Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 8 November 2022 of the Hon. Peter Keaston Reith, AM, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of Flinders, Victoria, from 1982 to 2001.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep sorrow at the death, on 8 November 2022, of the Honourable Peter Keaston Reith AM, former Minister for Defence, Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business and Minister for Industrial Relations, and former member for Flinders, places on record its gratitude of his service to the Parliament and the nation and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

I rise on behalf of the government to express our condolences following the passing of former minister Hon. Peter Keaston Reith, AM, who passed away on 8 November 2022 at the age of 72. I do so as the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations in the Senate, recognising the portfolios held by Peter Reith for the majority of his ministerial career. As I begin, I wish to convey the government's condolences to Mr Reith's family and friends. I particularly acknowledge members of the Reith family who have travelled to be present for condolence motions in the House of Representatives and the Senate today.

There's no doubt that Peter Reith was a controversial figure in Australian politics, particularly for those on our side of the chamber. I do not say this disrespectfully, but to recognise that for many people he was the personification of policies they opposed vociferously and tenaciously. But Peter Reith was equally as vociferous and tenacious in his promotion of those policies, particularly in industrial relations, and the extent to which some of them became entrenched in Australia's legislative architecture is a measure of his efforts. So, too, is the regard in which he is held amongst those on his own side of politics. Whilst his life and contribution will be remembered differently on different parts of the Australian political spectrum, today we all recognise his impact on our nation.

Peter Reith was born in Melbourne and was educated at Brighton Grammar School, and then at Monash University, from where he graduated with qualifications in economics and law. He worked as a solicitor in Cowes on Phillip Island and was then elected as a councillor and, later, as President of the Shire of Phillip Island. Active in the Liberal Party from his teenage years, he gained federal preselection after defeating, amongst others, Richard Alston, who would go on to become a senator and cabinet minister alongside him in the Howard government.

Peter Reith entered federal politics in 1982 after winning the seat of Flinders in a by-election to replace Sir Philip Lynch, serving first under the leadership of Malcolm Fraser. He lost his seat the next year but was then re-elected to the House of Representatives in 1984 and further returned in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996 and 1998. Mr Reith retired prior to the 2001 election.

Some might say the timing of Peter Reith's election was unfortunate, given it coincided with a sustained period of Labor government under Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. But, in many ways, the time Peter Reith served in opposition was an extensive apprenticeship and preparation for a sustained period in government. He was a loyal warrior under four Liberal leaders: Andrew Peacock, John Hewson, Alexander Downer and John Howard. He held office as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1993, shoulder to shoulder with John Hewson.

In addition, Mr Reith filled a number of shadow ministerial positions in portfolios including housing, sport, Attorney-General's, Treasury, Defence, foreign affairs and industrial relations. In these, particularly as the shadow Treasurer, responsible for selling tax reform with a consumption tax as its centre piece, he travelled the hard road in pursuit of his beliefs. Paul Keating once described Peter Reith as 'one of those inflatable clowns with sand in the bottom and you knock them down and they bounce back up'. I am pretty sure that was a compliment. Mr Reith also earned a reputation as an indefatigable headkicker and strong policy opponent, such as through his part in defeating the 1988 referendum proposals.

The big defeat of the Keating government in March 1996 heralded a big change in Australian politics. Whatever you think, John Howard led a transformational government that would have a lasting impact on our nation. It was not a transformation that those of us on this side of the chamber agreed with, necessarily. Peter Reith stood alongside John Howard as a key lieutenant charged with implementing some of the most contentious elements of the coalition's policy agenda. He held the positions of Minister for Industrial Relations and then Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business from 1996 to 2001. In addition, he served as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service from 1996 to 1997 and Minister for Defence in 2001.

Peter Reith's political legacy is undeniably extensive and his pursuit of his vision for workplace relations reform was tireless. The reforms he put forward as the minister responsible for workplace relations made a significant impact on Australia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although the Albanese Labor government has a very different vision for getting there, reforming the workplace relations system to underpin productivity is an important policy goal. It's fair to say that we will put as much energy into reforming our workplace relations system as Peter Reith did in his time.

