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

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 14 December 2024 of the Hon. Kevin James Andrews AM, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of Menzies, Victoria, from 1991 to 2022.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its sadness at the death, on 14 December 2024, of the Honourable Kevin James Andrews AM, former Minister for Ageing, Employment and Workplace Relations, Immigration and Citizenship, Social Services and Defence, and member for Menzies, places on record its gratitude for his service to the Parliament and the nation, and tenders its sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Before his retirement, Mr Andrews had the honour of holding the parliamentary title Father of the House. He held the seat of Menzies for almost 31 years, from 1991 to 2022, and served as a senior minister in the Howard and the Abbott governments. Yet it was not the length of service that defined Mr Andrews but his unwavering faith and his personal principles. His integrity and conviction earned the respect of all regardless of their political persuasion.

Mr Andrews was born in the city of Sale in Victoria. He would proudly say that he came from 'Little Australia', with his parents running a small trucking business and a mixed farm in Gippsland. He saw the value of hard work firsthand. His parents worked from the early morning to the late night—his mother taking on the full running of the business when his father passed away. He inherited a strong work ethic and a belief that you can only rely on yourself to become the person that you want to be.

He would leave his family farm to pursue a career in law, completing a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Melbourne, having resided at Newman College, and later a Master of Laws at Monash University. Mr Andrews quickly made a name for himself as a barrister and was named the Australian Young Lawyer of the Year for his work in establishing a legal scheme for disaster victims.

He would leave the same impression on entering parliament as the member for Menzies in 1991. Mr Andrews spoke about the transition to politics as a vocation, not as a career:

A career is about the individual; a vocation is about a cause …

And, over three decades, he would fight for his cause—a cause built on individual empowerment, family values and faith.

The passing of the 1997 Andrews private member's bill, which overturned the Northern Territory's euthanasia legislation, was a historical moment, as one of the only handful of private members' bills to ever pass the parliament. Mr Andrews served on multiple portfolios over his three decades in parliament. Appointed as Minister for Ageing in 2001, Mr Andrews worked hard to expand care and the number of beds. In 2003, he entered cabinet as the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and would go on to become Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Minister for Social Services and Minister for Defence.

Yet that is not where his contribution ends. Mr Andrews was a prolific author, writing books on politics, marriage, religion, and—one of his great loves—cycling. He was an avid cyclist, and, despite his relentless schedule, he would prioritise charitable rides, including the annual Pollie Pedal event. I might add, on a personal note, that he was a regular attender at the Tour Down Under, in Adelaide, and I'd often see him there either riding or meeting the great riders who ride in that wonderful event.

In 2025, he was posthumously appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the people and the Parliament of Australia, to the Catholic Church and to the community.

I extend my sincere condolences to his wife, Margaret, his five children and his seven grandchildren. The loss of a loved one is heartbreaking. While he will be sadly missed, he'll be forever remembered as a man with boundless energy, of profound faith and with strongly held personal principles.

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

I rise on behalf of the opposition to pay tribute to Kevin Andrews, who, in his final few years in the other place, was known as the Father of the House. Kevin was so much more than a colleague to so many of us. He was a friend, a mentor and an absolute gentleman, to say the very least. A man of integrity, he was always thoughtful and wise and always true to his beliefs. He was a great Australian with a passion for, and love of, our great country. He was a man of faith, a man with a strong sense of duty and service and, of course, a man of immense human decency. In fact, when I spoke to a number of colleagues after we received the news that he had passed, it was told to me that he was a guiding light for so many of us in this place and, even when I spoke to others on the other side of the chamber, they also agreed.

Kevin James Andrews was born on 9 November 1955 in Sale, Victoria. He was the son of Roy Gebhardt Andrews and Sheila Rosina O'Connor. Kevin was educated at the Rosedale Primary School, St. Patrick's College in Sale and the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Newman College and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1979 and a Bachelor of Arts in 1980. At university, Kevin was the president of the Newman College Students' Club and the National Association of Australian University Colleges. He later completed a Master of Laws degree at Monash University, in 1986.

