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

Senators, it is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 20 December 2020 of the Rt Hon. John Douglas Anthony AC CH, a former Deputy Prime Minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of Richmond from 1957 to 1984.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate expresses its sadness at the death, on 20 December 2020, of the Rt Hon. John Douglas 'Doug' Anthony AC CH, former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Interior, Minister for Primary Industry and Minister for Trade and Resources, and former member for Richmond, places on record its admiration and appreciation for his service to the Parliament and the nation, and tenders its deep sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

The Rt Hon. John Douglas 'Doug' Anthony was an Australian icon who humbly served our nation in a life of public service. Doug Anthony was born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales on 31 December 1929. Tales abound of Doug's early exposure to federal politics and the federal parliament as a young lad, foretelling his own path of a prominent political career. His father, Hubert Lawrence Anthony, had been elected to the parliament in 1937. From the age of seven, Doug would join his father in Canberra, often staying in the Kurrajong hotel, where he got to know many members of parliament and ministers of the era on a personal level. Rumour even has it that much of young Doug's time spent at the Old Parliament House saw him utilise the lower floor of the building for rollerskating.

Doug was at King's School in Sydney and Gatton College in Queensland before going on to become a dairy farmer until 1957, when his father, a then minister in the Menzies government, passed away. At the age of 27 Doug left farming to contest and win his late father's seat of Richmond. The electorate of Richmond would reward the hard work and dedication shown by Doug Anthony by returning him as their local MP for a further 11 elections.

Doug's parliamentary career stretched more than 26 years, 16 of them spent as a minister of the Crown. He held responsibility for a variety of portfolios, serving as minister for the interior, primary industry, trade and industry, overseas trade, minerals and energy, national resources, and trade and resources. When the then Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, first promoted Doug Anthony in 1964 to become Minister for the Interior, the youngest member at the time to be made a minister, he said, 'That'll keep you out of mischief!'

Doug Anthony assumed much responsibility for the advancement and establishment of this nation's capital, the seat of government here in Canberra. As Minister for the Interior, he played a role in the development of the Anzac Parade and the construction of the National Library and National Carillon as well as the opening of Lake Burley Griffin as we know it today. Later in life Doug reflected on how happy and proud he was of his connection to the city of Canberra, to which he believed no other capital in the world would compare. Today those of us who serve in this place and the many who live in Canberra enjoy the fruits of his leadership and those who worked alongside him.

On 2 February 1971, almost 50 years ago to this day, Doug Anthony, at the age of 41, became the youngest leader of the then Country Party. As leader, Doug took steps to modernise the party, recognising that the party had to broaden its base. This included a change of name to the National Party in 1982. In testament to Doug's leadership style, throughout his tenure the National Party was able to enjoy strong unity and, of course, build its reputation across many parts of Australia.

Doug Anthony served the country as Deputy Prime Minister for nearly 10 years, marking the longest such tenure of anyone in the role. He was deputy to Prime Ministers John Gorton, Billy McMahon and Malcolm Fraser, serving under Malcolm Fraser for the full period of the coalition government from 1975 to 1983. This tenure is a demonstration of Doug Anthony's commitment as a great coalitionist, setting the standards of engagement between the great National Party of Australia and the great Liberal of Australia that have served very many coalition governments thereafter.

As Minister for Primary Industry, Doug regarded those years as some of his hardest. Yet through that period he was a fierce advocate for Australian farmers in regional Australia, particularly in tough meetings, for example, over European farming policies. Among his achievements in the role were upgrades to export abattoirs to maintain the beef trade, the introduction of the wool reserve price scheme and the reconstruction of the dairy industry. Doug served as Australia's 33rd minister responsible for the trade portfolio. I'm proud to have shared a passion for trade with Doug, having until recently served in the role myself as Australia's 53rd trade minister. As we reflect on Doug Anthony's achievements in the trade portfolio, it's important to note the role he played in expanding particularly our strong trading relationship with Japan. These were leading pioneers of the era in establishing and deepening those relations with nations like Japan, especially in the export of major commodities such as iron ore and coal.

Doug Anthony also showed enormous leadership and insight in focusing on creating opportunities across the ASEAN countries and in the Middle East. He was the first senior Australian minister to visit the Middle East, where several important trade related agreements followed with countries across the region. Perhaps most notably Doug Anthony made history as the minister responsible for negotiating the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement. In 2003 Australia and New Zealand commemorated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the 1983 agreement. In a joint publication marking the occasion, former Prime Minister John Howard described the success of the CER, saying:

It is powerful testimony to the vision of both governments, and of their negotiators, that the CER remains one of the widest ranging and successful free trade agreements in the world even today. That enduring success, from which every Australian and New Zealander now directly benefits, reminds us in tum how important it is to continue pursuing the goal of further liberalisation of world trade.