Peter Reith will always be remembered for the role that he played in a series of waterfront disputes in the 1990s, one of the most significant periods in Australian workplace relations history. Under the Howard government, following the keystone 1998 High Court decision to prevent deunionisation of the waterfront, Mr Reith implemented significant workplace changes. It's fair to say that this decision, and this time, was one of the most polarising periods of Australia's workplace relations history. There are images and headlines that are seared into the collective memory of the union movement and of businesses, and these are not going to be forgotten, even though it happened more than two decades ago.

Outside of his ministerial responsibilities, Peter Reith campaigned for a republic prior to the unsuccessful 1999 referendum, its defeat welcomed as he reflected a preference for a directly elected president as opposed to the model put to the Australian people.

In the final year of his ministerial career, John Howard switched Peter Reith to the Defence portfolio, which placed him as a key figure in the contentious 'children overboard' affair during the 2001 election campaign in which the then government falsely claimed that asylum seekers had thrown their children out of a leaky fishing boat, later the subject of a Senate select committee inquiry. This was a regrettable end to a parliamentary career that had spanned nearly two decades.

Peter Reith was a well-respected colleague and mentor of many in this parliament—and in the Liberal Party, in particular—across four decades. His allies regarded him as a person of integrity and trust. I pay tribute to his undoubted commitment to his community, his dedication to his portfolios and the fact that he was always true to his beliefs. Any chronicle of the Howard government would be incomplete without extensive acknowledgement of the contribution of Peter Reith.

Today we also acknowledge he has passed away at a relatively young age and in circumstances that robbed him and those around him of years and further contributions in his post-political life. I acknowledge that the fight against Alzheimer's disease is incredibly difficult for individuals, their families and their friends. The government expresses its condolences following the passing of the Hon. Peter Keaston Reith AM and we again convey our sympathies to his family and those who knew him well.

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

Peter Keaston Reith was one of the great Liberals of the modern era and, indeed, one of the great parliamentarians. He came to this parliament committed as a reformer, a man of principle, a man driven by policy, a man of courage in his convictions and a man of ambition for what could be achieved from his time in this place. He dedicated his life to public service and to the pursuit of a better, stronger Australia.

Born in Melbourne in 1950, Peter was educated at Brighton Grammar and had an early introduction to politics, joining the Sandringham branch of the Young Liberals at 15, and then went on to study law and economics at Monash University. Peter practiced as a solicitor in Melbourne and then in the small town of Cowes on Phillip Island. Peter's family had a history with Phillip Island that he too would build a lifelong connection to. At the age of 26, in 1976, Peter followed his brother in becoming a shire counsellor on Phillip Island and later became the shire president in 1981. In those few short years alone, he had an impact, having helped establish the independent school of Newhaven College and in setting up the Penguin research facility.

Peter almost didn't fulfil his political destiny, as is the volatile nature of politics. He was both the victim and the beneficiary of the early-calling elections. Peter had been successful in the by-election for the seat of Flinders, held late in 1982 following the retirement of Sir Phillip Lynch. However, Peter wasn't even given the chance to be sworn into the House of Representatives before the early calling of an election in early 1983, just months after Peter's election. And there, in that 1983 election, a national swing against the Fraser government saw Peter lose the seat of Flinders without having sat in this place. However, in his first demonstration in public life of rolling with the punches and his ability to withstand setbacks, Peter, having endured three election campaigns over a 27-month period to be the member for Flinders, won the second of those three and regained the seat in the early election of 1984. From there, he would continue to represent the people of Flinders for over 17 years.

In his first speech, he reflected on the ups and downs of those election campaigns, saying that it was indicative of the healthy political system we have in this country and that his election to this place had been brought about not by the efforts of a few but by the efforts of very many people in Flinders. Demonstrating a sense of humour, a little cheek and perhaps even a little effrontery, he also went on in that speech to thank and to say, 'Finally, I cannot overlook the contribution of the Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, whose brief foray into Flinders probably put the matter'—of Peter's successful election—'beyond doubt.' He took the opportunity to invite Mr Hawke to the electorate of Flinders at the earliest opportunity and, at the very least, during the next election campaign.