In the 1970s and the 1980s, Kevin was a racing commentator, calling various sporting events, including athletics, cycling and motorsports. A little-known fact about him is that he wrote for a number of publications, including Australia's Auto Action. In fact, for those in the chamber—and I'm sure some of my colleagues behind did have the opportunity to hear Kevin call a race—if you did not have that opportunity to hear Kevin Andrews call a race, you have seriously missed out. It was actually quite extraordinary.

I was just looking online at a number of the articles about Kevin Andrews, and there was one some time ago where he was interviewed and he spoke about his childhood ambition, which was actually not to go into politics; it was actually to call horseracing. He said:

I grew up in a racing family; my father was secretary of a country race club for probably the best part of twenty-five years. We went to the races every Saturday when I was a kid … And from a very early age I used to go up the back of the grand stand and start practicing calling the races and eventually took it up for a while.

…   …   …

… if I didn't go to the races on Saturday I would sit down and listen to the radio stations, I'd study the techniques of, in those days Bill Collins, Bert Bryant, Joe Brown and the likes, and … I was very serious about it.

As someone who did have the pleasure of seeing Kevin literally transform from the quiet, humble, astute individual that he was so well known as, into Kevin 'You've got to be kidding me, is this actually really him?' the racing commentator, I can assure you he was utterly outstanding. Every so often, this quiet and humble man—and I'd been at a few functions with him—would shock people by transforming in a second into a professional race caller. It was quite spectacular, and it could literally stop a room. A little-known fact is that Kevin did some part-time race calling to help fund his way through university.

Kevin was also secretary of the Melbourne University Athletics Club and a director of the Victorian Amateur Athletics Association. At Melbourne University, Kevin trained with the legendary athletics coach Franz Stampfl.

After graduation, he worked for the Law Institute of Victoria, from 1980 to 1983, as a research solicitor and coordinator of continuing legal education. From 1983 to 1985, Kevin served as an associate to Sir James Gobbo, a justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and, subsequently, the Governor of Victoria. Kevin then practised as a barrister from 1985 until his election to federal parliament in 1991.

He won Liberal Party preselection for the seat of Menzies against, at that time, 25 other candidates. That is no mean feat. In fact, some might say anyone could have come through the middle, but he actually wanted it and he got it. He was elected, as we all know, in the 1991 Menzies by-election. As we all say in this place, every election, particularly for a House of Representatives member, is one whereby you just don't know. But Kevin was re-elected by his constituents in Menzies 10 times as the federal member for Menzies. Elected in 1991, he held the seat until his retirement, just prior to the 2022 election. He spent a total of 30 years, 11 months and 11 days as a member of parliament, and that is one of the things that I remember so well about Kevin Andrews—30 years, 11 months and 11 days. He relished every single one of them.

Kevin was quite proudly and rightly a senior minister in the Howard and Abbott governments, and he held critical portfolios of aging, employment and workplace relations, immigration and citizenship, social services, and defence throughout what was, without a doubt, a significant ministerial career. As defence minister, Kevin himself implemented the First Principles Review to establish a single Defence Force structure in Australia. He also authorised—this is incredibly significant when you look back at our defence history. Kevin Andrews, as Minister for Defence, authorised the replacement of the entire Australian naval fleet. In his valedictory remarks, Kevin appreciated the increasingly precarious world in which we live, and he stated this:

We must stand economically, strategically and militarily with those nations and states, however imperfect, that seek to uphold the dignity and the freedom of the individual against totalitarian regimes …

Former prime minister Tony Abbott observed, after Kevin's passing, that one of his finest achievements predated his time as a minister—the 1997 Andrews private member's bill that overturned the Northern Territory's euthanasia legislation. Regrettably, his courage and principle were not appreciated by everyone in the local Liberal Party and led to an unsuccessful preselection challenge. Kevin was honourably and consistently committed to the sanctity of human life. He understood the critical difference between declining to keep someone alive who would otherwise be dead and deliberately killing someone who would otherwise be alive.

