Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Senate will now proceed to the consideration of a condolence motion relating to the late Senator Alex Gallacher. I call the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

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

by leave—I move:

That the Senate expresses its sadness at the death, on 29 August 2021, of Senator Alexander McEachian Gallacher, Senator for South Australia, places on record its gratitude for his service to the Parliament and the nation, and tenders its deep sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

I acknowledge the courtesy extended by the government in having the opposition move this motion and for the adjournment after the conclusion of the condolence.

I express the opposition's condolences and our grief following the passing of our colleague and friend Senator Alex Gallacher. My thoughts are with Paola and all of Alex's family, his staff and his comrades at the Transport Workers Union.

As Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, I have spoken on the passing of a number of former senators and ministers over the last few years, from all sides of politics. But it is an acutely sad duty to eulogise a colleague who just a few short months ago sat here amongst us in this chamber. I know many of my colleagues here miss him dearly.

We knew Alex had cancer. He once told us that, in response to someone asking him how he was, he replied, 'How do you think I am? I'm dying of cancer!' Yet despite his frankness, it is still hard to confront the reality that he is gone—that his determination in the face of adversity was not enough to defeat the disease that ended his life on 29 August. The fact we knew of his fragile health did not make the news of his passing any easier.

Despite his illness, Alex was determined to remain a senator. Even after his diagnosis was announced in January 2020, he continued to work as much as he was able to. Alex joined us and participated in the sittings of the Senate in Canberra as recently as June this year. The determination he demonstrated in doing so was a hallmark of the way he conducted himself throughout his life.

Alex Gallacher never forgot the workers he was elected to represent. In his first speech, he said:

I will strive to be true to the Labor values of a fair go and a better chance for all. It is my belief that the Labor Party is the only party that provides all Australians a greater share of the prosperity of this great nation.

At every opportunity, he brought the Senate's attention to those people who are at the heart of what it means to represent the Australian Labor Party, especially in the transport industry. Australian workers across this country are better off for his advocacy and his commitment.

Born on New Year's Day in 1954, Senator Alex Gallacher's early life was peripatetic. As a child, he went from Scotland to England, back to Scotland, then to Wales and again to England. The youngest of five, his mother died when he was two; he was cared for by his grandmother before his father remarried. These were not easy years—his stepmother and her two children later left his father—and Alex felt the impact of poverty, insecure work and inadequate housing. He channelled those experiences into a life of fighting for those who needed an advocate, those who did not have the capacity to speak up for themselves.

In 1966, at the age of 12, he made the long journey to Darwin. He would call the Northern Territory home for the best part of the next 30 years, before his final migration south to Adelaide in 2011. It was in Darwin that Alex began another journey—one that would eventually take him to the Senate—from transport worker to union official, and it was there that his two children, Caroline and Ian, were born. In time they were joined by Terry and Frank, and he married Paola in 2011.

Family was always very important to Alex, and he to them. Later in life he was delighted as his family grew with the addition of grandchildren, and he delighted in their company when they joined him on the golf course. It was very moving, at the wake, after the funeral, to see his grandchildren speaking of him.

Alex Gallacher worked in the transport and aviation industries before becoming an official of the Transport Workers Union and serving as secretary of the South Australian and Northern Territory branch as well as vice-president and president of the national branch of that union. He brought to the union the direct experience of being a truck driver and an aviation ramp operator. His influence and impact run deep in the union, illustrated by the tributes paid to his efforts over decades. He was described as 'straight-talking, no-nonsense and hardworking', a reliable advocate for workers in the transport industry who wanted the best for working people. He wanted to lift standards in the transport industry, understanding as he did that safety in the workplace and recognition of the dangers inherent in many of the jobs in that sector were critical to improving the lives and prospects of workers.

Whilst he was always happy to be clear about which side of the debate he was on, Alex was also a strategic thinker, and he was someone who could build relationships and see another's perspective, too—even if it was one with which he disagreed. He helped to build the union, ensuring that it was strong and on a secure financial base—a vital legacy through a time of considerable industrial change in the 1990s and 2000s. It is a fitting tribute that his name will live on through the Alex Gallacher Training Centre at the union's offices in Adelaide. And it is a good thing that the facility was named before he passed so that he could appreciate being recognised in this way by his comrades. After some initial reservations—which probably reflected his humility—it was a source of immense pride to him.

After more than two decades of service to the union, Alex was elected to represent our state of South Australia in the Senate in 2010, taking his seat on 1 July 2011. He was subsequently re-elected in 2016 and 2019. And whilst he may have left employment with the union, he used his platform to amplify the issues on which he had been campaigning throughout his life in the labour movement. He campaigned on superannuation and road safety in particular. Alex was the founder of Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety and he also served as deputy chair of the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety. In this work, he and his colleague Glenn Sterle put the safety of the people he represented for so many decades at the forefront of their political campaigning, and there is no doubt that this work saved lives.

He served on a number of other committees, including as chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and Economics References committees. To these roles he brought forensic skills that ensured that ministers and bureaucrats couldn't slip anything past him. And always, Senator Alex Gallacher stood up for those who needed someone to be their voice in this place, from those affected by road trauma to people with disability to veterans. He stood up for his state, and he stood up for South Australian workers, including in the manufacturing and defence industries.

Alex was also not afraid to take policy stances—such as those in support of the nuclear industry and oil and gas exploration in the Great Australian Bight—that were at odds with others in his own party. In fact, Alex and I were often on different sides on an issue. But he was forthright, but he was also honest and upfront. And he was as tough in negotiating a policy issue as he was in his battle with cancer, and in both he was equally dignified.

I remember a few personal conversations with Alex towards the end, and I remember the cracks of vulnerability appearing in his normally stoic presentation. The rarity of them made them all the more moving. I hope he knew then that the contribution he would leave is lasting. And just as lasting is the affection of those who cared for him.

Indeed, one of the most enduring friendships I've witnessed in my time here is that which Alex shared with Senator Glenn Sterle. It's a friendship between two mates that lasted a quarter of a century, from their days as union officials together. It's a measure of the strength of this relationship that Senator Sterle was invited by the family to deliver a eulogy at Alex's funeral and was entrusted with the responsibility of speaking about Alex's early life as well as his union and parliamentary career.

Alex and Glenn lived with each other here in Canberra for nearly a decade, where they enjoyed Fiona's Sunday night dinners—as Senator Sterle says, as family. They travelled together often for parliamentary work both within Australia and, on occasion, overseas. In his tribute, Senator Sterle spoke of his friend who had a rough exterior but was generous and welcoming, and had one of the sharpest minds in the parliament, a champion of common sense and fairness. So, Sterlie, our thoughts continue to be with you and Fiona at this time.

One thing amongst many that Alex and Glenn share is they never forgot where they came from. Alex channelled the values forged in a difficult upbringing into his relentless support for the underdog. Woe betide any boss he found undermining the rights of his workers. But beneath that formidable exterior beat a loyal heart. While this guided his work, it also radiated in his life, in his friendships in this place, his comradeship with those in the labour movement and, most especially, in his love for his family. He brought a positive attitude even as he dealt with the challenge of cancer, maintaining his determination all the way.

Senator Gallacher was a Labor champion and deserves to be remembered as someone who never relented in his pursuit of a fair go for others. As Anthony Albanese said, 'We in Labor are very proud of Alex.' We mourn the loss of our colleague. I close by again extending my sympathies to his family, his beloved wife, Paola, his children and grandchildren, and his friends and my colleagues in their grief.

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

Today we pause to reflect upon and remember the life of a colleague for each of us, a friend across this chamber and a Labor man truly reflective of the great old-style tradition of Labor Party advocates. Alex Gallacher, the former senator for South Australia, in August this year tragically lost his hard-fought battle with cancer. Alex was a Senate colleague and fellow South Australian senator in this place for over 10 years. We remember Alex as a straight shooter, a man with whom you knew where you stood, what he believed and what he was here to do. He was here to advocate for and improve the lives of working people, and that is what he fought to do right to the very end.

Senator Gallacher delivered his first speech to this place in 2011. In his remarks he committed to be true to the Labor values of a fair go and a better chance for all, to repay the faith put in him by the Labor voters of South Australia, by his party and his colleagues, to deliver a greater share of the prosperity of this great nation to all Australians, especially hardworking Australians. In the 10 years that followed, Alex remained loyal to his word and strived to be true to his Labor values. In his final speech to this place Alex was continuing exactly as he had started: advocating for the workers of this country to get a better share, as he saw it, of the national income. While we take this opportunity now to reflect on his life and the significant contributions he made to this nation, we lament the loss of a good man and a strong voice for Australian workers.

Upon election to the Senate, Alex immediately got to work on championing three key policy interests: the transport industry, road safety and superannuation. The root of his passion for these causes came from his journey that led him all the way to serve in this our nation's parliament. The son of Scottish migrants, Alex Gallacher was born in the coalmining village of New Cumnock, Scotland, in 1954. Whilst he may have been born a Scot and remained proud of his heritage, Alex made Australia home and, in every aspect, the key part and home for his life.

As Senator Wong has said, at age 12 he made the move across to Australia. Like so many migrants, his family sought a better chance for themselves. In their case, they moved to the Northern Territory. It was here that Alex would undertake his schooling at Darwin High School. In 1971 he started work as a labourer and truck driver, before commencing work as an airline ramp services operator from 1976 through to 1988. Alex, through his 'roll the sleeves up' work was truly proud of his old-school Labor mould, having been a traditional blue-collar working-class man. His background proudly added to the diversity of this place. It was in 1988 that he made what would be a defining step in his journey, ultimately leading to the Senate, by joining the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Labor Party and then, later in 1994, the South Australian branch.

For 22 years he worked in several roles for the Transport Workers Union in the Northern Territory and South Australia, taking on an initial role as industrial relations officer. He would later move into various leadership roles within the TWU, culminating in his rise to president from 2007 until 2010, when he was first elected to the Senate. Alex also served as a commissioner for the National Road Transport Commission and as a director of the South Australian Motor Accident Commission. He took his love for the transport sector and brought it into this place, particularly his staunch advocacy for road safety and his pointed interest in the rights of workers in the aviation industry.

As a fellow South Australian, I also fondly remember Alex for his genuine interest in rural and remote South Australia. He undertook important work with great passion and care on the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport. As the member for Grey put it in the other place, 'Wheels on the road is what keeps our remote communities going,' and few understood that better than Alex Gallacher. He dedicated a significant amount of work to parliamentary committees, serving on 23 different committees during his time in the Australian parliament. Despite his cancer diagnosis in December 2019, Alex continued to represent the people of South Australia, the Labor Party, the trade union movement and his constituents with diligence and passion. Notwithstanding his battle with cancer, Alex focused his parliamentary service on those he served, not himself, earning great admiration and respect right across the political divide.

Alex was at heart, as Senator Wong acknowledged, a true family man, a quality I and I'm sure all admired in him. It was his family from whom he sought advice and stability. More than that, Alex credited his wife, Paola, with ensuring the important things in life. Family, children and grandchildren were always front and centre. Paola was, as Alex endearingly described her, his tower of strength. In his own words, she made him a better person by holding up the values of humility and respect for others that Alex rightly considered necessary for making an effective contribution to this place.

To conclude some of my remarks on Alex's service, I want to borrow the same Theodore Roosevelt quotation that Alex concluded in his first address in this place:

Far and away the best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

Alex carried the spirit of this quotation throughout his life. He embodied it in his work ethic, especially his work in this place, and his commitment and dedication to those he sought to serve. For that, we thank him for his service and acknowledge the significant contribution and differences that he made.

To those who believe that politics is a friendless profession, Alex proved the opposite. His SA party comrade Don Farrell and, perhaps more so and more particularly in a special way, as Senator Wong has acknowledged, his fellow former TWU leader Glenn Sterle were always obviously great mates. Alex and Sterlo moved almost as one, it seemed at times, backing each other in to pack an even bigger punch in the views that they expressed and the issues they fought for. To Sterlo: those on this side of the chamber acknowledge the particular loss that you feel of your great mate. Alex made friends and earned respect across unions, across factions and across parties because of his roll-the-sleeves-up and get-the-job-done type of attitude.

To Paola and to Alex's four children, Caroline, Ian, Terry and Frank, and to his grandchildren, all of whom meant so much to him, I extend our sincerest condolences on behalf of the Australian government and no doubt on behalf of all senators. I thank the Senate.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to associate the Australian Greens with the remarks that have been made by Senator Wong and Senator Birmingham. Former senator Alex Gallacher came into the Senate at the same time as I did. I regret that, in that time, I did not get to know him better. What did always strike me about Alex was that, whilst he was a man of few words, he was a man of strong convictions, of determination and of quiet passion. In his first speech he said that all Australians want a better environment and a greater opportunity for those who come after them, and he worked towards that goal during his time in this place. He did that tirelessly in his work on many committees, of which voice has already been given.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he was an employee of transport companies, both as a truck driver and ramp operator for Trans Australia Airlines. He joined the TWU and climbed through its ranks in the 1990s and 2000s. He was the TWU secretary from 2007 until his appointment to the Senate in 2011. His passion for workers' rights and workers' safety was clear, and he continued to advocate for reforms that would tilt the balance away from freight owners and back towards workers. He wanted better regulation for workers' safety. With all the challenges that COVID has imposed on logistics and transport, his advocacy in this crucial time will be sorely missed.