That small quip aside, I'd encourage anybody who can to take the time to read Peter's first speech. It is clear and even raw in its honesty but also foretelling of the approach he would bring to the issues he would later tackle as a reformer within this parliament. He spoke, for instance, of the outlook of Milton Friedman and of the interrelationship between economic and political freedoms. Peter highlighted that the marketplace is distorted by the inefficiencies of the demands of government. While acknowledging that there is a role for governments to play in the maintenance of minimum standards, he was also very clear that demands go hand in hand with the parallel demand that governments should not impose upon the individual's right to have an economic system where effort is rewarded. There was a consistency from that first speech that would carry all of the way through Peter's years in politics.

Peter's analytical and sharp policy mind reflected the positions he would hold as shadow minister across a broad range of portfolio areas, from Foreign Affairs and Defence to Education and Sport to Industrial Relations to Treasury and more. He also operated as a powerful and effective manager of opposition business. His key, most notable and memorable contribution during his time as shadow minister was undoubtedly the most ambitious policy manifesto ever presented by an Australian opposition to a federal election. That, of course, was the Fightback policy manifesto presented in 1993.

An article from the Sydney Morning Herald in 1992 recounts a moment when Peter, as then shadow Treasurer, earned the spontaneous applause of his colleagues after defending the coalition's fightback policy on Four Corners, following a leaking of Treasury papers planning an analysis of the coalition's policy. The article read: 'His performance in the interview was shrewd and calmly aggressive. He conceded nothing of any significance, undermined the government's case, questioned the credibility of the Treasury and cast doubt on the relationship between Four Corners and the government. It was Peter Reith's best performance, and one of which any politician would be proud.'

While fightback may have gone down in history as a failed election manifesto, Peter's loyalty and beliefs in his party's mantra did not waver. And, indeed, many of the policies within fightback, in particular the central tax reform agenda contained within it, would later become reforms to Australia's policy regime that last to this very day and that have enhanced Australia's standing. The policy ambition shown at that time was nothing short of inspirational at least to some—and indeed can I note that it was at that time that I joined the Liberal Party, first campaigning for the party in that 1993 election.

Peter served under Liberal leaders Malcolm Fraser, Andrew Peacock, John Hewson, Alexander Downer and John Howard. He demonstrated an ability to work with all but always to put policy and the agenda of the nation first. Whilst that 1993 election defeat was a setback, Peter Reith typically bounced back. As is common for many who enter the public life of parliament, your opponents, the media and the Australian people can perceive politicians in a very different light to who they truly are or indeed can see those perceptions change over time, depending on the circumstances and sometimes the luck that you face.

Senator Watt referenced the Paul Keating quote about Peter Reith. But by 19966 one article described Mr Reith, having taken on the ministry and become a leading figure in the Howard government, as: 'No longer the political write-off of his critics or the butt of Mr Keating's bouncing clown jokes, the bald and bespectacled politician has emerged as a respected operator who is shrewd, intelligent and tenacious.' It was those attributes that saw, under the Howard government, Peter have his most recognisable achievements in government.

As Minister for Workplace Relations and Small Business, he became the architect of pivotal workplace reform which put the interests of employers and employees first. The 1998 waterfront dispute became one of the most significant moments in Australian industrial relations history. Prime Minister from that time, John Howard, reflected that, however contested the outcome of the 1988 waterfront dispute may have been, it was undeniable that world-ranking productivity replaced the ruinous behaviour which severely damaged some of the most productive businesses in Australia. Standing up to the extreme intimidation of the unions didn't come without its own risks for Peter, whose management of the controversy saw him even offer his resignation to John Howard at one point. But, of course, Mr Howard declined, and despite the threats and the months of police protection, Peter Reith remained fearless. As John Howard said following Peter Reith's death, describing him as a great all-rounder, he had lost somebody that he admired, who gave enormously to be Liberal cause. Mr Howard acknowledged that Peter Reith did fight very hard, but, most importantly, he was there to bring about change.