It's often quite humbling, when you see a person who leaves this place and then passes away, to go back and actually have a look at what others have said about them. The tributes to Kevin Andrews, without a doubt, were effusive. They were many, and, fittingly, for a man of such integrity, they were from both sides of politics. Opposition leader Peter Dutton described Kevin Andrews as 'a stalwart of the Liberal Party and a man of faith, family, intellect and service'. He said:

He was a staunch defender of the family unit and a true Liberal.

Former prime minister John Howard pointed to Mr Andrews's conviction as a politician, his devout Catholicism and his success as a backbencher in overturning the Northern Territory's euthanasia laws, as well as his service to the Australian people and parliament and his loyal support to him and the Liberal Party. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

Kevin Andrews dedicated his life to the things he cared for most: family, faith, community and nation.

Bill Shorten said:

While we were opposed on many political fronts, I respected that he always fought for his values: what you saw was what you got. He was a gentleman who wore his faith with pride. In his final term, he did excellent work charing the Joint Committee on the NDIS on a bi-partisan basis as an experienced parliamentarian committed to the best interests of NDIS participants.

Kevin himself was a believer, like so many in this place on our side, in the free market, aspiration and personal responsibility. In fact, in his maiden speech to the parliament in 1991, as Australia suffered through Paul Keating's 'recession we had to have', this is what Kevin said:

Australia's present social and economic woes owe much to the dead hand of socialism, which stifles individualism and withers enterprise in this country at its roots. Rampant unionism hinders the vaunted but little recognised and little realised micro-economic reform in this nation and continues to keep our economy uncompetitive with its wasteful work practices. A plethora of taxes, including a tax on employment itself, punishes anyone in this country who is foolhardy enough to invest the capital and to work around the clock. People such as that are the people who employ over half the Australian work force.

That was his maiden speech. Then, in his valedictory speech some 30-odd years later, he also spoke to his belief in service, saying:

Three decades ago I gave up a career in law to pursue a vocation. A career is about the individual; a vocation is about a cause, and my cause has been the peace, the welfare and the happiness of the people of Australia.

From a personal perspective, my view is that Kevin did just that. He did so much quietly, humbly to contribute to the peace, welfare and happiness of the Australian people during his time in parliament. As Senator Farrell has said, though, this is the type of incredible man that he was.

Despite his incredibly busy work, you'd often see Kevin first thing in the morning out in his lycra—we did have words once!—on his bike before parliament. He had an incredibly busy work and family life. He still found the time to write five books, and they weren't just books. They were considered books. They were well-thought-out books on marriage, on cycling and on Joe Lyons. One of them titled One People One Destiny was an early rebuke to identity politics. He literally worked right up until his death, and only weeks before his death he actually published his final book on his local Catholic church. He was quite literally working on the publication of his memoirs right up until the day he died.

For many of us on this side of the chamber who have been here for some time, we knew Kevin well and we counted on his wisdom and his advice. If Kevin spoke in the party room, it didn't matter who you were or what side of politics you came from, you listened. His contributions were always considered, and they were respected. He was truly a mentor, and, on a personal note, I am very happy to say and very lucky to say he was a mentor to me. He was always there on the other end of the phone with sage advice and much encouragement.

When I was the Attorney-General of Australia, we were dealing with family law, and Kevin had worked very closely with others on reforming the family law system. He would often, at the end of a night—the bells in the Senate would finish; the bells in the House would finish. It would be a late night, he'd wander around to my office, we'd sit down and he would share with me his wisdom on how we could change the system for the better. Even in the years after he left parliament, he was just one of those people who was always at the other end of a phone if you needed to run something past him. Quite literally he was one of the few people in life for whom nothing was ever too much. I know many others in this place drew on his knowledge in a similar way.

