Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators will recall with great sadness the death on 4 December 2023 of Ms Peta Murphy, a member of the House of Representatives for the division of Dunkley, Victoria, from 2019. I call the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its sorrow at the death, on 4 December 2023, of Peta Jan Murphy, former member for Dunkley, places on record its gratitude for her distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia and the nation, and tenders its profound sympathy to her family in their bereavement.

I rise on behalf of the government, and in particular the Labor Senate team, to express our condolences and our shared grief following the passing of Peta, a loved and admired member of the House of Representatives for Dunkley, at the age of 50, and I start by conveying our deepest sympathies to Rod; her rightly proud parents, Bob and Jan; and her dear sisters, Jodi and Penni. They have all been in my thoughts, as have Peta's dedicated and loyal staff, the grieving Labor family, and the constituents who respected and relied on Peta.

Peta Murphy possessed a rare and powerful capacity to connect with others. Perhaps that explains in some small way why her passing is grieved by so many in this place and beyond. Knowing Peta was a blessing, and this has been reflected in many fine tributes. I acknowledge in particular the House contribution of my cabinet colleague—one of the most decent people in this place—Brendan O'Connor. Peta was Brendan's chief of staff—in fact, I think that's where I first met her—and their friendship, affection and respect were obvious to all. I know how heavily this has weighed upon him and all of his staff.

There are few people who have served in this place with more courage and more kindness than Peta Murphy. She was the best of this place and in many ways, I think, the best of the Australian Labor Party she represented. She was warm as she was fierce. She had a razor-sharp intellect and a dry wit, but in all things she was driven by a deep compassion and a respect for others, and anyone who talked to her could feel that respect and that compassion. She was interested. She was engaged. She was funny. She wanted to know your point of view. You mattered to her.

As a barrister, a public defender, a political staffer, a tireless representative of her community, a woman, a friend and a fighter, Peta Murphy made an enormous contribution to this place and beyond. And, of course, our grief is compounded knowing the Peta we lost but also knowing the loss of the Peta that was yet to be, because she did have so much more to give. As Rod has said, it's impossible not to feel like we've all been robbed a little by Peta's death.

Peta was born in Goulburn, New South Wales, in November '73 and grew up in Wagga Wagga, a proud public-school girl who went on to study psychology at the ANU and later a Master of Criminology at the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Laws, also at the ANU.

She married Rod Glover in 1999. Rod introduced her to Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, which would become her home. She went on to work as a public servant in the law as a solicitor and barrister, including as a public defender, and later in politics as chief of staff to Brendan. She put it in her first speech to the House:

As a solicitor, barrister and senior public defender, I have represented the damaged and the difficult, victims and perpetrators, the blameless and the blameworthy.

From this vantage point, she saw intergenerational disadvantage up close, how it limits people to unfulfilling and, too often, undignified lives and the enormous individual and shared potential that it lays to waste. It was her desire to tackle this disadvantage that motivated Peta to move from law to politics to fight on a larger scale for a fairer and more compassionate society.

Many will remember her first run for the seat of Dunkley in 2016. While unsuccessful at that first attempt, it was pretty obvious she would be back. And so it was in 2019, when Peta bucked the national political trend against Labor to become the first woman to represent Dunkley since its creation in 1994. This was a milestone of particular importance to Peta Murphy and one that she and I spoke about as proud feminists and union members because, of course, the electorate of Dunkley is named after pioneering feminist and trade union activist for equal pay and workers' rights Louisa Dunkley.

Awfully, having already defeated the disease once, Peta's breast cancer returned just weeks before she was to give her first speech in 2019. But, never one to wallow and dwell on negativity, she mined her understandable frustration and fear to become a forceful advocate for accessible cancer care for all Australians, something she continued to pursue right up to her last days in this place.

As the Prime Minister has said, her expertise on closing the gender pay gap informed so much of the government's commitment to eliminating this injustice. She also brought her intellect and her deep empathy to her work on gambling law reform to minimise the harm problem gambling does to families in our society. She was a truly extraordinary member of parliament. I think it was a role she was born for.

I remember visiting her electorate in the last election campaign. We went to a local footy and netball club which was packed to the rafters, which I reckon was much more about her than me. One of my staff who grew up in her region told me a story about her mum's friend, and I told the crowd this story. This was a woman who was not politically active or politically minded, quite disengaged, but year-round she kept a Peta Murphy corflute on display outside her house because of the support Peta gave her through her own struggle with breast cancer. This was one example of her radiant humanity. That radiant humanity is what made her an outstanding member of parliament, and it is that humanity, along with her extraordinary drive, determination and intellect, which would have made her an outstanding cabinet minister, someone who could have been a great Labor reformer and whose contribution would have become part of that of which we are proud.