Eighteen years on from former Prime Minister Howard's remarks about the CER and the bonds that it has established between Australia and New Zealand, it remains our most important trade agreement and the most significant pillar in terms of an example of true openness and cooperation.

The beginnings of the CER can be traced to an informal discussion with New Zealand ministers in 1979, where Doug Anthony brought to the attention of the room the limited prospects for trade growth for either nation under their then existing multilateral trade negotiations or strategies. Doug went on to speak of the success achieved by other nations which cooperated economically to take advantage of the trading potential within their region. He suggested that it was time for Australia and New Zealand to take advantage of the new global circumstances and, in doing so, to form a closer union of economic cooperation. The positive reception by New Zealand ministers of Doug Anthony's proposal at this meeting marked the beginnings of the formal process of the closer economic relations trade agreement. Although the agreement was finally signed off just a few weeks into the life of the Hawke government, Doug Anthony was acknowledged as the engineer of the agreement and, indeed, was conferred an honorary doctorate from New Zealand's University of Canterbury. Since then, the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement has become a model for trade agreements across the globe—a fact I can attest to in my own undertakings of similar negotiations.

Doug Anthony was Australian through and through. Perhaps few stories better illustrate this than when then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser would take his annual summer holidays, leaving Doug in charge of the nation. Doug Anthony's choice of office was a caravan by his cottage at New Brighton on the New South Wales North Coast, which caught the attention of the media. In his own words Doug said:

I'll probably be remembered for the caravan more than anything else in my political career. When the nation heard I was running the show from my caravan it sent a message that it was Christmas, time to relax, everything was on hold, but also everything was being looked after.

Doug retired from the federal parliament of January in 1984. He left on his own terms, as Father of the House, with a record of accomplishments that few could match, and returned to his dairy farm. He remained active in public life, including campaigning for an Australian republic at the 1999 constitutional referendum. Echoing the words of our current Prime Minister, the right honourable John Douglas Anthony was a quiet giant of Australian political life, a man who left an indelible and positive mark on our nation, our coalition of Liberal and National Parties and particularly upon his beloved National Party. Doug Anthony led a long and meritorious life of public service. We express our deepest thanks and profound sympathy to his wife, Margot, his three children, Dugald, Jane and Larry, and his nine grandchildren. I thank the Senate.

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his reflection on the life of the former Deputy Prime Minister John Douglas 'Doug' Anthony. I rise to contribute to this condolence motion, and I do so both in honour of Mr Anthony's service and as a proud resident of New South Wales, his home state. It is clear from the tributes that flowed following his death that Mr Anthony was held in high regard as a thoroughly decent man who exemplified what it means to serve your community and your country.

Mr Anthony demonstrated a deep commitment to public service. He was elected to the federal seat of Richmond in 1957 in a by-election after his father, who had held the seat, died sudden. In his first speech to the parliament Doug Anthony warned that while members of parliament should express the views upon which they were elected to office, he noted that a member should, 'set his target at national development and security rather than personal achievement'. He spent a career pursuing the former and he certainly achieved the latter.

Mr Anthony's parliamentary career spanned nearly three decades, more than half of which involved service as a minister in government. The commitment he brought to the broader goals of the office was evident in the way he discussed his career, humbly remarking in his later years:

I'm very fortunate to be where I am. I think I was making a useful contribution and that's the satisfaction I get out of the job.

Mr Anthony appeared to have an admirable humility about his work and his role. He often performed his role as Acting Prime Minister during the summer, as Minister Birmingham noted, in a caravan by his cottage in New Brighton on the New South Wales North Coast wearing little more than shorts and thongs. During the lockdown year many members of parliament were able to have their own experience of working from the New South Wales coast or wherever their lounge rooms happen to be. If Zoom is any indicator most did wear more than shorts and thongs! It is appropriate that the linchpin of Australia's government would temporarily find itself in the bush by the sea on those summers.

Mr Anthony was a passionate advocate for regional Australia. He worked with the Country Party to represent the diversity of people living in regional Australia and bring their voice to Canberra. He made it clear that his responsibility was to the agriculture producers of this country. Doug Anthony was Minister for Primary Industry during an incredibly difficult period for Australian farmers, but he showed a tenacity in his work and his negotiating style that would come to define his career.

He helped establish the Australian Wool Commission, which administered reserve price schemes and provided funds for marketing and research. When the price of grain crashed in 1969 he introduced wheat quotas to limit overproduction and encouraged the Australian Wheat Board to open flour mills overseas. It was during this period that Mr Anthony—like me and many other members of this place—became an advocate for an Australian republic. During particularly tense negotiations with the British agriculture minister, Geoffrey Rippon, over European farm policies, Mr Anthony said:

It was the contempt that I couldn't put up with. It's always been the attitude of the colonial powers. After the loyalty that we'd shown, the wars that we'd fought—I thought it was a pretty shabby way to treat us.