But of course the one thing that was clear whenever you spoke to Kevin—and this was throughout his 30 years in public life—was that he was supported by the love of his life, his wife, Margie. There is little doubt that—so many of tributes to Kevin said this, and I think Kevin would have been so proud of this—despite everything he had achieved at the highest levels of government, his greatest legacy is the family that he and Margie built together as the parents of five wonderful children and grandparents to seven grandchildren. No doubt the entire family must be immensely proud of the man Kevin was and the respect and admiration he received from not only his colleagues in parliament but also the people of Australia. It is not surprising a man of such honour, conviction, courage and compassion garnered admiration from those who knew or observed him.

On behalf of the coalition I offer my heartfelt condolences to Kevin's colleagues, friends, family and community. But our thoughts are especially with his wife, Margie; his children, Emily, James, Stuart, Catherine, and Benjamin; and his grandchildren. May Kevin Andrews rest in peace.

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

On behalf of the National Party in the Senate I rise to pay tribute to a dedicated statesman, a principled conservative and a great servant of the Australian people, the honourable Kevin Andrews. His passing is an immense loss to our nation, to the Liberal Party and to all those who had the privilege of working alongside him through his distinguished career.

Born in Sale, Victoria, Kevin Andrews was always proud of his country upbringing—as he should have been—despite living in and representing his metropolitan electorate with distinction. Before parliament, his childhood ambition was to call horseracing. He was a great friend to the Victorian racing industry his whole life. With his father as the secretary of the country race club for nearly 25 years, he grew up around horses and racing, and unfortunately for the racing industry—or may we say fortunately for the parliament and constituents of Menzies—his father convinced him to go to university and ultimately pursue law, but not before he earned some part-time wages calling races to pay his way through university in the seventies and eighties. I do not know what was going on down in Gippsland racing, but Peter McGauran was a great friend of the racing industry down there as well. One of the great delights of my life was at an AHA pre-Cup function in Melbourne where Kevin was the guest race caller, shall we say, on the Monday, and it was absolutely the best call I've heard of my life—very much a missed calling there.

Kevin dedicated over three decades of his life to the Australian parliament, representing the people of Menzies with integrity, wisdom and an unwavering commitment to his principles. He was first elected in 1991, and he became one of the longest-serving members of the House of Representatives, leaving an indelible mark on the political and policy landscape of our country. Hearing of his preselection story of 25 other competitors, shall we say, I would love to have heard that particular race called by somebody. Mr Andrews retired at the 2022 general election, and it's a great tragedy that he wasn't able to enjoy a long and fulfilling retirement with his loving family.

Kevin Andrews was not only a formidable policymaker. He was also a deeply compassionate individual. He understood that politics is ultimately about people; about strengthening communities; about ensuring every Australia has the opportunity to prosper; about assisting families, in whatever way that he could, to stay together; and about standing firm for the values that define our nation. His work in supporting civil society, religious freedoms and the social fabric of Australia will be remembered as part of his enduring legacy. Whether advocating for stronger families, workplace reform or a robust national defence strategy, Kevin's approach was always principled, thoughtful and deeply informed. His work on national security was particularly significant, helping to modernise Australia's defence posture and ensuring our armed forces had the resources and strategic framework they needed to protect our sovereignty and national interest in a modern environment.

Kevin was also a man of great personal kindness. Many in his chamber, across the political divide, can attest to his generosity of spirit, his willingness to mentor younger parliamentarians and his calm and reasoned approach to the most complex of policy challenges. His dedication to serving not only his constituents but also his colleagues was a mark of his character and the depth of his public service ethos.

To his family—his beloved wife, Margaret, and their children and his grandchildren—on behalf of the National Party I extend my deepest sympathies. The sacrifices made by the families of those of us who serve in this place are often unseen, but they are very profound. Kevin was a devoted husband, a loving father and a man of strong faith, and I hope his family can take comfort in the legacy of service and principled leadership that he's left behind.

His passing is a moment of great sadness that all who knew him, but his contribution and legacy will endure. May he rest in peace.

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

I rise to associate myself with the outstanding speech of our leader and with yet another speech by Senator McKenzie and to add some of my own brief reflections on our former colleague and friend, Kevin Andrews. In just thinking about Kevin, there are three things that really sum him up for me. Firstly, he was a parliamentarian, secondly, he was a patriot and, thirdly, he was a family man.

