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

by leave—I move:

That the Senate expresses its sadness at the death, on 29 February 2024, of Senator Linda White, Senator for Victoria, places on record its gratitude for her service to the Parliament and to the nation, and tenders its deep sympathy to her family in their bereavement.

I stand on behalf of the Labor government and the Labor Party in the Senate to lead the Senate in expressing our condolences and our loss following the passing of our colleague and friend, Senator Linda White. We are again consumed with grief for the death of one of our own who just a few short months ago sat here amongst us in the chamber and who we were so proud to count among our number and who had so much more ahead to make us proud of. In her first speech, she said, 'Getting justice for people has dominated my working life.' Her death is a great injustice.

I know many colleagues will contribute today. I want to express my personal sympathy and the condolences of the government to all those who lament Linda's passing and especially those closest to her. She loved this institution, she loved this movement, and we loved her. My thoughts are with Linda's family. My thoughts are with Linda's staff, and I acknowledge many of them in the chamber with us today. They have had to shoulder so much at such a young age, and they were with her for so many days and nights and weeks. We thank you for that support and for the way in which you have helped us honour her life.

My thoughts are with the ASU and its elected officials, delegates and rank and file members, so many of whom counted on Linda White, as they count on us here in the Senate. I express my thanks to the many who have already contributed words and memories of Linda in the days since her passing—including the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and I wish to acknowledge his generous written statement.

Linda's regrettably brief time as a senator and the contribution she made to Australian public life beyond this chamber may not be widely known, but it is widely felt. Ask any Ansett worker. Ask any non-government social and community services worker, for whom she delivered in the 2012 case, some of whom saw their wages go up by 43 per cent. Ask any person who worked with her or who served with her on a board. Ask any boss she eviscerated across a bargaining table. As the ASU stated, her influence extended to thousands, if not millions, of Australians who never had the privilege of knowing her.

Linda didn't seek the limelight, but, through her dedication and commitment, she lit paths that so many have followed. She was never afraid to let you know what she thought—or what she thought of you—but she didn't hold a grudge or nurse a wound. In her first speech, she gave a commitment: 'Not a day will go by here when I won't reflect on the consequences of our actions for those we represent.' She spoke of the power of government to open up new choices and opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach. She understood the privilege and the responsibility of elected office. Today, we honour her as we reflect on the consequences of her actions for the lives of so many.

Linda was born in New South Wales in the Sutherland shire before moving with her family to the Epping region, where she demonstrated the early brilliance her brother, Michael, spoke of at her memorial service, being both captain and dux of her primary school. Moving to Melbourne during the course of her high school years, it was Victoria that would become her home and one of her many passions. Completing qualifications in commerce and law at the University of Melbourne—the latter with honours—she embraced the fullness of university life. It was also during this time that she would first encounter the labour movement, working at McDonald's, becoming a union member for the first time—a pivotal occurrence that would go on to shape the rest of her life. She commenced at Maurice Blackburn in 1985 and culminated in her role as the assistant national secretary of the ASU from 1995 to 2020.

Her work exposed her to injustices in the justice system, inequities of representation and people going through the hardest times in their lives. It taught her to listen diligently and compassionately but also how to give people straight advice. Many of us have experienced both parts of Linda's character in this regard.

At the ASU she represented workers across a breadth of sectors, including local government, energy, transport and social and community services. She was a member of the ACTU executive for 15 years, vice-president for 10 of those. She never put herself above the people who relied upon her to represent their interests. She never shirked a tough assignment. I am sure others will speak more about the role she played standing up for the rights of Ansett workers when that airline collapsed, securing $760 million of their entitlements in a battle that took 10 years. As a lawyer, I represented some of those workers and I remember how extraordinary she was through that dispute.

I also personally saw all of Linda's relentless advocacy and determination when I was finance minister and she fought and won the 2012 equal pay case for over 200,000 non-government social and community service workers across Australia, so many of them women. They were hard negotiations. I was finance minister and I had to work out how to fund it and how we would phase it in. I admired how much she stood up to me for her members.

Linda always stood with women and asserted the dignity of women's work. She exhibited foresight and vision. She fought for the provision of paid parental leave at Qantas, for the first enterprise bargaining agreement to include paid family and domestic violence leave, and for additional superannuation payments for private sector employees. She helped to set new standards that have now been replicated across so many workplaces and in legislation. Her contribution to our party spanned decades. She is the longest-serving woman on Labor's national executive in its history, serving 20 years since 2004. In this role, she upheld the integrity of the party as it faced legal challenges, committed to its internal fairness and recognising that robust and accountable political parties are a vital part of a vibrant democracy. And this commitment came at a personal cost.

She was a champion of affirmative action law changes and making our affirmative action laws genuinely enforceable. I was privileged to work with her and so many other Labor sisters in that task—rules that have led to our Labor government being the first Australian government comprised of a majority of women parliamentarians. I, like so many others, benefited from Linda's foresight and advocacy. But, more importantly, our democracy benefited. Linda helped make it possible for a wider variety of voices to be heard and for women to stand up and be counted.

In parallel with her professional career, Linda White pursued her varied interests through a wide range of board appointments she held prior to election as a senator. These stretched from organisations and causes aligned with the labour movement to the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust. It's a demonstration of her talents and the esteem in which she was held in the wider community that she was called to serve in such a variety of fields. It's a demonstration of her belief that the arts, sport, our environment, our parks and our civic spaces belong to all of us and that we should all benefit from their bounty—give us bread, and give us roses too. Linda White gave up a great deal to become an Australian senator. It must have been pretty hard to give up the car park under the MCG that was her privilege as a member of the trust, but we are grateful she did.

Linda White did not have to become a senator to further her legacy or to make a lasting contribution in public life. Her legacy was already suitably burnished and her contribution already considerable. Yet how fortunate we are, particularly Labor senators, that she entered this place following the election in 2022. As the PM said, she may have been the most senior backbencher to have ever existed. She brought persistence, devotion and skill underpinned by her values and commitment to justice—not just legal representation in a courtroom but the broader notion of social and economic justice—and she was served by a talented staff. So many of us have heard her speak of her staff with such love.

Her background as a lawyer saw her steer the critical Joint Select Committee on National Anti-Corruption Commission Legislation as its chair and, following its establishment, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. She was entrusted to lead negotiations on a memorandum of understanding that underpins the relationship between the legislature and the AFP and its critical intersection with parliamentary privilege. She chaired the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, one of the oldest standing committees in our parliament. That is a valuable, if irritating, check on executive power, depending on which side you are, and is trusted and respected on all sides. Her other committee service covered a wide range of policy areas, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice referendum, rural and regional affairs and transport, and the Select Committee on Work and Care.

The qualities that saw her assigned to some of these positions may lead you to think she was a very serious and earnest operator, and she was, but she was equally funny. Her quick wit complemented her forensic analytical skills. On the foreign affairs, defence and trade committee, she could ask tough questions at estimates and sometimes a few mischievous ones as well. I can say to you lot opposite: you're pretty lucky she was never an opposition senator asking you questions in estimates.

I will deeply miss Linda White. There are few people in this place whose advice can always be counted on and whose loyalty, likewise, can always be counted on, and she was one. She was a loyal friend and colleague. She was a Labor sister and comrade. I trusted her. If there was a difficult or sensitive job that needed doing well, we knew Linda could deliver. I also know what a wonderful ally, mentor and friend she was to so many friends of mine, people she recognised in her first speech: Anne McEwen, John Gazzola, Joe Scales and Scott Cowen. They are in my thoughts today. I know how deeply you are feeling the loss of someone who was always there to lend a listening ear and to give you frank advice.

Linda died on 29 February 2024. Sadly, we didn't see her here amongst us in the Senate in what turned out to be her final months, as she took extended leave from late 2023, fighting the pancreatic cancer that claimed her life. She did this privately and with all the tenacity and determination that marked not just her time here but also her decades of commitment to our movement and to working people. So we lament what we have all lost even as we are uplifted by the knowledge that so many have gained because of her.

She never left work to others. As Prime Minister Albanese said, if you were ever looking for someone to settle for good enough that was never Linda White. As her dear comrade Senator Ayres noted about her achievements for working people, these things were never her achievements alone. Linda would never have thought that for a moment but, as he said, they were impossible without Linda. So all of us are better people for her work and all of us are better off for it.

In closing, I again express my solidarity and condolences to Linda's family, to her staff and to all of her comrades and members of the Australian Services Union, and I express my solidarity and condolences to all of my colleagues here in this chamber. It was a privilege to have known and have worked with Linda White. May she rest in peace.

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 support the motion moved by Senator Wong, to associate the opposition with her fine words in paying tribute to the life of Senator Linda White, a determined and passionate individual, an incumbent senator taken far too soon.

Elected to the Senate just two years ago, in 2022, while Linda White's time as a senator for the state of Victoria may have been all too short, she made her presence felt here and she particularly made it felt in continuing her work and her advocacy as a champion of social and economic justice. It is clear that Linda White had so much more to contribute and would have made a bigger impact were she but given the time.

For those of us as non-Labor senators, we had only those short couple of years to get to know Linda. It is clear from Senator Wong's remarks, and those of our colleagues opposite, that the depth and length of her service and commitment across the Labor Party and the union movement means that this is felt very, very deeply by our Labor colleagues, who had a lifetime of getting to know, value and admire Linda White. We acknowledge and send our sincere condolences to our colleagues, whose shock and sadness at Linda's passing remain raw.

All of us who had the privilege to serve with her in this place remember Linda and the impact that she made in such a short period of time. Educated as a lawyer at the Melbourne Law School, Linda began her legal career tackling no small matters. Issues of corruption and advocating for victims-survivors of institutional child sexual abuse set a continuity of service, advocacy and thoughtfulness for others that continued throughout her career. Linda, as we've heard, applied her skills at the Australian Services Union, working from grassroots roles to ultimately holding the position of assistant national secretary. It is clear that Linda was a fierce advocate for the union movement, playing a crucial role in so many battles—notably, as Senator Wong alluded to, her integral role in the 2012 equal pay case, representing 200,000 non-government social and community services workers.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions described Linda as a feminist who advocated at all levels, saying, 'Linda in full flight of an argument across the bargaining table was a sight to see, and many ASU delegates will remember the strength of her advocacy.' I have no doubt that that was the case and no doubt that Senator Wong's reflections on what Linda White may have been were she to have served as an opposition senator is something that those of us who had the privilege of serving as government ministers can be grateful to have avoided.

Her talents branched out to also serve the Labor Party for both Victoria and federally, leading, as we have heard, to Linda White becoming the longest-serving woman on the national executive of the Australian Labor Party. Our parties are fearsome in their contests and unforgiving in the way they can sometimes dispatch people. The strength and character that would be required to notch up such a period of service on Labor's national executive is something that speaks volumes of an individual and their capabilities. As others have said when reflecting upon Linda's contribution, she left a legacy wherever she went. It is deeply regrettable that she did not have more time in this place to extend the legacy that she does leave here.

In her first speech in 2022, Linda made a promise that no-one in the Senate would be left wondering what she thought, that people would always know where she stands and that they would know that she was not afraid of saying what was on her mind. As we have heard from Senator Wong, this was a trait that Linda White carried throughout her career and service, and here in the Senate it was clear she lived up to that promise. She was never one to take a backward step in contest in the chamber or in committees. She was a determined advocate for her beliefs.

Linda campaigned across a wide range of areas, reflecting her deep, lifelong commitment to social justice, especially for women. This included her focus on the gap between the retirement savings of women and men, which she highlighted was far greater than the gender pay gap, and her work on the National Redress Scheme for victims-survivors of institutionalised child sexual abuse.

When news of Linda's death became public, one of the first colleagues to make a comment to me was Senator Scarr, who immediately reflected upon Linda's work as the Chair of the Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Linda played a critical role in scrutinising this important legislation and was instrumental—working with senators and members of the House, across all parties, as well as Independents—in delivering a unanimous report. She was a fierce warrior. But her demonstrated ability to get outcomes and to bring people together when it mattered was also a significant achievement and a notable legacy that she leaves in this place.

Linda was also the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, a role she performed to the highest standard, in the very best traditions of this Senate—to the occasional annoyance, no doubt, of ministers who were subject to such scrutiny.

I know that Linda was admired and valued by those opposite and across the trade union movement for work reaching back decades, including her early work ensuring that the entitlements of Ansett workers were recognised. Her fight for them continued through my service with Linda on the Select Committee on Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements, where I could see firsthand how she brought decades of advocacy, knowledge and skills from different industry sectors to the table in taking up the fight, particularly to those in corporate positions.

Senator White was a strong believer in Australia's democracy. In her first speech, she noted the fragility of democracy and the importance of the role that all senators and politicians play in restoring or maintaining the public's trust in the political process. Part of this, she noted, was a willingness to be able to consider turning points in our own thinking. As she said, 'We might not agree with each other or those who are advocating to us, but not listening is always a mistake.' In this chamber, in particular, that attitude is perhaps one of the most important traits any of us can bring to bear.

Linda was a private person, as evidenced by the way she went about fighting her health battles towards the end of her life. I want to thank my colleague Senator Hume for representing the coalition at Linda's funeral, where I understand that those of us who had not had a long period to get to know Linda were able to learn a little more about her life and, indeed, the pride she took in her service on the MCG Trust, for that best parking position at the MCG—something that I can only imagine would be well fought over by over so many—and the opportunity to be a great provider of hospitality to her dear friends, to her colleagues and to those she valued. Also, her work with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and her other interests outside of this place ensured that Linda, though private, was equally a person with a rich life of service and engagement.

On behalf of the coalition, I extend our sympathy to Senator White's staff in particular. I was elected to this place to fill a vacancy of a senator who passed away in office. Sadly, we have done this all too often in this chamber, particularly in recent years. I know in each one of these instances the care, compassion and thoughtfulness of staff have been so essential to the way in which a senator, trying to fight for their life whilst fulfilling their duties and their service to this place, relies so heavily on the diligence and thoughtfulness of their staff. I thank you and acknowledge the very difficult and trying time it is for those who worked most closely with Linda.

To all of her colleagues, to those across the wider union movement, especially in the ASU and the Labor Party, we acknowledge and send our condolences. In particular, to Linda's loved ones and family and her brother Michael, we express our deepest sympathy. Thank you all for ensuring that we had the opportunity to serve alongside someone like Linda White.

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

We've heard some beautiful and heartfelt tributes from both sides of politics today for the late Senator Linda White, and I'd like to associate myself and the Greens with those remarks.

In her first speech, Linda shared one of her mottos: 'If you're a successful woman, you have a duty to bring other women along with you, because if you don't, who will?' And bring women along she did. Throughout her career, with the Australian Services Union and as a senator in our parliament, Linda elevated the worth of women's work. As a fellow ASU member, I truly and deeply thank Linda for her tireless efforts over many, many years. Linda used her skills before coming to this place to stand up for people who were doing it tough, and she fought not only to improve their individual lives but also to change the world so that things would be better for them.

In more than a decade as the Assistant National Secretary of the ASU, Linda campaigned for paid family and domestic violence leave. She fought for equal pay for community and social services workers, the vast majority of whom are women, and she fought for making the superannuation system fairer for women. I'm sure Linda would be so proud of the really good progress made on all of those issues, including the recent announcement to add superannuation to paid parental leave. I can only imagine what she might have championed next and the benefits that would flow from her efforts.

Linda was also a strong defender of our democracy, and I thank her for her work as chair in overseeing the establishment and the running of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. I strongly agree with Linda's belief that everyone in this parliament has an important role to play in restoring the public's trust in the political process, and I hope that we can all carry on with that work.

We have lost Linda far too soon, and we acknowledge the heartfelt grief that people, especially in the Labor family, are feeling. On behalf of the Greens, I share our condolences and extend our support and our love for your tragic loss in the extended period of grief that will follow. I'm so sorry that you are going through this. Hearing more about Linda, I wish I had had the chance to know her better personally. Her work has been incredible, and I would have loved to have had the benefit of her wit and humour on a personal level.

To Linda's staff, her close friends and her family, and to all those who loved her: our hearts go out to you. We are all the poorer for not having Linda White with us anymore. Vale, Linda White.

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

I also rise as Leader of the Nationals in the Senate to associate the Nationals with the generous comments being made this morning on the passing of Senator Linda White, who those of us in the National Party got to know through her involvement in the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee. She was in the Australian parliament for a regrettably short time, just one year and seven months. We do extend our sympathies to her friends, family and staff.

In that brief period, Senator White used the opportunity given to her by the Labor Party to continue her life's work as a warrior on behalf of the members of the union she was so proud to be a member of, particularly those in the airline industry. Senator White and I served together on both the bilateral air service agreements inquiry—better known as the Qantas inquiry—and the inquiry into Australia's preparedness to host the Commonwealth, Olympic and Paralympic Games. We travelled the country together to five states during various hearings on these important committees, and Linda was more than a dedicated member. Sometimes in this place you learn more from your foes than you do from your friends, and it is no secret that Senator White and I were known to clash during certain committee hearings, as anyone reading Hansardthe staff in the corner over there are laughing—would know. She and I shared very much in the pursuit of our agendas within the democratic process, and we were not afraid to make our views very, very clearly known.