Along with the difficulties that COVID has presented, remote parliament has provided some welcome flexibility. It allowed Senator Gallacher to participate during his treatment and stay connected to the work that he so dearly loved. Remote parliament also offered an insight into people's interests and passions, through what they display in their office, and Senator Gallacher became internet famous when he participated from his home office in his garage. It was an insight into a full life: a home office bursting at the seams with equipment, art pieces, photographs and cars. It showed a love of art, sport, travel and family. While his life was cut short, it was clear that it was a rich life well lived.

I would like to pay my particular condolences to Senator Sterle for the loss of his dear friend. We send our heartfelt condolences to all of Senator Gallacher's family, his friends, his staff, his Labor colleagues and everyone in this chamber who knew him.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the National Party, I'd like to associate us with the comments around the chamber. Like Senator Waters, I started with former senator Alex Gallacher here back in 2011, and I served with him on the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport, of which he was a longstanding and strong contributor, along with the deputy chair—'Sterlo', as we like to colloquially call him.

Senator Gallacher's presence here was very influential. He knew what he stood for, and that was the old-school Labor mould. He was determined to make a difference for the working class men and women of Australia. His grit and determination to make a positive change for transport workers and truck drivers across the nation was limitless. He fought for the rights of hardworking Australians. After 22 years of advocating across different unions, his desire to make a difference resulted in him serving here in the Senate. He pushed for improvements in road safety, to protect the truck drivers that connected Australians right across this nation, and his experience in the industry allowed him to push for the voice of those who were often silenced.

The life of a truck driver can be tough—working long hours, isolated and separated from loved ones. It's a job that not many of us can truly understand, but Alex did, and he spoke to what mattered to them most. He never lost that determination to improve their lives. He was Deputy Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety and also an outspoken member of the Public Works Committee, which saw him oversee a lot of infrastructure projects that also contributed to positive outcomes for those in the trucking industry.

His passionate endorsement for a fair go and a better chance for all went beyond truck drivers. He fought for what he believed was the best interests of all South Australians, and so we often clashed on water. He was driven by the vision of all Australians having access to fair and secure jobs, and this included equitable pay and working conditions. He did stand against the crowd, and I think Senator Wong mentioned that it didn't matter which crowd you were in—if you were in the Liberal Party or the National Party. He definitely wasn't a fan of the Greens and sometimes not a great fan of some of the Labor Party policies, but that is a man of conviction and integrity, too often rare in this line of work these days.

He also understood the importance of connecting Australians to the regions. In his first speech—and this quote has already been used today—he said:

I firmly believe that all Australians want a better environment and a greater opportunity for those who come after them and I will endeavour to fulfil that obligation in my role here in the Senate.

I absolutely believe Alex did that.

He'll always be admired by all as a hardworking straight shooter who had the best interests of all at heart. My former colleague Senator John 'Wacka' Williams recalls him as a good bloke with a kind nature and always up for a laugh, particularly when he teamed up with his good friend Glenn Sterle and caused a bit of havoc on some of those road trips that the RRAT committee was wont to do.

Just briefly, on Alex's relationship with Senator Sterle: it didn't matter whether they were sharing a wine or a walk, those two were absolutely inseparable. During some of those late-night debates in this chamber that we used to have, when we made ourselves stay here till the wee hours, they'd be like those two old guys on the Muppets, commentating, particularly on Nick Xenophon at times.

Wacka also remembers his time working with Senator Gallacher and praised his dedication to improving safety within the trucking industry.

A husband, brother, father, grandfather and advocate, Alex was respected and loved and admired by all those who knew him. We thank him for his 10 years of service in this place, and our sympathies are with his family and friends.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

STERLE () (): [by video link] President Brockman, thank you very much, and congratulations on your ascension to the highest office in the land, on our side, this chamber, and I congratulate you.

I want to thank all the previous speakers—my Senate colleagues—for your kind words. There were never truer words spoken. And, yes, Senator McKenzie, we were often referred to as the Statler and Waldorf of the Senate. We thought that was quite funny, because even we thought we looked like Statler and Waldorf!

But I want to take the opportunity to thank the over 80 individuals who contacted me on that terrible day in August, the 29th, when we lost Alex, and the subsequent day, after, when the news broke, who sent their best wishes to me. I thank you very much for that.

Alex and I, as you know, go back many, many years. We first met in the early nineties. Alex was a brash, older official of the South Australia and Northern Territory branch of the Transport Workers Union; I was the younger brash official of the Western Australia branch of the Transport Workers Union. We were summoned to, I think it was, an ACTU get-together, a love-in, in Wagga Wagga. I still don't remember, to this day, what it was actually about—it was that long ago. But, on the way over, the Western Australians had had a difference of opinion in the car, and we thought we might have disgraced our branch if the news broke of the disagreement. There was the odd black eye, and someone had a scratch on their cheek. Anyway, the rest is history. It was the nineties, and it was the Transport Workers Union. But all was forgiven when we got to Wagga Wagga on the Friday night, prior to the start of the conference, because we'd found out that some brash young South Australia and Northern Territory organiser had knocked out the secretary of the branch and taken over the reins. I always thanked Alex for that; he took the pressure off us. That was the sort of bloke that Alex was. He was a no-nonsense, no-mucking-around, straight-to-the-point guy. I don't condone that behaviour nowadays, but it was nearly 30 years ago. Thankfully, things have changed.

As you all know, and you have heard, Alex lived with Fiona and me in Canberra for the last 10 years. To this day I miss, and I'm going to miss, Alex's nightly lectures on what I should be doing because my health choices and my dietary choices were wrong, even though, after a few, he'd be exactly the same—after a few quiet wines or a few quiet beers. As Senator Wong said, Sunday night was family night, when we had some normality in our life. When Fiona and I would come across from Perth and we would go up the stairs to our unit, sure enough—as you know, Senator Wong, the South Australian flight gets in before the Perth flight—the light would be on, and I'd say to Fiona, 'Oh well, Mr Happy's here—beauty.' Bottom dollar, we'd open the door, in the middle of winter, and he'd have all the windows open—sure enough.

But we had so many good nights, so many good times. Alex and I shared many, many common interests, apart from our love of the Transport Workers Union and apart from our commitment to the Australian Labor Party and their values. But, like me, Alex also had the strongest love of family. To Alex, family was everything. Alex always spoke lovingly and endearingly of Paola, who he used to refer to as 'the boss', and we knew who he meant! But also, as much as Paola had the same amount of energy and love, it was always centred around Caroline and Ian, and, of course, their extended family of Frank and Terry, and never, ever did Alex miss an opportunity to talk about Lachie and Connor up in Darwin and Mia down in Adelaide.

Alex's other loves, which he and I both shared together—because we were inseparable—were our love of golf and our love of a quiet beer or a cider or a wine together and with anyone else who cared to join us, but also to have the odd 50c each way on the odd nag every Saturday at any opportunity. Alex and I would sometimes combine those passions. We'd stay over in Canberra—Alex always kept his car over here—and, after our sittings, Alex and I would pack up and bolt off to play golf. And many, many, many times—every time we played—Alex wanted a dollar on it, or $100 or it, or, if I was lucky enough, I'd get away with $10 each way. We'd bet on golf, and we'd bet on anything. One day I had an opportunity when Alex and I were having a weekend game of golf, and this sits proudly on the bar in my games room at my home in Perth: there's a golf scorecard, and there's a $10 note and there's a golf ball. Alex wanted $100 on the front nine, $100 on the back nine and $100 overall. And I said: 'Alex, knock it off. I'll go you 10 on the front, 10 on the back and 10 overall.' To cut a long story short, the only way I could win on the last hole, which was a par 3, was that Alex had to wipe the hole—we were playing Stableford—and I had to get a hole in one. I'm happy to say I got the hole in one and he wiped, and he never, ever forgave me. He wanted that $10 back. So, Alex, I thank you for that, mate!

But I also want to talk about Alex Gallacher my mate. As we heard earlier, have heard before and will continue to hear, Alex was an absolute champion of the underdog, champion of working men and women and champion of those who didn't have a voice. Alex never saw black and white or Left and Right. Alex was there if you needed a mate and if you needed someone solid. If he was on your side, you knew you couldn't wish for a better mate in your corner—and not at your back but at your shoulder. Many, many times Alex and I had locked in on conversations and positions, and we may have argued them and we may have had disagreements. But with Alex—and this goes for everyone—you had the opportunity to work your way through it, put your case to him and, if your case proved to be the one that he could accept, he would back you in all the way. Nothing changed with Alex.

It's a well-known fact that I like to shoot off to Bali and play golf with my mates in the Christmas break, and it came to the point where in late 2019 I was planning the usual January trip to Bali. Alex had come across the year before with Paola and the family, and he'd joined me for a couple of games of golf with my mates. I'd said to Alex in late '19, 'Come and join us in Bali.' At the time Alex and Paola were building their beautiful new home, and he said: 'I've got to stay home. I've got to get the house built.' I said: 'Alright, mate; no worries.' And, unbeknownst to me, Fiona and the kids had surprised me with a special 60th birthday present: they were coming to Bali—shock, horror! It was fantastic! They came over and stayed for five days, and we had a great time. Then they left, and my mates were coming so that we could spend 10 days playing golf.

Fiona and I and my son Daniel were sitting in a beachside bar on this beautiful sunny day in Bali, one day in the first week, and the phone rang. It was Alex, but I missed the call. This was probably in the first week of January. I said to Fiona: 'That's Alex. I'll give him a call back.' I missed him, but I left a quick message saying: 'Buzz me back.' I sort of thought: 'Oh, you beauty; Alex has changed his mind and he's going to come up and play some golf with us.' And then Alex rang me straight back—this all happened in about three or four minutes—and I said to him, 'Hey, Alex, Bali bagus! Get your backside up here, mate!' to which he said to me: 'Glenn, I've got cancer.' Well, my world dropped. My heart dropped. Fiona and I were just absolutely stunned. I said to him, 'Mate, how is it?' and Alex, being Alex, said, 'Oh, yeah, you know—it's up to the doctors now.' I said, 'Alex, how is it, mate?' and he said, 'Nah, she'll be right.'

I stewed overnight. I hardly slept. I said to Fiona the next day, 'I haven't got the answer; I've got to ring him back.' I rang him back. He said, 'I'm at Bunnings.' I said, 'That's great, but how is it?' He said, 'It's not good.' I think, now, that every opportunity you get to spend time with loved ones and friends—grab it with two hands, because you don't realise how quick it can go. I looked up to Alex, even when he was lecturing me and telling me that I needed to go tell Albo or Penny, 'This is not right,' and I needed to back him. You've got to love the man. By God I miss him. I absolutely do miss him. We've been through thick and thin together.

His passion for road safety in this nation, and for industry and superannuation, was unquestionable. Nobody could hold a candle to Alex when you were discussing road safety, superannuation or worker's rights. You could try—good luck! I suppose our friendship lasted so long mainly because we agreed on everything! I always think back to that brash young South Australian organiser and the brash young Western Australian one, and I think I probably didn't fancy a bop on the nose, either, if it got that bad! Not that he ever would—he was a great mate.

I want to share a couple of stories. I won't take all that long. I do apologise to my colleagues on the Labor side, because Alex and I were the ones, along with former Senator Gavin Marshall after Hoggy left the place, who had to do the barbecues. We used to put on the aprons, and our shorts and thongs, and off we'd go and barbie. The Libs can laugh as much as they like, because they were doing the same on the other side in their shorts and thongs. Fiona was always very clear to pass on the word from the whips: do not mix up the meat with the vegetarian or vegan stuff. I won't use the same language, but Senator Gallacher said to me, 'What is the difference?' And I said, 'Alex, I don't know, but you can't mix them up.' Alex said to me, 'If I don't eat meat twice a day, I think I'm turning vegetarian.' To my colleagues: I did my best, trust me, but even I got them mixed up after a while, because I don't know what Alex had got up to. No-one suffered any injury or loss, so he got away with that one.

I want to share another story quickly before I read some words from other people. As Senator Wong said, Alex and I had the privilege of travelling together with the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee—along with you, Senator Brockman, a long-time member of our great committee. We got to share a lot of fun times and meet a lot of good people. Alex and I had the opportunity to be in Geneva together on a couple of occasions. There, he said that he wanted to buy the kids something from Geneva. He worked out something for Lachie and for Connor, and I said, 'What are you going to get for Mia?' He said. 'I've got no idea.' I said, 'Look around, mate. What are we surrounded by?' He said, 'Mountains.' I said: 'Yeah, apart from mountains, what are we surrounded by? Clocks. What little girl wouldn't love a cuckoo clock?' He said, 'Right, we're going to get a cuckoo clock.' We jumped on the tram and I tagged along to make the pair look even brighter, and to cut a long story short he bought the cuckoo clock and set it up in Mia's room at Alex's place. I used to stay in the spare room every time we were in Adelaide doing hearings, and I have to tell you, I wish to heck I had never opened my big mouth, because every hour on the hour while sleeping in the spare room, I could have choked that wooden cuckoo as it kept going off!