Even having gone through tumultuous waters with workplace relations and waterfront reforms, Peter Reith, through the parliament, never lost sight of his time and responsibility to his local community. This was reflected by The Age in early 2000 who spent a few days with Peter Reith following him around the Flinders electorate, meeting with local constituents: a young couple who had bought their new home, visiting a nursing home, a visit to the local RSL and another to a group of people who wanted to acquire a submarine for a tourist attraction. While the article called the latter idea hairbrained, Peter Reith nonetheless acted as the effective local MP, picked up the phone and tried to help as best he could.

Peter Reith will be remembered for pivotal moments in Australian political history. Rightfully, he should be remembered for what he set out to achieve. He said in his first speech to the parliament:

Australia is a lucky country. Let us not allow it to become a fool's paradise. We have the people and resources to build up this nation and I look forward optimistically to the Australia of the future and commit myself to working hard for its improvement.

I would hope we can all agree, even if people disagree on some of the policies, that Peter Reith did just that. He committed himself to working hard for the improvement of Australia, doing so as the member for Flinders, as a shadow minister, at the parliamentary manager and leader, as the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, and the Minister for Defence. He was a tough political warrior, but was always driven by the best of reasons and instincts.

As his family have indicated, behind the scenes he was a different character. His family remember a man who never lost his temper—a man of warmth, of care and of countless dad jokes. On behalf of the opposition and the Senate, to Peter's loved ones, to his wife, Kerrie, and to his four sons, Paul, Simon, David and Robert, we acknowledge the difficulty few years you have faced, the challenges you have encountered, and the loss of time you wished you would have had with your husband and your dad. We extend our most sincere gratitude for his service to our nation and for the enormous contribution that he made, as well as our sincerest condolences, to all of you.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the National Party, I rise to contribute to the motion on the passing of former Liberal Party member, parliamentarian, minister and great Victorian, the Hon. Peter Reid AM. Elected to the seat of Flinders in 1982, he served our parliament for more than 17 years. He served under Liberal leaders Malcolm Fraser, Andrew Peacock, John Hewson, Alexander Downer and John Howard. His loyalty and dedication are renowned within the coalition, and even more renowned was his wicked sense of humour, I am told. Mr Reith was seen as the hard man of the Howard government not only on industrial relations but also as leader of the other place. He was a Liberal MP over six parliamentary terms, the party's deputy leader from 1990 to 1994, Minister for Workplace Relations and Small Business and Minister for Defence.

His time as industrial relations minister delivered significant reforms to Australia's workplace culture and laws, creating more prosperity and productivity, which set Australia up to deliver the longest period of sustained economic growth of any nation in recent memory. His reforms included changes to the structure of the Commonwealth Public Service, a significant reform package for small business and an innovative targeted program for the employment of Indigenous Australians. But he is best known for securing the significant productivity reforms which followed the 1998 waterfront dispute, where he fought alongside our primary producers, state organisations and the Victorian Farmers Federation for a more productive and more prosperous export industry. That is what rural and regional Australia and, indeed, our nation was able to benefit from, thanks to the work of Peter Reith, then agriculture minister Peter McGauran, and a whole suite of others from the private sector and beyond. They were fighting the stranglehold that militant unions had on our wharfs at that time, ensuring that we could never actually realise our true potential as one of the great exporting agricultural nations, that we have now become.

Mr Reith was an architect of pivotal workplace reforms which put the interests of employers and employees first. As John Howard said recently:

However contested the outcome of the 1998 waterfront dispute may have been, it was undeniable that world ranking productivity replaced ruinous behaviour which severely damaged some of the most productive businesses in Australia.

The resulting progress, productivity and reforms achieved in the workplace because of Mr Reith's political fortitude and conviction are now at risk with this current government's approach to industrial relations. They want to return us to the days of industrywide industrial chaos and drag us back to the dark ages of union thuggery, corruption and strikes when wharfs were strangled and our exports and imports were damaged and hindered. I hope we will remember Peter Reith's fortitude in taking on those unions and ensuring our wharves and our economy more broadly became more productive and prosperous for all. Richard Alston said that Peter's 'efforts in leading the reform of the waterfront mark him down as one of the best cabinet ministers of all time'. He said:

He was peerless in pursuit of the reform objective, despite having a 24-hour security guard. He never wavered …

Throughout his public life he delivered a lot. My own family was a beneficiary of his time setting up Newhaven College. Both of my eldest sons graduated from Newhaven College. It's a great opportunity on the Bass coast. We have a choice of an independent Christian offering for families. It is really superconnected to the environment as well. It's a unique education. I thank Mr Reith for that as well.