It was this humanity that took her to the United Nations in 2022 as one of the parliamentary representatives and, as she was everywhere, she was determined to make her time there count. I remember vividly how she got stuck into debates on human rights and legal issues, particularly advocating for the resolution against the death penalty that Australia was driving. Our diplomats also remember her warmth and empathy, recognising that, while there is great privilege in representing your country as a diplomat overseas, it doesn't come without human cost. I gave my first national statement at the UN General Assembly so proud that she was there, and I hope she was equally proud to be sitting behind the Australian flag, with all the legacy that it has.

I want to acknowledge the grace and characteristic selflessness with which Peta fought cancer. It was a mark of her character that, upon been diagnosed for the second time, she channelled her personal battle into advocacy for the millions of Australians who have fought, or supported loved ones to fight, the disease. She didn't shy away from the cruel reality she faced but she was determined to continue her work and to show up, even when she was suffering so much. She wanted to demonstrate to other cancer sufferers, and in particular to women, how, in the words of her dear friend the member for Jagajaga, 'to get up every morning and lead the life you want, even with cancer'. She showed as much courage as I have ever seen in this place.

The last time I had an exchange with Peta was in the week that she passed. I sent her a message, and she thanked me for checking up on her and said she was doing it rough. I told her I'd distract her if she wanted and come and talk to her about world affairs! She sent me a funny emoji.

Peta Murphy was someone driven by an unshakeable sense of purpose—to improve things, to build a fairer, better, more just Australia. As the Prime Minister said, she believed every minute in public life was a gift. Every minute in public life is a gift—it is. And she made the most of every minute. She embraced the challenges life threw at her and used them to power this purpose. In doing so, she became so much more than the illness she fought and more than just one of the many who comes through this place to serve.

Peta Murphy was genuinely formidable, with boundless energy and penetrating insight, and she won't be forgotten by any who had the privilege of knowing her. In her first speech, with her characteristic enthusiasm and eloquence, she outlined the benchmark against which she would measure her contribution to this place. It's been referenced a number of times but it bears repeating because it is a lesson to us all:

But, above all else, I would like to be able to say that I left Australian politics—Australian democracy—in better shape than when I joined it, that I was part of a generation of Australian politicians who worked to recover the public's faith in our democratic system and who strove to reharness politics as that vehicle for enlarging opportunities and enlarging our national imagination, and that we did so by rejecting politics based on fear and division, by refusing to see societal problems as weapons with which to wedge our political opponents and by choosing robust debates about ideas and solutions over personal attacks and petty judgements … it's what Australians want all of us here to do. And, be in no doubt, it's what we have to do.

Peta Murphy lived up to this standard. She lived up to the standard she set for herself. She helped raise the standard for us all, and she reminds us even today that this is what we should all aspire to.

In closing, I convey, again, our sympathies to Rod, to Bob and Jan, to Jodi and Penni, and to the many in this place and beyond who knew and loved Peta Murphy.

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

I rise on behalf of the opposition to associate ourselves with the remarks of the Leader of the Government in the Senate in honouring the life of Peta Jan Murphy. I acknowledge and thank Senator Wong for her very touching tribute and remarks in this regard.

Peta Murphy was a parliamentarian who quickly earned respect across the political aisle. Her courageous battle with cancer epitomised the very best of the Australian character. The shock and sadness of Peta's passing late last year is quite evident and still rests with our colleagues in Labor and across this building. To recognise the lives of those who once served in this building is an honour and a duty, particularly those who have served alongside us—and we have done that all too often over the years. We pay tribute to those who depart us, sadly, far too soon, and it holds a great responsibility to honour their legacy.

As those in the other place have done, today, here in the Senate, we honour the legacy of Peta Murphy. When we remember the lives of those departed, we often ask central questions—what made the person the way they were? There were many factors which made Peta Murphy who she was. Born in Goulburn, raised in Wagga and a proud graduate of the public school system, Peta grew up during the Hawke and Keating governments. She spoke about her admiration for Australia's 23rd and 24th prime ministers, and the way in which, in her words, they had enlarged our national imagination. In many ways, the inspiration Peta drew from Australia's longest-serving Labor government forged her into the idealist that she was and brought to this place. It was that idealism that saw her possess an unfaltering faith in our democratic system. She had an unbreakable belief in the cauldron of Australia's national conversation, in the power of ideas and robust debates to break through the walls of robust polity.