That led him to become a campaigner, alongside my uncle Tom Kenneally, for the 1999 republican campaign. He believed in giving Australians the recognition and the respect they deserved, particularly rural Australians.

As his family noted upon his passing, he was very much a man of the Tweed region, and it is fitting that he should depart this life from within the community he loved so much. Despite being at home in the country, Mr Anthony was one of the architects of the modern and vibrant Canberra that we know today. As Minister for the Interior he helped finish the transition of government department head offices from Melbourne to Canberra—thank goodness!—overseeing the construction across the city and interjecting character into the national capital. It was Mr Anthony who was responsible for the construction of the National Library and the opening of Lake Burley Griffin. Mr Anthony and his wife, Margot, were well known in Canberra for providing emotional support to members of the local community who had disabilities.

As devoted as he was to his community, Doug Anthony was evidently a dedicated husband, father and family man. He married Margot in 1957. They had three children: Dugald, Jane and Larry and, eventually—and I'm sure he was very delighted—nine grandchildren. I was struck by the description of Margot and Doug's marriage as a 'romance that never died'. He was loved fiercely in return by his family, who were never lost in the shadows of the enormity of his public service.

Many in the community will also remember Mr Anthony for being the only Australian member of parliament—at least, that I'm aware of—to have a band named after him. When Paul McDermott, Tim Ferguson and Richard Fidler decided to form a musical comedy band called the Doug Anthony All Stars, Mr Anthony took it in the good humour in which it was meant. My friend Tim Ferguson told me, 'He was always a true gentleman who tolerated our antics with great patience and, hopefully, forgiveness.' While I didn't know Doug Anthony personally, when I read that his most famous saying was, 'If you see a head, kick it,' I thought the two of us might have gotten along!

My condolences are with Margot, his children, his grandchildren and his community on the New South Wales North Coast. May we look to his legacy as that of an honourable man and a true Australian statesman.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise as Leader of the Nationals in the Senate to contribute to the condolence debate on the passing of the Rt Hon. Doug Anthony. I want to thank Senator Kenneally and Senator Birmingham for their heartfelt words and what I think were some colourful turns of phrase that really did capture Doug, his love of his country, his love of his nation and his love of his family. Our thoughts and condolences go to Margot, Dugald, Jane, Larry and their families. It's obviously a sad occasion for the National Party family, as it is for many people across Australia.

He was a giant of our party. He wasn't just the Deputy Prime Minister or the member for Richmond. He very much was the Leader of the Country Party and then the National Party. He was part of an iconic era, really, for our party, post John McEwen. The fab four—Doug Anthony, Peter Nixon, Ian Sinclair and Ralph Hunt—were a force to be reckoned with on behalf of regional Australia but also within the coalition.

It's fitting to repeat the words of Doug himself when he spoke at the passing of another giant of the then Country Party, John McEwen, in November 1980. Doug Anthony said:

McEwen was a strong man. He was, at times, a hard, tough, demanding man. … He was a man of integrity—a man of honour. He was a powerful negotiator. He was a persuasive advocate.

I believe Doug Anthony may well have been describing himself, as he was all that.

In recent weeks, Doug has been described in many ways: a true statesman, a man of honour and integrity, a humble man, ever positive and ever connected to the Tweed region around Murwillumbah in the Northern Rivers region. The man from Murwillumbah did not set out to become a household name, and it very nearly didn't happen. But Doug Anthony is a household name, and John McEwen played a significant role. He picked him out early from this group of new young men who arrived in Parliament House as a restless young backbencher, promising him a ministry. And I think it would have been a great loss to the nation had Doug left early. When I was chatting to his son, Larry Anthony, who is also the current National Party federal president, about Doug's experience with John McEwen, he recalled that there was a time when Menzies considered promoting a very young Doug Anthony to Minister for the Navy before McEwen intervened. He believed Doug was too young and would not be respected in the portfolio by the chiefs of defence, and that he needed time to grow into the role to become everything that McEwen knew this young man would be as a leader. So McEwen pushed for a portfolio he thought he could thrive in as Minister of the Interior, and that's what happened. As it goes, at that time, Doug was actually looking for opportunities beyond politics because he had been catapulted, if you like, so early into parliament following the death of his father. So we can be very, very thankful for Black Jack's mentorship.