In thinking about Kevin's role as a parliamentarian in that distinguished and long career, I can say that it is often the case—you hear it in valedictory speeches in this place, as well as in eulogies for our colleagues who have left us—that some the best and most impactful work they can do is while they're on the backbench. All of us aspire to have the honour of serving in a ministry one day and doing great things in those portfolios, but often you can have remarkable public policy impact from outside the industry. Kevin achieved both.

As a backbencher, in his early parliamentary career before he was promoted, he secured the successful passage through both houses of parliament of one of the only private member's bills to pass the parliament. It is very common in this place to introduce a private member's bill, but it is much rarer to successfully pass a private member's bill. Whatever your view is on the substance of that issue—my own views on euthanasia are close to Kevin's and I support what he did—that is a remarkable achievement of which he should be proud and of which his family should be very proud. It came from a place of very sincere and genuine belief.

At the other end of his career, when he was again a backbencher after having served as a minister, he played a very significant role in the passage of significant legislation in the final term of our time in government, under the Morrison government. That was the passage and introduction of the Magnitsky human rights sanction regime. Kevin worked very diligently as the chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, working particularly closely with our other former and sadly departed colleague, Senator Kimberley Kitching, in a bipartisan way to build consensus for these reforms and to convince the then government that it was necessary. Upon receiving that agreement, he then worked with our former minister for foreign affairs, Senator Marise Payne, to successfully legislate that scheme, which is now being utilised by this government. That is a really great achievement that I think will stand the test of time and, because of the work that Kevin did in that respect, it will be of great value to future governments and future foreign ministers.

In thinking about Kevin as the patriot, I know that the ministerial post in which he had the greatest honour of serving was the defence portfolio. I think he long aspired to serve in that portfolio. He was very honoured to be called upon by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to take up that portfolio and he immensely enjoyed working with our men and women in uniform. He brought to that role his typically thoughtful, diligent style, but he was also very clear-eyed about the challenges that Australia faced, and I know he would have loved nothing more than to have had the opportunity to have served longer in that portfolio, but, as Senator Cash outlined, he achieved significant things in that time, and his family should also be proud of that.

Finally, I want to reflect on Kevin as a family man, because, although his achievements in public life were significant, I think he would be most proud of his family and the achievement that that represents. To sustain a loving marriage over 31 years of political service is a remarkable thing. To raise children who love and respect you is an extraordinary thing. He was an example to us all. We should be inspired by his example to commit to and honour our own families in the same way that he honoured his. It is a tragedy, as others have said, that, in retirement, he did not get to spend more time with them post his parliamentary life, but I know he wasn't someone who neglected his family when he was a parliamentarian. He made sure that his parliamentary and political life didn't detract from his family life, and that is a reminder for all of us to try and emulate that in our roles as well.

Kevin was a great Victorian, he was a great Liberal and he was a great Australian. We will miss him.

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

Today we pause to honour the life and legacy of Kevin Andrews, a man whose dedication to public service spanned more than three decades and whose principled approach to politics shaped so much of our national conversation. His passing represents a significant moment in our parliamentary history.

Kevin represented his electorate of Menzies for over 30 years. That in itself is a remarkable achievement and reflects not just the trust of his constituents but also a clear connection to the community that he served. In this place he was known for his methodical approach to policy, his careful consideration of complex issues and his ability to articulate his position with immense clarity. Throughout his distinguished career, Kevin served in some of the most challenging portfolios in government—Defence, Social Services, Employment and Workplace Relations—and to each role he brought a characteristic thoroughness and intellectual rigour. Even those who disagreed with his conclusions couldn't fault his dedication to understanding the complexities of each portfolio. Kevin's approach to public life was exemplified by a willingness to take difficult positions based on deeply held principles and to defend those positions with rigorous argument rather than rhetoric.