But, behind the scenes, Senator White was always a kind and considerate person and always attempted to accommodate the different views of committee members. Senator Waters went to that in her comments—that our democracy and our chamber function best when we do listen to each other—and Senator White, despite her strong and fierce advocacy for her point of view and the people that sent her to this place, always committed to listening. It showed that Senator White, besides being a tough opponent, held onto the importance of the democratic process that we all engage in. I can vouch that, unlike other committee members in this place, Senator White always showed up and always made sure she was there representing the people that had sent her.

Born in Sydney and educated at Cheltenham Girls High School and Melbourne university, Senator White completed a bachelor of laws with honours and a bachelor of commerce. Her life was dedicated to the betterment of workers through the union movement. She practiced law with Maurice Blackburn and was the assistant national secretary of the Australian Services Union from 1995 to 2020, back when that was hard to do. During her maiden speech, Linda explained her life's work after coming from a background where she and her brother were the first in their family to have gained a university education. She was the longest-serving woman on the National Executive of the Australian Labor Party and was a strong proponent of promoting women in the Labor Party. Her friends describe her as being an enormously dedicated and loyal person. In her maiden speech she described her motivation in politics as getting justice for people, this being the dominant force of her working life.

Her interest as a union member started in her first job at McDonald's and reached its high point in the collapse of Ansett, which saw 16,000 Australians lose their jobs, and there were a further 60,000 workers in companies that relied on Ansett who lost theirs as well. She recalled in her maiden speech:

As a union official, there is nothing as bad as finding out that 4½ thousand of your members have lost their jobs in the one day.

When you reflect on her maiden speech, she highlights a variety of factors that brought her to this place that also brought so many on this side of the chamber to this place as well that we can appreciate and identify with. Her parents, although being highly intelligent and having worked incredibly hard, believed strongly in public education. I know Senator Birmingham is a great graduate of the public sector, as so many of us on this side are.

She spoke of the work ethic of both of her parents and the opportunity that growing up in a country like this provides people like Senator White and like so many of us: that, with a work ethic, a belief and the opportunity that this country provides, her own father started as a delivery boy and ended up managing director of the company that he worked for, which I think is testament to him but also to our country. She spoke of a great culture of public service within her own family. Whether it was the local sporting groups or education groups, her parents gave her a great example of service at a community level that she then took to the highest place of public service in our country. She loved the arts and music in particular.

As Leader of the Nationals in the Senate, I want to acknowledge her lifelong work as an industrial officer on behalf of the members of the ASU, formerly the Federated Clerks Union. She was a dedicated, staunch member of her party and its movement. For her lifelong contribution to public service, I, on behalf of National Party senators, pay my respects to former senator Linda White.

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

I would like to make some brief remarks on our comrade and colleague Senator Linda White. I recognise that there are many in this chamber who knew Linda longer and more closely than I did, but what I want to say is that I really, really liked Linda White.

I probably first met Linda about 20 years ago through our joint activity in the Labor Party, and she was always a formidable presence. She was always a principled voice, whether that be on internal debates of party machinery matters or on policy matters, and, when I think about Linda, probably the word that I keep coming back to more than anything else is 'principled'. That was an approach that she continued in her all-too-short time in this chamber, which has already been noted by a number of members of the opposition. I'm sure that will be a continuing theme over the course of today.

As well as being principled, Linda was incredibly humble—a quality not often seen in politicians but something that she exemplified along with her enormous work ethic, which, again, we saw both prior to her time here in politics and in her willingness, as Senator Wong reflected, in taking up any number of tasks as a backbench senator, in her committee roles and, again, in internal political matters. She was always there to take up the work, always there to take up the fight in pursuit of her principles, always being direct, always being honest and, as I have come to learn since her passing, always being prepared to mentor other, younger people coming through the ranks—in particular, women. These were the qualities that Linda brought to every single thing that she did.

I want to join other senators in expressing my sympathy and sincere condolences to Linda's family, her friends, her colleagues and her staff, none of whom I particularly know but who I've learnt a lot about over the last few weeks. I really want to pay tribute to all of you for carrying on Linda's legacy in the work that you've been doing.

To share a couple of personal reflections: in preparing a few notes for this speech, I was actually reflecting on the fact that, while, as I said, Linda and I were not incredibly close friends, we actually shared quite a lot in common beyond our membership of the Labor Party and our presence here in the Senate chamber. We were both ASU members, although Linda rose to much more exalted heights in that union than I did. The ASU is the union I joined as a young articled clerk myself and remain a member of today. We were both lawyers at Maurice Blackburn, what I consider to be Australia's greatest labour law firm, which takes up the work for workers, unions and disadvantaged people each and every day, and we heard a little bit about Linda's work at Maurice Blackburn—in particular for the victims of sexual abuse as children.

One of the things I also learned about Linda after she became a senator and a hardworking member of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee was that we also both had a family background in the dairy industry. I remember Linda taking up with great delight the opportunity to represent me as the agriculture minister at a number of events in rural Victoria. A wonderful photo of her at one of those events was displayed at her service last week. I think she genuinely loved reconnecting with those family roots in the agriculture sector and getting the opportunity to make new connections in rural Victoria and in an industry that she hadn't worked in herself but her relatives had. That was absolutely wonderful to see.

As others have noted, Linda made an incredible contribution in every aspect of her working life. Probably before I knew Linda personally, I remember seeing Linda White from the Australian Services Union on the TV fighting for those Ansett workers year after year. It turned out to be a 10-year fight, which I know is something she pursued with other members of our Senate team, to recoup the entitlements of those 10,000 workers who were sacked when Ansett collapsed without the support of the federal government of the day. She then, as we've heard, was a leading member of what turned out to be a six-year fight to gain equal pay for predominantly women workers in the social and community services sector. The fact both of those fights took many years again points you to a personal quality of Linda's, which was her tenacity. Just because she didn't win at the first turn didn't mean she stopped, and we saw that over and over again in ALP matters, on policy matters. It's something she developed as one of the leading union officials in this country in recent decades, and possibly ever.

That contribution continued here in her all-too-brief time as a senator, and I have no doubt, while I wasn't personally involved, that principled approach that she brought to the task was instrumental in delivering what I think will be an historic legacy, being the formation of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. It took someone with deep principles to be able to guide what could have been a very politically contentious model through, but she did it—again, with the work of a number of other senators in this chamber.

I also want to recognise Linda's phenomenal contribution for Australian women. This is probably one of the ways in which I first got to know Linda, observing her in action at various ALP national conferences pursuing affirmative action in our rules when it came to the preselection of women and when it came to the participation of women in our party more generally. I honestly don't think it's overstepping things to say that we would not have as many women in the Australian parliament, on the Labor side, as we do today without Linda White. I recognise there were a number of other significant contributors to that, including, in particular, our Senate leader. But from my perspective, not being actively involved in that debate, it was always Linda who would come back and report to the Left caucus, would take the fight up on the conference floor, would be doing the hard work in the backrooms against what was, at times, pretty strong opposition. Again, I don't think we would have the number of outstanding women that we have in this Australian parliament without the efforts of Linda White. And that, of course, is in addition to those other issues that she pursued on behalf of Australian women, such as that equal pay case and issues like paid parental leave. I know she would have been really happy to see that legislation passed in the Senate yesterday, led by Senator Gallagher.

Linda was a joiner, and she reflected in her first speech about her family's tradition in being joiners and getting involved in local organisations. She obviously did that throughout her life, whether in the ALP or as a member of the executive of the ACTU, as well as through her very wide and diverse other interests that we all learned a lot more about at her service: her interest in football; her interest in the arts; her membership of the book club; her board memberships, including at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image; and her love of good food. As Senator Wong has already mentioned, that notion of bread and roses was something that Linda lived herself and thought that everyone deserved—that, as much as it is important for those of us concerned with the lot of working people to pursue their material interests, or their bread, it is also important to make sure that everyone in this country has the opportunity to enjoy life and enjoy the finer things of life. She certainly tried to take the opportunity to do that herself.

I haven't managed to find the exact quote in Linda's first speech, but the last thing I was going to say is that I was reminded at her service that one of the things she said was words to the effect of, 'It's always important to find our better selves.' Again, Linda's own behaviour always exemplified that. That is something that I have benefited from directly from Linda. There've been fights and debates in the Labor Party where I had to reconsider my position because of the argument being put and the way in which it was being put by Linda White. Also, as a pretty freshly minted minister, I will fess up to the fact that Linda's pursuit of an argument in the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, along with Senator Scarr and others, did cause me to reconsider my position and to make a very, very minor adjustment.

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

Shift to a comma.

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

A comma became a semicolon, or something like that. Seriously, the fact that it was Linda, who I had deep respect for and who I knew had a lifelong principled approach to politics, absolutely weighed on my mind in those couple of examples and in so many other interactions that I had with Linda and that I think so many of us had as well.

I will really miss Linda. I know there are people here who'll miss Linda a lot more than me, but I'll really miss her. I remember saying to Senator Gallagher, when I learned of Linda's passing, that you think about what someone like Linda White could have achieved had she got to the Senate earlier in her career, but I know that Linda wouldn't have cared about that. She wasn't here long, but she made an indelible mark on this country's political history. She was absolutely happy being a backbencher, and she did really important work as a backbencher. I deeply respect Linda, and I deeply respect everything that she achieved through her career. My sincere condolences to all of those who loved Linda. Vale, Linda White. We'll really miss you.

Barbara Pocock (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to express my sadness at the loss of a most remarkable woman and senator, and I acknowledge the beautiful words we've already heard here today and in recent days. We've lost an important figure, and I grieve with Linda's community. I'm so sad that she has gone. She had so much more to offer this chamber and our country.

I send my condolences to Linda's brother, Michael and his wife, Julie. Michael spoke so beautifully at the ceremony last Thursday about Linda and their childhood and family and more recent special times. I also extend my condolences to Linda's very good friends, whose support and deep relationships clearly meant so much to her. To Linda's staff, I extend particular acknowledgement. Not all staff of senators have a deep bond with their boss, but Ben Armstrong and all of Linda's staff clearly did. I hope that the weight and love of that bond is a comfort in this very sudden loss. You have clearly served her so well. How much she would have appreciated and valued that friendship, love and care, especially in recent months!

I extend my condolences also to Linda's political family. The decades of service to a party she loved have left a deep legacy and many relationships, friendships and comradeship. Linda worked so hard to increase the voice of women in the Labor Party, and we see its practical and positive consequences today across our parliament. To her ASU sisters and brothers, I also extend my condolences. All those years—25 years as assistant national secretary—is a lot of work. It's a lot of bonds and a lot of solidarity. Linda's delight in the solidarity of unionism and of union sisterhood and activism was clear to all who knew her. To Emeline Gaske, Abbie Spencer and the ASU and all of Linda's sisters in leadership at the ACTU, Michele and Sally: I share your sense of loss.

I knew Linda through her decades of union activism, her feminism and her leadership. She was a union leader who welcomed research evidence. She fostered it, and she put it to work. I know there are many researchers across Australia who are conscious of the way in which she employed data in her arguments. She was not a leader who pulled the ladder up behind her. She was a generous mentor in the best feminist tradition. She was a builder and an enlarger.

When she became a senator, Linda was a very active member of so many Senate committees. She joined the Select Committee on Work and Care and actively contributed to our hearings all around Australia. She was an incredible workhorse. From my dealings with her over the decades as a union leader and over the past 20 months, I found her always a constructive colleague, always up for a laugh and always strong in her views. Linda was trustworthy, honest, funny, smart and hardworking. She was driven to create a better world, whether working as a lawyer, a union member, an activist, a feminist, a leader or a senator. She contributed to making a better world.

Senators come in many different forms. Some come here to build a career, to make a name and to make sparkling speeches. Linda excluded that pathway in her opening speech. She said she was not here to build a career. Some senators are tribal, fierce party loyalists focused on their party's interests. That was not Linda. While Linda was fiercely of the Labor family, she was not, in my experience, narrowly tribal. She was not a hater.

Linda's deep politics were anchored in making a better world for some of the weakest in it: the low-paid insecure workers that she spent decades of her life fighting for, winning big increases and improvements in their conditions of work, most especially for those in the community services sector. That changed the lives of so many people. She stood up for precarious workers, for gig workers, for casuals and for part-timers. She stood up for women who, without enough super, face an old age of poverty after a lifetime of hard work and care. These were the focus of Linda's deep political loyalty, and she would work with all of those who shared her sympathies and project, and she certainly worked across the aisle in this place. She saw the power of building coalitions.

Several people at Linda's ceremony last Thursday made the point that Linda never took a step back in a fight. She made that point herself when she said, as we have heard, that no-one in this place would die wondering what she thought. She was forthright and honest and she marshalled powerful arguments and evidence. I loved working alongside Linda as a member of the Select Committee on Work and Care. She had an excellent nose for pretence and hypocrisy. I remember her taking Amazon to task in that inquiry for their labour hire practices, where she rightfully said that Amazon's wish to be called the best employer on the planet for their own employees did not extend to anyone outside their direct employment sphere. They had many thousands of workers beyond direct employment, and Linda called it out. 'You want to be the best employer on the planet for your own employees, but it doesn't extend to anyone who's not directly employed. That's what I see. Is that right?' She kept pushing to get to the truth of the argument and the evidence that appeared before us in classic, persistent Linda White style.

Linda was courageous, she was fun, she had an incredible work ethic, and she made a direct value driven contribution. She will be much missed in this chamber, where she had so much more to offer to us. I will miss her very much and I extend my condolences and the condolences of all of my Greens colleagues to all of those who were close to Linda and who shared so many positive aspects of her life and work here.

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

I was shocked to hear of Linda's passing. It seems as if I'd known Linda for a lifetime. It's hard for me to put a time on it, but I knew her for at least 30 years. Of course, I knew she was very sick, but only in my darkest moments did I ever contemplate that, perhaps, she wouldn't return to this place. We were friends through thick and thin. We were comrades.

I started in the union movement in 1987, and shortly after that I met Linda in her role as assistant national secretary of the ASU. Linda was a warrior, and, through the ACTU, we had many conversations about Victoria's harsh industrial laws. We learnt a lot about how the ASU, under Linda's management, had approached the laws and what strategies they'd put in place to survive. We suspected—and we were right—that these laws would be introduced into Western Australia, and they were. When the Court government introduced them, they became the harshest workplace laws this country has ever seen. Linda's advice was invaluable, ensuring that our union in WA not only survived these harsh laws but thrived and survived.

Of course, the next big battle for Linda was Ansett—and, in some ways, Linda and Ansett are synonymous. She, as others have said in this place and I witnessed firsthand, was an absolute champion for workers' rights and fought tooth and nail for a just outcome. Linda, on her humorous side, of course was also an expert on flights and planes. At that time, I was living in Sydney, and she used to shake her head at the type of aircraft—and I won't put it on the record—that I used to fly down from Sydney to Canberra on. She used to just shake your head and say, 'I would never travel on one of those planes,' which, of course, didn't instil me with much confidence as I left our meetings to jump on yet another one of those planes. But she certainly knew planes and she certainly knew the airline industry—and not only Ansett. As I'm sure others will say, she fought epic battles with Qantas as well.

The next time as union officials that Linda and I worked together was with my union, the United Workers Union. It was a small part of the social and community services claim. Linda was an extremely capable pair of hands. Through that, I would often be down here lobbying the government and the opposition with Linda, with Michael Flinn and with Sally McManus. Those negotiations were tough, watching Linda absolutely take it up to the government, as Senator Wong has said today. I was in some of those meetings, and sometimes I used to wish the floor would open up and swallow me up, because Linda was relentless. But we have all heard testament about how tough she was as a union official. Certainly, as a union official who was a small part of that, she was formidable, as was Sally, of course.

The next time we met, almost at the same time, Linda and I served together on Labor's National Executive. I joined the executive in 2002 and was really pleased when Linda joined in 2004. I believe that Linda and I became a force to be reckoned with. We had a lot of arguments. Lots of the tough jobs were often, as others have said, given to Linda. As a new position was established, I would often joke and say to Linda, because we nearly always sat together at National Executive, 'It sounds like another job for you, Linda.' She served with great determination. But she was, as others have said and I knew firsthand, passionate about the trade union movement and passionate about the Labor Party. It was a great honour to serve with her through thick and thin.

To her staff—to Ben, to Ekta, to Ned, to Ead and to Amit: Linda lives on in you. You worked very closely with her. You served her well and she served you well, and I know that you now have a special piece of Linda White in you. She has no doubt changed your lives forever, and you will have changed her life in the way that she saw things. She was very proud of all of you. You were an amazing team. We often say in this place that we are only as good as our team, and I want to thank you for serving Linda—Ben, particularly you, for all that you did for Linda, particularly in the last couple of weeks. You are amazing, and I'm sure that all of you will go on to do great things.

Equally, when Linda chaired the NACC committee, I joked to her when I knew we were establishing the committee and said to her, 'It sounds like a job for you, Linda,' and it was a job. She was a great comrade. She was a great friend. She had a huge wit. But, even after all those 30 years that I knew her, I still learnt things from her memorial service, which I watched online. I was not able to go, but I watched online. I have to say that Solidarity Forever absolutely did me in. That's when I had a really good cry. I was proud to be her friend and to call her my friend and my comrade. Rest in peace, Linda.