Doug Anthony was born on New Year's Eve in 1929, and, after his schooling at the local secondary college, The King's School in Parramatta, and Gatton College in Queensland, he became a dairy farmer. It was his deep and abiding passion. All he wanted to do was be on the farm and produce milk at that time. That changed in 1957, when his own father, Larry Anthony Sr, a minister in the Menzies government, died and Doug was elected at the by-election to the federal seat of Richmond at just 27. His parliamentary career spanned more than 26 years, 16 of which involved service as a government minister. Doug held a variety of portfolios, serving as Minister for the Interior, and as minister for primary industry, trade and industry, overseas trade, minerals and energy, national resources and trade and resources—all very hearty National Party or Country Party portfolios! He was made deputy leader of the Country Party in 1966 and, at age 41, became our party's youngest leader following the retirement of John McEwen in 1971, a record that is yet to be broken. He was Deputy Prime Minister to three Liberal Prime Ministers: John Gorton, Billy McMahon and Malcolm Fraser.

During his time as the minister for primary industries and then trade, he drove significant reform, opening up new trade opportunities for agriculture and mining. Just as our current government leadership sets out to expand trade markets amid growing Chinese tensions, it was Doug Anthony's trade ministership and that of his predecessor John McEwen that laid the foundations to help make this happen. Along with fellow National Ian Sinclair, Doug Anthony was one of the two last survivors of Sir Robert Menzies's last ministry. Ian Sinclair, Minister for Social Services in the 10th Menzies ministry, who replaced Doug Anthony as National Party leader upon his retirement, said of his predecessor:

As members of The National Party, we were proud of his leadership of the party. Peter Nixon, Ralph Hunt, and all those of us who were members of the party remember him kindly for the way in which he led, and kept the party together.

There's no doubt that as we look back on him, those times were different but looking at modern Australia so much of it began in the days when Doug Anthony was deputy prime minister. And so much of all those things that we cherish today Doug had a hand in.

Australia has vibrant trade orientated farm and mining industries today, delivering huge improvements to living standards for all Australians because Doug Anthony saw the opportunities in the 1970s and the 1980s. In The Spectator, Terry Barnes wrote, 'It is a cliche to say we will never see his like again, but it certainly is so.'

Backed by his loyal deputy, Sinclair, Doug Anthony oversaw the transformation of the Country Party to the National Party. He said the name change reflected Australia's changing political scene. Announcing it, he acknowledged the importance of farming to rural Australia, saying farmers' prosperity was the basis of prosperity of many rural towns and of industries and employment outside the cities, but he stressed that the party works for all people outside the major capital cities. The former federal director of the Liberal Party, Brian Loughnane, described Doug Anthony as a 'committed coalitionist'. That was in evidence at his state memorial last week in the Tweed, where we saw icons of the National Party and Country Party gather. There were former state premiers, ministers and the former Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, alongside our current Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister John Howard, who spoke so eloquently of the time he served with Doug in parliament.

It was the likes of Doug Anthony and his colleagues, Peter Nixon and Ian Sinclair, who demonstrated to both parties what would be achieved through the partnership of two very proud and independent political movements. It has been noted amongst my National colleagues that while Doug Anthony was a committed coalitionist in front of the opposition, he was fiercely committed to the National's cause in joint party room and cabinets.

Former Prime Minister John Howard was a minister with Doug under Malcolm Fraser. He said Doug Anthony's contributions in cabinet discussions were always direct, understandable, informed and unshakeable. He recalled a particular situation—and he assured me that it had been more than 30 years so he could talk about it—at the memorial service last week. Whilst Fraser had been overseas, he'd left Doug in charge. Doug had made a decision around parliamentary salaries and remuneration which then the opposition seized on, and it was overturned by the PM when he got back. It was a very furious and forthright Doug that made it very clear to the then PM that if he were left in charge, he expected to be able to exercise that with full authority. So no-one was ever in any doubt about what he thought.

But he was very generous and likeable. One of the stories I've read was that he was a very, very handsome man. He was on the TV campaigning and women were kissing the TV when he actually came on for his campaign messages. This was a great thing for his son, who was doorknocking the seat of Richmond at the time, to hear that—he was Doug's son and that's what women thought of his dad! His affable style endeared him to his colleagues and, most importantly, to the farmers and other constituents he represented.

Former leader of the Nationals in the Senate, Senator Ron Boswell, described Doug Anthony as:

… a strong, popular and decisive Leader who understood the power he had within a Coalition, to be wielded only when necessary.

Senator Boswell recounted being summonsed to Doug Anthony's office immediately after delivering his own first speech in this chamber. Doug told him:

Ron, you got into the Senate on Flo's petticoat tails by being the gopher boy for the Queensland National Party, but that won't cut anything down here. You will be a one termer unless you understand Canberra and how the system works to assist rural and regional constituents.

Clearly from his long and very, very successful career on delivering, Senator Boswell paid attention to his leader's words. He represented the Nationals and Queensland for over 30 years.