But Peta the idealist was tempered by Peta the realist. Prior to working in and then entering politics, Peta worked as a solicitor, as a barrister and as a senior public defender. In those roles she represented, as Senator Wong has quoted, 'the damaged and the difficult, victims and perpetrators, the blameless and the blameworthy'. And through her work in the justice system and the legal profession Peta knew only too well the vicious cycle of disadvantage and dysfunction that swallows up so many lives. It was this cycle that she very clearly wanted to help break—a motivating factor for her in seeking political office.

A further factor was the rotten circumstances that were thrust upon aspects of Peta's life. Not once but twice did she find herself in the trenches battling that indiscriminate and sneaky adversary of breast cancer. Upon Peta's passing, many have referenced an interview Peta gave to Stellar magazine in late 2022 and the profound letter she wrote to her past self that was published on the website of the Breast Cancer Network Australia. Peta spoke in heartbreaking ways about her utter disappointment to have not been able to have children following her cancer treatment despite successive rounds of IVF. She compassionately put her thoughts with her husband, Rod, noting that it's no small thing for someone's partner to go through. And as a parliamentarian continuing with cancer, Peta bore burdens of mind and pains of the body that most of us will never fathom.

Only one word can come to mind through all of this, and that is 'remarkable'. Despite all she was going through and the pressures of public life, Peta so rarely dropped any aspect of her sunny disposition and was rarely devoid of a smile. To paraphrase Peta's words, she took a deep breath and she chose to use the bumps in her life's journey to make a difference as a member of parliament—and make a difference she most certainly did, living up to the ideals she set for herself. Peta worked hard for the people of Dunkley, whom she described as rich with talent and compassion.

Peta strove to make a difference to the people of our nation. She often spoke in a heartfelt and heroic way about the causes dear to her, especially the bettering of the lives of women, children and families. She sought to better many Australian lives through her extensive contributions to parliamentary committees. Of note was Peta's work as the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs in its report on online gambling. That report illuminated the harm online gambling is inflicting on our communities and children, especially from the bombardment of advertising. We should all commend that meticulous work which Peta led and had a great passion for.

Peta also made a huge difference to the women of Australia. As is well known, she received her second breast cancer diagnosis almost eight years after her first and only days ahead of giving her first speech. Using her profile as a parliamentarian, Peta engaged in unrelenting advocacy for breast cancer awareness-raising, treatment and funding. Thanks to Peta's campaigning, more Australian women will have booked in to get that check-up. Thanks to Peta's industriousness, Australian women have benefited from early detection. Thanks to Peta's endeavours, there is no doubt that there are Australian women with us today who would otherwise not be.

The brevity of Peta's life reminds us of her prophetic words in her maiden parliamentary speech, where she said: 'Life can be fragile, and we'd better make the most of it.' We all know that Peta Murphy, leaving us at the age of only 50, had much more to say, much more to contribute, much more to do. Many will wonder what the remarkable Peta Murphy would and could have done next. But in that wondering heartache, we hope people find solace in gratitude—gratitude for those who worked alongside her in this parliament, gratitude to have had someone of Peta's calibre and quality serve our country and grace this parliament, and gratitude for a life which others will look back on to inspire their own idealism and ignite their own sense of national imagination.

On behalf of the coalition and all of our members across both chambers we extend our deep and sincere condolences to Peta's beloved husband, Rod; to her mum and dad, Bob and Jan; to her sisters, Jodi and Penni; to her extended family and friends; to her staff, who worked so closely with her; and, importantly, to all of her Labor colleagues; and to her many, many friends on this and all sides. May Peta Murphy rest in peace.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm honoured to rise to speak on behalf of the Australian Greens, remembering and honouring the late Peta Murphy here today. I would like to associate ourselves with the remarks of Senator Wong and Senator Birmingham. The heartfelt tributes from all sides of politics that we've heard for Peta Murphy, here today in the House and at her memorial service, ring true. They all ring true.

In her first speech, Peta said that at the end of a parliamentary career she would like to be able to look back and say that she left Australian democracy in a better shape than when she joined, which is a noble task that we should all aspire to. In the public sphere she fought for equality, and her values and accomplishments in her time in this place are many.