What struck me most about Kevin was his invariable courtesy in debate. In an era where political discourse often generates more heat than light, he maintained a steady commitment to civil dialogue. He demonstrated that it is possible to hold strong convictions while treating those who disagree with you with respect and dignity. This is perhaps one of the most valuable lessons for our current political and social climate. We should also seek to follow this example in and outside this place.

While it's well known that Kevin served in many senior ministerial roles in both the Howard and Abbott governments, I personally got to know him when he'd been recently returned as a backbencher and he stepped up to the role of Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS. This was one of the first committees that I served on in this place. I learned so much from him there—from procedural issues, to dealing respectfully with colleagues from right around the chamber, to dealing sympathetically and professionally with witnesses and contributors, balancing candour with competence and with kindness. Kevin displayed not just his diligence and his thoroughness but also a genuine commitment, embedded in his deep faith, to looking after those who are unable to look after themselves.

Kevin will always be remembered as a stalwart of the conservative side of the Liberal Party. But so often conservatism is easily and, dare I say, lazily seen as a euphemism for hard-heartedness. That was not Kevin Andrews. His advocacy for social services reform and his commitment to supporting vulnerable Australians spoke to a genuine concern for those in need. His Catholic faith, which informed so much of his world view, was matched with a practical compassion.

His legacy is a reminder that, while we may differ on policy approaches or ideological perspectives, the desire to improve lives can unite those across the political spectrum. The tributes from across the political divide—from the current Prime Minister, from former prime ministers Howard, Abbott and Turnbull, from the former leader of the opposition Bill Shorten—all speak to the respect that Kevin earned through his approach to public life. Each acknowledged his unwavering commitment to his principles, even when they disagreed with his position.

For the Liberal Party, Kevin's passing marks the end of an era. His parliamentary career spanned some of our party's most significant moments, from the reforms of the Howard government to the challenges of recent years. He remained a steady presence, consistently advocating for his vision of Liberal values. To his wife, Margie, and to his children and his grandchildren we extend our deepest sympathies. While the nation has lost a dedicated public servant, you have lost a husband, a father and a grandfather. We hope that you find comfort in knowing that his legacy of principled public service and civil discourse will continue to influence our national conversation. Kevin Andrews showed us that it is possible to be both principled and respectful, both passionate and measured. In today's political climate that must be, and may be, his most enduring lesson. May he rest in peace.

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

I rise to pay tribute to a great friend, the late Kevin James Andrews AM. Kevin was also a valued colleague. He was the former federal member for Menzies and a minister in both the Howard and Abbott governments. Kevin was principled and he was compassionate. I join my colleagues in conveying my deepest condolences to Margie, his five children and his family following Kevin's very sad passing late last year.

Kevin's death is difficult to fathom. He was so full of life—a very young 69-year-old, super fit and able to ride a bike faster than men half his age, so his death did come as an enormous shock. Kevin was born in the country Victorian town of Sale in 1955 and, on completing his schooling, moved to Melbourne to pursue his law studies. His advocacy skills were first honed as an associate to Sir James Gobbo in the Supreme Court of Victoria and as a barrister at the Victorian Bar. He was always said to go far. From an early age, he also became known for his skills as a race caller, which, of course, entertained many people over many, many years.

Kevin served his community, the Liberal Party and his country for 31 years—a truly remarkable period of service. Bound by his love of family and his Catholic faith, he was a person of true conviction, who lived a life of service, dedicated to the best interests of Australia and Australians. I greatly admired and respected Kevin for his work as an MP, as a minister and, of course, as the highly respected Father of the House. Kevin's ministerial appointments reflected the trust and faith which John Howard and Tony Abbott had in Kevin. His appointments included Minister for Ageing, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Minister for Social Services and Minister for Defence. He made a real difference, increasing access to aged-care beds, restoring the rule of law with the establishment of a construction industry watchdog, improving the character test in the Migration Act, reforming access to welfare payments and committing trips to fight the ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