My deputy in the Senate, Senator Canavan, tells a story of Doug Anthony reading through his papers on a flight to New Zealand and asking his advisers: 'Why am I going over here? I'm checking this agenda and there's nothing on it to discuss'. By the time they landed, Doug had made an addition to the agenda and the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relationship was born. Never one to waste an opportunity—typical of a farmer and a great leader—he regarded the economic relationship as a major achievement. It became a blueprint for future trade agreements. He negotiated with China and he was the first senior Australian minister to negotiate the live sheep trade with the Middle East. Doug built a strong import and export relationship with the emerging industry powerhouse of Japan, building on the strong work of his former mentor, John McEwen.

He understood the need for strong rural and regional representation at the highest level of government and was a fierce advocate for the opening of new trade opportunities. Whether it was in defence of the wool floor price, opposition to increasing the value of the dollar or his defence—which I think is the only thing he and John Howard ever disagreed on—of single-desk selling, Doug Anthony stuck to his intent to deliver for rural Australia. He was also heavily involved in the development of Canberra.

The Anthony family is synonymous with the Country and National parties. Doug; his father, Hubert Lawrence Anthony; and current Nationals federal president Larry Anthony all represented the federal division of Richmond, for a combined 67 years. Doug retired from federal parliament in January 1984, returning to the farm, Sunnymeadows, which had expanded beyond the dairy to include a piggery and cotton and cereal operations. He held several corporate positions in retirement.

It was around this time of his retirement that a trio of buskers on the streets of Canberra actually adopted his name. Upon meeting Doug via the TV show Video Hook-Up, Doug Anthony All Stars member Paul McDermott said he found Doug generous, kindly and accepting. Doug, with his trademark country smile and tongue firmly in cheek, said of this particular meeting: 'An auspicious occasion; it's the first time I've met these plagiarists who've made my life miserable ever since I retired. I hope to keep out of the public limelight. What happens? I walk down the street and people say, "That's a great band of yours!"'

Was it was those iconic pictures of the Acting Prime Minister running the country over the summer holidays from a caravan at New Brighton up the New South Wales coast that made him a household name? He did say:

When the nation heard I was running the show from my caravan it sent a message that it was Christmas, time to relax, everything was on hold, but also everything was being looked after.

I think it was also a demonstration to all of us of his commitment to his family in what was an incredible public life. Larry also told a great story that Prime Minister Fraser was very keen to keep in touch with his deputy quite regularly, but the only way to do that was the public phone down the road. So, armed with a stack of 20c pieces, Larry would be sent to wait in the line with the locals until it actually got far enough up to get Dad up from the caravan to take the Prime Minister's call until the 20c pieces ran out. It got very, very frustrating, shall we say, for Prime Minister Fraser, who then ended up giving the caravan a fantastic upgrade so that it could have a direct line. I think that said that Doug was not for moving in January, and the Prime Minister paid attention. He got the best of both worlds, a great example for us all.

In 2014 he said, 'I don't see the purpose in people remembering me much,' but I don't think he got his wish, because he's very much well remembered by all of us. He was a statesman of the highest degree. He was a giant of our party. He's left a lasting positive impact on modern Australia and, in particular, regional Australia. Our sympathies to his family and to the wider Country Party. Decency, intelligence, humility, generosity. He and Margot, the love of his life, retired to the Tweed, where he enjoyed listening to her play the piano on the farm; fishing, often with Peter Nixon; spending time with family; and supporting the arts and the wider community. He was a very proud country man and someone we are also very, very proud of. Vale, Doug Anthony.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too would like to echo the celebration of a great Australian leader in this chamber this afternoon. Doug Anthony was a leader that I don't think any other country in the world could have produced. He was quintessentially Australian, identifiably Australian. Perhaps he might not be the type of leader we ever see again in Australia. I hope not; I hope we haven't lost his down-to-earth nature, his country charm and, of course, his larrikin spirit. Doug was our longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister. He led our country through great change and transition—changes and transitions that impacted the then Country Party, now the National Party, greatly—and he did so extremely successfully. As I said, he was a real Australian larrikin as a leader. That comes through in the stories that have been told here this afternoon—the beachside caravan, the calls from the Prime Minister on the payphone that his kids were operating.

There's another story I'd like to tell as well, which I learnt through Senator Davey's father's history of the National Party. As a young MP, Doug Anthony at Old Parliament House was getting a little bit bored. Sometimes we're here for long periods of time; sometimes we're here late at night. He and some other members of parliament decided to engage in some late-night kicking of the football, although it just so happened that they'd be doing that kicking in King's Hall at the front of Old Parliament House there, which you can still go and visit. It's a big expanse, but I've never really thought of kicking a football in there; I thought that might be a bit disrespectful. But Doug, as a real larrikin, was kicking the football around. Unfortunately this stray football hit one of the large portrait frames, of a kind that still appears in our equivalent of King's Hall here. This frame fell to the ground and the glass smashed all over the floor. Doug and his partners in crime quickly swept all the glass up and hung the frame back up as best they could, and apparently the broken frame went years without being detected until, finally, someone realised that the glass needed to be replaced. I'm sure they said, 'It was like that when we got here.'