It was true to Peta's character that she channelled her personal battle with breast cancer into public policy. Two weeks after being sworn in as the member for Dunkley, Peta received the tragic news that her breast cancer had returned. She took the fight head on. Peta continued to advocate not just for herself but for others—for better treatment, more services and stronger support. She worked with the Breast Cancer Network Australia to advocate a national registry of metastatic cancer patients. While she was going through her own treatment, she turned it into advocacy, not just for reform but also to be an example herself, and she inspired so many in doing so.

She used her skills before coming to this place to stand up for people who were doing it tough. She sought to not only improve their individual lives but to change the world so that things would be better for them. I want to recognise Peta's dedicated work with community legal centres and her commitment to prevent further damage and distress to people in need.,

We have lost Peta far too soon, and the grief that people, especially in the Labor family, are feeling is heartfelt and it is real. On behalf of the Greens, I want to extend our support and our thoughts for what is not only a difficult time now but one that is likely to be a difficult time for some period to come. And to her family and close friends: we are thinking of you in this most difficult of times, particularly her husband, Rod; her parents, Bob and Jan; and her sisters, Jodi and Penni. We are all the poorer for not having Peta Murphy with us. Vale, Peta Murphy.

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

I'm grateful for this opportunity to make a contribution in this condolence to our dear friend Peta Murphy. I want to acknowledge the contributions of senators before me and the contributions that everyone made in the other place. I acknowledge the member for Jagajaga and the member for Lilley, who were dear friends of Peta too.

There is so much to celebrate in the life of the spectacular Peta Murphy—witty, funny, sharp, humble, hardworking. She was courageous and at times hilariously outrageous. Every space she was in and every person she met was left better for her presence. This building was no exception, and the outpouring of love, affection and admiration for our friend from all sides of this building and across the aisle shows that most sincerely. Thank you.

There has been so much spoken of Peta's drive for excellence and for service in everything that she did, be it as a lawyer, as a sportswoman, as a scholar, as a staffer and, finally, as a parliamentarian. Her legacy will live on, not just in the tangible, like her fierce takedown that killed off the former government's proposal that would have had domestic violence survivors raiding their own super for help, and all the investments now made in her name to take the fight up to metastatic breast cancer. But her legacy will live on too in the lives of all those people she touched: in every client she had that she advocated for, in the policies she shaped and in the hearts she touched.

As a friend of Peta, I can confirm that all the lovely things said about her are true. And as a friend I can say it's a little bit tough to come into a motion like this and to speak of someone who lived a public life and whom there are so many lovely things written about publicly but who we also knew privately, to navigate what deserves to be brought into the public domain in a condolence like this and what should be kept preciously contained within our private memories to cherish. I would love to tell the story of how two members of the class of 2019 from different states, different houses and different internal persuasions overcame perceived differences to become fast friends, but it's too early in my political career to put such things on the Hansard, and I reckon Peta would understand that.

I'd also love to share some of Peta's sharpest private observations, the cut-through points and critiques that would have you either choking on your coffee—you couldn't quite believe she said it—or in absolute stitches of laughter. But, again, these moments with Peta aren't really fit for the Hansard, because, as well as being this brilliant mind, this overachiever and this purpose driven, service minded champion of all that she believed was right, she was also bloody funny. She was one of the funniest people I have ever met. She could always and would always strive to make you laugh, especially on the bad days and even when she was suffering herself, when she was struggling or when she was in pain.

Peta loved her community; that was so clear for everyone to see. As we would exchange texts and photos at the end of a weekend about what we'd been up to, I used to tell her over and over that her photos and her remarks on what she'd done just made me feel exhausted. It wouldn't be uncommon for her to go to six or seven or eight events in just one day and back them up into the evening. She pushed through some extraordinarily difficult things to be there for her community. She did that because she was genuinely of her community and she loved them. She knew how important it was to fight for the people of Dunkley in this place.

The contributions from members and senators across the aisle have been beautiful, sincere and meaningful to all of us on this side. It's clear she was loved across the parliament. She was loved because she was an exceptional, genuine person. She should serve as a role model to us all, because she earned that respect and affection across the aisle while still being an absolute political warrior for what she believed in. She showed that you could debate respectfully and form friendships across the aisle but do that without conceding an inch of ground on the things that you believe in.