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I congratulate you on those words. I think your words underline the great impression Linda had on people whom she knew a long time and, in my case, someone who knew Linda only far, far too briefly—over 1½ years. I wish to express my sincere and profound condolences to Linda's family, her friends, her staff and—I use this term out of deep respect for Linda—her comrades in the Labor Party and across the broader labour movement.

I worked closely with Linda in two contexts. The first was on the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee. As Senator Wong said, it is one of the oldest and most important committees in this place. It upholds scrutiny principles which this chamber has unanimously agreed to. Those are important scrutiny principles about the protections of Australians' rights and liberties. They are about making sure our delegated legislation is constitutional and that things aren't put in delegated legislation which should be dealt with in bills. Senator White was an outstanding chair of that committee. First, she did the hard work, she got across the detail and she understood the arguments. Second, she was committed to those scrutiny principles and applying those scrutiny principles on a nonpartisan basis. And third, she was courageous and fearless in terms of raising the arguments with ministers.

One of the things I profoundly enjoyed about working with Senator Linda White was those times when we would call ministers before the committee. Speaking out of school, we used to caucus between each other as to how we would approach the ministers. I would typically be the lead attack dog, and Linda would follow up at the end and do such a wonderful job. At times you could see the looks on the ministers' faces as they confronted my questioning and got through my questioning and then turned to Linda and thought: 'Maybe I've gotten through this now. Maybe I've managed to get through this, and I've beaten this process.' Then Linda would come in at the conclusion and reinforce the arguments that we'd made. I greatly enjoyed that process with Linda, and she brought to bear on that process her wonderful, wonderful sense of humour, which I dearly miss.

I also worked closely with Linda under her chairing of the joint select committee that looked at the NACC legislation—one of the most important pieces of legislation to come before this parliament in many, many years. At the start of that process, Linda and I had a discussion in which we said it was so important that that joint select committee deliver a unanimous report. We wanted to deliver a unanimous report with unanimous recommendations, and we were both committed to that process because we thought that was important. It was important, as that new institution was set up as part of Australia's governance processes. And we delivered that.

I can remember laughing with Linda, and I have no doubt her staff will remember this, when an article appeared in the AFRyou know what I'm talking about—which referred to Linda having been given a job to 'sit and steer'. Linda and I had a deep chuckle about that at the time, but can I say: Linda did not sit and steer; Linda led and delivered. I can remember, in my discussions with Linda during that debate, that there was one moment—when you're having discussions in relation to things like this, you push as far as you can—when we gave another gentle push, and I saw a fire leap in Linda's eye and I thought, 'Senator Scarr, that's as far as we're going to get here!' It was time for a tactical withdrawal. The second thing I thought at that time was: 'Gee, I like this woman. I really like her.'

I want to read to you and put on the record a media release that was put out by the Attorney, the Hon. Mark Dreyfus, on 22 November, just to underline the positive impact that Senator Linda White had in relation to the work of that committee. I'm going to read this for the Hansard record. To Linda's staff: you share in this achievement.

The Government has today tabled amendments to further strengthen the National Anti-Corruption Commission Bill.

These amendments follow careful consideration of recommendations—

and they were unanimous recommendations—

made by the reports of the Joint Select Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.

These amendments will:

not members of the AAT but judges—

that is, the oversight body of the NACC—

regarding witness summons and arrest warrants—

and there were also provisions to enable the inspector to conduct audits. It goes on:

These were all such important reforms that were the result of that work on that joint select committee over a period of just six weeks. So the legislation passed in this parliament was so much better because of the work of Senator Linda White and the way in which she carried out that work. As I said, it wasn't a case of sit and steer; it was the case that Senator White led and delivered.

When I heard that Linda had taken a prolonged leave of absence, I did write her a note in December last year and I sent her some books, which is something I do typically to members across the chamber. The books I sent to Linda—and I do put some thought into this when I do this—included a book entitled The Silence of the Girls by a wonderful UK author by the name of Pat Barker, which told the history of Troy from a women's perspective. I thought that has got to be right on the mark in terms of showing appreciation and respect for the work that Linda has done in promoting the rights and liberties of women and their participation in places such as this.

I do appreciate the fact that I've had the opportunity in this place, in the presence of Linda, to express my appreciation for her work as chair of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation and as chair of the NACC, and I'm so appreciative. It's a blessing I had the chance to express those words in this place, in the presence of Linda. I say to Linda's staff, to echo the words of the President: Senator White is now part of who you are. Her principles, her values, her dedication and her sense of humour are now part of who you are, and each and every one of you will be a living tribute to Senator White as you proceed through your lives and your careers and the way you conduct yourselves.

I am deeply grateful that I had the opportunity to acknowledge Linda's work in her presence. I will dearly, dearly miss Linda and say it has been such a great privilege to have had the honour of serving with Linda in this place.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to associate myself with the speeches and remarks that have been made in this condolence motion, even though it's a condolence motion that we wish we weren't having today.

Linda White was a remarkable woman. I've noticed in the speeches that have been given already that there are many similar words to describe particular parts of Linda's character. I'm not the first person to say that she was a person of great principle and a generous contributor in so many areas of community life. I always find it difficult after someone has passed to learn more things about them that I wish I had known beforehand. I've learnt a lot from the contributions people have made here and from reading about Linda and talking with Linda. All those areas she was involved in outside politics—the arts, the MCG, all of that—show what a remarkable woman she was, with so many skills that were sought after by so many in so many different areas of life.

I think the word 'fierce' has been used quite a bit today. She was fierce as an advocate, always on behalf of others, though, as a lawyer, as a unionist, as a Labor Party member and, later, as a Labor senator. She was a leader in the Labor Party. I think Senator Birmingham reflected on how tough political organisations can be, and 20 years on the national executive of the Labor Party is simply something else. It recognises all of the skills and capabilities that led her to being continuously re-elected to that very senior position within our political organisation. As Minister for Women, I have been reflecting since Linda's passing on the privileged position that I have been in to move forward with many of the policies that Linda and, through Linda, others—the ASU and other unions—have pushed in the areas of advancing gender equality. The ASU, I think, was the second union I joined as a community worker, and the work they did on equal pay on the SACS case was so important for the community sector, not only in the recognition of the value of the work that was being done in the community sector but also in the recognition of the undervaluing and underpayment of feminised industries like the community sector was. I certainly had a lot to do with the ASU during that time.

When I think about affirmative action—and I think Senator Watt talked about this—the Labor Party and the labour movement is full of incredible women, right across it, at every level of our organisations. But Linda was the best of the best in terms of what she managed to bring to the unions but also to the Labor Party in looking at affirmative action. We talk about that now from the point of view of having a majority of women members in our political organisation. I think some of us who were around during those debates forget how fierce some of those debates were and how much resistance there was to changing our rules and putting in place rules that actually could be enforced and were not just 'nice to haves'. It was, 'We will be changing this political organisation to better reflect the communities that we seek to represent.' I remember being in those meetings too. Linda would come and report back on those negotiations. It wasn't an easy thing to do. You look at those changes that were brought in 1994 and where we are now, 30 years later. That shows you the strength and the commitment of what was achieved all those years ago by women like Linda White.

She would have been so incredibly proud of being part of a government that was able to make the changes to PPL we passed through the Senate yesterday—as well as super on PPL and retirement savings for women in general. When we made the decision about paying super on PPL, which we announced in early March, I spoke to officials within the ASU. We like to think we keep things pretty tight when we've got big announcements like this to make, but we don't mind a chat in the Labor Party. I was actually thrilled to know that—and this was relayed to me—those close to Linda were able to indicate to Linda before she passed that that was something that the government was going to do, even though that was a week before the announcement that we made. So, even though we don't encourage leaking or gossiping in the Labor Party, in that instance I was really pleased when I spoke to Emeline that she was able to talk to Linda and say that another one of those campaigns that she was so involved in had reached that point where we were making that change.

The words that we've heard and I've been jotting down as I've been thinking about Linda are 'principled, loyal, trustworthy, honest, relentless, tenacious, brave, courageous, funny, fearless, intelligent, fierce, hardworking' and, I would add, 'and maybe, when in full flight, a little bit scary—just a smidge'. I think Penny spoke to that earlier. She was humble, of course—she never sought to be the one first in the queue but was always the one to do the work—and private, very private. I had a number of conversations with Linda during her illness, and she made it very clear to me that she wanted her privacy respected as she underwent treatment. This was really important to her, and of course it was absolutely respected. And I think it also meant that her passing came as a big shock to a lot of us—particularly, I think that people hadn't been aware how unwell she was. To those people, just know that that was Linda's choice about how she wanted to manage that time in her life, and it was what she wanted.

To Linda's staff—and I know a lot have spoken about you today: she was so proud of all of you. In the discussions I had, particularly when she was talking to me about all the committee work she was continuing to do when she was away from the Senate, when I asked her if there was anything we could do to make sure that her workload was manageable—or not work, which wasn't, obviously, a choice that she was prepared to consider—she spoke to me about having such incredibly capable staff, and it gave her the support to be able to do the work that she wanted to do while she was undergoing treatment. I know losing a boss like Linda at this point in your careers must be incredibly difficult, but, along with what others have said today, I think we also have to realise how lucky we were to have known her and to have worked with her and to have had her help shape your careers.

We will all miss Linda. We will miss her in the Senate; we will miss her in the Labor Party. Linda was always there. She was always in the meetings, the conferences we'd go to and the gatherings we would have, and so her passing leaves an enormous hole for us in her Labor family. We will miss her forever. We will always remember her. We will always honour her legacy. And we commit to continuing the work ahead of us that she had not finished. We were really so very lucky to have known her, to have been touched by her and to have been a part of her life. I'd like to pass on my condolences to all that loved her and knew her and miss her, including Michael, the ASU family, her staff and all of us here in the Senate, who were, even in a relatively short time, so touched by her and the work that she did here.

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

I rise to associate myself with the comments made by colleagues in condolence for the passing of Senator Linda White. We've done this too often over recent times, I have to say. I think it's been mentioned before, but we genuinely have done this too often, so perhaps I'll entreat colleagues: get your checks and look after yourselves. We don't want to be doing this too many more times.

It is very sad to lose someone who was here for a relatively short time but was making such a significant contribution. I reflect on the comments that Senator Gallagher made; that we learn so much more about one of our colleagues on an occasion such as this than we might have otherwise done. This is a busy place and we all work hard. Linda was one of those. She, through all of that work, got the opportunity to touch quite a few of us in this place. I had the fortune to travel on a delegation with Linda. Senator Wong mentioned her wry sense of humour, her dry sense of humour and sometimes her wicked sense of humour, which was always there. I had the genuine privilege of spending a week with Linda in Vietnam. We had a good time—until we all contracted COVID and had to come home. Actually, we found out we got COVID when we got home, fortunately.

Her wry sense of humour and the incisive nature of the way she went about her work were demonstrated in the committee work that I did with her in the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee but also on the delegation. Many colleagues have talked about the fact that she would not back her cart. She was prepared to ask the hard questions when they needed to be asked and, if she felt that she needed to give someone a poke in the eye—and I don't think it really mattered whether it was on her side or someone else's side—she was prepared to be the person who would provide the poke in the eye or lead the process, as appropriate. It was always done with good nature and good humour but seriously and she was happy to ask the hard questions—all in the interests of getting results.

It's interesting to hear more about Linda's background and skill set. It reminds me of the value of the life experience that we bring to this place when we get here. Interestingly, in the context of the Tasmanian election where people's life experience is being discussed—or lack of it, because we're politicians—we don't start life as politicians; we all bring life skills to this place. The importance of that range of life skills in getting the work done on Senate committees and through our parliamentary process was very evident sitting alongside and working with Linda in committees. Senator Scarr has talked about that and other colleagues have talked about that. The values you learn through your life experience that you bring to this place come out during that process. Linda was clearly a child of the labour movement and proudly so. It's an important thing for the way that this place works that we have all these different perspectives and values, so that we can interrogate an issue and come to an appropriate answer. The work that Linda did with Senator Scarr on the NACC is a clear example of the absolute importance of those skill sets and what they bring to this place.

I say to Linda's staff: it is great to see you here in the chamber today; it really is. Because of the work we do and the fact that we are away from home, we probably spend more time with our staff than we do with our families, to a certain extent. Your work in supporting Linda, as has been described, was important. Our teams make a huge difference to the success of the work we do. So, firstly, congratulations. Sincerest condolences for what is a significant loss. It is a really difficult time and, I have to say, I wish that we weren't having to stand here to make these contributions today. I genuinely do.

To her friends and colleagues in the labour movement and in the union movement: again, my sincerest condolences. It is so difficult to lose someone you have worked with for a considerable period of time who you trust, who you know and who you love, so my sincerest condolences to you and, of course, to Linda's family—genuine and sincere condolences for the loss of a valued family member.

The fact that Linda wanted to undertake her treatment in private is a real mark of her as a person. There are so many who want to play these sorts of things out in public. I genuinely express my respect for Linda for the way that she has done this. Senator Gallagher was right—it was a genuine shock when I heard of Linda's passing. I was genuinely saddened by the news of the loss of one of our number. This place does important work. Everyone who makes it here has a contribution to make and they bring something special. As I've indicated, they bring their life experience, and they bring all those skills and talents they have developed prior to coming here to this place. Regardless of which side of the chamber we come from, we come here to make a positive contribution from our perspective and from our party's perspective.

I again express my condolences to the Labor Party, to Linda's staff and to her family. Vale, Senator Linda White.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also want to express my personal condolences to Linda's family, her colleagues and her team here. It was a terrible shock to hear about Linda's passing. When you first come into this place you see people entirely through a partisan lens. You see somebody as a member of the Labor Party or as a member of the Nats or as a member of the coalition. It is only through a series of interactions, whether it is contributions in the chamber or, more often, one-on-one chats in the corridors or through the work you do together in committees, that you get a better understanding of someone as a human being. In the short time, and privileged time, I dealt with Linda, pretty much every one of those interactions was enriching, because I could see there was a woman of conviction, an extremely proud unionist, a feisty and unapologetic feminist and a proud member of her party, the Labor Party. But underneath all that was a core set of principles.

Before I came into this place, a lot of the work I did as a state MP was around advocating for victims of child sexual abuse in institutions. When I talked with Linda about that, she had lived that struggle and lived that fight, had always been on the side of survivors, and was always contesting the institutions and trying to hold institutions to account. It reflected her politics. I think many people assume that, if you are working as a solicitor, somehow you are a paid agent. It was pretty clear to me from my communications with Linda that, whenever these issues came up, that was work she put her heart and soul into. She was on the side of survivors and victims and she held institutions to account, which reflected her principles and her politics.

When she was appointed to chair the NACC implementation committee, she took that job on with gusto and with that very dry, directed wit that she had. I can still remember her voice as chair. It was kind of dry and kind of directed, and she'd say, 'Well, Paul,' or, 'Well, David,' and that kind of meant, 'Shut the hell up, sit down; we're going to get on with whatever we're doing.'

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She said that more about you than me!

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject that interjection! But certainly that's what it meant, and she said it to keep business moving, to keep things on track—not to be disrespectful but to use that position to drive that as best she could towards a good outcome. I think all of us respected her in that work.

In that work, she had multiple pressures on her from multiple different points, and she kept it on track and she delivered a good outcome for the country. She did it with good humour, she did it with grace, she did it with intelligence and she did it, as I said, with that wry sense of humour. I miss that already.

I know other speakers will want to speak, so I will be very brief. I also miss sitting there in Defence estimates, when Linda would come in there with her folder and sit at the other end of the Defence estimates—the other side of the chair—and then Nita, the chair, would say, 'We'll just go to Senator White now.' She'd be sitting there nicely and then suddenly she was just laser focused on some particular expenditure, misstep or issue that she had in Defence estimates. I remember sitting there thinking, 'Go Linda,' cheering her on. She did that because she thought it was the right thing to do. She did it because it stepped out of her values and it stepped out of her principles. Whether or not her party was 100 per cent happy with her doing that on every occasion, that was something I think she was willing to take on board. But what you saw, again, was a politician who came here with a set of principles and lived up to them.

I miss Linda. To all of her friends and her colleagues: I'm really sorry. And to her family in particular: I'm really sorry. It was a complete shock. Vale, Linda.

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

I rise to speak about my friend Senator Linda White. As so many others have indicated, Linda was immensely capable, fiercely intelligent but, perhaps most importantly, seized by her obligations to others: to working-class people, to victims of sexual abuse and to women. In contributing this afternoon, I wish to share just a few stories and observations. Like many others on this side of the chamber, I have known Linda for decades. As a young woman seeking to involve myself in the national affairs of the Labor Party, it was no small thing to find a woman so confidently and effectively contributing to an organisation which at that time was still largely run by men. This, as I came to understand, was a set of arrangements under challenge.