He was a great, great leader. As I said, Doug became Leader of the Country Party in 1971. He followed in the huge shoes of John 'Black Jack' McEwen. Prior to his time as leader, the three previous leaders—there was, I think, a transitional leader, but these were the three previous major leaders—were Earle Page, Arthur Fadden and John McEwen, absolute giants of Australian politics who all became Prime Minister at some time in their careers. So Doug had a real tough act to follow.

At the same time the Country Party was facing enormous challenges, with farming employment declining as part of the Australian economy, a broader shift in Australian society on a number of issues, and the trading relationship pressures that my colleague Senator McKenzie mentioned. He tackled this issue front on, which was always going to be the only successful way to tackle it. At Doug's first press conference as Leader of the Country Party, he summed up quite nicely what I think became the manifesto of the National Party in his term. He said, 'I think we service that responsibility well'—to look after people outside capital cities, not just farmers. Indeed, his definition lasts on in the logo of the National Party: 'For Regional Australia'.

Perhaps there is a dividing line in our party's history between pre Doug Anthony and post Doug Anthony. Pre Doug Anthony, the party probably was primarily focused on farming issues. It started as a farmer's party and retained that focus through its first 50-odd years of life. But perhaps in the second half, the second 50 years, of the National Party's history—the party celebrated 100 years last year—there has been a broader focus on people who live in regional Australia, including, of course, farmers, who by definition do live outside capital cities, but also a broader focus on those who face challenges living away from our major centres, who don't have access to the same services as those in capital cities and who are desperate to see our country grow and develop. He also oversaw the broadening of the base of the National Party to those who work in mines, to small-business people and to families in country towns. The way he did that was through making good leadership decisions, especially in his role in different portfolios.

As I mentioned, when you think about when he became Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Country party it was at a time when the UK had just joined the European Commission. At the time, in the late 1960s, the UK imported 80 per cent of Australia's butter. Eighty per cent of our butter went to the UK—imagine that. Our dairy herd, after the UK joined the EC, fell from four million to 2.4 million head in the space of just a few years. Fruit exports crashed and millions of trees had to be pulled up because we lost markets for tinned fruit and vegetables. It was a major challenge in rural Australia. The groundwork had been laid in agreements that John McEwen had signed—with Japan especially—but it was really Doug who took those agreements and made them into the full opportunity that was there for Australia. He pushed the development of extra exports to the Japanese market. He also opened up and looked at new markets, signing what really was the first modern free trade agreement, not just for Australia but for the world.

Bridget mentioned the story of Doug being frustrated with boring departmental written agenda items, and I share some sympathy, as a former minister, with his frustration—perhaps 'Why am I going to this meeting? There doesn't seem to be much that we're saying to each other'—but Doug took action. He decided, 'Well, why don't we add some things to the agenda and actually make some decisions.'

What came out of those discussions was not just the first free trade agreement of that nature for Australia but really the first in the world. When you look, there's a massive difference between that, which kicked off our modern trade environment, and the agreement we signed with Japan in 1957, signed by John McEwen. That one was a letter—it was an exchange of letters, just 10 or so pages—whereas the New Zealand comprehensive economic relationship, as it was called, covered a vast swathe of different areas and sectors, which serve as a template for the multiple free trade agreements that we have today. It has been replicated by many countries, by NAFTA and in other trade agreements around the world. He also established new trading links with the Middle East. He pioneered the development of that.

Doug was the, I think, first, and certainly the last resources minister before I was the resources minister, from the National Party. That's something that goes uncommented a little bit, the role he played in developing our nation's resources. He oversaw the development of our uranium exports for the first time—a controversial issue that he championed. He also negotiated very toughly, very strongly with Japanese steel mills who were buying our iron ore, and pushed them for higher prices. Indeed, there's a great story where, he as acting PM, just made a decision to refuse to put export controls on iron ore. The then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was not too happy about that, but Doug stuck to his guns and did get better prices for our iron ore because of his action.

He did work productively with Liberal leaders. He was a coalitionist, as Senator McKenzie said, but we shouldn't forget that he stood up very strongly for his own party's interests in discussions with the Liberal Party. At one point he led, with his cabinet colleagues, three walkouts in three days from cabinet over a discussion on the exchange rate.

I think Doug's action in moving the National Party to a broader base but doing so consistent with a strong leadership that has always existed within the National Party helped ensure that the second half-century of the National Party continued to be a successful one. We have been rewarded politically because we have fought for regional areas by supporting the development of dams, the development of new mines, the protection of industries like live cattle exports. We've opposed taxes and regulations that would inhibit job growth and production in regional areas. We've taken up the fight, just like Doug did in his time. We've done so with no airs or graces; happily living in caravans or going back to our own families and communities and just being, as much as we can, close to the people and defending their rights and interests, regardless of what people might say about us down here.