I don't want us to ever forget that Peta was a Labor warrior. She was Labor through and through. We are a family bound by a belief in the collective and an overwhelming desire to make our country more fair. Throughout her whole career and her whole life, Peta fought for those values. She fought for our Labor family. She fought for everything we believe in and stand for. And she fought for who we fight for.

But all of us who will miss her here know and remain conscious that she also had a big, beautiful family outside of this place. I was really lucky to meet so many of them at her 50th birthday, just before she passed. This huge group of friends and her loving family knew her in a whole multitude of ways that we did not. For her family and for these friends, their loss runs deep into years and years and years of shared joy and sorrow, memories and events and traumas that we will never understand in here, whose grief will flow not just in the moments and places where they knew Peta and saw her but in their quiet moments and their lonely moments and in the everyday steps and actions they take where they had Peta, those spaces and places which Peta touched.

To Rod, especially, who has lost his soulmate, that pain is beyond my comprehension, and we are here for you. To the rest of Peta's family, her adored parents, her lovely friends, those she worked with, those she touched, those she fought for and of course her beloved dogs, Bert and Ernie, thank you for sharing her with us. Thank you for sharing her with Australia. We're all better for it.

Peta, you will forever be a Labor warrior, a policy reformer, a beloved wife, a cherished friend and a bloody wonderful human being. I'm so grateful that I got to spend some of that time with you and to have been your friend. Rest peacefully.

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

I met the amazing Peta Murphy in the Victorian Labor family a few years before we both came into the parliament in the class of 2019 with Peta's dear friends Kate, Anika, Alicia and Marielle. I was with her in 2016 when she came up short on election night, and you can imagine how she was on that night. I campaigned with her again when she came up trumps in 2019. Peta's determination has been much remarked upon in the past few months—her determination in politics, her determination on the squash court and her determination in her life with breast cancer.

Her determination to win Dunkley was indeed absolutely fierce, and matching the full force of her desire to win the seat was her desire to comprehensively defeat the sitting member, Chris Crewther, at all costs. When Peta passed away in December, Chris posted a truly gracious tribute to Peta, but it did include the following line:

In 2016, I beat Peta. In 2019, Peta beat me. There's a certain symmetry about that.

I felt I could almost hear Peta screaming and shouting, 'You only won Dunkley once and I won it twice,' and I actually had one of those moments where the person I wanted to show the post to, of course, was Peta, as if she were still here with us. I wanted to get that trademark razor-sharp, perfectly cutting and hilarious response. There will be many more of those moments as parliament returns without Peta, and we've already had them just in the last couple of days—those moments when we expect to see Peta getting on the plane to come up, when we expect to see her sitting at the back on the left of the caucus room, and when we expect to see her lighting up our screens with yet another passionate, articulate speech or interview.

As many people have said in the last few months, while Peta was incredibly determined, she was always, at the end of the day, just Peta. Lots of people in Frankston have a really tough life, and they want to be able to put their struggles and their challenges to their local members, and they want a response. They want answers. When I stood with Peta in a shopping centre or at a street stall, Peta always listened. She really listened. She had an incredibly approachable warmth about her, but she also had a real no-BS toughness about her, and people could see that, and that combination made her an incredible local hero. It really did.

So too did the courage that she displayed when she discovered the cancer that she thought was gone had come back in full force—courage that inspired so many people, like Frankston High School student Michaela. As we all said goodbye to Peta at the MCG last year, Michaela spotted former prime minister Julia Gillard. Peta had asked Michaela to introduce Julia at her annual Louisa Dunkley Oration. The oration itself was something that Peta created to inspire girls just like Michaela to strive for equality, like the early equal pay activist for whom the seat of Dunkley was named, Louisa Dunkley. Michaela wanted a photo with Julia, and so we went over to the former PM, who of course was more than happy to oblige. On the way, Michaela told me that Peta had absolutely inspired her and encouraged her to go on to university and just to achieve her dreams. I know Peta would be so proud of Michaela if she were here today, and I think and hope she would be so proud of herself, too, to know that she—Peta—had seen something in Michaela, that she'd been able to give her a lift and experience that she wouldn't have otherwise had—a bigger picture and view of the world and the place she could have within it.

When I was thinking about what to say today, I scrolled through my old phone messages to Peta. They're filled with old plans to catch up in Dunkley, a few arrangements for a G&T and lots of proud puppy pictures going both ways, and—and I think her dear friends who are here in the chamber today will understand this—there are also a few apologies from Peta for perhaps being 'too direct' in a previous interaction.