There are many stories about Alex, and I'll carry them to my grave. I'm going to miss you, mate. I'm really going to miss you. With the Senate's indulgence, I want to take the opportunity to read some words that other people wrote about Alex and wanted me to pass on. The first one is from Matthew Marozzi. Those of us on the Labor side know who Matthew is. He said:

When I first started working for Alex, I thought my journey with him would only be a short one. It was a shock to my system. It took around six months for Alex to warm to me, and I'm thankful for that first road trip into the Eyre Peninsula where he got to know me personally and the reason why I'm in the Labor Party. It was an understanding of shared values and knowing he could trust me. We then formed a strong working relationship due to many long parliamentary sitting nights, travel for committees, travel in regional SA, and our passion for fighting for working Australians. The bond became more than just professional, and we became friends. I was probably one of his most trusted confidants, and he was mine too.

I lost my father at the age of 18 due to the same cancer that took Alex, and, in that time, Alex truly became a father figure to me. Alex and Paola were like an additional family to me, something I will cherish forever. In fact, our office became family too, we were all long-term staffers loyal to Alex, and he was loyal to us nowing that our office of Alex, Peter, Suzie, Brendon, Pauline, and myself will never be together again also deeply saddens me.

I will forever remember and cherish the warm moments with Alex because if you received those moments, you truly knew that you were in his inner circle. I'm forever grateful for the ten years we had, and I'll forever remember those days as the good old days, which I know will never be replicated. He always had my best interest at heart, and it wasn't just about work but life as well. I will be forever indebted for his constant life advice, which well and truly showed he had my best interest at heart.

I miss my boss dearly, but also my friend, ally, mentor, and father figure. The impact he had on me will live with me for the rest of my life, and I'm proud to have been his loyal staffer and friend. I will miss him!

Rest in peace Alex, and we'll meet again.

Just in closing, I have one more set of words I would like to read from a very, very dear friend of Alex, and a person I consider a friend too. His name is Peter Garske and he writes:

The passing of Alex Gallacher, South Australian ALP Senator, aged 67, has left both myself and my wife Anne with a deep sadness.

Our friendship over 27 years was built on our understanding of his many qualities. Family was always a priority from which all of lifes activities flowed.

Alex was a lifelong achiever but always open to new learnings. He had a great vision and could see things anew/differently to others. When he was elected to the Senate in 2010 nothing changed in Alex. This transition in his life was another opportunity to support and assist those in the community with the greatest need.

He had an exceptional mind for quickly grasping new concepts. Those who knew him well knew he was the smartest man in the room—

may I add also, Alex thought he was the smartest man in the room too, and so did we most of the time—

He had an exceptionally strong social justice ethic but always with a pragmatic outlook. He was unafraid to call out his own colleagues—

and believe me, colleagues, I've been on the receiving end more than you have!—

Alex never looked to impress anyone. He was his own man with a strong sense of loyalty. He was a great judge of character.

Highlights of his life included his contribution to Family, to the Road Freight/Trucking Industry, to Industrial Relations, to Industry Superannuation Funds, and to the Australian Senate. He had a passion for golf.

Condolences to his wife Paola, his four adult children, his wider Scottish and Italian Families and his many friends.

He will be missed.

Thank you very much, Peter.

To the Senate on this condolence motion, I say: rest in peace, mate.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

enator RUSTON (—) (): Many go through this place and they are remembered for a myriad of reasons. They may have risen to high office as ministers or leaders of parties. They may have courted a controversy or they may well have got into trouble. They may well have bestowed their views on Sky after dark or the ABC but that wasn't Alex. Alex made his mark and will be remembered here for two reasons. One is because he was a damn good bloke, and the other one is that no matter how long he was here he never stopped fighting for the people that sent him here and the people that he believed in, that is, the hardworking Australians. Alex also never really played politics. He made sure everything that he did in this place was about playing the issue. The way he went about his job here—I can only say I have the utmost respect for him and the way he conducted himself.

Like Senator McKenzie, I have very fond memories of the first committee that I sat on, being the rural and regional affairs committee. Alex and you, Sterlo, were both on that committee and we worked closely together. When we worked together on that committee you could have been excused for thinking that there were no politics or sides of politics, because everybody on that committee just wanted to get the right outcome for rural and regional Australia. I'll acknowledge the fact that Senator Gallacher really understood rural and regional Australia—and you do too, Senator Sterle. It's funny that you should have raised the names 'Statler and Waldorf'. I've often thought of the pair of you as that—a couple of cantankerous old fellas who used to sit on the other side of the chamber giving us on this side of the chamber great cause for mirth, because you were giving your own side as much grief as you were giving us! There was great pleasure in watching that all go down.

Senator Sterle, you and Alex were a couple of peas in a pod, in the old-school mould—you loved a game of golf, you loved a punt and you loved a glass of wine. Hilariously, though, for all the love of golf that Alex had, I still remember the last time I saw him on the golf course. He wasn't much of a golfer but, by God, he enjoyed giving it a red-hot go.

At the last election I can remember Alex decided he wanted to have a bet with me. He said, 'Rusty'—that's what he always called me; I don't think I was ever called 'Senator Anne' or anything like that—'what about a bet on who gets elected first?' I said: 'Okay. You're on.' I'm pleased to say that the bottle of red wine that he gave me after he lost that bet was consumed with great pleasure. It was a great South Australian red wine. He hugely supported his own community, including making sure that he consumed as much great South Australian red wine as he was possibly able to, which is something that I'm sure all South Australians in this chamber aspire to.

I, sadly, was not able to make Alex's funeral, because of the quarantine arrangements that existed at the time. I would have loved to have been there because, to me, Alex wasn't a member of the Labor Party; to me, Alex was a friend. I didn't see him as a political rival; I saw him as a friend. I'm delighted today to be able to put my condolences on the record. I extend my condolences to Paola, to Alex's children—Caroline, Ian, Terry and Frank—and to all of his grandchildren. It's a great loss for this place and a great loss for South Australia. Obviously, it is a terrible loss to Alex's family. Please remember that Alex was one of the great people who have gone through this place. He will be remembered because he made a difference. He will be remembered because he was a great bloke.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this condolence motion for former South Australian senator Alex Gallacher. I begin by expressing my sympathy and condolences to Alex's family. In particular, I offer my sympathies to Alex's wife, Paola; his daughter, Caroline; his son, Ian; and his stepsons, Terry and Frank. My condolences also go to his daughter-in-law, Seonaid; grandsons, Connor, Lachlan and Jari; and his granddaughter, Mia. Alex, sadly, passed away earlier this year after a long battle with lung cancer. I know he is greatly missed by his family and friends. He'll certainly be missed in this place for all of the reasons previous speakers have mentioned.

Alex was born on 1 January 1954 in New Cumnock in Scotland. He was a New Year's Day baby. Alex's family moved to Australia in 1966. After leaving school he worked as a labourer and truck driver. He ended up getting a job as a ramp service operator with TAA, as it was known then. Alex joined the Transport Workers Union in 1975. That was the start of many years of passionate and dedicated service fighting for the rights and conditions of transport workers in Australia. Senator Sterle very humorously went through some occasions of his work during that time. Alex held the positions of industrial officer, organiser and state secretary in the TWU's South Australian and Northern Territory branch. Later he served as the federal vice-president and president.

I joined the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association in 1976, not that long ago, a year after Alex joined the Transport Workers Union. We shared many years working in and leading the two strongest unions in South Australia. We developed strong ties and a close working relationship between our unions. Those close ties delivered better pay and conditions for retail and Transport Workers Union members in South Australia. They also helped to deliver 31 years of stable, centrist Labor state governments in South Australia between 1975 and 2018. It was a great privilege working closely with Alex, the labour movement and the Labor Party in South Australia for many years. I know our state will be better off for his efforts.

In 1988 Alex joined the Labor Party and he joined the Right faction of the Labor Party. That's 'right' as in 'Right' and 'right' as in 'correct'. After we helped him win an election for the position of state secretary, my very good friend David Feeney, a former senator in this place, came over from Melbourne to run the campaign, and it was one of those great union election campaigns.

Alex served as a delegate at both state council and ALP national conference and he won preselection for the Senate spot on Labor's South Australian Senate ticket prior to the 2010 federal election. He replaced his very good friend Annette Hurley and he was very close to her husband, Bob. Bob used to do all the computer work for the Transport Workers Union in South Australia.

Alex was elected to an initial term, beginning on 1 July 2011, and re-elected in the 2016 and 2019 federal elections. Throughout his working life, Alex remained committed to advocating for a safer workplace with better conditions and fair pay for those working in the Australian transport industry. In his maiden speech, Alex listed transport, road safety and superannuation as his three priority interests, and he pursued those issues throughout his time in the parliament, which I will talk more about later.

In that first speech, Alex also raised his concerns over the impact of the carbon tax on road transport and called for self-employed drivers to be compensated for any negative impacts. He later warned against the ALP becoming a captive to the new green agenda. The need to find a balance between action on climate change and the jobs of Australian workers was something he understood from the start.

Alex was a tireless, hardworking contributor to the parliamentary work schedule. You often hear people lament the fact that question time gets all the attention while all the real work is done through the parliamentary committees. Alex contributed as much to that important work as anyone. I won't list all of his committee work, because Alex really was one of the hardest workers through the committee system that this place has seen. We would be here for a very long time if I was to list all of his service, but I'll mention a few to remind everyone just how hard he worked and the scope of his contributions.

In 2015, Alex chaired the Select Committee on the Recent Allegations relating to Conditions and Circumstances at the Regional Processing Centre in Nauru. He also twice chaired the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, between 2014 and 2019, and was chair of the Economics References Committee from June 2020 to May 2021. In addition, Alex served as deputy chair of several committees, including the Economics Legislation Committee. Alex was very diligent in his committee roles and was a respected and even-handed chair.

I think it would be true to say that one of the committee roles he was most proud of was his involvement in the two joint select committees on road safety. As I mentioned earlier, Alex remained committed to delivering safe workplaces and better working conditions for transport workers. Through his work on the road safety committee, Alex continued to pursue improved road safety not just for transport workers but for all Australians. Alex was deputy chair of the second Joint Select Committee on Road Safety from June 2020 until November 2020. I want to highlight that because I think it perfectly illustrates Alex's commitment to his responsibility as an elected representative in the Australian parliament.

Despite the obvious challenges presented by his illness, Alex continued to contribute to our nation's parliament. He followed through on things he'd committed to, even when things got very tough. He continued to contribute to debate via video link, even when his poor health and the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for him to get here in person. Alex's work ethic stands as a reminder that we're all privileged to be in this place and we have a responsibility to work tirelessly in the interests of the Australians who elected us and whom we represent.

Down to earth, hardworking and dedicated to what he believed in, Alex Gallacher was a great fighter for the rights and conditions of transport workers. Alex passionately pursued the interests of South Australians in the federal parliament and never forgot his working-class roots nor his Carlton Football Club. I again offer my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. He'll be sadly missed.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll be brief. Sterlo, I'm glad you mentioned golf. The word 'golf' comes to mind when I think of Alex and the number of times on a plane from South Australia, the number of times during divisions and the number of times on committee trips that he would talk about golf, his favourite clubs, the things he'd played at et cetera. But it is the word 'gulf'—g-u-l-f—that I want to mention, in three contexts. The first is my first impression of Alex—the gulf between my impression and who he was. We were both elected in South Australia at the 2010 election. We were in the office of the Electoral Commission when they read out the various scripts that announced that we were going to be elected, and I couldn't help but wonder what a dreadful time I was going to have with this grumpy old bloke who seemed so unimpressed by this young Liberal that was in the same room with him. I couldn't have been further from the truth: he ended up being one of my closer colleagues in this place.

The Gulf of St Vincent and Spencer Gulf speak to me of Alex's love for South Australia, the remote and western regions of South Australia, where he spent a lot of time. Some of the most constructive work that I did with Alex was on the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee. We had a significant breakthrough at Port Augusta, at the top of the gulf, looking at how defence interacted with regional communities in terms of training areas and how they actually invested. It was a fantastic committee. As I said before, Alex was not political; Alex was concerned about outcomes. It was really useful to be able to work collaboratively and to actually extract from defence the fact that, when they said local, they meant anything in Australia as opposed to what came from overseas; whereas we thought local was Port Augusta and Port Pirie—the local towns and people who actually drove past the training ground. As a result of that committee, which Alex was the chair of, and the report of that committee, we have seen some significant reforms come about in how defence engages with local communities through its procurement. So there will be people around this nation—architects, builders, fencers, signwriters and all kinds of people—who will get work on defence projects because of that committee which Alex chaired.