Reith was the Liberal Party's deputy leader and had over almost two decades of involvement in federal politics. He emerged as one of the most significant and toughest coalition government ministers since World War II. During the 1993 federal campaign an onlooker in Broken Hill, Australia's toughest union town—and, yes, in the regions—was astonished to see Peter Reith alone on a street corner extolling the virtues of Fightback, the coalition's offering at that election—a free-market policy credo. According to Andrew Clark of the AFR:

Initially he was ignored but eventually he was encircled by an increasingly angry—

and subtext, typically Broken Hill—

crowd of burly miners and furious women denouncing his message. An imposingly big and snarling sort of man, Reith was undeterred and returned the crowd's hostility in kind, which eventually saw them disperse in disgust.

Peter's political legacy is extensive and lasting. Anyone who's interested in understanding his contribution in more detail should head upstairs to our own Parliamentary Library and check out The Reith Papers, which is an extensive body of work detailing his love of policy and reform across a whole raft of areas. He combined ideology with conviction, duty and diligence and relentless pursuit of reform. Michael Kroger said it best when he said that he was a man of steel. While all ministers, backbenchers and others ran for cover when things got hard, Peter never wavered.

I want to conclude with a quote from Mr Reith, which I think sums up his achievements in public life and attributes of a conviction politician. He said:

You could say, well, the government took a beating. Well, every government has taken a beating in the past on waterfront reform. We took a bit more beating than usual but, then again, we're the only ones who ever got anything done either.

I think there's a lesson for all of us in that. On behalf of the National Party I extend my deepest sympathy to his wife, Kerrie; his four sons—Paul, Simon, David and Robert—and their families; and the very many friends that Mr Reith made whilst he had his time in this place. Vale, Peter Reith.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to support and to speak to the condolence motion. Peter Keaston Reith is best described as an old-style politician, someone versed in the ways of negotiation when trying to achieve the right outcome for the nation and also as someone willing to meet fire with fire when needed. He was without a doubt a warrior and a stalwart of the Liberal Party.

Peter was born in Melbourne on 15 July 1950 and was later educated at Brighton Grammar School before he attended Monash University. He received a degree in law and economics and practised in Melbourne before opening his own practice on Phillip Island, where his family had a long and distinguished history in the local community. Peter and his brother, Sandy, were both elected to the Phillip Island Shire Council in 1976, and Peter became shire president just five years later.

As we have heard, Peter came into the parliament in 1982 and served for more than 17 years under Liberal leaders Malcolm Fraser, Andrew Peacock, John Hewson, Alexander Downer and John Howard before retiring from politics at the 2001 election. He was loyal to each leader as he was to his party, whether in government or in opposition.

Peter's political legacy was forged during the Howard government, where he had ministerial responsibilities for industrial and workplace relations, small business and defence. I'm sure Peter would have enjoyed the irony of the fact that his passing came at a time when we are involved in a critical debate about the industrial relations policy of this nation. As the industrial relations minister after John Howard's 1996 election victory, Peter was tasked with drafting and implementing the Howard government's industrial relations policy. In January 1997, Peter and the Howard government successfully amended the Industrial Relations Act. The aim of that legislation was to foster individual choice in workplace bargaining. This was achieved by reducing the powers of unions to intervene. The legislation also reduced the powers of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to arbitrate disputes, and introduced individual statutory employment contracts. Collective bargaining was also restricted.

Those reforms came into play during the 1998 waterfront dispute, in which Peter played a central and critical role. Out of that dispute, Peter was able to secure, importantly, significant productivity reforms and major improvements in work practices. While the exact levels of productivity gains have always been disputed, businesses involved have claimed that, within a few years, crane productivity doubled and productivity per hour of work more than quadrupled.