In this, Linda modelled the kind of female leadership that so many of us advocated. She was forthright, she was committed to fairness and she understood and acted on the responsibilities to other women that arise for senior women. She was absolutely committed to supporting other women around her, including in supporting their right to occupy senior roles. And, of course, at its sharpest edge, this meant that she was dedicated to improving women's representation in Labor's caucus. No-one more assiduously pored over the affirmative action performance of each jurisdiction and no-one was braver or more constant in pointing to the areas where representation was falling short of expectations. While she never would have done so, Linda can well claim to have laid the ground for many of Labor's achievements in bringing women through into our caucus and into our ministry. I apologise about the weeping, everybody.

Linda was also very creative about politics. Amongst many examples, this manifested in an early enthusiasm for Twitter and the capacity to use that platform to advocate for the things that she believed in. She very quickly built up a dedicated online following. When I was elected as Labor's national president, having essentially and carefully avoided all participation in social media up to that point, Linda set about retweeting my every single utterance! Now, I make no claim that this improved Australian political discourse, but I do offer it as an example of the practical solidarity that Linda offered so many women, supporting them in their right to contribute and, in the most practical ways, amplifying their voices. And, at a personal level, Linda left me in no doubt that she supported me and would help me in that role.

The period when Linda and I worked together perhaps the most closely, though, was in my early years here in the Senate when I was pursuing a set of policy concerns about women and economic security—and, as senators here will know, a committee inquiry is nothing without substantive content. As a leader within the Australian Services Union, Linda set about ensuring that the committee was offered personal testimony, original research and cogent advocacy about the unconscionable disparities in men's and women's super balances and the steps that would be necessary to remedy these. I pulled up the submission that the ASU made to the inquiry into gender segregation in Australian workplaces. It was made on 3 March 2017, and the submitter, of course, is one Linda White. It's an 18-page submission. It has 18 recommendations, it has 44 footnotes and it is filled with practical gems, born of decades of advocacy for equal pay—understanding the practical barriers to equality in workplaces, the legal barriers in the tribunals, and the biases and prejudices at the bargaining table. And this was typical of her advocacy—detailed, careful and practical—and it informed so much of what has since been possible through the work of women's organisations, unions and our government. Child care, paid parental leave, reforms to promote pay equity, super on paid parental leave and, of course, paid domestic violence leave—Linda was a forceful advocate for progress in all those policy areas. And, as Senator Gallagher has observed, I think she would be very proud of the reforms that we progressed through the Senate this week.

When Linda joined the Senate, we enjoyed many quiet nights together in her office, and it's both incidental and essential to observe that she always had beautiful plates, beautiful linen and beautiful food to welcome her guests and make them feel comfortable. We would sit together and talk. Like others, I always welcomed her counsel and respected her judgement, and I absolutely trusted her. We often talked about the young people in our orbit: how to develop them, how to support them and how to involve them. And it has perhaps been a little unnerving for Linda's staff to discover just how frequently she spoke about you to others, but we did often talk about you—and some other staff too, if you're listening. She loved you, and she cared for you, and she respected you. To all of you I say: thank you for the way that you supported her and the way that you supported her work.

I will conclude my remarks by simply observing that I will miss her greatly. I found myself heading to Melbourne for her service and rather stupidly thinking that perhaps it would be good to call her and make time for lunch. It is very hard to believe she's not here, and I can only imagine that this is very much harder for her close friends and her family—particularly her brother, Michael—and I offer them my condolences. Vale, Linda, good comrade and good friend.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise today to honour the service and the life of the late Victorian senator Linda White. In the time, I didn't know her very well, and I only got to know her just before she left this place. But in the time she was here, from listening to the tributes that have been paid to her, it is clear she made her presence known and felt very forcefully in this place and particularly in the committees that those on all sides of this chamber had the privilege of working with her on. It has been quoted here—and I certainly took note of this comment in her first speech—that she made the promise that nobody in this place would be left wondering what she thought and that people would always know where she stood and know that she was not afraid to say what was on her mind. And, I think, in the time that she was here, which was all too short, she certainly did that.

From my observation—and as we have heard from Senator Scarr and others who worked on committees with her—she was clearly a very passionate leader and a very good woman, and she had so much more to contribute to this place, particularly to our committees. I say thank you to those opposite and others in the chamber who have shared with those of us who didn't know her very well personally some of their memories and some more of her history about who she was as a woman, as a leader and, as we saw, as a senator.

Senator White served, as we've heard, as chair of the Joint Select Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. I know from anecdotal stories that she certainly did that without fear or favour, in the finest traditions of those in this place. I served with Linda in my role of the deputy chair of the Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, which those in here know is an incredibly important committee but is not one that is well known or necessarily well appreciated outside of this building. As we know, having been on that committee more than once, and now as the deputy chair, it is incredibly important. What Senator Scarr and I saw from Linda was that she absolutely understood the importance of scrutiny of the burgeoning amount of delegated legislation going through the parliament. She was meticulous, she was scrupulous and we saw her wit but also her commitment to detail and to doing what was the right thing. I think it was Senator Wong this morning who said, in that role, it was certainly to the bane of many a minister of the government on her own side.

Could I express my most heartfelt condolences to all colleagues opposite and to all other colleagues in this place who will feel her loss so keenly, including to her staff. I can't imagine how difficult it has been for you over the last few months to support somebody who was so close to you and who you obviously had a great deal of admiration for. I know how important staff are to us all, and, as we've heard from Senator McAllister, you meant a great deal to her. We also had the opportunity to pay our respects to her at the delegated legislation committee meeting this week, and the sadness of the secretariat staff was very clear to see.

I extend my sympathy to her family and everybody else, and I thank her for her service to this nation over many, many years, her service to this place and to the friendships that she extended to so many. May she rest in peace.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm in the invidious position of this being the second time I've had to make some comments about Linda. In a desperate effort not to repeat the contribution I made at her memorial service, I'm going to try and work through some of the issues in a different way.

The first thing I want to say is to thank colleagues here for the contributions that have been made thus far and the ones that are to come. This has been a very fine condolence debate, and I want to thank senators for the thoughtful contributions that they have made. Over the last few months I've been enveloped with a deep sadness about all of this, about the loss of a very dear friend, both a reflection on our past friendship but a deep regret for the things that might have been in the future—a deep regret about losing my relationship with Linda as a collaborator, particularly in the affairs of the Australian Labor Party, for so many things that we had done together and all of the things that I believed were to come. For Linda's achievements on behalf of her union and the people she represented in her life before she came here, achievements on behalf of Australian women and the beginning of what I believed was going to be a remarkable career in this institution that she absolutely loved—the Australian Senate.

As I indicated at Linda's memorial service, for a politician I have a very poor memory for how I've met people. People who are very dear friends of mine, very important to me—I hope Rae's not listening—I can't remember quite how we met. I can vividly remember when I met Linda White. I'd been asked to bring a new set of organising principles to the AMWU's membership at Qantas and Ansett, and in the airline and defence aerospace industry more broadly, as we fought Qantas's offshoring and outsourcing attempts in airline maintenance. I think Linda saw just another metalworker coming along who was there to tell them how to toughen up. I just vividly remember her taking to me with a stick in our very first meeting, really quite vigorously! I can't remember quite what she said, but there were arms and legs everywhere and I'll never, ever forget it. A bit like Senator Scarr, I do remember very clearly thinking at the time, 'What a remarkable person,' and I remember thinking that I did indeed like her very much. We became very, very good friends very quickly.

Her contribution to the trade union movement says a lot about the greatest things about the trade union movement. Imagine you were a person who worked for Ansett—a ticketing clerk or somebody who worked in Ansett's administration, with your whole professional life in that role—and all of your redundancy entitlements, all of your holiday entitlements and everything resting with that employer were all gone. What Linda White did, along with Greg Combet and many others, was fight so hard for those entitlements at a time when the government of the day wasn't very interested, to say the least. She also fought for so many of those people to get direct jobs with Qantas. That really mattered. That changed thousands of people's lives.

There was the work in the community sector—mostly women—by people who do the most extraordinary work and are paid so very little to do that work. They are the glue in some of our communities, particularly some of our communities that are economically dislocated, where it's hard. They are the social glue that holds families and communities together. That equal pay case was more than a decade's worth of work. Some of those workers got wage increases of 43 per cent. Just imagine what that means for them and their families, and also for the communities in which they work—the big struggles around pay equity.

I agree very much with what Senator Colbeck said: the life experience that you bring to this place really is absolutely critical. The values and the trade union experience that she brought really captured who she was and shaped the contribution that she made. I've always thought that one of the things that Linda understood was the importance of trade unions in Australian democracy. There are a lot of people who talk about the importance of Australian democracy, but not many people understand that it is what it is because of the trade union movement—not in whole, but it is impossible to imagine Australian democracy having the character and the history that it has without a vital labour movement. Linda understood that, and it informed her approach to these issues.

I was there for much of Linda's contribution on affirmative action in Labor. I served—and still serve—on Labor's national executive and was there for much of that time, so I worked with Linda very closely on these questions. I remember, as Senator Gallagher said, that there wasn't universal applause at the idea of affirmative action in the Labor Party when these issues were first advanced. Some of these issues were very challenging. I know that some of the other parties in this place are going through many of the same arguments, maybe 30 years too late. Many of the same arguments were run by much the same sorts of interests. I remember, I think it was in 2015 at the Labor Party National Conference, one of the negotiators for the other side of this argument literally—not figuratively but literally—banging their head on the table in frustration at not only the argument that Linda was making but the inevitability of it, that he knew and she knew—and I could count—that we were going to prevail at the conference. Having those enforceable provisions has changed the Labor Party at a federal level. It has changed the parliament; it has changed the country. It has been reflected in all of the states and territories. It has made an incredible difference.

I did also want to say that her contribution within Labor was so deep—chairing think tanks, across particularly Chifley. But her contribution in terms of governance and finances at the national executive was absolutely critical for us. In terms of her contribution when it came to some very, very hard decisions that required principle and courage and values, she could always be relied upon at that national executive to do that hard work and make those calls—in particular, the intervention into the Victorian Labor Party, which was absolutely an essential thing to do but a difficult burden, particularly for those members of the national executive who were in Victoria.

Linda loved this institution. I'm really grateful, Senator Scarr, for your contributions about your work with her. She understood the importance of the Senate as a democratic institution. She understood very quickly the importance of those functions about protecting the privileges of the Senate and about defending against executive overreach. She understood that. Her contribution on the National Anti-Corruption Commission has a lasting impact in terms of Australian democracy, and I think she should have been very proud of all of that. She was also somebody who, as Senator Pocock said, understood scholarship and industrial relations. She was a person who was always—whether it was in Senator Pocock's time, as an industrial relations academic, but all the way through—open and available for that community of scholars for interviews and access for research and guidance; I know that people across the industrial relations community respected that very much.

I also want to say that Linda had a remarkable staff. It is a unique burden for young people, I think, when something like this happens. It is particularly challenging. Linda's utterly appropriate demand for privacy placed a unique burden on her staff—to have that experience of caring for their boss and making sure that she could continue with her work but to have also that requirement for discretion. Not being able to talk about these issues outside of the office is a unique burden. You did her so proud. Ben Armstrong, Ekta Mahal, Ned Lindenmayer, Ead Stokes and Amit Aalok: you should all be so proud of the contribution that you made.

Ben wrote to me this morning and said:

Senator White showed me how to do politics differently.

She was tough as nails, and I never saw her pull any punches. But I also never saw her go toe-to-toe with someone—whether in the Senate or in the ALP—without gifting her opponent a sort of frank respect. Or, as she put it: "playing a straight bat."

No plotting, no playing of others off against one another—just the delivery of a direct and unwavering, but always honest argument. Someone recently said to me that this way of operating proved Senator White was 'an old-style union boss' in the best tradition. I think that's true, and I was so proud to work for her because of it.

What I learned from Linda's way of doing politics was that, even if people don't like your ideas very much, they often still end up begrudgingly liking and respecting you as a person—because they can trust you and trust what you say.

I will take that way of working along with me for the rest of my life.

With the death of Linda White, I have not just lost a Senator. I have also lost a confidante, a mentor and above all a dear friend. We shared a love of art, food, and beautiful things. Together, we also grew a love and respect for the Australian Senate, particularly its committees and its quirks.

I will miss my friend and my boss, but above all I will remember the things she taught me about politics, about how to treat people and how all of that can make the world a better place for you and others to be in.

That was Ben Armstrong's contribution in his note to me this morning. It's just as beautiful as all of the contributions that have been made here today, and it really does capture who Linda was.

I finally want to say that the last couple of months have been very challenging. I will never forget it. Linda had been quiet for a few weeks while she'd been here. I remember that I had looked over my shoulder—because she sat just over my right shoulder—as we were leaving the chamber after a division, and she had just looked at me in a particular way. I did think to myself at the time, 'Something's wrong.' I went back to my office and then caught a plane back to Sydney. I texted her a few times just to see how she was going, and I didn't hear back. I remember, in the middle of December, just looking over my shoulder, and I knew that something was deeply wrong—deeply wrong. Eventually, we caught up, and I went and saw her. I absolutely will treasure the time that I spent with her, sitting and holding her hand. I do know that the privilege of being able to do that was not there for all of her friends, and that requirement for privacy was absolutely vital for her. It was how she managed her illness, and it was how she managed that period. I do also recognise that that put an additional burden when this news came through. Many of her friends and colleagues were absolutely shocked, and I'm very sorry about that. It was a very tough period.

She was tough. She was determined. She was absolutely decent. She was a gourmet. She was a fantastic cook. She loved the arts. She loved her sport. Everything that's been said about the MCG is absolutely true. It really is. Her first speech in this place was one of the finest first speeches that I've ever heard. I was very proud to be part of her political life and very proud to be one of her friends. Vale.

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

I would like to pass on my condolences to Linda's family, her friends, her colleagues in the Labor Party and her staff. It's a very, very sad time. It's something that surprised many of us who, as others have remarked, didn't understand quite the bravery that Linda was going through to bear this affliction with very little outward evidence and to continue on with her work.

It's always very sad when we lose one of our colleagues. It's always very sad when anyone passes away, but it's even more sad when there's the residue of unfulfilled potential. That's why we're very sad when children pass away. Linda was no child. She had a very extensive career, as we've heard during this debate, but she clearly had enormous unfulfilled potential in this place. She had already made a mark as a senator in a very brief period of time, and there was no doubt that she was only going to become more and more effective as a senator as time passed. It's very unfortunate, especially for our colleagues in the Labor Party, that Linda couldn't fulfil that promise.

I got to know Linda through my work on the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee. I could tell Linda was a good senator because, truth be told, she kind of annoyed me at times. She was quite effective at pursuing certain lines of inquiry. No reflection on anyone in this chamber, but sometimes in estimates, especially on government benches, when you are given questions to go through—dorothy dixers, so to speak—the line of questioning might not be as enthusiastic, as passionate or as driven as it could be. But Linda was never like that. She always took up the battering ram very strongly; therefore, she was a proverbial 'pain' for those of us on the other side. Linda had a very direct and frank approach, which I think delivered to her enormous respect from those in rural and country areas, who appreciate being told directly what people think and who appreciate that frankness.

Linda was clearly interested in issues that faced those of us that live in country areas, and her contribution on the rural affairs committee was greatly appreciated. I was only just speaking to one of her friends Wendy Streets, from the financial services union. I know Linda was very passionate about the issues facing country towns where bank branches are closing and people have no access to services. We travelled around that country with that committee, and Linda was often there in far-flung places to give voice to those communities. Linda was part of a process that had some impact. It was, I think, one of the more successful Senate inquiries I have been on. We stopped 11 branches from closing around Australia, and I appreciate the support of Linda and other colleagues in other parties in this place who gave all of us a push for those results in a bipartisan way. The work of that committee and many other bits of work that will be done in this chamber in the months and years ahead will be the legacy of Linda. It is really sad that she won't be here to see the finalisation of that report and push for it within government, which is what we need to do, but her contribution won't go unrecorded.

Everybody that knows and loves Linda can be very proud of her achievements in this place, notwithstanding how sad it is that they have come to an untimely end. Vale, Senator Linda White.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There have been many great contributions made today and I know there will be many more in memory of our colleague Linda White. Every contribution today will probably be a bit more eloquent than mine. I have thought about what I will say today, nearly since Ben rang me when I got off the plane. There was a message from Ben on the Thursday that Linda died. I rang him straight back. I just haven't been able to really get my thoughts together, so I hope I do okay.

My brother read a poem at my mother's funeral and it really resonated with me. I am not going to read the poem but I will quickly tell you about it because the poem was about a man who had been to a funeral. They had referred to the dates on the tombstone, the day of the birth of the person and the day of the death of the person. They said that the most important thing was the dash between those two dates. That dash, of course, is a person's life. What matters most when someone dies, of course, is their life, the time they spend alive on earth. Those who love them and care about them really understand what that little dash means. They talk about how it doesn't matter how much we own—the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we lived our life and, as they say, how we spent our dash. It reminds us all to think about that dash in our own lives and to treat each other with respect and to more often wear a smile because sometimes that dash might only last a little while. As I said, I found it hard to write my contribution, but I can say with absolute clarity and absolute conviction that Linda should be so, so proud of her dash. It was way too short; she was 63 years old. It's a young age to die these days.