He was a great lesson to our party. He was a great leader for our country. His passing is a great loss for Australia, but especially for his family, and I want to pass on my deepest condolences to his broader family and to Margot, the love of his life. Vale Doug Anthony.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to add some short comments in this tribute to Doug Anthony. Much has already been said about Mr Anthony's career and his achievements, both in this chamber and at his state memorial service at Tweed Heads lasts Thursday.

I first met Mr Anthony, or Doug, when I was young, a teenager whose main understanding of politics was that it was just something my dad and his friends talked about. At the time I had little concept of the import of the Deputy Prime Minister or the role that Doug had played in shaping our nation, particularly in the regions. And, testament to the kind of man he was, Doug did not stand on ceremony with me. He did not speak down to me or make me feel inferior. He spoke to me like he spoke to everyone: as an equal. His genuine easygoing manner, his warm broad smile and his quick sense of humour were endearing. It was only in subsequent years, as I got to know both him and his wife, Margot, as well as their son Larry, that I got to understand that the kind, warm man I knew had actually been one of our longest-serving deputy prime ministers, a champion for rural industries and a man who had done so much to shape our modern nation.

Indeed, Doug was an original futurist. He was a man who really saw potential and saw what the future might bring. He made much of recognising the future mechanisation of agriculture. As the Minister for the Interior, which was his first portfolio, he helped shape the national capital that we all stand in today. It was not long after being elected, in political terms—only six years after being elected—that he took on the role of Minister for the Interior, and he took it on with the same level of commitment with which he did everything. He was therefore instrumental in shaping Canberra. He was involved in developments such as the Canberra Theatre, Anzac Parade and the Mint, as well as choosing the site for the Carillon. He lobbied for the Captain Cook jet fountain, which ultimately was switched on by his successor in the portfolio but of which he was very proud.

He was also fundamental in starting the work in establishing the new town centres of Woden and Belconnen—which are now part of inner-city Canberra, as the success of the national capital has seen the city expand. He was also a futurist in other areas, as mentioned by Senator Canavan. He identified the trade opportunities in uranium, which is now a zero-emissions product. So he was on the money. He was one of the first to identify the opportunities of working from home, as has been mentioned. He would have done very well in the COVID lockdown, as he was fully prepared for that sort of lifestyle and that sort of working environment.

But you should ask: why was Doug so adept, at such a young age, politically speaking, at both representing his rural constituency and taking on ministerial responsibilities such as negotiating bilateral trade agreements? To understand that, you need to understand a bit about Doug's background. The Anthony family are the only political dynasty in Australia—and there are a few—to have seen three consecutive generations in the same House of Representatives electorate. There was Doug's father, Hubert, who was also known in Canberra as Larry; there was Doug; and there was his second son, Larry. Hubert was a soldier turned farmer turned local MP and then finally a minister, and he taught his son much. Doug's upbringing was split between visits to Canberra and the family home at Murwillumbah on the north coast. But Doug was always encouraged to be his own man and to determine his own destiny.

Doug was not initially drawn into politics. As mentioned by Senator Birmingham, he first turned his attention to farming. He established his dairy and he set about, with full gusto, learning about primary production practices both here and abroad. He travelled extensively and learned a lot. Indeed, in the book mentioned by Senator Canavan, Politics in the Blood, it is revealed that after one international visit Doug returned to be greeted at the airport by his ministerial father, with media in train. His father told him to take the hat off, claiming he looked ridiculous, but Doug left his straw stetson on his head as he regaled the surrounding newsmen about the streamlined production methods, the extensive use of modern machinery and the efficient distribution facilities in the US. He confidently predicted that Australian farmers would have to adapt in order to be able to continue to compete.

Settling back into Australia, Doug found continuing interest in what he'd learnt and he sought to share his experiences, talking at Rotary, business chambers and farming organisations. He spoke eloquently about not only primary production but also mechanisation, technological advances and innovation. His easygoing approach, clear delivery and amicable nature saw him in high demand, which in turn saw him further fine-tune his public-speaking skills and ability to adopt and adapt new ideas.

I believe it was that early career and experience that was fundamental to building the successful politician and leader that we remember here today—and he was successful by any measure. He was a minister in all coalition governments from March 1964 onwards. He was a cabinet minister from October 1967 and Deputy Prime Minister, and frequently Acting Prime Minister, from February 1971 to December 1972 and then again from December 1975 to March 1983. It was towards the end of that time when I first met him. He requested that my father take over the directorship of the National Party, promising Dad that they would make a great team. He wanted to work with my dad, but, shortly after my dad took the role, Doug promptly resigned.

