnation in this place in 2002, the Hon. Jocelyn Newman, AO. Jocelyn was part of a family that enjoys a very special place in Tasmanian and national politics, particularly the Liberal Party of Tasmania. Jocelyn's husband, as has been mentioned before, Kevin, won that famous by-election in Bass in 1975, which then set the tone for the political events of the immediate future, and it's one of those times that is recalled by many in national politics, regardless of which side of politics you come from, to be frank. I also had the opportunity, as state president of the party, to work with Jocelyn when she was the Prime Minister's representative on the state executive. She had an uncanny capacity to manage the vagaries of the internal politics of the party and even to put those of us who she thought were playing up a bit back into our places, with that formidable determination that's been described so many times so far today.

Following Kevin's retirement from the parliament, Jocelyn went on to establish her own very special place in political history, quite independent of Kevin, although not without Kevin. As has been noted, she was certainly an important part of the team when he was a member of parliament, and he was an important part of the team when she was a member of parliament, and to work together with them on the campaign trail was great fun. There is quite a famous story of one of the Tasmanian Liberal Senate team tours travelling in the north, I think heading towards George Town, when Jocelyn was allegedly the navigator and former President Paul Calvert was the driver waiting for instructions. They were supposed to negotiate a turn-off, but, without any instruction from the alleged navigator, Paul kept on driving straight ahead. That was followed by a negotiation as to how they actually got to the destination, which, as you could imagine, was quite amusing.

Jocelyn's time in the parliament brought many highlights, which have been mentioned already, so they don't need to be repeated. But my recollection of her time—in particular, when she was working on those significant reforms that she brought into place around the social security framework that exists now—was her appearing on what was then a pretty difficult gig on the7.30program on the ABC. She was being questioned closely and quite forensically about the reforms and what they might bring. I think Senator Payne's description of that steely gaze probably best describes the way that she dealt with that interview. There was no turning back. There was no deviation from where she was heading with that reform. That interview, as difficult it was, was dealt with with the typical aplomb that Jocelyn brought, because she was so well across her brief that no media interview, no matter how difficult, was going to detract her from or move her off the path.

She was, as has been described, a powerful advocate for Tasmania and also in her portfolios. As has been noted by a number of people, she could only be regarded as an exemplary example for women seeking and conducting a role in public life. The fact, as has been noted before, that she beat a field of 12 guys in 1986 to win preselection—including Senator Abetz, I might add—is a testament to that. And she wasn't expected to win; I think that's another point worth noting.

I think 'formidable' is an apt description for Jocelyn. Yet, formidable as she was, she had the warmth and the character to be one of those rare individuals able to make every single person in a room feel as though she were talking just to them. It's not something that I've seen in many people at all.

She received a very fitting send off at her state funeral. She was a remarkable Australian, and one I'm proud to call a friend. I extend my sincerest condolences to Campbell, Kate, her grandchildren and their extended family.

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

I also rise to support the motion on the passing and the legacy of the Hon. Jocelyn Margaret Newman, AO, an outstanding and passionate representative in Canberra for all Tasmanians, an eminently capable federal cabinet minister and, above all, a wonderfully compassionate and caring human being.

I follow two of my fellow Tasmanian Liberal senators who have also paid tribute to Jocelyn—Senators Abetz and Colbeck. The three of us all knew her well. I don't believe that Senator Duniam, who is also present, knew her personally, but he has requested that he be associated with the remarks of his fellow Tasmanian senators.

Jocelyn's career as a Tasmanian senator spanned 16 years. During this time she enjoyed some remarkable achievements, serving as the Minister for Social Services from 1996 to 1998 and as Minister for Family and Community Services from 1998 to 2001, both under Prime Minister John Howard. Indeed, for much of that time she was the most senior woman in the Howard government and, if my memory serves me well, the most senior female in any federal government to that time.

Much has been said today of Jocelyn's achievements during that time, but I do note and repeat that, amongst other things, she oversaw the introduction of the family tax package and reforms to child support legislation; she introduced measures to combat domestic violence and to assist victims; and she took particular pride in introducing progressive amendments to the youth allowance. Then Senator Newman also expressed her determination to reduce welfare dependency, to eradicate rorters and to improve children's futures by working to keep families together.

One does not achieve the kinds of results and outcomes as those delivered by Jocelyn in her time in this place without also possessing, as has already been suitably acknowledged, formidability, intelligence, courage and wit, all of which Jocelyn held in spades. In 2005, as we've also heard, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her service to the community through contributions to the development of government policies in relation to social security reform, as an advocate for women's issues—particularly in the health and welfare areas—and as a supporter of local organisations in Tasmania.

Jocelyn's views on the status of women were linked to her belief in the importance of personal responsibility, and she believed in equal opportunity rather than affirmative action. This, I think, encapsulates not only Jocelyn's immense contributions to the Tasmanian community but also her approach to decision-making here in Canberra. I recall her on many occasions making the observation that Liberal governments should constantly refer to our party's 'We believe' statement and filter all decisions made through the principles that it contains, as these beliefs underpin all that good government should entail. I even recall her stating that this statement should be on the wall of all Liberal decision-makers.

Her approach to decision-making certainly reflected her advice. As a champion of social security reform and an advocate for women's issues, she possessed the strength, compassion and empathy needed to deliver the reform that was necessary to the delivery of services to those who needed them most whilst ensuring the integrity of government programs designed to do just that. In accordance with Jocelyn's advice on the Liberal 'we believe' statement, she strongly supported the notions of individual agency, free thought and free action and the notion that, with enough hard work, the right attitude and support from those you love dearly, you will overcome and you will succeed.

I had the great privilege of working as a member of Jocelyn's staff for a time before her retirement and serving for a number of years with her, and also with Senator Colbeck, on the Liberal Party state executive. Through both roles, I was honoured to receive the benefit of her advice, experience and wisdom. Jocelyn was a mentor who I immensely respected, who, in some ways, I was in awe of and to whom I have no hesitation in paying my highest respects. I'm sure that my Tasmanian Liberal colleagues in the Senate today would agree that they all learnt much from Jocelyn—except maybe Senator Duniam directly, although I suspect he's probably learnt a bit from her legacy—and that we're all better people for having known her. Indeed, Australia is a better place for her service. Jocelyn will be dearly missed. I send my best thoughts to her children, Campbell and Kate, and her grandchildren, not just in sadness for her passing but in gratitude for a life well and truly lived with extraordinary commitment, compassion and service.

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

I too rise to associate with the comments that have been made by my colleagues. I had the honour to know Jocelyn when I first came here as a staffer from 1989 to 1993 when I worked for the then shadow minister for policy coordination and transition to government Jim Carlton. Jocelyn served on the shadow social policy committee and worked very closely with Jim on that committee.

Jocelyn was truly a woman of great attribute, but she was also a woman who took time to mentor. She took time to explain. She took time out, certainly for me as a staffer here, to assist and to always provide her advice. She was the classic steel hand in the velvet glove. I remember her as a woman of great compassion but also as a woman who had the ability to deal with very difficult tasks, particularly in the social policy area, at a time when we were considering making some difficult changes, particularly in the lead-up to the 1993 election. As a conservative woman myself, I know that she will be very well remembered as a conservative woman, as somebody who brought wonderful attributes of family and all of those things to her work and, as I said, as having a great deal of compassion and a brilliant mind and as a woman, for those of us women in politics, who was truly a guiding light. I pay my condolences to all her family and to her friends on her passing.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.