She affected the lives of so many people. She touched and improved the lives of so many people, but so many of those people will not even know her name and will certainly not have met her. She didn't boast about what she did at all—she didn't seek out the media—but she had considerable achievements. What Linda preferred to do was to focus on working hard towards meaningful change and a fairer, more equitable Australia. I think about Linda a bit. Her life was like a stone in a pond. The ripples of her actions will just continue on, and her legacy will continue to improve the lives of all Australians for many generations to come.

I first met Linda in the 1990s. She then worked for the Federated Clerks Union. I worked for the Municipal Employees Union, and our two unions joined together with a third union, the Municipal Officers Association, to become what is now known as the Australian Services Union. Linda was in the national office, and I was a fairly new official, basically straight out of early childhood education, in the Tasmanian office. She was from the left, and I was from the right. She was a lawyer, and, as I said, I was straight out of early childhood education. She was very private—I'll talk about that later—and I wear my heart on my sleeve. So you would think we were complete opposites, but I very quickly came to admire her fierce intellect—and it was fierce—and her skill in managing people. But the thing I really liked about Linda was her absolute integrity.

Lots of people have talked today about the collapse of Ansett and the fallout from that. I had the privilege of seeing firsthand how Linda stood up to management and fully supported her members no matter what. I was in complete awe of her abilities in those days. She ran the dispute for the ASU. She was the head honcho. I was the branch training officer then, so I was training the delegates, and there were specific things that Linda would want the Ansett delegates in particular to know. That's when I really got to know her.

Linda did take no hostages, especially when it came to negotiations. I will say she was stubborn but in a really good way. She was tenacious. Above all, she was passionate for justice and a more just society for all Australians. On her work ethic, I don't think I've ever, ever met anybody who worked as hard as she did, and that obviously explains how she was such an admired member of so many boards. By my count, she sat on no less than 15 boards. It's an absolute testament to her willingness and her ability to hold not only the public sector to account but the corporate sector as well.

It is rare, I think, to find someone who is intellectually curious, open to ideas and assertive without being aggressive. This winning combination is why so many people, I think, are mourning her loss. She calmly refused to be fobbed off by anything less than a fully considered argument and she didn't hesitate to put someone in their place if they tried to pull the wool over her eyes. Because of that, she was highly regarded by her colleagues.

I saw this again in particular when she joined the Senate. In fact, I have to tell the powers that be on our side this little story. When she joined the Senate, they put her next to me, and the first thing we did was go, 'Have they got any idea what they have done here?' The two of us knew we were going to lead each other astray a bit. We talked quite often—I hate to admit this—through question time. Sometimes it can be a bit dull when you're a backbencher. We would talk about all sorts of things, and I did really get to know her much, much better than I had in the years that she was in the union.

Funnily enough, we talked about death. My brother died, and we had a talk about death. She talked to me—hindsight is such a wonderful thing—about the work I had done in regard to low-survival-rate cancers. I didn't twig to anything; I have to admit I did not relate it. Even when she was sick and unwell and was no longer coming to parliament, I didn't relate that fact, that conversation, to Linda's illness. In the beginning, I thought she had COVID, and I remember asking her, 'Have you got COVID?' She said to me, 'I'm not declaring anything.' Typical of Linda! She loved her privacy. But I would send her texts occasionally. Sometimes she would respond and sometimes she wouldn't be well enough to respond or just wanted to ignore me. Sometimes she would respond with just a heart. I will keep those texts. I will keep them very close to me.

Other people have mentioned the joint National Anti-Corruption Commission committee and the scrutiny of delegated legislation committee, and I was lucky to be on both of those committees while she was the chair. Scrutiny just came naturally to her. She was forensic in reading the papers. She understood. I would sit here and say, 'I've got no idea what we're talking about; can you explain it to me?' I would have the papers and I would say: 'I don't understand this. What's this about?' She'd just very calmly talk me through it so that, when I got to the meeting, I actually knew what was going on. There was no loosely phrased or vague form of words that passed her eye. She had an eagle eye. Her forensic reading of what were sometimes rather dull but, as other people have mentioned, really important papers for this place was quite daunting. I know lots of people were in awe of her abilities.

I did see her, certainly through the union movement but again in this place, empower other people and bring other people along with her to pursue a point. She persuaded people to take up responsibilities that they might not otherwise have thought to do. I was on the committee that set up the National Anti-Corruption Commission committee, and I said to her, 'I'm willing to step down and not be on the actual National Anti-Corruption Commission committee,' and she just said to me, 'You will be on it.' 'Okay, I'll stay on it. I'll be there.' That's what she was like.

I don't want to create a picture of a tough and hardened person, because she wasn't. She was strong and, as I said, intensely private. A friend remarked to me, actually, at Linda's memorial service that they thought she was a naturally shy person in an extrovert's profession, and I tend to agree with that. She was very private. As we've said, she was so private that a lot of people didn't realise how ill she was. But there was a vulnerability to her, and I don't think we should ever forget that. There was this vulnerability to her, but she kept it very well hidden.

I think very fondly of Linda. Every time I think about her, it's with a little smile. She could be a lot of fun. She could be wickedly distracting, as I said, as we sat together here and plotted and planned a bit. We shared observations and we shared lollies and we helped each other through the long hours of scintillating or dull debate.

I will tell you that very early on in her Senate career she made a huge mistake—a huge mistake! I don't think I've told anybody else this, but it was huge. I'm going to tell you now. She came into this Senate one day with lollies and didn't have any for me. She never made that mistake again, and I think that says a lot for our relationship. I didn't even have to raise my voice. It was all very: 'You've done what? And none for me?' But that's how we were. I loved sitting next to her and I really do miss her. I've had some really good chamber buddies in the many years I've been here, and I've loved them all in their own ways, but I think, because of that relationship Linda and I had that went back so far, it's been very different.

Other people have mentioned that she did love being a senator. She didn't love being a senator for any benefits that she might receive but for the ability to help other people.

I must admit that around Christmas time I got a Christmas card from her and there was a message in it. I think it was about then that I twigged that she was very, very unwell. I'm keeping that Christmas card, and I've spoken to Ben about this. I will forever treasure that Christmas card, because she wrote in that card to me, 'I couldn't have asked for a nicer person to sit next to in the Senate chamber.' I truly wish she were still here next to me.

Last week we had a beautiful, beautiful memorial service for her, and she would have loved it. She so would have loved it. To her staff that helped put that together: Ben, she would have just loved it, mate; you did her so proud. You really did. I was reminded at that memorial service of all the finer things in life that Linda appreciated. I remember the first time I went into her office here—maybe not the first time, but one time I walked into her office here. We get given those lovely toasters and kettles—not for Linda. Linda had a beautiful De'Longhi kettle and toaster, and I'm thinking, 'That's a class act, isn't it, to just go out and buy really nice ones like that.'

Other people have mentioned how she loved arts and culture and sports. I don't think one person left her memorial service without learning quite a lot more about Linda, so wide was her breadth of interests and so deep were her contributions to society.

I offer my condolences to her family, especially to her brother, Michael, and to her amazing supporting staff: Ben, Ned, Amit, Ead and Ekta. As I said, you guys did her so proud at that service. We would quite often talk about staff while we were sitting here through question time, and I know how much she loved you guys. I want you to really understand that she probably wasn't a typical boss. To have that sort of relationship with your staff is pretty special. I've been around a lot longer than you. I've had some good relationships with some of my bosses, but never as close as yours, especially the one I saw between Linda and Ben. I also offer my condolences to the rest of my ASU family and to my colleagues in this place and the other place as well.

Vale, Linda White; rest in peace. Your dash was marked by intelligent, compassionate and uncompromising action on behalf of others.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make a contribution on this motion, cognisant of the fact that all those opposite knew Linda much, much better than anyone on this side of the chamber. I first came across Linda when I was in charge of what is colloquially called 'Senate school'. As one of the quirks of this place, even though the new Senate had been elected, I was still President of the Senate when Senator Linda White first came into this place. My immediate reaction was, 'Oh my goodness, this is a formidable Labor warrior who has entered this parliament.' And, in the time subsequent, that view did not alter one little bit. But, knowing that, and knowing that she was a fierce advocate for her particular view of the world, I also saw that she was, on entering this place, an extraordinary advocate for the Senate—for the traditions, the meaning and the things that make the Senate different to the other place and that make it such a vital institution in its own right. I will give two brief examples.

One is: I sit on the Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Senator White was the chair of that committee. That committee is one of those committees—a bit like the committee I chair, the Privileges Committee—in which whilst we can never take our partisan hats off completely we do have to put them to the side occasionally because we are looking at matters of such importance, matters that go to the very foundation of our democracy, so we perhaps do need to look at things from a broader perspective. And Linda was able to do that. Although she was a strong partisan warrior, she was still able to take the broader view of the institutional necessity of making sure that the NACC oversight committee was above partisan politics and did make decisions based on the right thing to do.

The other example I will give is: when we came back to this place—the change of government—there was some unfinished business in terms of working out a new memorandum of understanding with the Australian Federal Police on the issue of privilege. Now, this is a highly technical area. I dare say there are many senators in this place whose eyes glaze over when they hear a phrase like 'a committee to look at the interactions of the AFP with political privilege': 'What does that even mean? Why are we doing it? What's it all about?' I was very surprised to see a new senator tasked by the Labor Party with assisting in the drafting of that memorandum of understanding. But, literally, in that first meeting, when we sat down to discuss the MOU, the reason Senator Linda White had been chosen by the Labor Party became very clear. Not only did she have a forensic legal mind about what was required; she also had a very visible and well-articulated understanding of the importance of parliamentary privilege, and I think it is fair to say that that isn't necessarily something many people naturally bring in to this place. But Senator White did. She approached that task with energy but also with passion and with an understanding of what is a highly technical part of what we do here. That was something that will never leave me. It's certainly a model that I would seek to emulate.

Even though Linda was only here for far too short a time, she has certainly left an invaluable mark on her friends in the Labor family. My heartfelt condolences go to her family and particularly to her staff. We do feel for you, and we know the loss you are all suffering now. If it is some comfort, the contribution that Linda White made in this place will not be forgotten.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, too, want to pass on my condolences to Linda White's family and honour her contribution to public life. It was a real honour to attend her memorial service last week. I found it really to be a celebration of her life. Having gone through a similar vintage in the Labor Party as Linda did, I felt as though I knew Linda and her contribution well. I did know about her union involvement and how significant that was. A lot of people have mentioned airport workers and those low-paid care workers whom her advocacy was so beneficial to. I also knew about her longstanding party involvement, having gone through a similar trajectory as Linda during that time. The thing I really enjoyed about her memorial service was the sense we got of the other side of Linda that I don't proclaim to know. That was Linda growing up and Linda as a mentor, particularly to women, which sounded like it was something that started for her at a very young age. There was also Linda as a friend, and her other interests outside of politics. I think, for those of us in this chamber, politics and—if you're from the movement as well—unions and the Labor Party can become an all-consuming passion. It became pretty clear through the memorial service that Linda had many other elements to her life that brought her great joy. Listening to the friends that spoke, you could clearly see the great relationship that Linda had with them as a result of her commitment to them, as well as what great company she was. To those responsible—I know Ben and Linda's staff put that memorial service together—it was a fantastic tribute to Linda, and I was really honoured to be there and felt as though I learnt a lot more about Linda's life.

My longer term interaction with Linda and how I got to know Linda before she entered the Senate was through national executive. I think it was Penny who said that Linda was elected to national executive in 2004. I became a member of the national executive in 2008. We had a significant—probably 10-year—period where my involvement overlapped with Linda's. As people have probably worked out, we were from different sides of the party. You often end up on other committees as part of national executive—doing election reviews, looking at post mortems et cetera. It can often become quite combative as a result of that. The thing that I found with Linda was that she was always fierce in her advocacy but reasonable in her judgement in that she would be prepared to listen to your arguments. You'd want to come with good ones and you'd want to mount them in a significant way, but she wasn't closed off. For managing the party in the best interests of party members, you really need to have that attitude where you come from your respective corner but you're prepared to park that and put the party first. I thought with Linda I always received a fair hearing. I certainly didn't always win. I think people here have seen how powerful of advocate she can be, but she was always reasonable and constructive. I think there is something in that for all of us, not only in the party but also in the parliament and the broader public life as well—that you need to work constructively with people, know where you come from and be prepared to have the arguments but also try and find solutions as well. I saw that fierce side, I saw that smart side, I saw that tough side—but I also saw that reasonableness and that constructive side as well, which I benefited from, in that opportunity to work with Linda.

Upon Linda being elected to the Senate—I thought the Prime Minister really summed this up well in his contribution at her memorial service, which was just how quickly Linda was able to make a contribution to the Senate, compared to when I first got elected. I never really felt comfortable in the chamber for 12 or 18 months—let alone knowing what happens with documents at 5.30 at night; I still don't know what happens now! I, of course, was sitting on the front bench, which I shouldn't admit to; I remember sitting there one day and Linda coming in—I think it was as chair of the delegated legislation committee, which I was on for a while too, when Kim Carr was on it—and I still had no idea what was going on. I found quite remarkable the ability and confidence of Linda to come in and know what to do and when to do it, and the contribution she was able to make from day one.

I think, in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have found it that way, when you think about her long history, her experience. She was obviously able to come to this place at a later stage in life and know exactly where she came from, and come with that experience, but also confidence, of knowing who she is here to represent and the difference and contribution that she can make. That is something that I know we will miss in an ongoing sense. Whilst we acknowledge the contribution Linda was able to make in that short time she was here, it's knowing the trajectory that she was on and, if she was already able to do that after such a short period of time, what she would have been able to contribute the longer we'd been here and, obviously, the longer we'd been in government as well.

So, whilst it shouldn't have surprised me—and the memorial service probably brought it home—it was something that I often remarked on. I was really pleased the Prime Minister acknowledged that in his contribution because I think it was something that really just goes to her capacity and ability to make a difference. No matter what field she was in, no matter what room she was in, Linda was always someone who was capable of making a difference. So we will mourn her loss. I send my condolences to her brother, Michael, and family and staff. One thing we do know is that Linda made a significant contribution to her union, to her party and to this government and this chamber. That is something that she would absolutely be proud of, and it's something that we should continue to acknowledge into the future as well.

Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a new senator in this place, entering the Australian parliament in the same election cycle, in 2022, as me—I recall these words from Senator White:

For some people, their pathway in life is determined by the circumstances of their birth. Governments, however, have the power to open up new choices and opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach. The power we have in this place to change lives is significant.

Very powerful words. They were part of Senator Linda White's first speech in the Senate, the same week I also gave my first speech. While we may not have shared the same views on many things, such as the Voice to Parliament referendum or the work of unions, she demonstrated respect and understanding of the importance of the work of the Senate. Senator White was of course right; there is power in this place to change lives, but it is more correct to say that it is people in this place and their commitment and capacity to do that that is the difference.

Senator White's time ended too soon. She didn't have to tell you that she was a no-BS person; you just knew it. She didn't have to tell you she would consider issues carefully; you just knew it. As debates heated up on many issues, Senator White was always respectful of alternate contributions but was clear in standing by her beliefs, without ambiguity. Discourse is found in bucketloads in this place. Discourse while remaining respectful and respected is rarer than you can imagine. But for Senator White it seemed a quality that came naturally.

My heartfelt condolences go out to her family, her friends, her loved ones and her staff, and to the Labor family. Rest in peace.

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

I want to start by recognising and paying my respects to Linda's brother, Michael, her closest friends and the ASU family, and her staff, Ben Armstrong, Ekta Mahal, Ned Lindenmayer, Ead Stokes and Amit Aalok, all of whom, I know, are hurting and all of whom have shown such strength and such love over the last number of months. I'd also like to reach out some thoughts to the ALP family—my ALP family—who are feeling a deep sense of loss for someone who's been such a mighty power within our Labor family for so very, very long.

She had an impressive career, as we've rightly heard over the weeks since she passed, and well-deserved accolades: buckets of love, beautiful stories, funny stories—stories she may not necessarily have appreciated coming out but probably would have chuckled about anyway. I wish to associate myself with all of the stepping through of her history and her career, because I'm not going to do that.

When I first met Linda 20 years ago, I found her to be a very intimidating force. It was the early days of the community sector pay case and I was, at that time, running the peak body in South Australia for community services and she was the assistant secretary of the ASU. I was a member of the ASU and I was well aware of who Linda was. We'd spun in adjacent circles, but I'd never actually met her properly, one to one. I remember being in this room full of people, and I can still visualise her, standing there. As she walked through the door, there was this kind of air. I have some things that I would associate it with, but this is a very public forum, so I shan't. But I was both deeply impressed and just a little bit terrified. I was very, very glad that she was on my side and very adamant that I wanted it to stay that way.

It did take me a while to see past that formidable character. She was so impressive and had done so much, and I looked up to her very, very much indeed. But she was the person who got stuff done, so getting past that pedestal that I think a number of us, as we were coming up through the union and through the party and building our own careers, looked at was hard. It was hard to get past that to see her as a close human—as a friend—and to build that next stage of your relationship.