The final gulf, I guess, goes to the perception that the Australian people have—the perception that parliament is a place which is all about antagonistic interaction between people just point-scoring, and the perception that you only ever have colleagues here; you don't have friends. Alex was a great example of the fact that, across the political divide, people often do work closer together and build good friendships for good outcomes for Australia. Rest in peace, Alex Gallacher.

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

I rise to contribute to the condolence motion for Senator Alex Gallacher. In doing so, I express my condolences to his wife, Paola, to his children, to his grandchildren and to his friends and colleagues here, particularly Senator Sterle and Senator Bilyk. It is never easy to watch somebody die of cancer—and 67 is far too young.

Of course, the COVID pandemic made it very difficult for Alex and for those who loved him. It made it exceptionally difficult for those of us who would have liked to have spent time with him, and I think, particularly, it's hard today for Senator Sterle and Senator Bilyk and so many of our colleagues who are remote and unable to participate in person in the chamber today. I am very grateful that we have the remote participation and the video links that allow that to happen. COVID has been really hard, and I think many of us have had experiences in the last year of losing someone. It's very difficult to say goodbye to someone when you can't be with them in person.

I think back to the day after the May 2019 election—that unexpected result we all had. As I was driving back to my house, I got a phone call. The first phone call I got from a colleague the day after the election was from Alex Gallacher, and he called to offer me his analysis on what had happened, to offer me his frank assessment that we had too many policies and to offer me his views on what we should do next, as a party and a movement. And, less than 12 hours from the loss, he was already charting our path to victory, to the next election.

To me, and to many of us—I think, all of us—the great tragedy of Alex's death this year is that he will not be with us next year, when we, hopefully, see a Labor government come to power. And when that happens—when that happens—the passion and the values and the policy sense and the commitment to working people that Alex Gallacher brought, not just to the job but, indeed, to his every interaction with his colleagues, on this side of the chamber and that side of the chamber, in his advocacy and in his committee work, will sit at the heart of the next Labor government. So the greatest testament that we, as Alex's colleagues, can pay to him is to ensure that a government that governs for the people he fought for, for the people he represented and for the values he espoused is the government of Australia.

Alex was a fierce warrior for working Australians, he was a dedicated family man and he was a dear friend to so many in this chamber. So many here today have already recounted his life and his journey. I think, as the shadow minister for immigration, one of the things that strikes me about Alex's family story is that it's one that so many Australian families can relate to, and that is: a decision to pack up and leave the country that they have known and called home and to come to Australia, seeking a better life, seeking more opportunity, seeking to build something new in this country. And, I dare say, Scotland's loss was Australia's gain when the Gallachers chose to relocate—first to the Northern Territory, where Alex began his career and spent much of his career in the seventies and eighties working as a labourer, a truck driver and finally as an airline ramp services operator with Trans Australia Airlines.

Now, those early jobs—they won't surprise anyone who saw Alex in this place. He was always immensely proud of his background. It always had an indelible impact on his politics. Those experiences, particularly in trucking and aviation, drew Alex to the Australian Labor Party and the trade union movement. He joined the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Labor Party and the Transport Workers Union in 1988. Through both the ALP and the TWU, Alex became a proud advocate for Australian workers, fighting endlessly for their rights and their pay and their conditions. He also served with distinction as the Commissioner for the National Road Transport Commission and as a director of the South Australian Motor Accident Commission.

A constant theme throughout his time, whether in the committee work, in parliamentary debates or in our caucus committees, in our caucus, was that he had a straight-talking approach and an affinity for ordinary Australians. He proudly fought for them because he was one of them, and rarely, if ever, did they have a better champion than they did in Alex. His work in this place was a testament to his humility. He always stayed true to those values of his early life and consistently advocated, with great pride and passion, the issues which impacted ordinary Australians.

Senator Farrell has done well in pointing to some of the key work that Alex did on committees. He served on 23 committees during his political career, including the Road Safety and Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committees. One of the great challenges I had over the past few years, along with Senator Farrell, was to constantly have to check in with Senator Gallacher, to know if he was going to be able to make it into parliament or if he was going to be able to make committee hearings and what arrangements we needed to make. The thing that always struck me in those conversations is that he was generous. He wasn't territorial. He was honest and sometimes showed an extraordinary determination at times when I might have thought that the illness might have got the better of him—to come in here to do estimates, to do committee hearings. But he also was straightforward if he felt he couldn't do it, and generous in making sure his colleagues could step in—not without propriety.

One of the other challenges I sometimes faced with Senator Gallacher in our conversations was that he had a lot of views about motions, and sometimes he had a lot of views about the positions we were taking on certain motions—Senator Sterle is nodding his head on the screen; he knows of what I speak! The thing about that is that Alex was frank. He was direct. He sometimes kept me on my toes. He never took anything for granted, and he never took a backward step. What he was, at times, willing to do was to recognise that there was a forest and to see it for the trees. I make that point because, while we are right to laud his straight-talking, passionate conviction—which never wavered—he was part of a collectivist movement: the great Australian Labor Party. And before that he was part of another collectivist movement, the Transport Workers Union.

Alex, in his conviction and in his passion, never saw himself as greater than the whole. He never put himself outside of his colleagues. He understood that we were a collective. He never compromised, but he also never made his view more important than someone else's. He always worked with me and with others to try to find ways to ensure that we were true to our collectivist commitment to one another.

Alex was a good friend to so many in this caucus, and I know that so many of my colleagues will make a contribution on this condolence motion. I will say, at a personal level he offered me support, friendship and loyalty, far more than I could have ever expected, perhaps because he and Senator Sterle, very generously, recognised my brief period as a member of the Teamsters Union—thank you, Senator Sterle!—as appropriate enough to be a somewhat honorary member of the TWU. Alex, in his advocacy for working people—in his principled, passionate commitment—fought for the rights of working people, to ensure that they had the opportunity for a better life and that a working person could support their family, buy a home and have some time for recreation and a holiday on an ordinary working salary. They're humble, important, significant goals for the Australian people, and Alex was constantly motivated by them.

I'm sure Alex, as a humble man, would have shied away from some of this pomp and circumstance today. But I hope it's the first of many accolades and honours that serve to remind us of what people can achieve when they live their lives with passion and dedication. I conclude by again expressing my condolences to Paola and to their children and grandchildren. My thoughts are with all of them today as we celebrate Alex's life.

We will all miss Alex. The past few months of sittings have not been the same without him, and I hope that we see his likes in this chamber again. His passing is a great loss to this chamber, to the Australian Labor Party, to the Transport Workers Union and indeed to the nation as a whole.

Kimberley Kitching (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The death of a colleague while they still serve here in the Senate is a reminder to all of us that our time on Earth is limited and that we should never waste a day, or indeed a minute, here. Alex Gallacher's passing is a reminder for all of us to stay focused on doing the most good we can in the limited time we're given. Like me and like all Labor senators, he was haunted by the fact that we have been out of office for all but six years of the last 25. I'm sad to be eulogising Alex Gallacher, but I'm also weary of reflecting on so many careers like his: too much time spent in opposition and not enough time with a chance to make real change—all that time, all those missed opportunities, all the good that should have been done and could have been done.

It is a commonsense statement of the obvious to say, 'You can only do good when you're actually in office.' Senator Birmingham and Senator McKenzie have both referred to the quote from Theodore Roosevelt that Alex's daughter Caroline gave to him for his first speech, but Alex and I discussed last year another Roosevelt quote. I would be driving up to Canberra last year and I would phone Alex. Alex was either at the golf club or sometimes resting at home. He said to me, 'You know: that man in the arena quote.' That is:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Alex was his usual dry self in discussing that quote, but there was also a poignancy, because he said to me, 'You can never be in the arena forever.' Alex would want this: for us to work tirelessly from now until the election, focusing on what matters to Australian families, so that we can have the privilege of governing on their behalf. Alex would want that.

Men like Alex Gallacher come from a Labor tradition rooted in common sense, the wisdom and life experience that comes from hard work driving trucks, making airports work, two decades of representing hard workers at the mighty Transport Workers Union and representing all South Australians since 2010. Long before there were terms like 'virtue signalling', 'inner city elites' and 'wokeness', Alex Gallacher despised them. He was interested in what Labor was doing for working people—not talking, not positioning, not excusing but actually doing. I wonder if Alex Gallacher ever once read or paid much attention to the talking points usually sent out by various prime ministers' or leaders' offices in the time he was here. I don't think anyone could write a script for Alex Gallacher. I doubt anyone dared.

When he took some time off, fighting the fight of his life against an insidious cancer, I filled in for him briefly on the economics committee. After speaking with him and assessing the contributions he'd made, I had one look at the proposal before that committee—a half-considered Treasury thought bubble about criminalising cash transactions greater than $10,000—and I did my very best to channel Alex Gallacher by asking some tough, direct, pointed questions about the measure that would have caused great inconvenience and imposition on older people, among many others. He had already made it clear that he was deeply sceptical about the merits of the idea no matter who supported it. The committee approved it in principle, as it was government and opposition policy in principle, but with a long list of conditions precedent that gave the Treasury a great deal to think about. We haven't seen the measure in legislation, and I don't think we will for quite some time, until the committee's bipartisan concerns are seriously addressed by the bureaucracy.

Senator Fawcett has reminded me about the trip to Port Augusta. We got out of the airport and into a minibus, and Alex sat up the back and David sat down the front. I looked at them both and said, 'We are not spending this trip in different parts of the minibus, are we?' So in the end we sat together, and Senator Fawcett is correct: it was a great trip. I was very lucky because I was with two very thoughtful people—people who wanted to do good. I can't thank Alex anymore, but I thank Senator Fawcett. That was a great trip, and I learnt a lot.

Also, in the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, no-one could ever accuse Alex Gallacher of being unsound. He was from that tradition—also mine—of belief in our alliance with America, a great country, and of belief that Israel must exist. I can't help thinking about when AUKUS was announced. Alex Gallacher would have loved AUKUS.

While Alex didn't seek glory or boast about many achievements here, this is just a small example of Alex Gallacher's common sense and good judgement. It's an illustration of the impact that men like Alex Gallacher can have here, and why we need more people like Alex Gallacher here. Just because a powerful bureaucracy wanted it, Senator Gallacher needed to be persuaded on the merits, assessed not through a prism of what Canberra's bureaucracy wanted but what would benefit the lives of the people Labor senators are here to represent.

We're not here to make good impressions on Radio National or Insiders. We're not here to trend on Twitter. We are here to do what Alex Gallacher did all his working life: champion Labor values, the right to work, the right to be safe at work, the right to be treated with dignity at work, in a society that leaves no-one behind. Alex was gruff, a straight shooter, honest and wise. Senator Sterle has referred to him as 'Mr Happy', but underneath that grouchiness—as I find so often the case with grouchy people—was a heart of gold and a restlessness that we weren't doing enough for the people he was sent here to fight for.

In the days ahead, when we're debating self-indulgent propositions in Labor forums, when we're slogging through the detail of unwise bureaucratic proposals in Senate committees, when we're thinking about what kind of Labor Party we need to be, what kind of government we should aim to be, I will think about Alex Gallacher. Today my thoughts, as they have been over the past few months, are with Paola, Alex's family, his staff and his friends. I'm sure many of us have had conversations with Alex about his family, and many about his grandchildren. May his memory be an example to all of us. Vale.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great and deep sadness that I rise to speak on this motion as well, but it is also my honour. It was my honour to have known Senator Gallacher, to have served by his side in this place, and to have called him and his beautiful wife, Paola, my friends. Like all of us in this place, we are each the product of our life experience, but, more importantly, we are the product of those we love and those who love us in return. The things we do here, the things we hope to achieve—and, in Alex's case, certainly did achieve—belong to the people we love and who love us too. So I want to acknowledge his family and their contribution to everything that Alex was able to do as a senator.

I want to make some personal reflections on my relationship with Alex soon, but first I want to pay special focus on his legacy and achievements during his time in the Senate. Alex, if you're listening, I have to say: sorry, I'm going to refer to notes as I do this—and I know you really hate senators bringing notes into the chamber! I'm looking at Senator Stoker; I think she fell victim to one of his points of order referring to notes. It was one of the first points of order he referred me to as a young senator, that we are not meant to read from notes in this place. I am sorry, Alex.

Alex knew the importance of staying true to Labor values, the importance of providing Australians 'a fair go and a better chance for all', as he said. These values drove him throughout his entire career and whether you sat on these benches or you sat opposite, everyone knew what Alex stood for. Everyone knew his values. His first speech outlined what he would fight for as a parliamentarian and it was clear and direct, as Alex was. The transport industry, road safety and superannuation, and his contribution in a policy sense to all of these areas, was substantial and unwavering. He brought a real-world perspective to this place, but he also brought an incredible intelligence.

His immediate impact on parliament saw the Labor government bring the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal into legislation. This was an objective that Alex had fought for, alongside his colleagues and comrades at the TWU, for almost two decades. That fight had to continue after a change in government saw the tribunal dismantled, but Alex kept up that fight. In fact, there wasn't a day that he served in this chamber where transport workers—he had once been one; he served alongside, represented and advocated for them his whole career—weren't at the front of his mind. There was no better friend of transport workers than Alex Gallacher.