After Peter's death, John Howard described the waterfront outcome like this, as Senator McKenzie herself has already referred:

However contested the outcome of the 1998 Waterfront Dispute may have been, it was undeniable that world ranking productivity replaced ruinous behaviour which severely damaged some of the most productive businesses in Australia.

People often forget that during this time Peter had a 24-hour-a-day security guard and was under enormous pressure, but he never took a step back from the battle for reform.

Following his passing, Peter's cabinet colleague Richard Alston said his efforts in leading the reform of the waterfront made him one of the best cabinet ministers of all time. Alston said this:

He was peerless in pursuit of the reform objective … He never wavered … I always considered him the most impressive contributor in the cabinet among his ministerial colleagues—quick, creative, consistent, thoughtful, and well-informed.

During his time as industrial relations minister, Peter also introduced changes to the structure of the Commonwealth Public Service. He introduced reforms for small business and a program for the employment of Indigenous Australians.

It is interesting to go back over Peter's first speech in the other place. He talked about a vision for a better Australia. He said:

A vision of a better Australia of course needs the confidence that one can make a contribution to bring such visions to reality. To that extent I am idealistic. I believe that if Australians work together and pursue common goals we can achieve a better Australia for all Australians. I do not doubt that honourable members on both sides of this House share a vision of Australia without poverty, where all Australians can have shelter, are well fed and clothed, can receive a good education and can reach their full potential in a country whose sovereignty remains inviolate.

It is obvious from the incredible service that Peter Reith provided to our great country over so many, many years that he always worked to live up to that vision.

He saw Australia as a lucky country, but he also knew that we have to work hard to capitalise on that luck. Many of his colleagues, including former prime minister Howard, have remarked on Peter's sense of humour, describing it in various ways, ranging from wicked to laid back. Former prime minister Howard said he had seen Peter about five weeks before his passing and that Peter had retained that sense of humour. It's a good reminder for all of us in this place that we can go about our duties with a positive attitude and a sense of humour.

I, too, offer my heartfelt condolences to Peter's colleagues, his friends and family, especially his wife, Kerrie, and his four sons, Paul, Simon, David and Robert.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, too, rise to lend my voice to the chamber's condolences to the Hon. Peter Reith. Peter truly was a giant of the Liberal Party. He had an enormous intellect, and he was what every Liberal minister aspires to be: a true reformer.

Last week's funeral was a fitting tribute to the life of an incredible man who left an indelible mark on our history. He embodied the values and principles for which the Liberal Party stands. His greatest work, of course, was the reform of the industrial relations system in the late 1990s and, in particular, on the waterfront, which has left Australia and Australians more prosperous and more productive. It certainly wasn't without struggle, though. The sheer audacity of this project, the foresight, the intellectual rigour, the personal effort and personal and safety sacrifice, and the self belief that went into it was really quite an undertaking. So it's little wonder that for policymakers and politicians and anyone engaged in civic debate the extraordinary life of such an exceptional man warrants acknowledgement and reflection and, indeed, reverence.

Peter was what so many of us hope we can be. There are lessons in his life for all of us. As a parliamentarian, he was respected and he was respectful. He was principled and steadfast. He was determined and he was effective, but he was also kind and encouraging. His staff tell the story that he never swore and never raised his voice. John Howard referred to Peter's team as 'always a functional office'. That's high praise indeed in a place like this.

As a professional, whether it was in politics or beyond, you could see in Peter's face that he just loved whatever it was he was doing. It didn't matter whether it was a small business portfolio or Defence or industrial relations, there was always a twinkle in his eye. You could see that when he became a commentator on Sky and during his time overseas at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He enjoyed that even if his first task apparently was to suggest that it be dismantled, much to the fury of his board co-members!

As a party man, Peter Reith was someone that we will all aspire to be. He was committed from day one—from his university days right through to the very end. In fact, in 2017, while he was campaigning to be the party president in my home state of Victoria was when he first had a stroke. He was a mentor, a guiding hand and a great friend to so many of us that came after.

Most importantly, though, he was quite clearly an extraordinary man outside of politics. He was committed to his family, first and foremost—his wife, Kerrie; his four sons, David, Simon, Paul and Robert; and his 13 grandchildren, who gave such a beautiful tribute to him at his funeral, who clearly love him so much and who he clearly adored in return. If the measure of success in life is to love and be loved in return, Peter Reith was a very successful man.