Peta was incredibly smart, and she never let you forget it. Her brilliance won her widespread respect—including amongst those across the aisle, who have been so generous in their tributes and also in their friendship to her while she was here in parliament. In particular, today I acknowledge the important friendship of Darren and Julie Chester to Peta and her husband, Rod.

Losing Peta at the end of last year was devastating for her fantastic, much-loved and loving husband, Rod, and for her devoted and proud parents, sisters, nieces and nephew, and for Peta's incredible cadre of truly excellent women friends who travelled with her in life. It was also devastating for all of us on this side, in the Labor family, too. I know everyone who loved Peta knows how much we loved her too. Our Labor heart beats a little stronger and a little more proud because such a fierce, funny, courageous and compassionate woman in Peta Murphy was ours, and because she took so much care to light a path for so many more in her community and in her country to follow. Vale, Peta.

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

I rise today to make a few brief remarks on this condolence motion following the passing of the member for Dunkley, Peta Murphy. Many beautiful words have been spoken in this debate and in the other place about Peta by those who knew her best. I wish to associate myself particularly with the moving contributions of Senator Wong and Senator Birmingham. To Peta's good friends Senator Marielle Smith and Senator Walsh—such beautiful contributions. I didn't really know Peta, but from afar, as a Victorian senator, I admired her courage and determination in the face of such adversity.

In her first speech in the parliament, just two weeks after learning her cancer had returned, with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, Peta Murphy said:

I am neither unique nor alone in the fight that I am about to take on.

I watched my own mother, Ann, diagnosed with breast cancer while working as a sitting member of parliament, battle this insidious disease, so I have some insight into what it takes to continue to work while undergoing treatment for cancer.

Peta was exceptionally brave. She was a strong advocate for mental health, disability rights and social inclusivity and justice. In her last interview, on ABC Radio National, she struggled to speak; it was very tough to listen to. But her advocacy for a national registry for metastatic cancer patients continued. She worked right up to the end.

Before entering politics, Peta Murphy worked as a solicitor advocate and a barrister, and spent time working with Victoria Legal Aid and the Victorian Law Reform Commission. In its obituary, the Victorian Bar said:

Peta was disagreeable in the best sense of that word; she possessed an independence of intellect that compelled her to insist, plainly and without fear, on what she understood to be the real question in any problem, legal or otherwise.

In 2017, Peta joined the office of the then shadow minister for employment and workplace relations, Brendan O'Connor. She spent two years working with Brendan before her election in 2019. Following the news of her death, I sat next to the member for Gorton on a plane back to Melbourne. He was devastated. Peta was much loved by her Labor family, and you are all in my thoughts today. I am so sorry for your loss. I convey my deepest condolences to Peta's beloved husband of 24 years, Rod Glover; to Peta's broader family; and to her friends. Vale, Peta Murphy.

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make a brief contribution with respect to our friend Peta Murphy. I make this contribution also on behalf of my staff, one who previously worked with me and one who is currently with me—namely John Conlon, who worked for Peta up until her last day, and Sue Heath. When I first came to the Senate, Sue started working with me, and I seconded her onto Peta's campaign back in 2019. She is still with me today.

I know both of them will be watching. Both have been very special in Peta's life and are really feeling her loss right now. That's really because Peta, as we've heard, is probably one of the best examples of being an excellent local member of parliament. I don't think I've ever met someone who was so passionate, so articulate, so direct and a real champion of the people that she represented in the community of Dunkley. She was, as we've heard, someone who didn't hold back. She was a matter of fact, extremely intelligent and dedicated individual who had a number of issues close to her heart which she wanted to see improve in this country, particularly around health care. It was so fitting to see the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese; and the Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan, only a few days ago dedicate a new breast imaging suite at Frankston Hospital in her honour. I think that's a really touching tribute to the work that Peta managed to achieve in her brief time here at Parliament House. As we've heard, she has been a passionate advocate for the people of Dunkley and always stood up for her values. Most of us know that she was a wonderful friend, and we've heard many contributions in the other place late last year and today on that note.

Being the duty senator for Dunkley back in 2019, I really got to know Peta very well. It was a very long and difficult campaign, but it was one where we had a lot of satisfaction—obviously, as Senator Walsh pointed out, toing and froing with the former member for Dunkley. I'm sure that the voice of Peta still rings in our heads every time issues like that do pop up on social media. It was really great to see Peta finally break through and actually win that 2019 campaign. Although we came from very different parts of the party, we shared very strong Labor values. We shared the common goal to not just win Dunkley for Labor but form a Labor government, because, when you form a Labor government, you can actually implement Labor policy.