Super, too, was one of his passions. He knew the intrinsic benefits it could bring to working Australians, its impact on dignity in retirement and its economic benefits to Australia. He was absolutely passionate. In his last months in the Senate I know he was also becoming increasingly passionate about the disparity for women and superannuation, and this is a fight I will continue on his behalf.

But his biggest legacy in this place is his impact, alongside his dear mate Senator Sterle, on road safety. This came from an almost five-year stint as a director with the Motor Accident Commission he served on before entering politics. Alex was acutely aware of the devastation to victims and their families, as well as the economic devastation, caused by the unnecessary loss of life and by the catastrophic injuries suffered on our roads. He was deeply disappointed in the National Road Safety Strategy targets never being met and he fought incredibly hard to make sure that road safety was on the political map, including through his work on the Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety. It was evident in his work in estimates and in his push for the government to form the Office of Road Safety within the department.

On 11 November the government announced that autonomous emergency-braking technology would be mandated in the Australian Design Rules by 2023. This would save 580 lives, avoid tens of thousands of serious and minor injuries, and have a net benefit of close to $1.9 billion. Alex first called for the mandating of this technology in September 2014. He saw the need for this. He fought for it relentlessly until it was achieved. He knew this policy area better than anyone. He believed in it deeply and he left an incredible legacy in this space which will never be forgotten. In his committee work too he pushed for commonsense results. He was true to his principles and he would advance his views whether or not they aligned with the views of our party, often. The Murray River was a huge passion of Alex's.

One area that Alex was deeply passionate about policy wise was the NDIS. He served on the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and knew the issues relating to the NDIS, especially the times that we saw the NDIS not live up to its promise. We saw it fail the people who needed it most. These issues weighed on Alex heavily. He was dedicated and focused on how he could use his role on that committee to improve the lives of Australians with disability.

Alex loved our state. He loved his duty electorate of Grey. He travelled there regularly. He never flew in and out when he went to Grey. He wanted to stay. He wanted to be amongst it. One of the proudest moments he had as the duty member for Grey was when the Elliston Reconciliation Monument was erected, after much debate, in the town of Elliston, which is almost halfway between Port Lincoln and Ceduna. Alex supported the monument recognising the massacre of 1849, where the local First Nations people were driven off the cliff, as it is described. Alex considered the official opening as one of his more memorable and important moments as a senator.

Alex was a natural at the work he did. He was incredibly focused and hardworking. He did the reading. He did the work. He never turned up unprepared. He always turned up knowing what he wanted to get out of a hearing, out of his day in parliament and out of a speech he would give. He never did anything without purpose. We saw this work ethic, this focus of his, so intensely when he was sick, when he refused to slow down, when he refused to step back. He believed in his work. He believed in what he did. He was determined to continue fighting the fight that he believed in, representing the people he stood for right until the end.

I know we've all had a different experience of Alex. We have all seen different sides of him, and I'm sure we can all fondly remember moments when we found opportunities for agreement with him, where his gruff exterior faded away and you saw the warmth and the passion beneath. We can probably also fondly remember moments when we disagreed with Alex, and you certainly weren't left wondering about Alex's position or what his view was. But Alex always gave people a fair hearing. If you had a good idea, he would listen to you. If you were well reasoned in your argument, he would listen to you. He fought for what he believed was right. I know that some of our colleagues would have liked him to fight a little less loudly sometimes, or a little less publicly, but that was Alex. When he was on a mission, when he believed something, he took his role as a public figure seriously and fought with every tool in his arsenal. Alex was an extremely hard worker. His career, I think, is best referenced in his own maiden speech, when he refers to Theodore Roosevelt saying, 'Far and away the best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.' Alex got that opportunity, and he certainly did that.

Alex was an extremely private person who loved his family immensely. You'd never see a bigger smile on his face than when he was talking about Paola, his kids and especially his grandchildren. Possibly a smile which would rival it, though, was when he talked about his passion for golf. A round of golf a week was never enough for him. He also loved to have a punt, and his Saturdays were often a morning at the North Adelaide Golf Club and an afternoon of horseracing. His staff recalled to me a story—this was before my time—where apparently the coalition government once scheduled a sitting week which overlapped with Melbourne Cup day. Other senators would have to confirm this, but I hear there has never been an angrier parliamentarian in this place than Alex Gallacher in that moment.

Alex's staff formed a powerful bond with him. Thank you, Senator Sterle, for reading the words of Matthew, with whom Alex had a very special bond. I know Matthew misses him very, very deeply, but his other staff do too. Peter and Matthew both began in Alex's office when Alex began as a senator, and they stayed the course with him. Susie worked with him for nine years, and Brendan worked with him for seven. Pauline had been there for a few years too, and I do wonder if Pauline had expected that. Those who know Pauline know she was a firm and passionate member of the Left and was perhaps surprised that she found herself working in Alex's office, but they formed a very close friendship too, as well as a commitment and a passion for the work that Alex was doing on the NDIS.

Alex's staff would say that their office was a family, which is testament to Alex as a boss and a person. He could be gruff, yes, but he was a good and warm man, and when you were in the fold, when you were in the family with Alex, you knew it deeply. In my time in politics—not just as a senator but in the many years I've been around politics—I don't think I've ever seen an office as close and connected as Alex's staff were, or as loyal to their senator. I want to acknowledge them, because this has been a really tough time. All of his staff stuck with him as he was sick, right up until the end. They believed in what Alex was doing too. They knew the man so well, and they believed in what he was doing.

Alex had another work family, and that's his family at his beloved Transport Workers Union. I know Ian Smith and Alex's friends at the TWU are watching these proceedings now, live in Adelaide, under the sign of the Alex Gallacher Training Centre, a fitting monument for a man who made an incredible contribution to that union and all of the people and the values that that union represents. I know that everyone at the TWU will feel this loss deeply, because, when Alex left the TWU to become a senator, he never walked away from those he served with. He was always providing support and was always there for those who needed him.

One of the amazing things about Alex was that he really believed in people. And when he believed in people, he helped them. He gave them active support, active mentoring and active encouragement. If you had Alex in your corner, you knew it. Even when things were tough or when you doubted yourself, Alex would be there backing you and pulling you up—sometimes really gruffly or quite aggressively, but, if he believed in you, he would make sure you did your best. I will miss Alex deeply. This place will not ever be the same for me without him.

I want to make a personal reflection here. Alex was a formidable figure and, in my childhood, his name loomed large. Alex was once my father's adversary, but he became a close and valued friend of me and my family.

It's really easy in politics to make simple assessments of people, one-dimensional assessments of people. Alex never did that. He certainly never did it of me. He didn't do it of others in this chamber, even when people were often quick to make simple, one-dimensional assessments of him. I am so grateful that he was a man who judged people on their substance and judged me on my substance and gave me his firm support very early on in my career here in this place and, indeed, when I was seeking to enter this place. And when I entered the Senate, his support continued. He guided me throughout my journey here.

He was always generous with his feedback to me. I was scrolling through some messages earlier. Alex used to text me, often, after my speeches, to make sure I had the benefit of his experience and wisdom in this place. Some of those critiques were sharp. Of course, he hated speeches being read. He hated speeches being too polished. But he liked speeches which didn't miss anything or anyone. And they're Alex's words. When I was going through my messages from Alex in preparation for today, there were a few which stood out for me—messages he sent me of encouragement and support. He sent me a text defining our role. He said to me: 'Your job is to be different, Marielle. It's to be authentic and to be credible. It's to let people see you, to believe every word that you say.' Alex was authentic. You knew it. It was very good advice. He also gave me the advice: 'Keep your eye on the main game and, most importantly in this place, be yourself.'

Alex was himself. Alex never had to support me, but he did. He mentored me in the ways of this place. Some of those lessons I will keep with me; some of those I might disregard, because our styles are pretty different, but I will always value the things he taught me and the lessons he tried to impart. But, Senator Stoker, I promise I won't be on my feet if there are notes used in this place.

Alex loved Paola deeply. On more than one occasion, I would hear him recount, when he was summing up his view on one individual or another: 'Paola has good judgement. If she thinks someone is decent, then they're okay with me.' Paola was the boss.

One of the last social moments I had with Alex was not long after my daughter Zara was born, and Alex and Paola came to visit Clint and me at our home, to deliver my son Benjamin another truck, which Alex was always prone to do. He wanted my son to be a truck man and not a bus man! It's very important, Senator Wong! But they also brought a teddy bear for my daughter, and there was a bit of a discussion and debate between Alex and Paola, because Paola wanted the bear to go on a shelf and to be preserved and kept pristine, so that, when Zara is older, she can look at the bear and have that memory and have that special thing from her childhood, and Alex was vehemently opposed to this. The bear was for cuddling, the bear was for playing, the bear was for using. And it just summed up, to me, a part of Alex's personality. So, I'm sorry, Paola, but the bear is coming off the mantelpiece and it will be used and cuddled and loved.

It feels quite indulgent, in a way, to talk about how much we will all miss Alex and how much we loved him because, of course, those who've missed him the most and will miss him the most are his family—those who he loved the most and who loved him the most: his wife, Paola; his children, Ian, Caroline, Terry and Frank; his children-in-law, Seonaid, Ian's wife, and Tammy, Terry's partner; and his grandchildren, Connor, Lachlan and Mia. I want to thank you for sharing the man that you loved with this place for so long. It's never without sacrifice. His achievements and his legacy belong to you and your family as well. I hope you are so proud of what your husband, your father, your grandfather achieved here. I hope you're so proud of the words that are being spoken about him.

We should never be one-dimensional or simplistic in our assessment of people who choose to do this role. Alex was a complicated and complex character, but he was a great man. He was a fiercely intelligent man. He worked tirelessly in this place for the values that he held dear. Really, I hope you are so proud of his achievements. We are all so proud of his achievements. I know you will all continue to carry Alex's memory in your hearts, and I want you to know that his colleagues here in the Senate from all sides of politics will continue to carry that memory too. We will also continue on with the work which meant so much to Alex. Rest in peace, Alex. Friend, Senator, you will be so missed.

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the things that struck me when I was thinking about what to say about Alex was this. I've known Alex for 25 years, and not long after I arrived here a number of people came up and said: 'He's tough and he's gruff and he's pretty damn hard to get on with sometimes.' I said: 'Well, he's my mate. I find him exactly the same way, so don't feel special! It's just the way he is—a guy who's passionate and strongly believes in what he believes.' As so many other speakers have said, he did listen but he also turned around and mentored people. I appreciate the great deal of assistance that Alex provided. He was always available to have a chat with, no matter what the time of day or what he had on.

Many, many years ago I went to a funeral. It was quite a revelation for me. It was a Maori funeral. A lot of people got up and spoke from their hearts about what they felt about the fellow who had just died. They also got up and said things that were nasty about him, which I thought was quite surprising. I was chatting to a number of those who spoke, family members, and they said: 'No, it's really important. You have to really let the spirit be released. If you're not honest and you're not frank, then you're not going to get the spirit released.' And, Alex, we're all going to be very frank!

Why I think of that again is that we had—it wasn't an exclusive group; it was just a group of TWU people who got together, and some of the TWU senators—a wake for Alex. A number of people explained some of their experiences with Alex—how they worked with him in the transport industry and the sorts of differences that he made. I will get to those in a moment, but I just want to look at some of the statements that Alex made when he first came into this place. In his first speech he said:

There is no smoke and mirrors, just plain-talking, hardworking employees and employers alike—

I'm talking about the transport industry—

… They all share common attributes—that is, a capacity for hard work and a selfless dedication to the task at hand.

That could also be a very fine description of Alex, because that's who the man was.

Of course, as we've talked about, Alex did come with those three very important priorities: road safety, the transport industry and superannuation. There are few people in Australia who can match Alex's experience and expertise in road safety. I want to put on record as well the importance of the role he played as the national transport commissioner. I still remember when he got appointed and how proud he was to stand up there and make a difference, to have those conversations, and those hard conversations, in an industry that has way too many deaths. Alex spoke with passion every time he came back and gave reports about what was happening at the commission.

And, of course, being a director of the Motor Accident Commission for South Australia was, again, another important role that Alex felt a great deal of responsibility for—but also passion to make sure that people were properly looked after, that opportunities for turning around and making our roads safer were pursued but also questions of proper compensation for those who were killed in accidents and incidents.

Of course, as we all know, he was the chair of the Road Safety Advisory Council of South Australia. Alex was a firm believer in the Swedish model for Vision Zero. The model recognises that drivers are human and humans make mistakes—a bit like Alex, I think. He was certainly human and he may have made a few mistakes, but there's no doubting the passion which he brought to this place and what he believed in. He talked about:

The freedom and mobility achieved by owning a car are tempered with the sickening human and economic cost of vehicle accidents.

Alex passionately made sure he pursued all those issues to the fullest.