Farewell to our vanished but never vanquished friend, a man whose trumpet never sounded retreat. He was one of the very best among us.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like all in his Liberal family, I'm very sad about the passing of Peter Keaston Reith AM. Peter was one of the finest Liberals ever produced by the Victorian division. He was an incredible warrior for Liberal values; he was a true reformer; and he was courageous. As we have heard in this condolence motion, especially from Senator Cash, his successful IR reforms following the 1998 waterfront dispute are legendary. When I was a Liberal candidate and then when I was the member for Corangamite, Peter provided me with wise counsel from time to time for which I was most grateful. He was practical, good humoured and refreshingly blunt. Those traits will be very much missed.

As Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, said in paying tribute to Peter Reith:

Elected to the seat of Flinders in 1982, he served as a Member of the House of Representatives for more than 17 years. In his maiden speech, Peter described Flinders as 'one of the great places in Australia to live and enjoy'. He kept his promise of representing the people of Flinders to the best of his ability.

Peter served under Liberal leaders Malcolm Fraser, Andrew Peacock, John Hewson, Alexander Downer and John Howard. He was loyal to each leader as he was to his party, whether in government or opposition.

His analytical and sharp policy mind was reflected in the positions he held as a shadow minister, from industrial relations and education, to foreign affairs and defence, to education and sport, and more besides. Peter was a powerful and effective Manager of Opposition Business.

But his main achievements came under the Howard Government where he had ministerial responsibilities for industrial and workplace relations, small business, and defence. …

Peter's political legacy is extensive. He will be remembered most, however, for his fearlessness in the face of extreme union intimidation—especially by freeing up the waterfront to ensure Australia had a more productive, forward-looking economy. He was an architect of pivotal workplace reform which put the interests of employers and employees first.

As we've also heard in this condolence motion, Peter Reith's work in Fightback formed the basis of much reform that was to come in the years ahead.

I was honoured to attend Peter Reith's funeral and to listen to the special memories and tributes from his family, a former staff member, one of his closest friends and former prime minister John Howard, who described Peter Reith as 'the great all-rounder'. Mr Howard said:

I have lost somebody I admired a lot, who gave enormously to the Liberal cause … He was there to bring about change, and he was an unrelenting person when it came to change.

In the montage of pictures of his life that we saw at the funeral, there were countless images of Peter with his beloved grandchildren. It was clear that he really loved his children and his grandchildren. Peter Reith died way too young from Alzheimer's disease—a stark reminder that life is short, so we should make it count. Peter Reith certainly never wasted a moment in making his life count.

I join with my fellow senators and members in the other place in offering my heartfelt condolences to Peter Reith's colleagues, his friends, his broader Liberal family and to his own family, especially his wife, Kerrie, and four sons, Paul, Simon, David and Robert. Vale, Peter Reith.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise to add my voice to this motion on the significant life and legacy of the Hon. Peter Reith. Like his funeral in Melbourne, which brought together many distinguished Australians from all sides of politics, the tributes to Peter Reith in this place have reflected the high regard in which he was held. John Howard was correct to call Peter Reith 'the great all-rounder'. This well-deserved title represented Peter Reith's many achievements as a minister in the Howard government, as well as his prior service to the Liberal Party during years spent in the shadow of the Hawke and Keating governments.

As we've heard, Peter Reith began his political career by winning the by-election for the seat of Flinders in December 1982. John Howard is said to have jokingly remarked to Peter Reith that his victory in Flinders was the straw that broke the camel's back, leading to Bill Hayden being replaced by Bob Hawke. Peter Reith would lose his seat in the 1983 election, but came back in the substantial swing towards the Liberals in 1984. He was the Deputy leader from April 1990 to March 1993, and would campaign with John Hewson for a broad based consumption tax which, in a policy document known as Fightback!, was the inception of the future GST. It was this work with Fightback! that made Peter Reith a household name amongst Western Australian Liberals. Western Australians endorsed the Fightback! reform agenda like no other state. In 1993, at the general election, it was Western Australia, against the odds, that won the marginal seats of Stirling and Cowan—a great triumph for the Western Australian Liberal Party on the back of the great work of Peter Reith and John Hewson.