His elevation to the leadership did mark a generational exchange in the party's evolution, as Senator Canavan discussed. He broadened the party's platform and widened its electoral appeal, and that has helped to cement our party's ongoing relevance in Australian politics, and that is why our party has now spanned 100 years. We are all very proud of that. When Doug was leader of the party during the Fraser-Anthony years, it was often said that the Nationals wielded more influence than their parliamentary numbers deserved. That assertion ignores the fact that the success was because the Nationals brought forward good policies and that Doug could champion those policies such that they became government policy. That is the power of a cooperative coalition.

In his retirement, Doug returned to his farm, Sunnymeadows and worked just as hard for his passion projects. Together with his wife, Margot, they donated some of their land for the development of the new premises of the Tweed River art gallery, known today as the Tweed Regional Gallery. It is now recognised as the leading regional art gallery in Australia.

Turning full circle, in 1999 he again took a role that saw him help shape our national capital. He was appointed chairman of the Old Parliament House Advisory Council. The role took him back to his childhood and reminded him of the days when he used to visit his father. In those days, Old Parliament House was a relatively new parliament house, at 11 years old. Being there on that board, helping supervise refurbishments and determine the future for that grand old building, was a job he absolutely loved. And he was fundamental to the building becoming what it is now: a permanent museum of political history here in Canberra. He retired from the role in November 2008 and spent the remainder of his time with his family, surrounded by loved ones, on the North Coast. This was the kind man that I knew.

While many in Doug's position could have easily forgotten that awkward teen, he did not. He always greeted me warmly and remembered my name, which, for some old politicians that I knew, was quite remarkable. He greeted me warmly and always took an interest in what I was up to through all stages of my life, no matter where our paths crossed or when. I held Doug and his family in enormous regard, and I still do. My thoughts and prayers are with Margot, Dugald, Larry and Jane. Doug was a great MP, a great minister and a great party leader, but, most importantly, he was a genuine person and a great man. Vale.

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So much has already been said of the late, great Doug Anthony. The Anthony family has given so much to Australia. Through politics they have entrenched themselves into the fabric of the nation and, particularly, rural Australia. My home state of Queensland particularly owes Doug a great debt.

Doug was married to Margot. His father, Hubert Lawrence—Larry—was a Country Party minister in the Fadden and Menzies governments. His son Larry continued the tradition of public service as an elected National Party member for Richmond, in New South Wales, from 1996 to 2004, and Larry's contribution to the party continues right to this day in his role as president of the party.

Doug was a formidable ally for people outside the capital cities, and there's no doubt regional Australia would be worse off without his fierce advocacy on their behalf. He was instrumental in securing closer trade ties with New Zealand, the Middle East, Japan and China. But what I want to touch on is the extraordinary impact that he had through just one decision for my home state of Queensland. Tourism guru Sir Frank Moore was spearheading a charge to have Queensland bid to host the 1988 World Expo. World Expos had to that date been very onerous financially on the host countries; they had not always been financially successful. Sometimes the land around them was left in very poor condition and undeveloped. But Queensland, riding on the back of 30 years of successful management and administration by the National Party government, were confident they'd turn the state from an agrarian economy into a powerhouse in mining, industrial development, cheap electricity, cheap land and cheap water. It had developed extraordinary tourism assets. In the early 1980s we knew we were ready to host a world-leading exposition.

However, regional is in the eye of the beholder, and the Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, believed that Sydney or Melbourne should host such an event. But both Sydney and Melbourne didn't believe that they would be able to successfully hold such an event, and they didn't want the financial and other burdens. So the Prime Minister refused Queensland's request to go to Paris to lodge a request to bid to hold this event. Unfortunately for the Prime Minister he had had an accident on his farm and hurt his back, and Doug Anthony, sworn in as the Acting Prime Minister, was in the top job. Sir Frank Moore, ever the opportunist, having heard the news on the radio that morning, quickly rang the Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, and said to him that he must immediately ring the Acting Prime Minister and put to him the idea that Brisbane should be the host of this exposition. Sir Joh did exactly that. Doug Anthony, acting with the decisive and future-looking vision that we have heard so much of this afternoon, immediately granted the request, and Brisbane won the bid to host the expo, which went down to be one of the most successful expos ever held and was one of the very few to turn a profit.

I worked at that expo, and I'm proud to say that it was a turning point for Queensland. We were like a very sleepy country town that closed at lunchtime on Saturdays. There was no outdoor eating. We didn't have the international quality hotels and events that we now have so many of. We had international acts that were hosted by Riverstage, and there are many extraordinary stories of good times at the expo. It changed the future of Brisbane and Queensland. It turned Brisbane into a confident city capable of hosting international events and capable of developing further along the lines it already had. The bustling dining, entertainment and recreation precinct of South Brisbane is a jewel in Brisbane's crown and will forever be the legacy of Doug Anthony's brave and timely decision to back Queensland and back regional Australia.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.