We shared a birthday together, 1 November—so two very strong minded Scorpios clashing, but the 2019 campaign proved otherwise, and we managed to get through it. We did enjoy a drink afterwards. We also shared the same day for our first speeches. We also had the member for Jagajaga attend the chamber as well. The three of us shared that special moment together.

It seems like only yesterday but such a long time ago now. I was delighted to attend her election party down in Frankston North. She was so excited, so passionate and very keen to start a long career in this place and for her community. When I was told about her cancer coming back, it really brought back a lot of memories about the struggles that she had gone through and often the hope that she saw with Rod and her lovely dogs, Bert and Ernie. But, really, it made sure that she was determined, more so than ever, to continue the fight of standing up for her community, fighting for Labor policy and making sure that we won the last election. She leaves a very big mark in this place and, as I mentioned, especially in my office, where she made some really deep friendships with those who were closer with her. All of us in the ALP are heartbroken that she's no longer with us. She'll be terribly missed.

The upcoming by-election is a difficult time for all of us on this side. Losing a friend, a colleague, is difficult at the best of times, but fighting an election in her honour presents an opportunity for us to really honour her legacy. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge her team, her office, her staff and all the volunteers that connected with Peta, and their loyalty to her in ensuring that we continue to serve the people of Dunkley during this time. I pass on my sincere condolences to Rod, her family, her staff and all her friends. I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

To senators Marielle Smith and Jess Walsh, you made beautiful speeches and a great contribution to someone who I think we're all proud to say was not just a colleague but a very special friend indeed. Vale, Peta.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to join in paying my respects to an incredible woman. I pay my respects to her husband, Rod; her proud parents, Bob and Jan; and her dear sisters, Jodi and Penni; as well as her wider family, her many friends and constituents, and her staff.

It's beautiful to listen to the words that my colleagues have had to say here, but also in the other place, as we all reflect on what relationships we had with Peta. Some of us were much closer; others had a touch of being able to enjoy the laughter with her, whether it was at caucus or at events where we'd meet outside of parliament. I reflect on when I first met her, at the good old Kingo, a place where you get to meet a lot of new colleagues when they first arrive here in Canberra. I remember on that night meeting the class of 2019—those you've heard speak today, Senator Walsh, Senator Smith and Senator Ciccone; and also the member for Lilley and the member for Jagajaga.

I want to put on the record to your family, Peta, just how wonderful it was that you, on that night, wanted to know all about the First Nations caucus: what it was we did, how it was we worked in the caucus and how it was you could contribute towards our policies and to our commitment to one day, hopefully, be in government. I would just like to say to Rod and to your staff: thank you for the contribution that you made in the seat of Dunkley towards the Voice referendum; the many supporters that we had through your advocacy, Peta. I know that your passion in regard to seeing the disadvantaged across Australia, across the seat of Dunkley but in particular for First Nations people, was very evident.

Your own personal challenges in dealing with your cancer when it came back again showed all of us just the kind of character you were. You inspired us all and continue to do so. Your commitment to public service and social justice was always evident. We've heard, from previous speakers, of your role working in the Victorian justice system as a solicitor advocate and a senior public defender with Victoria Legal Aid. All of this you brought with you, in your sense of justice and in your pursuit of that for all Australians. Your energetic, funny and talented ways—they reckon you were good at squash. Well, I never had the chance to play that with you, but I did hear about it a lot.

It was certainly an emotional and special day of the weekend with the opening of the Peta Murphy Breast Imaging Suite in Frankston. It is an important place where women and girls can access diagnostic cancer services closer to home. It will save them hours of travelling into the city and from other towns to get screened. It's a vital service for Frankston women and a fitting way of paying tribute to Peta's memory. It will help thousands of women get screened to make sure they are okay or to get onto life-saving treatment earlier, if cancer is detected. Peta worked very hard to get this service up and running to remove barriers to getting a check-up, and she did this all while fighting her own battle with cancer.

With much love and respect, from all of us here to you, Rod, and to all of your family and friends, Peta: rest in peace. Bawuji barra.

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to reflect on, and associate myself with, the comments today on the amazing person that Peta Murphy, the member for Dunkley, was. I offer my condolences to her family and loved ones.