Of course Peter Reith will perhaps be most widely remembered for his roles as industrial relations minister, cleaning up Australia's waterfront and, as Minister for Defence, in strengthening Australia's borders. It's easy to forget what was actually achieved on the waterfront after April 1998. The Productivity Commission at the time had found that container stevedoring charges were higher than overseas, that ship loading and unloading was slower and that services were less reliable. But Peter Reith's reforms had worked, and by 2003 the Productivity Commission had reported net crane rate for terminals at Australia's five main container ports exceeded the 25 containers per hour target for the very first time.

Peter Reith's passing is an opportunity to remember the life of a great and wide-ranging parliamentarian. A long-time Peter Reith staffer had reminded his peers that Peter Reith had often championed lesser-known causes. One of those was a local constituent who had been sexually harassed while serving on HMAS Swan. A government inquiry, prosecuted then by Peter Reith in opposition, led to changes to how women were accepted and treated in the Navy. And, as we've heard, another was his low-key advocacy for Indigenous employment conducted during a series of trips throughout regional and rural Australia, without the media in tow. His staff have often said that Peter Reith was someone who believed that there was no point in being in parliament unless you were going to do something.

Peter Reith sometimes held unique and surprising positions on various topics, like being a supporter of citizen-initiated referendums and direct elections for an Australian head of state. But Peter Reith always took a very principled position and campaigned against the republic model in 1998-99, often copping criticism because he did not believe it was the best form of governance for Australia. Of course, inside the Liberal Party opponents found it difficult to pin on him a faction or a camp, which again I think is why Peter Reith was a great all-rounder—someone who practiced pragmatic and practical politics but always delivering lasting, tangible results. After he retired from politics in 2001 he continued to be an active member of branch politics and, in 2010, Peter Reith chaired the Liberal review for the 2010 election and discussed the benefits of party plebiscites for pre-selection nearly a decade before they became a commonly accepted mechanism.

Our party is a stronger party for the contribution of Peter Reith, and this afternoon I add the condolences of every Western Australian Liberal to his family and acknowledge his tremendous strength of character, his policy foresight and, as has been mentioned, his tenacity.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to pay tribute to Peter Reith as a values-driven reformer and a great Victorian Liberal. In doing, so I want to associate myself with the remarks of other senators, in particular, my coalition Senate colleagues. Like many, I was the beneficiary of Peter's wisdom, his advice and his mentorship. What I admired most about Peter was that he did not review reform as a technocratic exercise or a process of planned consensus building; he believed it was an opportunity to put Liberal values into action. For him, those Liberal values were the dignity of individuals and the power of free markets, and he looked for every opportunity to be bold in implementing them in government.

Fightback, of which he was the principal author and intellectual driver, is historically judged as a political failure, because of the way in which it contributed to the Liberal Party's loss in the unlosable 1993 election. But, viewed with the benefit of time, it is undoubtedly and unquestionably a policy success. It's agenda for the GST, industrial relations, privatisation and tariff reduction were all, ultimately, implemented by the Howard government and largely remain intact today. In fact, the only undealt with element of Fightback that remains to be considered by future parliaments is his view that we should introduce a more user-pays system in the public health system.

It is very timely for us as Liberals to reflect on Peter's legacy now as we find ourselves in opposition. Peter is someone who used his time to reflect and think deeply about what we should do if and when we're returned to government—ultimately, in 1996. I think it's one of the key reasons why the Howard government was so effective when it finally returned to office. We should be very proud if we can use our time in opposition now as productively as Peter Reith did in the 1980s and 1990s. He also distinguished himself in that time, in opposition, leading the campaign on behalf of the coalition against the then Labor government's ill-judged and poorly thought out 1988 referendum proposals to change the Constitution.

My thoughts today are with his wife, his four sons, his many grandchildren and, particularly, his brother, Sandy, and his sister, Janet, who I am very proud to call friends. We have lost a great Victorian Liberal.

Question agreed to, honourable senators joining in a moment of silence.

(Quorum formed)