She was such a mighty advocate of working people and, as has been mentioned numerous times, her first speech was not the first time when she had stood up and said that no-one would die wondering what she thought. It was something she'd said many times before. But she wasn't just a fierce champion for working people; she was a skilled strategist who didn't look at things purely, or firstly, as a fight. She looked at them as an outcome—the outcome she needed to achieve—which was, without exception, for the good of other people. She was able to bring people together—we've heard that from our colleagues opposite—and, with her deep intellect and her compassion, was able to bring those people to a place where they could find an agreement. That's what she did throughout her career and what she continued to do with a great deal of expertise here.

She knew how to look ahead, how to run the chess game, how to navigate the twists and turns and, fundamentally, how to get stuff done, and she was very impressive to watch. Her name is etched in the heart of every single woman in the ALP, if not every single person in the ALP. That includes those who knew her and did not know her, because she was such a vital cog in the fights to take the ALP towards affirmative action. She was a very strong, genuine and diligent mentor, and had no problems sharing her knowledge, her power and her access with other comrades—especially, but not exclusively, women. I know a handful of blokes within the party who would not be where they are today without her.

I will miss her deeply and I feel a great sense of loss sitting beside her empty seat—a seat that she should have occupied for so much longer. But I also can't help but chuckle at the memories: the banter on these benches; the lollies; the laughs; the cheeky out-of-hours glass of wine, cheese board or lunch; and the debate over who had the more meaningful artwork in their office—and yes, I lost. She was a kind and compassionate friend who stood beside you when needed, and she stood beside me. She bolstered your resolve when you needed it, and she bolstered mine. She gave people strength when they needed it, and she gave me strength on a few dark days, which I will always be deeply grateful for.

Linda, you will always remain in my heart, in my head and in my battleground toolkit, and I will continue to ask myself the important question as those in the ASU will understand—WWLWD. Vale, Linda White.

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

What a pleasure to go after that contribution, Karen. That was absolutely beautiful, so thank you.

I'm proud to rise to speak on this condolence motion for our friend, our colleague and our sister in the Labor family, Senator Linda White. Today, I, too, am thinking of Linda's brother, who spoke so beautifully at her memorial last week and who were so dedicated to her. I'm thinking of the loyal and loving found family of Linda's dear friends who we also met last week, who were by her side in her final months too. And, like all of us, I'm thinking of Linda's staff, led by Ben Armstrong, who has simply gone beyond in the past few months. Ead, Ned, Ekta and Amit, what a loyal band of amazing fellow warriors Linda had in all of you. We are really so grateful to you for supporting our friend and comrade in this period at the end of her life and we're really so proud that you're part of our Labor family. You're really rusted onto us now too. There's nowhere for you to go; you're Labor forever. I'm also thinking of Linda's union family at the ASU, a group of strong, loud and proud women who I know are still trying to process this loss, including Emeline Gaske, Imogen Sturni, Lisa Darmanin and Victorian minister Ingrid Stitt, just to name a few.

Losing Linda is hard to process for many of us in the Victorian Labor movement. She had simply just always been there ahead of us as one of the most senior women in our party. She's been a staunch voice of principle and she's been a strident campaigner for equality and an authority on the highest standards of governance, as the longest-serving woman member on our party's national executive.

She's simply been a warrior for working people in this country, particularly women. We've all thought of Linda as something like a matriarch to us, and 'matriarch' is a word that can mean many things. I'm not sure what Linda would think of me using that word about her, but I think we know she would have an opinion either way. 'Matriarch' can mean the head of a family, and I really feel that, yes, she was like that to us. It can mean a woman who is very powerful, and there is no doubt that Linda was just that. 'Matriarch' can also describe a woman who you just wouldn't want to mess with, and that is also true of Linda.

Many stories have been told in recent days of Linda absolutely wiping the floor with her opponents in an argument, only to pick them up, dust them off and tear strips off them again. I'm grateful to have witnessed one of those episodes just last year and very grateful that I wasn't the opponent. It was actually what could be described as a bit of a blue-on-blue scenario—or, in our case over here, a red-on-red scenario—which unfolded at our national conference last year. I think you were there, Senator Green. Somebody in the room, in a huge caucus meeting, made the mistake of saying that there weren't enough people with a union background on Labor's national executive—a claim that I know those opposite would find audacious as well. Debate ensued. For maximum effect, Linda was towards the back of the caucus room when this ill-fated and doomed claim was made, which meant that every single person turned to watch as she marched to the front of the room. It was like extreme slow motion. The room went quiet. The anticipation grew. Linda got behind the podium, adjusted the microphone to her impressive stature and just let rip. As testament to how powerful she was, at this moment I actually don't remember who it was who raised the question about union background on the national executive; I really don't. It's possibly because they shrunk so small in their seat and have never been seen again. Linda, of course, in that moment, had a fair few things to say about her own proud union background and her own proud contribution to the national executive. Needless to say, debate ended swiftly after her contribution.

I'm really so glad that I got to see this and so glad that I also got to spend the last 18 months or so in the Senate with Linda. She really was just getting started here, as so many people have said, and she loved it. She absolutely loved it! This place was a whole new world for her: a world of knowledge, of policy and of purpose. It was a new place of fights to enjoy and experiences to relish. It really is just so fitting that she became our senator for Victoria, and I now can't imagine her finishing her working life—her stellar career that we've been hearing about—without having held this office. She was born for it.

You do get to know people in a different way here, late at night in the chamber, and I loved our chats in the quieter moments here about what Linda was reading and her love of the finer things in life, which I really didn't know about before we worked together in the Senate: her love of beautiful food, her love of beautiful flowers and plants, her apartment on St Kilda Road and her visits to galleries, theatres and shows—of course, she passionately advocated that these should be accessible to all. I also didn't know much about her iconic and extensive eyewear collection before having chats to her about that in the chamber.

Linda leaves us with a feeling of extraordinary loss but also with an extraordinary legacy. Her biggest legacy, I think, is the next generation of women who are following in her footsteps: women in their 20s and 30s who she mentored and inspired. It is such a gift for a woman of her calibre and experience to actually decide that she is going to bring the next generation through, that she is going to build leadership beneath her. She did that deliberately and thoughtfully. We see that in the leadership of the ASU today. We see her legacy in the activism she inspired amongst the working members of the ASU. We see it in the union members who stood up and won equal pay in the ASU's historic campaign. We see it right here, in the first-ever 50 per cent female federal government in history, and we'll see it in generations of women to come.

It's so fitting that Linda did know that super on paid parental leave, which she fought for for years, will become a reality. Linda White—sister, comrade, matriarch—we miss you already. We love you. Rest in peace.

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish I didn't need to give this speech today, as everyone would. It's been a particularly difficult time for the Labor Party, saying farewell to our beloved Senator Linda White. I first would like to say to Linda's staff, Ben and the team: what a wonderfully brilliant team you are—your work for Linda, with love and humour. She was so incredibly proud of her team.

I had the opportunity to also attend the memorial service last Thursday. The memorial service was absolutely beautiful. It provided an opportunity for me to gain an insight outside the ALP to Linda's life, revealing glimpses of what a wonderfully fabulous person Linda was. For this, I thank her team, her staff, but also thank those that gave these wonderful, at times funny, at times very emotional speeches. They were so beautifully said and so beautifully meant. I thank her brother, Michael White; Anthony Albanese; of course, our own Senator Tim Ayres; David Leydon; Emeline Gaske; Sabina Wakefield; and George Georgiou. Those speeches did give to me that opportunity to see Linda more broadly and to get an understanding of her life from the very beginning to the Linda that I first came to know.

Like many people in their contributions, I first heard about Linda White long before I had the pleasure of meeting Linda, and seeing her in action was truly remarkable. And that was Linda—action, determination and tangible results. Today we honour the remarkable life of Linda White, a passionate advocate for justice and equality whose dedication to her work touched the lives of so many in the union movement, in the ALP and in government. Linda's commitment to fighting for the rights of others was evident in every aspect of her life, from her career as a lawyer, a union official and a Labor senator for Victoria to her involvement in shaping government policies.

Throughout her career, Linda tirelessly worked to ensure that the voices of the marginalised were heard. As a union organiser, she saw firsthand the struggles faced by workers and felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect their rights. Linda understood that governments held the power to enact change and believed in their ability to create opportunities for those who may have otherwise been left behind. Linda was not content to simply stand by and watch injustice unfold. She dedicated herself to the cause of social and economic justice, advocating for policies that would uplift communities and provide them with the support they need. Whether it was fighting for fair wages, access to health care or affirmative action for women, Linda was unwavering in her commitment to creating a more just society. Her belief in the power of collectivism was a driving force in her work. She understood that true change could only come through solidarity and collaboration. Linda often reminded us that workers were not just cogs in a machine but vital partners in the success of businesses and the economy as a whole, and she fought to ensure that they were treated with the dignity and respect they deserved.

Linda's influence extended far beyond the workplace. Her involvement in the ALP was instrumental in shaping party policies that particularly promoted equality and social justice. Her efforts and leadership on party committees helped to ensure that women were heard and included and that affirmative action measures were implemented, and she was ever watchful that they were in force, lest they slide backwards. I have to say you do have to keep an eye on the men. Linda White taught me that!

Most importantly, Linda will be remembered for her unwavering dedication to those that she served. She was always willing to go the extra mile to ensure the right thing was done, no matter how long it took or how difficult the path. Her compassion and determination touched the lives of everyone she encountered, leaving behind a legacy of hope and inspiration. As we say goodbye to Linda, let us not only mourn the loss of a dear friend and colleague but also celebrate the incredible impact she had. May her memory continue to inspire us to fight for justice and equality. I offer my condolences to Linda's family, friends and staff. Vale, Linda White.

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The news of Senator White's passing is deeply difficult for the Labor Party, the labour movement, her dear friends and family and her beautiful staff. I want to acknowledge the speeches that have been made this evening and I want to thank those across the chamber for acknowledging Linda's work. In making my remarks to the Senate for this condolence motion, I want to share a bit about the impact Linda had on me as a young person in politics and later as a senator.

When Linda shared, in her first speech, that she had worked at McDonald's and Maurice Blackburn, two of my former employers, I knew we would be great friends. But the truth is I did not know Linda very well before she joined the Senate. I knew of her as many people, women particularly, in the Labor Party knew of Linda. Since Linda's passing, many have spoken about the role she played in campaigns for gender equality, her significant role in the equal pay case, her activism as a union official and leader, her defence of airline workers and her leadership of the ASU in the fight for paid domestic violence leave. Those fights were advanced on behalf of working people, particularly working women. None of those fights were won overnight. Many of them were extremely bold and, I would even say, outrageous to begin with. But eventually the hard work would pay off and Linda would win.

As the longest-serving female member of the ALP National Executive, Linda also took on fights so that the Labor Party would have policies to improve the lives of working people and the organisational restructures required to turn those policies into government decisions. This included advancing the rights of women within the party. Linda's role in advancing Labor's affirmative action policy was well known. It was a policy worth advancing for the workers she represented, because having more women around the decision-making table meant better decisions for the women who worked in the workplaces that she had visited.

At its 2015 national conference the Labor Party agreed to rules that would lead to 50 per cent representation by 2025—at the time, a bold and even outrageous ask. But Linda would win. As the conference came to its crescendo, with only the pointy debates left to have, the aged-care chapter was filibustered while negotiations on the AA rule continued just off the floor. There are many people in this chamber and outside of it who were part of that change and even part of those negotiations. I think there are some incriminating photos of some of my colleagues with Linda in those hallways. They really worked together to achieve that change, but I know that Linda was in that hallway hashing it out, never willing to give up. From all accounts, Linda led those negotiations, giving up just enough to get the deal done. When negotiations concluded, her speech to the conference on the amendment was followed by a standing ovation. It passed. The rule was implemented, and Australia now has the first government with a majority of women.

This was the first time I saw Linda in action. I had decided to attend the 2015 conference just as an opportunity to learn a little bit more about politics and see how it went. The speech from Linda wasn't the first time that weekend that I had really noticed her. Earlier in the day, in the privacy of a caucus meeting, there was a passionate debate on another issue that I won't share. Memories can differ, and there are probably different retellings of these meetings—of who was there and who said what. As Senator Walsh agrees, sometimes these caucus debates can be robust and meaningful. But, as someone who was new to it all, this moment stuck in my mind, and I attribute it to Linda whether it was her or not that said it.

A robust debate was taking place. Senior people started joining the speakers list, so you knew that it was getting serious. The speeches were compelling, but that's not what I remember. The moment I remember was a lone voice responding to what was absolutely meant to be a rhetorical question from one of these important people. The speaker scaled up his voice to the end of his speech and said: 'What are we supposed to do—start expelling people? Is that really what we're going to do?' A woman who I didn't know at the time replied rebelliously, 'Yes!' Of course, no-one would be expelled. The question was a rhetorical one and the answer was slightly in jest, but Linda was prepared to have that fight, and you wanted to be on her side of the fight, not against her. I sat back in that room that day and I thought to myself, 'My God, who is this woman?' She was in charge, she was hardworking and she was listened to. I decided I wanted to be in more rooms with more women like Linda.

So, while I sit here in this room next to Linda's contemporaries, I'm one of the women that she made room for. I didn't know that that was going to happen after going to the national conference that day and seeing Linda in full flight, and I'm so glad that it did. In the end, without two outcomes of that conference, Labor's affirmative action targets and our support for marriage equality, I might not have found myself in the Senate. I might not have found myself in a room with women like Linda or even Linda herself. But I did decide, because of her bold, slightly outrageous vision and strength, that this was the place for me to be.

It fills me with great sadness that Linda is no longer here. I wonder if she knew how admired she was. I never told her. I would have felt a little embarrassed, I suppose, to introduce myself to a new colleague and follow it by, 'Oh, yes, I know who you are, and I'm a big fan.' I tried to play it cool instead, but I was a big fan of Linda and I should have told her that. It wouldn't have made a difference, I suppose. I'm sure she would have just taken the flattery and gone on with her work. She knew what she was here to achieve and what she had achieved across her career. She was proud of it, but she still had more work to do.

Linda was a member of the select committee on the Voice referendum. When I was appointed chair, I went up to Linda's office and I got Ben to get out her diary because I really did not want to have a hearing without Linda next to me. I knew that there would be a constitutional debate that was worth having but that we needed someone with her legal experience and intellect to prosecute the case. We couldn't make it work; the diary just wouldn't budge. She was travelling to Vietnam on a delegation. Luckily, another colleague of ours with an equally sharp legal mind who could go toe to toe with constitutional lawyers was available for that hearing instead. That person was Peta Murphy. I make that observation because losing Peta and Linda so close together is a huge loss not just for the Labor Party but for this parliament, politics and our country. I feel so lucky to have shared this chamber with Senator White and to have sat next to her in estimates, where she would sneak me lollies and skilfully take officials to task. I gleefully listened to her grumble under her breath during debates and I watched her make full-volume contributions to important discussions. She wasn't afraid to say what she meant. She was listened to because when she spoke it was thoughtful and forthright. She enjoyed her time here but was intent on not wasting it, and that's why she made the time of others more enjoyable and meaningful. This building is full of people, yet it can be a little lonely from time to time. Linda made this place a little less lonely.

Linda White was a wonderful person—an idol of mine and other women in the Labor Party. Her loss leaves an impossible space that really cannot be filled. It can only be remembered fondly and deeply and always in solidarity with working people. She was a very good friend, a very good and treasured friend, to people who I hold very dear, and I am very sorry for their loss. I know in particular that ASU members across the country and particularly in Queensland are mourning her loss, and I express my heartfelt sympathies to them. To her comrades around the country, to her friends and to her family, and of course to her staff: thank you so much for being here today with us. You really do honour Linda by being here and sharing this with us. This must be difficult to sit through, but it's so meaningful that you're here, and we thank you for it. Vale, Linda White—senator, comrade, fighter and friend.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the condolence motion for our mate, Linda White, who we sadly lost last month. Now, Linda and I met almost 20 years ago and, while we came from different unions—Linda from the ASU and me from the TWU—I couldn't say we were actually bedmates in our union years. There was always some fiery conversations, but it was always done with respect.

Linda's passion and commitment to the trade union movement and the ALP, as well as her esteemed reputation for fighting for justice and workers' rights, was palpable. More recently, it has been a privilege and an honour for me to serve with Linda in the Senate but especially to work with her on a number of Senate committees as well as watch her chairing the NACC committee; she was instrumental in establishing that, as we heard earlier. Most prominently, Linda and I worked together on the Senate standing committees on rural and regional affairs and transport. Linda took an immediate interest in all issues that came before the committees, including agriculture, transport and biosecurity. She was a fierce participant and advocate at Senate inquiries and more so at Senate estimates. This is where her light and talent shone most bright.

I also had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam with Linda as part of a delegation with the RRAT committee, and I will cherish those memories that we had on that week with Senator Colbeck and Senator Whish-Wilson. It was just a fantastic group of four colleagues from different political parts of the spectrum, and we had an absolute ball representing Australia and working together with each other. I will remember my time with Linda fondly and I will miss her intellect, her directness—which we all know about—her sense of humour and her quick wit, but mostly I will miss her presence and her friendship.