He played an important role, as has been mentioned, in the Gillard government establishing the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal in 2012. I had a lot of dealings with Alex over 25 years and many dealings during that period in the role that I held at the time. Of course, he was scathing when in 2016 it was abolished and replaced with nothing. With decades of experience in the industry, he understood the consequences of that decision better than most. I'll quote from his speech on the abolition bill. This is a speech that Paul Ryan from the Australian Road Transport Industry Organisation described as the best speech he had ever heard given in the Senate. Alex said:

People need to get proper remuneration for the fixed, variable and labour costs. Lots of these owner-drivers will work themselves to death.

…   …   …

I know the things that they go through on a daily basis.

…   …   …

I know all about visiting families who have had people in their families not come home from work.

…   …   …

This was, for me, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some sanity, some fairness and some real reward for their effort.

Alex was spot on and straight to the point. That's how he always operated.

At the wake Zoom, Michael Kaine, National Secretary of the TWU, summed up a really incredibly important point about Alex. He said: 'He would take the problem in front of him, distil it into a bite-sized grab and then figure out how to use the bite-sized grab to fight for the rights of working people. That's what he would do and he would do it really, really effectively.'

Michael also told a story about his trip to South Australia after joining the national office. For those who don't know, the TWU had the tradition of having seven warring factions. It makes any political party here look tame. Alex always fired directly to everybody about what he believed in. Michael said in talking about the threat of Work Choices: 'I landed at the Adelaide Airport fully expecting to hop in a cab. I walked down the stairs and at the bottom there was Alex.' I said: 'Jeez. I didn't expect to see you here, Alex.' Alex said, 'Do you think I'm going to let the assistant national secretary just come to Adelaide and walk around by himself unchaperoned?' Of course, Alex put Michael in front of the officials—another baptism of fire for Michael—and key delegates, who could all see the angst regarding Work Choices and clearly see what the TWU needed to do. Alex was outspoken again and very supportive of incredibly important steps that were decided by that group of workplace leaders and union officials. He was drawing the crowd out. He was getting people to say things that could be in conflict with what he was saying, because he wanted to draw people out to make sure the best decisions were being made.

It's not just union officials and workers who had tremendous respect for Alex. He drew respect from the employing side for his toughness, his perseverance, his plain talking and his commitment to working people. During the Zoom wake, Steve Schofield, who used to be the head of industrial relations at Qantas, said: 'I butted heads with Alex on a number of occasions.' Steve said that he had a lot of mentors over the years on both sides of the table, but you wouldn't guess that Alex was one of them. Steve told a story about 11 September 2001, a horrible, uncertain day for us all, but particularly for those in the aviation industry. Steve said: 'I got two phone calls in the morning on September 11. One was from Alex. He said words to the effect, "Listen, young fellow, it's going to be a tough couple of days, but if there's anything we can do as a union just let us know."' That was a side of Alex that many didn't see. Then there was the side that many did—the side that was as tough as nails.

Matt Burnell, an official at Alex's South Australian branch of the TWU, told a story about the 2017 South Australian branch elections night. Matt was watching the count together with Alex's chief of staff, Matt Marozzi. Both Ian Smith and Alex were asking how Ian was going in the count. The two Matts looked at each other and wondered how they were going to tell Ian that he'd lost. Worse still, he said, 'How am I going to deal with Alex? He's going to kill us both.' Fortunately, Ian got over the line in the end so never had to find out Alex's wrath.

Alex's other passion was superannuation, as has been mentioned. He strongly believed that working people deserve a retirement with dignity. In his first speech, he said:

Members will always demand value for money, and it is my belief that this is best achieved by the industry fund not-for-profit model, with all profits back to member accounts. Trustee directors representing employer and employees and only acting in the best interest of members are a world-class model.

Various studies have shown that many funds have received brand status with loyalty driven by industry participation and trust in the board of representatives.

Alex was the first chairman of the TWU superannuation investment committee. Frank Sandy, the current CEO of the TWUSUPER fund, summed up on the night of the Zoom wake: 'I have wonderful memories of a person who was strong, direct, really clear and always with a purpose. While we are doing this, we are doing this for members. "Are we doing this to make things better?" That's the question Alex would ask. They're my memories of Alex.'

Paul Ryan, one of the employer-side directors at TWUSUPER, added: 'We and every transport worker owe Alex a debt of gratitude that could probably be measured in dollar terms. If you want to go back to when he started, it was worth somewhere around $100,000 over the last 15 years. That's per member.' That's the additional legacy that Alex leaves, and it's a lasting legacy.

Lou Coia, on the TWUSUPER executive team, told me: 'Alex was a wonderful person. He seemed always to have time for me. He would always ask me and was interested in my life. He was a wonderful person and a gentleman.' That was Alex, and is his legacy, at TWUSUPER.

Then there's the legacy of Alex at TWU itself. Barry Norton, a TWU organiser in Alex's South Australian-Northern Territory branch, said: 'There are a few times over the last 2½ years where people have walked in. They've been union members for the longest time and they remember Alex for what he did. I'm very well aware of the boots that I'm trying to fill and I will do my best to do that, because of Alex being the previous Northern Territory organiser.'

Nick McIntosh, the national assistant secretary of the TWU—one the Zoom participants for Alex's wake—described him as a mentor. Nick said: 'He always spoke words of wisdom. He was always welcoming to me. There were good times. We had conversations in his Parliament House office, where he would never say too much but just enough that I could tell exactly what he was getting at. You could tell just from the interactions how smart he was, how switched on he was, but, most importantly, how much he would always stand for working people.' Alex stood for working people all his life. That's the best way to remember him in this place. That's how we remember him at the TWU—and all of his work colleagues and the people he represented and protected, and defended and supported.

Alex's most important legacy is his family—his family of staff, as was mentioned previously, but also his children and grandchildren, and, of course, his very loved Paola. I think we can all recite many occasions when Alex would talk to us about the love of his family and what they were getting up to. He was such a great family man. We saw that as part of his real worth and real value.

I know this was used a bit earlier today but I thought I might use it again as I think it describes something very accurate about Alex. In his first speech, Alex said his daughter Caroline sent him a quotation of Theodore Roosevelt:

Far and away the best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

Of course, Alex's record, both here and at the Transport Workers Union, was an affirmation of that. His good friend Ian Smith, the secretary down there—a very close mate of Alex's—told me that, when Alex was getting treatment, literally the following day he would go on the golf course. I haven't heard of anyone else who gets treatment who can do that, but Alex did it because he was determined to make sure that it didn't hold him back from doing the things he had a passion for. That's why he came back to the Senate to speak and be involved, despite the dangers of COVID, particularly for people in his circumstances. He was a man with passion and dedication and a person worth emulating. Thank you, Alex. I'll miss you, mate.

Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will be relatively brief. I don't know how I became a friend of Alex's and how he became a friend of mine. It kind of just happened. I don't know whether it started in the meetings we had in cafes when I was an adviser to Nick Xenophon, heading back to Adelaide. I don't know whether it was through my working with him on the economics committee. I note that people have been talking about his passion for road safety, but there were also other things he had passion for, including naval shipbuilding. He was very concerned about workers down in Adelaide. I'm just sad he didn't get to see that particular committee through.

I used to chat with Alex in the chamber and around the building, often with Glenn in tow. I think we all know that the two of them operated together, mischievously in some instances. What I will say about Alex is that he was simple and effective. I note Kristina made a mention of some frustrations that there might have been. Alex always saw things in a different way to others. Where other people found complexity, he found simplicity, and I think that was the source of his frustration with others in this place, in terms of professional frustration. I say 'effective'. I used to watch him in committees, and I never thought he was excited about too much. I even thought that some of his questions were quite boring. But then, when I went back and read the Hansard, I would think, 'That was a really good question.' He was really effective. So that was the other thing that struck me about Alex.

I will reveal something now. As we all know, when trying to get advocacy for any particular issue around this place, you think, 'Do I go to someone who's got carriage of a particular topic, or do I go to someone who's got passion for a particular topic?' Well, what I can say to the Labor Party, at least now, is that if Alex came to me and asked me for something, I almost always did it, just because I knew, particularly if it was a topic I didn't know anything about, that Alex would only come to me when he was passionate. He was just a genuine and honest guy. For me, that was enough, and I would always say yes to him. I can't think of a time when he asked me to support something and I said no. I think that comes down to how I would summarise him, and that is: genuine and honest and someone that I will miss.

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his words earlier. I know that all of our thoughts are definitely with him today. I would like to join colleagues in recognising the contribution and the passing of Senator Alex Gallacher. It was as a new senator in 2019 that I met Alex, as part of the Senate Economics References Committee, of which he was chair. My reflections on Alex come from my experience of entering this place just two years before Alex's time here came to an end. I have a few memories of Alex that I'd like to share with the chamber and with Alex's loved ones, who may be listening to, or reading later on, the speeches that are being given in his honour today. They are memories of someone who combined complete dedication and commitment to the people he came here to represent, with an absolutely unique larrikinism and irreverence.

One of my first experiences of Alex's particular brand of irreverence was when doing Senate hearings together during lockdown in 2020. Hearings were conducted remotely, with senators and witnesses participating online. In one such hearing Alex appeared in a peaked cap, headphones on, with a very impressive bookshelf against the wall behind him. So far, so good! Impressive bookshelves were a feature of remote meetings and hearings in 2020, but Alex, of course, went one better—he had a large automobile in the background as well. I heard a voice over the feed of either a witness or the secretariat, asking, 'Is that a senator in a garage?' It was indeed, car in full view, and from his garage Senator Alex Gallacher declared those hearings open.

On that day, and really every day, Alex approached his work here with a completely unpretentious disposition, sprinkled with a fair amount of an 'up yours' attitude. He had an attitude of good humour alongside the hard work, commitment and dedication that he showed for the people he represented. I have similar recollections to those of Senator Patrick, of spending many a late night at Senate estimates in economics committee hearings with Senator Gallacher. As a new senator, I found the Labor question pack something of a lifeline to keep my head above water and stay afloat. For Alex, it was more of a guide at best. Occasionally, it was something to flick through whilst leaning back in his chair getting ready for the next witness, much as one might casually flick through a magazine at the supermarket counter before proceeding to the checkout and leaving the magazine behind.

As has been noted, Alex relied on his own preparation, and he was the same here in the chamber. When Alex spoke in the Senate, he usually did so without notes, prosecuting his points admirably and always with passion—passion for the workers whom he proudly came here to represent and whom he never left behind. I think this is what Alex's colleagues will remember the most. He really never forgot where he came from. He never forgot who he went into parliament to fight for. He never stopped being that union organiser on the hustings, representing people working hard in an essential industry, doing the long hauls overnight while the rest of us slept. It was in this chamber, in my first few weeks here, that Alex sat down next to me with a clipboard—a former union organiser, so I knew I was about to be signed up for something. For some weeks I had worn it as a badge of honour that I had not signed up to any of the various parliamentary friends' groups on offer in the early weeks of the new parliament. I'd let them all fly by in my emails. But then Alex sat down next to me that day with a pen and a piece of paper and looked me straight in the eye, and to this day I am a card-carrying member of his beloved Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety.

To the end, Alex was always on the side of working people—his people—and I was one of many of Alex's colleagues who joined online to pay my respects at his funeral remotely. As a proud life member of my own union, I was deeply moved to see that Alex was making his final journey under the protection of the flag of his union—the Transport Workers Union. A life spent standing up for working people is indeed a life well lived. A life spent as part of the collective of the labour movement is a life of service to others, and for that life of service I pay my respects to Alex today and extend my condolences to his family, his friends, his union and his best mate, Glenn Sterle.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to associate myself with the remarks from all colleagues across the chamber in relation to the tributes they are paying to the life of Senator Alex Gallacher. He was somebody who was, without question, true to his beliefs and his values, and they were true Labor values; they were true union beliefs. As Senator Sheldon said, that's what he was respected for, and he was respected for that across the chamber.

I won't share any of my personal stories about him, because they were personal conversations. But they were conversations of fellowship of fellow senators and particular circumstances at the time, and they were very human interactions. They were the things that I really valued about working with Alex. We shared, again, some late nights, both on the same side of the table at estimates and on opposite sides of the table at estimates. If Alex thought you were serving up a load of BS, there was absolutely no question that you were going to be told you were serving up a load of BS—or the officials, for that matter. He just wanted an answer to his question. It was pretty simple.

With Alex you knew what you were going to get. He was deadset straight. You knew where he was coming from and you knew why he was coming from there. Comments have been made by so many colleagues across the chamber about the fact that he didn't forget where he came from and he didn't change: he was Alex Gallacher who became a senator through his time as a member of the union movement and he brought all those practical elements and experience with him to this place and he applied those to policy. And he was a thinker; he really was. He assessed things and he applied those things and that practical knowledge of the work that he'd done to this place.

It's spoken about often that one of the great things about Australia's parliament is that people who come from a really grassroots, practical background can end up in this place. Alex was a great example of that, as someone who came from a different country, became an Australian citizen and then came here to represent his values, his beliefs and his community in this place—something we should all celebrate. For the work he did in respect of a focus on road safety, it's a really fitting tribute that was made to him by his union in naming the training centre in South Australia after him. I think that's an absolutely fantastic thing.

