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

On 10 June this year, we lost a great South Australian. Jennifer Cashmore was a trailblazer, a Liberal and a genuine contributor to our state. In 1977, Jennifer had become the third woman only to be elected to the House of Assembly, serving as the member for Coles. Two years later, she became the second woman only to be appointed to the South Australian state cabinet, serving as minister for health and tourism. She spent almost 17 years in the state parliament, and, appallingly, for 12 of those 17 years, she was the only woman representing our party.

Jennifer's was a truly remarkable life, in profession and in personal and family terms. Her service and influence clearly influenced her three amazing children: Her Excellency Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia; the Judge of Appeal of the New South Wales Supreme Court; the Hon. Justice Christine Adamson; and the Reverend Stuart Adamson, Associate Dean of Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care at Sydney's Morling College. Her three children led what was the most beautiful of services for Jennifer Cashmore following her death.

Frances spoke about the night before as governor visiting Roxby Downs and Olympic Dam in recent times. Her mum had called her urgently and pointed her to page 82 of Jennifer's book, As I Recall, where Jennifer had set out the history of the passage of the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982 and wanted to ensure that her daughter, the governor, was as prepared meticulously for her visit to Olympic Dam as Jennifer was throughout her life. It's a demonstration of somebody who had been so diligent in all facets.

Jennifer's contribution to our state saw her campaign strongly against environmental degradation in the Wilpena Pound and for the types of tourism facilities that could be environmentally friendly rather than environmentally destructive. She was a leader in establishing the 1990 select committee on the law of practice relating to death and dying, which led to the Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act. In 1998, she crossed the floor to support a ban on tobacco advertising. Perhaps most notably, in Jennifer's contributions, she led the way in exposing the impending State Bank collapse, something that, if people had listened at the time, could have saved South Australia billions of dollars.

Jennifer's activism continued. Indeed, she was there campaigning for the South Australian Museum from her wheelchair with Parkinson's disease just on 13 April this year. She was careful not to tell her mum, the governor, in advance. Her daughter Christine, Justice Adamson, spoke about Jennifer Cashmore, the brilliant speaker and debater, the principled parliamentarian, the local member, the protestor, the author, the poet, the superb correspondent, but she also talked about how her mum had sent all three children out into the world to make a difference, and what a difference they made.

Jennifer was the youngest member of the House of Assembly as well as being the only woman at the time, setting such an example, especially for her two daughters. Her only son, Stuart, also spoke about how his mum had said that people tend to die how they lived. Stuart spoke about how Jennifer demonstrated the truth of that statement to a tee, her mind being sharp until the last, always engaged, always interested in what all were doing, and that indeed she had called him up in the weeks close to her death to talk about an idea for lobbying on an issue close to his heart. 'You have to take them head-on, dear, and it has to be a grassroots campaign,' she advised her son, a demonstration that Jennifer Cashmore was somebody who, to the end, fought for all she believed in and was so active in doing so.

Jennifer Cashmore left an indelible imprint on our state. Her name will stand proudly in the history books, and in Jennifer we celebrate the life of a pioneering woman, a member of parliament and a minister with a commitment to service and a remarkable mother leaving an amazing legacy through her children. Jennifer left her mark on South Australia and the Liberal Party, and we should all wish for many more like her.