Linda wasn't in the Senate for long, but, crikey, she made an impact. For those of us who worked with her closely in this place, not only did we benefit from her friendship, her insight and her perspective; we also got to witness a strong friendship develop and strengthen between Linda and her loyal and devoted offsider Ben Armstrong—you have also become a mate of ours, Ben. I understand that Ben started working with Linda not long after she was elected and quickly became her trusted confidant and adviser. With Linda and I both on the RRAT committees, our offices began to work more closely together on inquiries, hearings, estimates preparations, stakeholder engagement and everything related to transport and agriculture before the Senate. That naturally led us to spending a lot of time together, and you could see during our many meetings how much Linda respected Ben's work and opinion, and, more towards the end of Linda's time in this place, Ben's loyal and unwavering friendship. We know how much that special relationship meant to both Linda and Ben, and our hearts go out to you, mate. We are only ever a phone call away, and don't forget that. My heartfelt condolences go to Linda's brother, Michael; her family and friends; and also her loyal staff who are with us today. Linda, our mate, may you rest in peace.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recognise in this condolence speech Linda White's family and friends, especially her team here in this place, and all her comrades in the Labor Party, who will miss her.

I know that, while Linda was a private person, you were never in any doubt of her solidarity with you. Whether it was your religion, ethnicity, First Nations identity, race, gender, gender identity or sexuality, she knew we were growing a movement not just for unions and for workers but for justice, for people, for arts, for culture and for community. There was no such thing as so-called identity politics with Linda. It was all about people and who you were and standing in solidarity with you, be there one of you or 10,000 or 100,000.

I remember Linda's visibility in the 1990s in the affirmative action debates in the ALP and in the successful change to the party's rules. I am in no doubt that I owe my parliamentary career to that work. But I owe more than that—not just for the bringing forward of women with a 35 per cent rule change in the mid-nineties but the lessons that I drew from this. Linda knew how to turn big wheels of change, and she knew that it took time to turn them. I drew big lessons from this in my own application within Labor Party advocacy in the mid-nineties to LGBTIQ rights and our recognition in our party platform. Of course, that movement has grown and grown, and Linda was right there in 2011 when we changed the party's platform on marriage.

I recognise the legacy of Linda's work in the ASU, on so many community boards, in the ACTU and in her long time in the ALP on our National Executive, but I want to, in particular, recognise the fight for equal pay in our nation. Before the ASU and Linda White started this campaign, it seemed a bit pie in the sky and a bit far fetched, but with Linda White's leadership attached to it you always knew we were going to get there.

I lost my seat in this place in 2014, and I worked in the community services sector for a little time after that. I saw that sector fight back from the edge of losing staff in homelessness services because of that long campaign, to after the determinations were made to the government funding it. I saw that transformation take place in the community services sector. You could always very much see how Linda understood that it was about the dignity of working people and working women—who were long underpaid for their skills in this sector—but for Linda it was also very much about the quality of services that Australians receive. The retention of those staff absolutely makes the difference to the quality of services that make a difference in so many people's lives.

When Linda came here, I did fangirl her. She was very humble and a bit taken aback by that, but I was equally surprised to find she fangirled me back. It means a great deal to me to have talked to Linda about that, about the esteem in which we held each other in our long time together in this movement. We know she took her responsibilities in this place seriously and took to it like a duck to water, but I also very much enjoyed getting to know her more personally—her interest in the arts; her very dry wit, which I must say took on a special joy when pitted against Ben's cheekiness. You could really see a light in Linda's eyes when she was working with her whole team.

I enjoyed working with her on the Scrutiny of Bills Committee, and in this condolence debate today I want to pay my respects to all the parliamentary staff who worked with Linda in our committees and across the parliament as I know they deeply respected her also. I enjoyed and appreciated her counsel.

It is no surprise that whoever Linda had around her, they got great things done. I want to thank Ben Armstrong, Ekta Mahal, Ned Lindenmayer, Ead Stokes and Amit Aalok. Thank you for your love and support and care for our beloved comrade. As difficult as this time has been, I know that you will feel such a deep privilege for having spent this time with her. I treasure my own memories of her and I recognise her tremendous legacy that has brought a great deal of good to our nation. Vale, Linda White.

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

It's one of those wonderful things because, as strange as it sounds, it's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate somebody who's so dear and means so much to all of us. In this opportunity for all of us to say a few words about Linda, I think when you're saying a few words about somebody who has passed you should also say things that are good and direct about them. It should be an honest opportunity, actually, to release a little bit of that energy about Linda. I've been on the receiving end of Linda for many, many years. So Linda, if there is another place, you'll have to just grin and bear it for a little bit.

Before I start, though, I want to express, in that same spirit, the deep care that Linda had for her whole team, particularly Ben. We had some opportunities to spend some time together, and it was so wonderful to see the way you guys interacted—that beautiful and loving personal relationship. Linda was always very clear, very strong, but also very, very caring—sometimes I wish a bit more caring in some of the fights I had with her, but she cared about making sure that what she wanted to make sure happen happened. That's the great credit of Linda that everyone has borne out in the speeches that have been given.

I had heard her mention this on one occasion before to me in our conversations. I've known Linda for close to 25 years—it's probably a little bit longer—and she told me of how, as a 20-year-old going to university and working at a fast-food place that happened to be McDonald's, she saw the injustice of insecure work. She saw that as both a personal and a collective thing. She saw happening to other people what the consequences were if you didn't get a shift. And, really, sometimes when we talk about policy for different things it sort of becomes a little bit—it can be abstract. But Linda, right from an early age, knew that something had to be done about that fundamental power imbalance where workers can be so badly treated. To be so young and decide to be the frontrunner and become a union delegate of a workplace is probably the most political thing, in my mind, you could do. Whichever way anyone votes in or outside parliament—or doesn't vote or whatever you do—that is an extremely political thing of Linda to say to a voice of power—when you're a 20-year-old and it could be the difference in putting food on the table or paying your rent—'I'm going to stand up for others and for myself.' That shows a great insight into Linda's character, and that character trait followed her throughout her life.

When I look at some of the battles that Linda and I stood together in, Linda led in many ways in the Ansett dispute, a battle we'd actually won. Even though there was a substantial amount of money won at the end—an incredible amount of money: over $760 million was won after 10 years—Linda stayed with that fight. Linda was also part of the fight where she got redundancy pay for every worker across the economy. One of the things that really stand out with Linda—who was part of that push and played a role, like many others in this place—is that she always saw this as a fight not only for those people she was representing but for the tens of thousands of other people, union members or not, across the economy that were disempowered. They were losing their entitlements because of crafty economic strategies adopted by companies. In the case of Ansett, that was borne out.

One of the things that always struck me with Linda's perseverance in those fights was that she always held very dear to her what the personal consequences were. I'm going to quote this piece, because I think it again speaks to the inherent values that Linda held. When she was talking in her first speech about the lost of 16,000 jobs, this is how she described it:

The social and economic harm … is beyond words.

Then she gets to the personal side:

Suicides, marriage breakdowns, the loss of homes and security—the Ansett collapse broke many people. It was a brutal reminder that markets don't prioritise the wellbeing of workers. That is not their purpose and never has been. They are vehicles to create wealth, not ensure justice.

That's more than an ideology. That is something you hold in your heart, in your mind, and I know Linda lived and breathed that.

I can't say there is any argument that I have had with Linda that wasn't on the basis of what was the best way forward. That was her driving ambition, that was her objective and that was her goal in all those discussions and, sometimes, those very heated arguments.

You think of wonderful people like Sally McManus as compatriots of Linda. Sally described Linda as:

… a fierce advocate for working people, dedicated and incredibly hardworking. Aviation workers benefited enormously from her leadership.

She went on to say so many more things about Linda.

When you look at the struggles and the battles we've talked about, which I need to put into context, the big change that Linda made, along with many others in the Australian Services Union she led, is that 200,000 non-government social and community workers around Australia received equal pay in the equal pay case. That was a replication of what she did when she was working at McDonald's. She represented workers, she organised them into a union to understand collectivism and, yes, she even encouraged them to pay union fees, heaven forbid—a good thing, to give the capacity to make change. When that decision was delivered for equal pay in the 2019-20 case, it was because of the years upon years upon years of giving people hope, of saying, 'This fight that you think is beyond you, this goal, we can win and fight for together and achieve.' That mentoring, aspiration and determination were infectious. Thousands upon thousands of people led that fight in workplaces across the country, because Linda said: 'It can be won and it has to be fought, and that injustice you feel is something I feel. Let's feel it together and make a difference together.'

That capacity to have a community view—we in the office here call it collectivism—about the community is important. One person is incredibly important, but all of us standing together makes such a difference—instilling that as a way and means of actually making real change and real reform in the community. I was listening to Emeline Gaske and her comments about Linda. She said: 'Linda White and the ASU put the issue of the gender pay gap on the national agenda and kept it there for almost a decade. This is a fitting legacy that honours her work and memory.'

I can't say it more than that, but I can say it in so many other ways. I was talking to Lauren Hutchinson, the assistant secretary of the Health Services Union, as I spoke to Sally the other day, about the mentoring that Linda did with Lauren and working in the aviation industry. Linda and I shared a lot of passion about righting the wrongs that Qantas did. Finally the rest of the community came to that realisation as well, so we got vindicated—even others. One of the things that Lauren said was that as a mentor to many ASU members, without ever assuming the name or seeking any thanks for it, her greatest teaching was a bargaining style that was a thing of nightmare for HR officers, as many have touched on before. She wanted to know that she was controlling a meeting with the bosses, even if it looked like she had momentarily lost control. She was always strategic, always laughed in the debrief, recalling the horrified look on the baby-faced HR officers who had learnt to keep quiet in future meetings.

One of the things that Linda also did is that during one of those negotiations, on a particularly heated point, the negotiating team was on the back foot—one of the things that Linda always wanted to instil in the rest of the workforce was that you're carrying out this role, you might be on the services desk, you might be somewhere else within the administration, but those people across the table are no better or worse than you. As much as they might want to laud their power over you, as much as the power imbalance exists, you need to make sure you grab your power and you grab the fact that you are an equal.

In one particular particularly robust argument, Lauren reminded me, after scolding and sending Qantas out of the room, they were in a hotel and she ordered room service for everybody so they could all sit down and have a nice meal while the others were waiting outside. It wasn't about humiliation of the managers at all; it was actually about saying to the workforce, 'We know there's an inherent imbalance, but you have a right to be heard, you have a right to be respected, and they're not respecting or hearing what you've got to say.' I don't mean about having a difference of opinion, but they need to respect. That imbalance needs to be always addressed in any discussion.

When Linda came to the Senate, we both found ourselves in the bilateral air services inquiry which was recently held. She always gave a short shrift to spurious arguments that some businesses groups put forward, and of course put some very good arguments on those matters. I particularly come back to one that I remember, at a closing the loopholes bill hearing in Perth back in October. The National Farmers Federation had come up with an argument that giving unions more rights to investigate wage theft would be a biosecurity hazard. In response to a very fair question, the head of the NFF gave Linda a patronising lecture about how biosecurity processes work, which completely misrepresented the question she had asked. Linda responded: 'Thanks very much for that. Thanks for pointing out my ignorance. Fortunately, I sat through days and days of the biosecurity RRAT Senate inquiry, and, remarkably, the government made me chair of the parliamentary friendship group for biosecurity. I look forward to you educating me more if our paths ever cross.' You could immediately see the regret on their faces. It's a real shame that we won't get to see their paths cross at a future biosecurity event.

The point Linda was always making was you can't help but think sometimes that there is both a gender balance and prejudice that people bring to the table. Linda was always saying: 'Don't bring your prejudice to the table. Hear what we've got to say, argue with us, articulate your argument, and we can fight it out.' Over those years, there were so many wonderful speeches, and hats off to everybody in the chamber, including those across the aisle and the crossbenches. There have been some wonderful insights. Similar to what many of us are saying here, this is really indicative of Linda's capacity to reach out and be a decent human being—a tough and decent human being, a gentle and defiant human being. You can be all those things at once.

Linda, with her cutting wit and her 'take no prisoners' approach, was outraged when a 2023 article in the AFR mistakenly said that Linda was a member of the ALP's Right faction. She demanded an apology, saying: 'This is outrageous for them to mention that I am in the Right faction. I am going to sue somebody and I am going to take a defamation action if I don't get this rectified.' I replied, 'I should sue as well, because they are associating you with me.' Of course, we looked at each other and burst out laughing. But, as always, Linda managed to get the retraction. Phil, if you are listening, it was a good move to retract it!

Like so many things with Linda, her battles and her fights to make a difference were humbling, just like those of my good friend Alex Gallacher and other friends of ours here, including those on the opposite side. One of the things that people don't really understand is that, regardless of political differences in the Senate, politicians generally keep coming here because they believe in a better Australia. Linda and others have kept coming to the Senate regardless of their health because they believe in a better Australia. If there was ever an example of what makes this country so great, it is people like Linda, who are prepared to fight for what they believe in, who are prepared to argue for what they believe in and who are prepared to prosecute what they believe in, regardless of the personal pressures or the circumstances they find themselves in—in this case ill-health. It is a great re-energising of humanity. It is another of those wonderful things that Linda has left for us all. She was a person who was a friend and mentor for many.

I really enjoyed what Katy Gallagher was saying before. I had written down a few words beforehand, so I'm not going to steal her words, but I'm going to cover a few when I think of Linda: agonisingly direct, tough but caring, determined, passionate, strong, relentless. As I mentioned before, I have been on the receiving end of the relentlessness a few times, as Senator Glenn Sterle mentioned—on the opposite side of union arguments. We are all beneficiaries of her generous nature and her desire to make wrongs right again. Her memory will last forever and she will inspire all of us.

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

Like a lot of colleagues today when we deal with these motions before us, in some ways I feel like it should be more of a celebration motion rather than a condolence motion. Linda, like many other colleagues who have gone before us, offered not just an insight but also a new way of thinking and a connection that we can all get together and celebrate. Every morning when I walk up to the hill from my place or residence, I always make an effort to walk past the plaque that now exists with the names of a number of our colleagues who are no longer with us. For those that don't know, there is a little plaque over on the House of Representatives side. There is a rose bush there. For some time, there wasn't a plaque there for former senators who had passed while in office, but there is one now. Sadly, a growing list of names is now being added to that plaque.

I really want to spend a very brief moment today to pay my respects to someone who has obviously been a dear friend and colleague and to her staff who are here today—particularly to Ben and the team; I know there are others who'll be watching today. We've heard many tributes, not just today but also last week at the memorial service, which, to be honest, I found quite informative but also very emotional as well. The movement as a whole is mourning. Members right across the country are mourning because Linda was really close to many peoples' hearts. She was someone who was passionate. She didn't really care about the title. She was just determined to make sure that working people in this country not just got a fair go but actually got better pay and conditions. She wanted to improve their lives and leave a legacy behind. That's why she did spend her entire life championing the rights of workers. She rightly pushed those boundaries.

In a podcast that I think she did a couple of years ago, she spoke about her pathway—not just at university, in the movement and, ultimately, here in the Senate; she spoke about her pathway and how her parents instilled those values. Senator Sheldon mentioned those values that I think all of us would understand: the values about making sure that we create meaningful change in our community for the community so that future generations can also benefit from those changes. Her mother was a local kindergarten board member and involved with the kindergarten. Her father was actively involved in many volunteering organisations like Apex and Rotary. I think you could see that Linda's involvement in the community was a result of what her parents had taught her about making a contribution back to society.

As we heard last week at the memorial service, her first experience of governance came during her university days, in her time at Melbourne uni, where she served as the president of a number of societies, particularly the commerce and law student society. As you'd expect from Linda, she engaged with members. She advocated for them, helped to run events, made sure that things were financially viable and, in turn, helped people so that they could come back again and also make a contribution back to those respective societies and build a bit of a sense of community at university.

In addition to her very successful legal career, Linda was very integral in terms of the Australian Services Union. It was her involvement in the ASU where I got to know her as a ministerial adviser during the Gillard government. It was her countless achievements in the ASU, particularly with the equal remuneration case for SACS workers, the social and community services workers, right across Australia, where not only did we get to know Linda; you also appreciated the many arguments and viewpoints that she put, the passion and the determination to make sure that people actually understood that there were a number of people—hundreds of thousands of people—predominantly women, who were being paid very little money to do things that, to be honest, we all took for granted.

I'll be honest: I think a lot of us then in government didn't really appreciate what we were dealing with until Linda and the ASU and others—I know there were other unions involved too. But it was people like Linda that actually brought to light why the government really needed to change the law and also put forward an equal remuneration case to the then Fair Work Australia about making sure that women deserved extra pay in recognition for the work that they were doing for many, many people right across the country. It was a hard fight and one that took many years of campaigning—in fact, six years—but we ended up getting a historic ruling by Fair Work Australia that would change the lives of many women workers right across the country. It was her fierce advocacy on behalf of these workers and others that was on show for everyone to see, because she was committed to closing that gender pay gap and improving superannuation access for women. Today, there is still a lot of work that we need to do as a government and also as a country to make sure that we close the gap for women here in Australia.