Sterlo—and apologies for not addressing you as Senator Sterle—this was mentioned earlier by Senator McKenzie, and I'm pleased you mentioned it as well in your contribution: the Waldorf and Statler thing. Sterle and Gallacher went together like Waldorf and Statler, in my view. In some of those late-night sittings we'd see them both leaning forward with their chin on their elbows, looking across the chamber, obviously comparing something that was going on over there. They had a synergy and a symbiosis together. They clearly thought the same, and they were a real team. Glenn, I know you would miss Alex immensely, so I particularly express my condolences to you—and to all my other Labor colleagues across the chamber, but Sterlo, I know how much he meant to you, with the conversations and the journey you travelled together over a long period of time. I certainly did think of you a lot when we lost Alex; 67 is way too soon. To Alex's wife, Paola, and his four children and extended family, and to all of those in the Labor family, sincere condolences for your loss. He was a great guy. He made a contribution over a decade in this place. Senator Sheldon talked about him coming here during COVID, with all the things he was dealing with, so he could make a contribution. Certainly I recognised the importance and the significance of him doing that at a time that was a significant risk to him through what we were all facing with the national pandemic. I see his passing as a genuine loss. So, Alex, rest in peace, mate. To the Labor family and his family personally: my sincerest condolences.

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make a contribution to this condolence motion for the passing of the late Senator Alex Gallacher. I want to associate myself with the remarks of all of those who have preceded me. It has been the great telling of the breadth of a man who brought himself, everything of himself, to this chamber. The words that I would use to describe Senator Gallacher would be 'one of the hardest-working senators that I ever saw in this place'. I'm reminded of the day when we actually heard about his passing, standing here in the chamber. As much as we knew he was unwell, the shock washed over us because we don't expect, in this place, for people we work with to not show up one day. We know about life and death but we encounter it in such a profound and intense way in this chamber, being so dedicated to the work. People have spoken about the man, Alex Gallacher, today. As much as we know about one another, there was genuinely still this amazing shock amongst all of us that one of our colleagues had gone.

It is in this period of time, this time warp that we are all living, the COVID reality, where we're not sure if we're home or we're here. Can we see our friends? Can we see our family? How are we accessing health care? What sort of health care did Alex have? All of that was swirling around. But I remind senators that it was only a few months ago that Alex Gallacher was standing up in this chamber on 24 February, at two minutes to question time, when he said:

In the couple of minutes that are available to me I want to put on the record—and it's a very sombre duty—that during the 12 months until the end of December 2020, 170 people died in crashes involving heavy trucks. This includes 104 deaths in crashes involving articulated trucks and 68 deaths involving heavy rigid trucks.

I want to put to the Senate a simple proposition. There is probably no other industry in Australia, certainly none that I'm aware of, that incurs this level of death—and the injuries are not stated here today—and the level of death is through the roof. I don't know how as a government, a state government, a territory government or a council that we can put up with the fact that we're seeing 170 people die at work. That's where they're dying, at work, on the road, and we're not having an outpouring of a call for action.

There have been 170 workplace deaths in the 12 months to the end of 2020. It's a disgrace. The federal parliament should move on it, as should every other parliament in Australia.

All of us here: what can we say in two minutes? What are the snippets of our contributions that people are going to take to heart? In those two minutes, so much was said, so much of power, so much of a call for us to serve the nation.

Alex Gallacher has been eulogised today by members of the Labor Party, by friends and by colleagues who have only known him in this place as a Labor senator, by colleagues who shared the journey literally on the road with him—the TWU, unionists, brothers and sisters in arms—who have fought the good fight that still leaves us with the point he described on 24 February. Labor, Liberal, National, Greens and Independent senators are all in here with so many good words to say about a man who gave his all to this job.

I was really taken by the comments of my colleague Senator Marielle Smith—who I am pleased to see is still in the chamber—when she noted in her contribution her mentoring from Alex. He gave her great advice, but one thing stuck: people should believe every word you say. That's how I heard Alex Gallacher when he spoke in this place. There are people who make contributions and they will be applauded and we should accept that there are gifts differing amongst us. But there is something about the truth and its voice that is powerful. It is a thing that changes us, and if you're very, very lucky, people give of themselves and they come to this place and they speak with truth. Alex Gallacher did that with passion, with style, with vigour, with energy and with great talent every single time he stood up here and he opened his mouth. I don't think there would be a lot of people who we would be able to say that about—constantly speaking the truth.

I got to know Alex very slowly. I always felt that he was sort of watching what was going on. Today, Senator Sterle, you read the words of Matthew Marozzi, where Matthew said, 'He warmed to me.' I guess I'd have to say that that's the kind of experience I had—that Alex watched and he waited. We really didn't get to work together a lot, because we were on different inquiry paths for so much of our time. But I did a few hearings on the famous RRAT committee, which has a particular flavour of camaraderie that I think brings out the best in so many of the senators who were on it. It was on the multi-jurisdictional management of the Murray Darling Basin Plan committee when you, Mr President, were a lowly backbencher and chair of that committee. The work that we did on that committee—which I just had a look at today—was evidence of the kind of work that Alex did.

Alex was always absolutely prepared. He absolutely made sure that he knew what was going on, that he'd done all of the reading. He got to a point in the hearing on 11 December 2019 where he was asking about transparency of water markets. This is a man who can be diminished and described as just a hardworking man. Just a hardworking man is a great thing but, when you're blessed with the gift of intelligence that he had and he brought to this role, he was able to ask about the transparency of water markets, engage in an interchange with experts and allow and invite me into the questioning and recover and make a point at the end. This is what he said—one sentence—after a bit of a discussion about it: 'There is always someone who benefits from information asymmetries.' That is not the sort of language you're going to hear too much on the two-way radio. But people on the two-way radio know exactly what that feels like, and Alex not only knew what it felt like but also came in here and he knew how it would be best received in whatever context and he found the words to do that. Not everybody can do that, and I just really watched and admired that greatly. I want to proclaim him in my experience as a man of insight, a strategic thinker of intelligence, a man who made sure that he had a mastery of the information that he needed to do the job—a preparedness to undertake the tasks that fell to his lap. And there was a generosity in his leadership as a chair, able to engage and move everyone along together.

Towards the end of Alex's time here with me, he reached out and said, 'You should come and have a bottle of Australian wine with me.' We had the most remarkable and memorable evening. I felt that I was getting an incredible download of insight from a man who had a sense that his time was limited. I made notes when I left that meeting, and I have kept them because there was incredible sharp insight and truth in what he had to say.

Alex Gallacher was a loving husband. Paola, he spoke of you many, many times, and he talked about his trips to Italy with you. He also talked about all of his children and his grandchildren with smiles, joy and a genuine love that took him through the days while he was away from you. Now, in the days that you're away from him, be assured that he never, ever left you. His body might not have been with you, but his heart was always with you.

Of those trips to Italy, when I asked him if he'd been to many of the places where you go and look at the sights, he said no; he'd gone to a village and he'd put his roots down there. That tells you something about the man. He made home in places where it was appropriate to make home and he stuck to places where he could be authentic and genuine.

In closing, I want to remind us all, each one of us who valorised Senator Alex Gallacher today, those who have stayed in the chamber for the whole time, those who have made a contribution and those who might be listening and would like do something: Alex Gallacher on 24 February this year really put a challenge out to us. The work of road safety is not finished. It affects all of us. We all drive on roads. He showed us a way. If we really are going to honour him then we should definitely make a commitment in his honour to advance that cause and not lose focus.

I say to Paola and the family that, while I know your grief is great at this moment, I hope the words that we've put on the record today give you some comfort. I say to all people who loved Alex—his staff, the friends of a lifetime, all the unionists who worked with him and, by the sounds of things, against him on occasion, and his family—may they find comfort in these words today. After all your years of hard work, Alex, may you rest in peace.

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to pay my respects and to offer my condolences for the sad passing of Senator Alex Gallacher. Alex and I did not know each other well, but I rise to pay my respects as I've taken the sad honour of filling the vacancy that he leaves behind.

In every sense of the phrase, Alex was a working-class man. He'd been a labourer, a truckie, a proud unionist and a committed member of the Australian Labor Party. While Alex and I did not know each other well, we had many connections. His early career mirrored that of my own father, who was a labourer, a truckie and an executive of the Transport and General Workers Union in the UK and Ireland, and I believe that Alex and I would have had a lot to talk about and that I am the poorer for not having had the opportunity of those robust discussions with him.

When he came to this place, he clearly outlined exactly what he was here for, exactly what his priorities were: the transport industry, road safety and superannuation. He then pursued those issues keenly and with dedication for the duration of his time here. We've heard a lot about his committee work, which is impressive: 23 different committees, ranging across all sorts of different areas. His advocacy for the transport industry and road safety was unparalleled. He successfully campaigned for the establishment of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal and later fought passionately against its abolition. He also had the foresight to understand the role of the transport industry in reducing emissions, and in his first speech he noted:

The industry's contribution to carbon emissions is a significant challenge … doing nothing is not an option, as passing on the increased costs imposed will have a significant impact on inflation, affecting every household and business in the community.

On his death, Alex has been described as a champion for the blue-collar worker, a straight shooter and someone who dedicated his life to the interests of working people. As Labor leader Anthony Albanese said recently:

He was a conscientious, no-nonsense man who knew what he stood for.

He was a fighter. He was dedicated. And his role in this place has been borne out today with all of the comments from people and all of the eulogies.

I would just like to express my deep sympathies to Senator Sterle; to Alex's comrades in the Transport Workers Union; and also to his wife, Paola; his children, Caroline, Ian, Terry and Frank; his grandchildren and his broader family. I am so deeply sorry for the loss of your loved one. May he rest in peace.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just rise to speak to the family of Alex Gallacher. To Paola, on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory: we have incredibly fond memories of his time with us in the Northern Territory—in particular, the Transport Workers Union, who I know are listening, here, today, to all of us.

It was an important time when I came into the Senate in 2016 and met Alex for the first time, along with many other senators here today. But I wanted to share with you, Paola—you and your children and grandchildren—some pretty personal moments in particular, with my role, here in this Senate. I've heard my colleagues speak of so many things, of Alex, but one of the things that stays with me is his mentoring.

One of the earlier experiences I had, not really a year into the Senate, was travelling to the United Kingdom and working with Alex on one of our committees to inquire into modern slavery. It was my first time to the United Kingdom, and I was a little bit nervous about going over to where Captain Cook came from; I wasn't quite sure what to think. I don't think I could've travelled with a better colleague. We were able to talk—not all the way, on that flight over, but certainly in our time in London—and debate many things about the history of Australia and the history of colonisation, looking at landmarks around London but also working closely with him on the important role of reducing and getting rid of modern day slavery not just in the UK or around the world but here in Australia. So that was my first and very important time with Alex, which obviously followed on with many other inquiries from there.

But what I wanted to share, in this moment, was the memories of Anzac Day in London and how that trip to London wasn't just about the modern slavery inquiry. I was able to talk with him about the many Aboriginal men and women, or the black diggers, who fought for our country and were never recognised. And these were really important moments for me, because, with Alex's guidance, I was able to go and have a look at two cemeteries, one in Bournemouth and one in Southampton, and to look at, in particular, Bournemouth, where one of the private diggers was buried and was never really recognised. We wanted to make sure he was recognised in the Anzac Day commemorations, in particular, there in London. That was Private William Joseph Punch, who was enlisted to go to war in 1916, and did go to war, and died in 1917. He was buried in the civilian area of the Bournemouth cemetery, and it took a while to find his grave. The other private was Private Benjamin Combo, who enlisted in 1915 to go over and fight for Australia but unfortunately died on the journey, and he was buried at sea, but he was on the honour roll in Southampton, in Hollybrook cemetery. Again, I don't know if I would've had the courage to go and do that, and have a look, but also to be able to write about that and to commemorate that on the Anzac Day that we had in London.

That was my first opportunity to get to know Alex really well. I had many times with him and with Sterlo on the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee, and I thought we were a great team. We worked together strongly for the last five years, and I want to share with you that, with all the things he did for our country—working with the TWU, and with the Australian Labor Party here in the Senate on behalf of all Australians, irrespective of whether people agreed or disagreed with him—he was an outstanding person. He was generous, humble, fiercely strong and someone I greatly admired, and I'm deeply saddened by his loss. My sincere condolences to you, Paola, to the family and to the children and grandchildren, and to your extended family and friends. On behalf of all my families in the Northern Territory, I say bawuji barra. May he rest in peace.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Despite knowing of Senator Gallacher's illness, and despite having discussed the progress of his treatment with him, I, like many, was shocked and saddened on hearing the sudden news of his passing. It's rare in Queensland that a senator from outside the state is known, let alone highly regarded, and Senator Gallacher and Senator Sterle are two such people. Yet concurrently, as well as the sadness—and I think the sadness was due to the loss that we all felt—I'm most appreciative of having met him and for having worked with him. He showed qualities that are rare in parliament: a genuine love of and support for workers and for everyday Australians; a harking back for solid policies based upon data and facts anchored in the real world—and something that always struck me about Alex was that he was anchored in the real world; a realism and a sense for getting to the core of an issue, with nothing getting in the way of him getting there; and a wry sense of humour that broke out suddenly with gems that punctuated whole issues. I appreciated his willingness to listen to my views and positions, and his quiet yet strong support for issues deeply important to me. In that, I enjoyed his frankness and openness. He loved our country and, like so many everyday Australians across our country, searched and hankered for a return to the basics.