As we've heard today and, indeed, for a long time before she passed, Peta was a different type of politician. She was authentic, passionate and driven, but she was also kind, caring and funny. I had the pleasure of working alongside Peta on the Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum. Together we attended some hearings in Canberra, in Orange and in Cairns, alongside other members of this place and the other place. It was an opportunity to get to know some of my colleagues from the House, which is a luxury we seldom get to do, particularly during the sitting weeks. I remember, during these hearings, that Peta handled the sensitivities of the issues very well, especially with First Nations people who wanted to vote yes but who were understandably very sceptical about the government. She handled these interactions with grace and with a sense of curiosity but, most of all, with a sense of respect. I was always impressed with her ability to open up conversations during the deliberations of the committee for those who had reservations, questions and, in fact, doubts. She mingled and greeted people warmly with her enthusiasm and with her great smile.

It was as I watched Peta doing her thing that I knew she was different—obviously, in the best way. She had this quiet confidence, and I could see her reaching out to those who came so generously to the committee's hearings by simply meeting them where they were at. Her openness carried through to the way she listened and, in fact, heard what people said and validated their contributions. This is what made Peta a different type of politician and it's the reason I have such a great memory of her. We shared with Senator Stewart our little Signal chat group that we called Selfie Masters. That's my little personal touch. Unlike Senator Smith, I'm happy to share that quite publicly. With our like-mindedness for fun, we also travelled without our staff and were tasked with capturing the work that we did on our trips, particularly during our committee's deliberations. We shared our pics that we took. We shared those with each other with great fun, and it was something that I'll remember dearly.

Peta showcased a way to operate in what is often a nasty and adversarial world of politics. She was full of kindness and understanding, and I think we absolutely need more of that in this place and the other. She showed that you don't need to be ruthless to be a leader. In this place some of the work that we do is done collaboratively, and our work together can build relationships and capture those moments in time together which truly reflect the people that we are.

This place has lost a leader, and we all lost a colleague, but so many have lost a friend and a family member that they loved deeply. And, in particular, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to our Labor colleagues. To everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Peta in any capacity, I am so sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, Peta.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's my honour to contribute to this condolence motion and to share some reflections, just briefly, on some of the qualities that I admired most about Peta Murphy: her clarity, her intelligence, her kindness and her creativity. I want to start with the first, which is clarity.

I first met Peta when I was a new senator and was undertaking work on the gender pay gap and the underlying things that would need to change about our workplaces to address it. Of course, Peta, as a staffer to Brendan O'Connor, was immensely skilled and able to assist enormously with the policy tasks. She understood the industrial situation and she understood the law, but, most importantly, she understood deeply the needs of the people we were trying to assist, and it characterises everything Peta did. She had great clarity about who she was trying to help, why we were here, the purpose of government and her task in representing those who had little power and who most needed those of us with access to power to assist them and support them to reach the potential that their lives offered.

She was, as others have commented, incredibly intelligent. She was widely read. She was witty. She had an incisive capacity for analysis and the courage to speak up when she saw something that she thought required further interrogation or questioning. But she never used that intelligence to seek to dominate or embarrass other people. Her purpose in utilising her huge brain was to understand better, to find better solutions and to engage with the problems that we were here to fix. That kindness was evident in the way she engaged with her electorate. She respected them. She respected every person that she sought to represent, and they offered her respect in return. I had some wonderful meetings in her community with the wide range of community groups that she regularly brought together to be in dialogue with one another about the challenges that they collectively sought to meet in their community and the ways that they could work together to do that.

It really just leads me to my final observation, which was her immense political creativity. Peta entered the parliament wanting to make politics better. She wanted to restore faith in the way that politics worked, and Senator Wong spoke about that in her contribution. In practical ways, she thought very, very carefully about what that would mean on a day-to-day basis in her electorate, and she engaged regularly in very interesting ways with her community, bringing people together, trialling new ways of connecting with people and looking for ways to reinvent the practice of politics so that her community would truly know that they were represented and they could access their representative whenever they needed to and in ways that suited them.

She was an incredible talent. She formed deep relationships with her peers in the class of 2019, and the people who have spoken from that class have spoken so movingly. I offer my condolences to all of you in particular. But, more generally, this is a terribly sad loss for the country, it's a terribly sad loss for Labor and it's terribly, terribly sad for her beautiful husband, Rod; her parents; her sisters; her staff; and all of the people who loved her. I offer my condolences to them also.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask senators to join in a moment of silence to signify their assent to the motion.

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