We fast-forward to the Senate. Although Linda's time in this place was short, she had such a profound impact on many of us. It is these words from her first speech in the chamber that are really etched in my memory:

Workers are not just a line item on a balance sheet. They are partners in the success of a business and deserve to be treated as such.

When you reflect on those words, it really brings home what it means to be a member of the Labor Party, what it means to be a member of the movement and what it means to be someone who advocates for social justice and stands on the side of Australian workers. She relentlessly pursued this action because she was enthused. Her enthusiasm had no bounds. She was determined. It was this enthusiasm that made sure that she was an asset.

She was a member of the committee that I chair, the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, but I also had the honour of spending time with her—not too much time but time nonetheless—on the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee with Senator Sterle. I know we had some interactions with respect to the banking inquiry, which is ongoing. She was very determined to make sure that the big banks were held accountable. She was determined to make sure that many people in rural and regional Australia have access to a bank. What we have seen is that a number of bank branches are now closing down, and people in regional Australia, particularly those who are not well off, whether they come from Aboriginal communities or receive very low pay, have to travel kilometres, if not hours, just to go to a bank in order to get some assistance. She was determined to change that and to make sure that, within government, we also make changes to help those people.

It was really great to see someone who was also passionate about the regions. There was a picture at her memorial service, and I had a chuckle, of her being next to a tractor and having a good old time. It's fair to say there aren't many people on our side who are that passionate about agriculture, and it was great to have another comrade there who was.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, come on. I am!

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

I know. But you should have seen the picture. She was smiling right next to that tractor wheel.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hear, hear!

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

She was collaborative and knew when to pick up her moments with her witty humour. You could say Linda was very unique in her choice of eyewear. I never got to ask her where she got her glasses from, but her glasses came in all shapes and sizes and colours. They were very vibrant colours, from a traditional black frame to an eye-catching yellow, vibrant red and even electric blue. Her distinctive eyewear was a signature of her personality, and we've heard today about that.

Away from politics, she served on many boards, including that of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the MCG Trust—yes, she had that infamous car park. I'll be honest: I'd be debating whether it was worth it for the Senate. Also, on the topic of the AFL football, it is still debatable to some whether she did actually barrack for Collingwood Football Club or not, but we'll let others judge.

On a more serious note, it was Linda's endearing quality that she never dismissed people who came from a different ideological point of view or a different background. She always found common ground. That was really her training, from university all the way through the union movement and into the Senate. She always wanted to make sure that there was common ground because, quite frankly, we can all find common ground for the betterment of our country.

She firmly believed in principles of good governance and wanting the best for the organisation that she was dealing with. I know we ended up later interacting on the Labor Party national executive as well. You could just see the value she placed in hard work, standing up for others and taking pride in the causes that she believed in. She was the longest-serving woman on the national executive of the ALP, and we can all be very proud of her notable achievements. Some would say that after 20 years you'd just hang up your boots and move on, but, no, she was a sucker for punishment. We ended up appointing her to the Interim Governance Committee following the Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin reform. I know Ben's rolling his eyes and shaking his head, but there couldn't have been a better person for it, to be frank. We needed mentors and we needed people who were acknowledged as leaders within the movement to help the Victorian Labor Party, which was going through a pretty ugly period, to make the branch more democratic and provide greater protection from branch stacking into the future. There were five individuals that we ended up selecting, and Linda was one of them. I think that was a testament to who she was.

So I'm very proud to have had an opportunity not just to have worked with Linda but also to place on the record briefly how we remember her today. I really wanted to reach out and say, again, my condolences do go out to her family, to her friends and particularly her staff too. Having been a staffer as well, I know how tough it would be right now. Each and every one of you here today it is really great to see. I know there are others who'd be watching. Do know that—please do not ever hesitate to walk into any of our offices if you ever need to talk. We are here for you. You are part of our family, the Labor Party family. I really want to say vale to our good comrade Linda—you'll be sorely missed—and look after yourselves.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to make a contribution today for this condolence motion. Victoria, Australia and the Senate have all lost a great friend today. Today we remember Linda as a passionate advocate for social justice, the labour movement and the Labor causes that she held so dear to her heart. Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to work on any of the committees with Linda, which I regret. But only in this place, too often, do we not find the time to get to know our colleagues either on the same side of the chamber or across the chamber. But I would say I think there's some solace that the staff here today can take in that the contributions that have been made across the chamber reflect the respect for Linda White, who was held in very high regard in this place.

Linda spent her whole working life looking out for others. After a decade of law at Maurice Blackburn, Linda would spend 25 years as Assistant National Secretary of the Australian Services Union. During the infamous Ansett collapse, there was our warrior, Linda White, at the forefront, protecting and fighting for workers' entitlements. Can I say that, unfortunately, I was sick last week and I wasn't able to go to the memorial service for Linda, but it was really quite fitting to be snuggled up in my sickbed, without a voice, being able to fully embrace and to learn so much more about Linda. I've been on this earth for a little while, so I've been to lots of different funerals. Only too often, you go to a funeral and people that are giving the eulogies don't really know that much about the person. But I have to say every one of the speakers brought a tear to my eye because it was so evident that not only did they know Linda, not only had they worked with her and not only were they friends but they really truly knew and understood who she was. I think it'd be fair to say that some were even a little bit frightened of her at times!

I think the thing that we all respected so much about Linda, including me, is that—while we've heard that, yes, she was very proud and from the Left of the Labor Party—she embraced all of us. She did not treat anyone that wasn't on her side of the Labor Party—I think she embraced people for their different views. I think she also had mutual respect for people and the work that we each do in this place. As I said, not only have we, as Senate colleagues—she's part of the Labor movement; she's part of our family. But I feel for her brother, Michael. It was more than evident during his contribution to her memorial service how close they were and how much their parents had instilled the values that Linda had lived by every single day of her life. I have to say it was pretty obvious, being dux of primary school, the leadership that she would go on to have. What a wonderful opportunity—even though it was only two very short years—to sit in the chamber and to be able to reflect today the respect that one of our own has had and the impact she has had not only in this chamber but on the country. There are so many highlights, and other people have been far better at doing justice to Linda's involvement through the union movement, but the work that she has done in terms of equality, superannuation and looking out for those who needed a helping hand is so evident in all the contributions today. I want to thank people for those contributions.

Linda served for several years as one of the vice presidents of the ACTU, using her experience and wisdom to help steer the Australian union movement. Linda was also very generous with her time. She served as director of the Victorian Royal Botanic Gardens, as a board member for a long list of not-for-profits and as a benefactor of various organisations. They benefited from her contribution, her knowledge and her willingness to serve the community. Her service as chairwoman of the Chifley Research Centre and her work as a council member of the National Library were all just some of the ways that Linda contributed to the intellectual, political and cultural life of our nation.

I note that it was particularly fitting that mourners gathered to farewell Linda in the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. Linda was indeed a passionate advocate for the arts, theatre and Australian content. I also acknowledge Linda's time as an ACMI board member and a trustee of the MCG. Something that we would all endeavour to have is a carpark at the MCG. I'd only want it during the cricket season myself—but, anyway. Linda loved the MCG. She was a very strong and proud Victorian, and I think that, in terms of the contribution that she's made to our nation, to her state, in the chamber and particularly in our committees, people will be benefactors of that for a very, very long time to come.

In her first speech in the Senate, Linda said she would relentlessly pursue action that would make our nation's community and the state of Victoria a better place for all of us. She did achieve this and far more. Linda served as chair of several committees which legislated and oversaw the National Anti-Corruption Commission. She spoke passionately on any topic that she felt impacted Victorians or working people, from superannuation to our housing crisis. It was incredible to see how much she accomplished here in this place over just two very short years. The people of Victoria were blessed—truly blessed—to have such a strong advocate for her home state, the state that she made her own.

Linda will be remembered for the differences she made to the lives of working people. She was an integral part of the Labor family, and I have to say that anyone who served 20 years on the Labor national executive deserves our thanks and appreciation. That's no easy feat, I have to say. I did see Linda at work at various national conferences over the years. I was proud to sit in this chamber with Linda, and I just want to acknowledge the legacy that she's left behind. The support that she gave women was not just superficial. It was something that she felt right through to every bone in her body. Linda didn't just talk to the talk; she walked the walk. She believed in equality. She believed in social justice, and she believed that we all have a responsibility to be fully participating members of our communities. Rest in peace. Vale, Linda White.

Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's Thursday 21 July 2022, and I find myself in Canberra for a two-day intensive at Senate school. Recently elected, among the many newbies in the class of 2022, I met Linda White, a wise yet very humble human being with an incredible presence and an awesome sense of humour. I would soon learn that Linda had an impressive collection of glasses in very bright colours and that she loved matching them with her outfits. As someone who's obsessed with colour coordination myself, of course I would notice that about Linda. But I never imagined I'd be standing here 19 months later contributing to a condolence motion for Linda, who'd been a mentor, answering my endless questions during divisions when I managed to catch her. She was a comrade who fought furiously for workers' rights, and she was a cheerleader when I asked my first-ever question during question time or when I took note for the first time.

All our hearts in the Labor family and across this place are heavy with sorrow at the profound loss of Senator Linda White. Today, we gather not only to mourn her passing but to celebrate the extraordinary life she led and the remarkable impact she made on our nation. Linda was more than formidable; she was a force of nature. To many, she was a beloved friend, a cherished colleague and a tireless advocate for the causes she held dear. I'm saddened that I don't get to serve with her, learn from her or enjoy her company longer than I already have.

Through her unwavering dedication to the Labor movement, Linda embodied the very essence of solidarity, standing resolutely by the side of working Australians every step of the way. From her early days as student society president at Melbourne Law School to her tenure as assistant national secretary to the Australian Services Union, Linda demonstrated a remarkable commitment to justice and equality. She fought tirelessly against corruption and injustice, leaving a lasting mark on the fabric of our society. Throughout her career, Linda championed the rights of workers, from protecting entitlements in times of crisis to advocating for equal pay for social and community service workers. Her impact was felt far and wide, touching the lives of countless individuals across the nation.

But perhaps what defined Linda most was her unwavering belief in the power of compassion and empathy. She understood that true progress could only be achieved through collective action and solidarity. Whether it was advocating for the most vulnerable in our society or fighting for the rights of women, Linda approached every challenge with grace, determination and an unyielding sense of purpose.

In her all-too-brief time in the Senate, Linda made an indelible mark on our nation's history. Her commitment to transparency and accountability, as exemplified by her advocacy for the National Anti-Corruption Commission, will continue to inspire us for generations to come. As we mourn Linda's passing, let us also take comfort in the knowledge that her legacy will endure. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, integrity and unwavering dedication.

On behalf of the Senate team and the Labor family, I extend my deepest condolences to Linda's family, her loved ones, her brother, Michael, her entire office team—who are with us today—and all those who had the privilege of knowing her. Among Linda's staff, I want to particularly acknowledge Ben, who was by her side until she left peacefully and held her in high regard as a great boss and an even better friend. From the evening that I found out and reached out to Ben, I want to share with you all a sentiment from Ben as he reflected on Linda's mentorship, which I wholeheartedly second. Ben said, 'Linda taught me how to do a better and kinder version of politics.' This mindset is something we can all aspire to in this place.

Though she may be gone, Linda's spirit will live on in the countless lives she's touched and the causes she's championed. Rest in peace, dear friend. You will be dearly missed, but your legacy will continue to inspire us all.

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

I join with the Senate in expressing our sorrow and sadness for the passing of Senator Linda White. I join with the Senate in expressing our condolences. I express my appreciation and my celebration of Linda's life, and for the brief time that I knew her. I express my condolences to Linda's family and my condolences to her Senate staff team.

Senator Wong spoke very well today; I don't need to say too much more—plus, I didn't know Linda very well. I decided to come down here because I knew her enough that my brief encounters revealed some wonderful qualities in Linda. No. 1, her integrity—she always struck me as having high integrity. Her competence was quite clear. She was intelligent but also practical, with a lot of life experience. Her commitment and her persistence—I watched her, and I wasn't aware of her background but that commitment and that persistence was there. Her genuineness and her sincerity—she never said anything frivolous; she had a good sense of humour, but she was very, very genuine in what she did and how she went about things. She had a pleasing economy with words. She was very direct, but she was pleasant in doing it; I echo Senator Payman's comments in that regard. She was a very effective committee chair, in my view.

Senator Wong earlier this afternoon rightly praised Linda's belief in the power of government. Although I disagree with Linda's stance on that, I admire her tenacity in pursuit of using that power of government. She used it for positive purposes, and she used it very, very well. In a world, lastly, in which our human species is often denigrated, I celebrate humans, and I celebrate and very much appreciate Linda's life and knowing her briefly. She touched me, and she helped me. Thank you.

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

I rise to join with my Senate colleagues in extending my deep condolences to the family, friends, staff and colleagues of Senator Linda White and to Linda's broader Labor family. Labor members and senators are still recovering from the tragic passing of Peta Murphy and now the tragic loss of Linda White. Much has been said in this condolence motion about Linda's extraordinary contribution here in this place for a relatively short period of time and for decades as a leading member of the labour movement.

I was re-elected as a Victorian senator in 2022, when Linda was first elected. I'm sad to say that our paths never really crossed and I did not get to know Linda all that well, but in the short time she was here she built a reputation for extraordinary hard work and commitment, from her work chairing the Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission—when she worked extraordinarily hard to hand down a unanimous report, which is a great achievement in itself—to her work chairing the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation.

In her first speech, Senator White spoke of the importance of taking responsibility both for ourselves and for others. She said:

For some people, their pathway in life is determined by the circumstances of their birth. Governments, however, have the power to open up new choices and opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach. The power we have in this place to change lives is significant. For many this power came into sharp focus during our COVID years, but the reality is that this power is there all the time. Not a day will go by here when I won't reflect on the consequences of our actions for those we represent.

In her own words, Senator White wasn't here to make a name for herself or to build her career; she set out simply to create better pathways for those who needed a leg-up in life. That was what she tried to do through every part of her working life, from being a young lawyer tackling injustices to being the assistant national secretary of the Australian Services Union, which included standing up for the rights of Ansett workers and leading the campaign for equal pay for social and community service workers. Linda was also broadly known and admired here and in all of her previous roles as a formidable negotiator, but one who was also highly respected in the work that she did.

There is now another rose on an empty table in front of an empty chair in this place. We have lost too many serving MPs and senators since I was elected in 2013: Don Randall, Alex Gallacher, Kimberley Kitching, Jim Molan, Peta Murphy and, now, Linda. To those opposite, I say I am deeply sorry. Vale, Linda White.

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

There are people in our world who have a significant effect on the lives of others whose paths they cross, whether it be in their jobs or something they are involved in, elected to or appointed to. Some of these people are very well known to all. Others go about making a difference just by being who they are and by the values that they hold. There are people we know—people we've known for a long time—but about whom we still don't really know everything. To me, Linda White was one of those people.

Last Thursday in Melbourne I attended a wonderful memorial service for Linda and—we've heard this all through the themes today—I learnt so much more about Linda than I had known about her. The cinema at ACMI, the Australian national museum of screen culture, was full of people whose lives had been touched by Linda, whether it was at university, the law firm where she began her career, the union where she worked or the Senate, her final role. I thought I knew who Linda White was, but I really only knew a snapshot of the woman that was so loved, respected and cherished by those who knew her, those who were related to her, those who worked with her and those long-time friends who spoke so fondly of her at that memorial service.

I remembered Linda from the ASU days, when she fought so hard for the Ansett workers to ensure that they received every cent they were entitled to when the company went under. I didn't personally know her—but she was on the TV every night, so I felt like I actually did know her—but I remembered her. I remember her from many ALP conferences that she attended and at which she spoke passionately about women and about workers. I remember her from my short time on the ACTU executive, and I remember her from meetings we had regularly with the union movement in the lead-up to conferences.

When Linda was sworn in to the Senate, I thought I knew a lot more about her, but I really only knew a snippet of her life. I learned more, as we would have lunch on those Saturdays in between sitting weeks, where the challenge was always—always—to find some of the best restaurants that Canberra produced, because we know Linda loved good food. I do too. I also learned that she did like a good glass of gin and tonic when the final adjournment bell would ring on a Thursday afternoon to finish the weekly sitting, and a number of us—I'm not going to give away who they were—would share in a good Tassie gin, or a Victorian one, that she would provide. I'm not going to look at anyone; I'll just look broadly across my side and you can all guess who might have come and helped us.

What I do know is that Linda had a promising career here in the Senate, which we now know was not long enough. We will miss her. I will miss her. And today I send my thoughts and love, and those of my staff in the whip's office, to her family, her friends and her staff, especially Ben—I didn't really get to know the others, but I did know Ben very well—who travelled to Canberra with her regularly. I will remember the kind, generous, funny, witty, smart, wonderful—and all those other lists that I think Katy outlined—woman that Linda was. Rest in peace, Linda White.

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

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

I move:

That, as a mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Linda White, the Senate do now adjourn.

Question agreed to.

Senate adjourned at 16:09