He was a traditional old-school union leader, a real union delegate, the type for whom I have enormous regard, having dealt with them and worked with them in the mining industry, for their competence and their ability to listen to people—to really listen, with genuine interest and genuine care—and to take real action in support. He was quietly assertive—the most effective type of assertiveness, a genuine, deep, grounded care for people and with common sense that showed his strength. Alex's party, our parliament, and our nation have lost a caring, thoughtful, strong and practical contributor for whom I have enormous fondness and admiration. My condolences to Alex's family, to his mates, particularly Glenn, and to our whole nation.

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

I would like to briefly associate myself with the sentiments of this chamber and the remarks that have been given in tribute to Senator Alex Gallacher. He was the type of person that makes this the best club in the country. Despite being on the other side of the chamber, he was always someone who would engage with everybody in this place. He would deal with everybody as an individual, show them respect and listen to them, but then go away and fight for the things that he held true as a union leader, a member of the Australian Labor Party and a senator for South Australia.

I hope that Senator Gallacher's passing doesn't let us lose something from this place too. Sometimes I think that senators like him aren't made anymore, but hopefully that's not the case. He represented some things that are great about our nation: a down-to-earth spirit, a love of the egalitarian and 'fair go' culture that we're about, and a real defence of honest hardworking men and women of this country. I didn't get time to work with Alex on many issues. I'd just note that, today, we're paying tribute to Senator Gallacher on the same day that the next step has been taken on the radioactive waste journey. That was one issue I dealt with Alex a little bit on, and I really respected his no-nonsense attitude to issues like that, where he saw that there was an interest in the advancement of this country to support. His passing is a great loss to this chamber, but his legacy and memory should inspire all of us to ensure we do not lose his spirit from this chamber.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to have incorporated into Hansard the speeches of Senator Kim Carr, Senator Carol Brown and Senator Catryna Bilyk.

Leave granted.

The speeches read as f ollows—

CONDOLENCE MOTION FOR ALEX GALLACHER - SENATOR KIM CARR

A life in politics can be very isolating.

You have lots of acquaintances, but few friends.

Alex Gallacher was a colleague whom I was privileged to call a friend.

We came from different parts of the Labor Party, but that didn't matter.

The longer I serve in this place, the more I appreciate how you can come to see people differently.

In recent times, as I shared the back bench with Alex, I had many conversations with him.

I found how much we had in common in our vision of politics, and Labor politics in particular.

Alex Gallacher represented all that is best in the labour movement.

As a union official, and in this place, he was always a staunch defender of the ideals of that movement.

He was always a loyal member of the Labor Party, though he did not always like the direction it took.

Indeed, his loyalty was shown most strongly when he had such misgivings.

Alex believed it was his duty to call out those who he thought had strayed from Labor values.

He did so fearlessly.

Senators from all sides of this chamber will remember Alex as a straight talker.

To always speak plainly and directly is a virtue in politics.

Unfortunately, it is a virtue that is no longer as widespread as it should be.

Alex's forthrightness, however, will remain an example - and perhaps sometimes a reproach - to us all.

He seems to have acquired this forthrightness from his Scottish family background.

In his first speech in this place, he quoted his two Scottish aunts, Dotty and Mattie.

Their counsel to him on entering Parliament was: "Don't get a big head and don't get too big for your boots".

Alex said he intended to heed their advice, and I'm sure they would be pleased that he did.

They would probably also be pleased at his readiness to pass the advice on unsolicited, to other people he thought needed to hear it.

Alex was born in New Cumnock, Scotland, in 1954 and migrated to Australia with his family in 1966.

Like all migrants, they came here in search of a better life.

Alex found that better life, and dedicated his own life to building a better life for others.

He first worked as a labourer and a truck driver, and through that became involved in the Transport Workers Union.

He rose to become state secretary of the union in South Australia, before becoming a Labor Senator for that state in 2010.

Alex's commitment to the industry in which he had worked never wavered, throughout his time in the Senate.

As he said in his first speech:

"I have been involved in the transport industry all my life. In my humble opinion, there is no better place to work.

"There is no smoke and mirrors. Just plain-talking hardworking employees and employers alike in a tough, competitive industry which works harder than most people imagine and continues to work when most people are asleep".

Alex spoke from experience, with the knowledge only an insider can have.

But it was not only knowledge of the practice of the industry.

The speech demonstrated his deep theoretical understanding of the industry's role in the wider economy.

He pointed to problems that have since become acute because of the pandemic.

Problems, for example, associated with "just in time" delivery schedules to ensure that the nation's supermarket shelves can be restocked quickly.

He accepted the need to make the schedules work effectively by properly integrating long-distance and local distribution.

But he did not see this only as a technical matter.

A Labor man and a unionist to the core, he warned of the human cost.

The cost of driver fatigue, and the consequent risks to road safety:

"We are human, and we make mistakes," he said.

"Our bodies are subject to biomechanical tolerance limits and simply not designed to travel at high speed.

"Yet we do so anyway. An effective road safety system must always take human fallibility into account".

Alex knew that resolving such problems requires meticulous research and careful analysis.

His time in this place refutes those who are tempted to think that a labourer and truck driver might not be capable of such activities.

I know how keen his intellect was from the questions he put to me when preparing for committee inquiries.

Committee work is what the Senate does best, and Alex was a consummate committeeman.

He made substantial contributions to the work of many committees, including:

He also served on joint committees, including Public Works and Public Accounts and Audit.

Alex Gallacher will be greatly missed, by the Labor Party, by the Senate and by the people of South Australia whom he represented.

I offer my condolences to Paola and his family.

And also to the TWU, including Alex's Senate colleagues Glenn Sterle and Tony Sheldon.

I'd like to finish on a quote from Theodore Roosevelt, which Alex used to conclude his first speech:

"Far and away the best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

Alex Gallacher certainly earned that prize.

Rest in peace, Alex.

Condolence for Alex Gallacher

SENATOR CAROL BROWN

It is somewhat serendipitous that we are having this debate today, as it was four years ago to this date that our former colleague, and another great TWU official, Senator Steve Hutchins was laid to rest.

Alex Gallacher was not only a valued and trusted colleague but also a true friend.

Alex represented the true values of the labour movement and the Labor Party. He never forgot the hardworking Australians that it was his life's passion to represent — firstly with the Transport Workers Union and then in this parliament.

His passion for walking and driving were legend.

As was his straight talking, mischievous sense of humour and dedication.

Not only did Alex and I become friends, but we were also corridor buddies.

I've lost count of the number of Monday nights a small group of us would keep each other company, with Alex's story telling and strong views on various policy options keeping us all entertained.

Alex also shared a friendship with my very good friend, former Senator Claire Moore, who has asked me to pass on the following message:

Alex had a strong commitment to the work of the Senate.

He valued the importance of the committee system, and the need to gain information through that system to provide the best basis for policy development and consideration. He and his office prepared for estimates hearings, in detail and his effective examination of audit reports, tender documents and annual reports to extract information, patterns and inconsistencies was exemplary.

He enjoyed the process, and nothing angered him more than waffling or covering up by witnesses, especially public servants. He was respected by the public servants because he did his homework, and he established professional relationships because they were doing their jobs.

Alex did not bully or ridicule witnesses, although he did get real pleasure when exposing inaccuracies, or poor behaviour.

Alex was very generous and supportive as a committee member and a chair. If you made your case for a position, he ensured that you had time to put the case wherever possible.

He supported committee enquires on issues which were not popular. He was very supportive when I wished to pursue Australia's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, and attended meetings to allow quorum and provide respect to witnesses.

I loved watching him interact with young people and schools during our committee work. Perhaps it was the link with his grandchildren.

As we all know, Alex had a great dry sense of humour — and none of us were beyond its reach.

Two of the important issues Alex brought to this Chamber were road safety and access to health services.

Senator Pat Dodson got to learn about Alex's passion for documenting, acknowledging and celebrating Australia's indigenous history and the work Alex did promoting it in parts of the South Australian community.

Both Claire and I would like to pass on our sincere condolences to Paola, Alex's family and his staff.

He was very proud of all of you and would often talk lovingly about each and every one of you.

Although Alex is no longer with us, his spirit lives on in this place through his close friend and fellow former TWU official Senators Glenn Sterle.

FORMER SENATOR ALEX GALLACHER CONDOLENCE SPEECH BY SENATOR CATRYNA BILYK

I don't want to take up too much time today, but I do want to pay my respects to a man who became a good friend.

I first met Alex when he was elected to the Senate in 2010. My initial thoughts were that I didn't think I would warm to him to as a friend, although I knew he couldn't be all bad because he was good mates with Senator Glenn Sterle. It didn't take too long for us to become friends though, as I realised Alex had a dry sense of humour, but what a great sense of humour it was, that he had a strong work ethic and, if possible, an even stronger sense of loyalty. He was also a very direct shooter when it came to words, not so sure about his golfing hits.

He did not suffer fools gladly and did not like people with titles, for example Senator, Minister, Shadow Minister, thinking they were better than anyone else. He could pull people down with a few swift words and do so without them even realising what he was doing. I saw that in action a few times, when people tried to one up him. He was very down to earth, no pretentions at all.

Alex came to the Senate after a 22-year career in the Transport Workers Union starting as a truck driver and becoming the Secretary of the South Australian/ Northern Territory branch. He dedicated his life to improving conditions for working people, and the love he had for the transport workers never left him. Others have spoken of his achievements and involvements in this area so I won't repeat all that.

Alex was smart, not just street smart, but politically and tactically. Many a discussion (mainly held in his or Sterle's office and often over a red wine or a beer) was about tactics he though we should be using, or how he was going to approach a certain issue. He was a critical thinker and I learnt a lot from him and those discussions.

Alex loved his family, and he would often chat and show me photos of his children and grandchildren and speak about what they were up to. He was a proud dad and an even prouder grandad. Even when he was at home in Adelaide, when I would contact him, he would update me on the family.

He also loved to play golf. Sometimes when I would ring or text him to see how he was going he would tell me he had managed a game or two and how he had played, often badly according to him, but he'd obviously enjoyed it.

I once told Alex that I'd reversed a B double (truck) the length of a football field and had a certificate for doing so. His comment was "well there's a skill I think you've lost." A few months later he was a passenger in my car, as a few of us were going out to dinner. I found a park and reversed in, in one go, using my mirrors, and I watched him and Glenn Sterle looking at each other. "Oh, so you know to use your mirrors to park and reverse well" was the dry comment. "That's what truckies do".

He used to often pester me about people getting pairs. This came to be a great bit of banter between him and I. He thought, as the former Deputy Whip, I should know why people had pairs. I explained that's information the Whip holds in confidence, but he would ask me why so and so had a pair, and how come so and so also got pairs, and why was someone paired for that particular time and so it went on. This went on for months and finally one day he said to how come he didn't paired. My response was. "Alex, if you grew a pair, you would get a pair". He was lost for words and later in the day came to me and told me "It's not many people that leave me speechless, but you did then. Good job mate"

I remember that conversation with fond memories of a man who was a good mate to many. I count myself lucky to have been part of his crowd.

Vale Alex Gallacher - I hope wherever you are you are enjoying a glass of red, or a beer and enjoying your golf.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to also add just a few short remarks to the debate on this condolence motion. Senator Gallacher's journey and mine, as Senator Sterle said, paralleled each other for a little while. We served on a number of committees together, including the Select Committee on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, but most particularly the Senate Standing Committees on Economics, where he was my deputy chair on the Economics Legislation Committee and I was his deputy chair on the Economics References Committee. We had met on the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committees.

I didn't know Senator Gallacher well. We probably spent a lot of time together on the economics committee in that first six months, the second half of 2019. We were down in Traralgon in Victoria, and we'd had the long drive out and a day's hearings where we'd heard of the many serious problems faced by that region. And the committee hearing ended, and Alex disappeared. And I thought: 'It's a long drive home. He and Matthew have got to get back to Melbourne and then back to Adelaide.' So I thought: 'He has jumped in the car and gone.' I chatted to a couple of the witnesses. The hearing had been held in the RSL, and I went upstairs out of the hearing room—and there was Alex sitting at the bar. He'd already won one bet and he had another one on, and that will be an enduring memory I have of a wonderful senator and a wonderful contributor to this place. I offer my sincere condolences to his family, his friends, his colleagues and his staff.

I will now ask all senators to rise and join me in a moment's silence to acknowledge the passing of Senator Alex Gallacher, remembering the contribution which he made to the Senate, and to signify assent to the motion.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.