As a backbencher, I worked closely with Kevin as Minister for Defence, when he drove such significant investment into Australia's defence industry. I also worked closely with him as Chair of the joint select committee on the NDIS, which he undertook with such dignity and compassion. In February 2015, I vividly remember joining Kevin in Puckapunyal, where he announced a LAND 400 phase 2 tender. I was hoping he might have just cut to the chase and announced Geelong as the winning location, but that might have circumvented a few of the rules! But I did don a helmet and [inaudible] a gun and thought that, perhaps if I stayed close to Kevin, someday it would happen. He held a press conference, and I was just reflecting on his words. He said: 'The first priority of a national government is the safety and security of its citizens, and the first responsibility, therefore, as defence minister is to ensure that our military forces have the capability to be able to maintain the safety and security of this nation and the people of Australia. Where it is consistent with that, we also wish to encourage Australian industry to participate in the requisite capability that we need as a nation.' I am proud to say that Geelong eventually secured the LAND 400 phase 3 project along with the howitzer project which we committed to in 2019. Throughout that long journey, Kevin provided me with much support and encouragement.

Kevin's leadership on opposing euthanasia and providing greater support for palliative care inspired so many Australians, including me. Kevin was a conviction politician. Agree or disagree, but you always knew where you stood with Kevin. He was no fence-sitter, and, in politics and public service, that is a trait to be much admired. In everything he did—the fiercest of political battles, the most difficult of decisions—Kevin undertook his work with dignity, decency and the strongest sense of duty. In paying tribute to Kevin, his former senior adviser, Anthony Moate, was moved to say, 'I witnessed firsthand his commitment to serving the most vulnerable in the Australian community. Whether it was supporting the aged, the terminally ill or refugees escaping persecution, Kevin's work was always marked by genuine compassion and an unwavering sense of justice. He also worked tirelessly to promote social cohesion, recognising the value of Australia's multicultural society. He always treated his staff and those he encountered, on both sides of politics, with the utmost respect and dignity. 'For Kevin, being a public servant was very much a vocation not as a member of the Public Service but as a servant of the public.' They were the words of one of Kevin's former senior advisers, Anthony Mote.

Kevin was a leading light of the Victorian Liberal Party, and his passing has left a very big hole in our lives. Kevin and I enjoyed many wonderful conversations. He was a man of great wisdom, calm reflection and quiet determination. A state funeral was held for Kevin at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in East Melbourne on 23 December 2024. Former Prime Minister of Australia the Hon. Tony Abbott AC shared words of remembrance on behalf of the Andrews family, noting most importantly Kevin's love of his family. Tony Abbott said:

… for all his achievements on the national stage, it's the family that Kevin and Margaret have built, inside their home—with five wonderful children and their spouses, and seven adored grandchildren—that will stand as his legacy, as much as anything he did in Canberra.

In the 2025 Australia Day honours, Kevin Andrews was posthumously appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to the Catholic Church and to the community. This was so well deserved. Kevin provided an example for us all. Vale, Kevin Andrews.

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I likewise rise to associate myself with the comments of colleagues this afternoon in remembering the former member for Menzies, Kevin Andrews. Kevin was a man who truly displayed courage in his convictions, and I think that the contributions that have been made here this afternoon reflect that. Senator Cash mentioned in her remarks that Kevin was elected as the member for Menzies in 1991. That was the year after I was born, so Kevin was one of the few people, when I was eventually elected to this place in 2019, that I had a fair few memories of seeing on television in the very lofty ministerial positions that he had held, particularly during the Howard government. I can remember feeling somewhat intimidated at the prospect of meeting Kevin and working in the same party room as him, but there was no way that I should have been so intimidated, because, as other colleagues have alluded to, Kevin did take a very active role in mentoring new members of the party room, in teaching us the mystical and wondrous ways of both how our party room and the parliament more broadly operate. I did want to reflect on that here this afternoon.

I had the pleasure of working with Kevin on the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System, which was constituted in the 46th Parliament shortly after I was elected to this place. I think it is fair to say that I and others who were appointed to that committee knew that it was very serious and difficult subject matter that we were going to be dealing with and that the reason Kevin would be chairing this committee, as he did so wonderfully, was partly to keep us all cool, calm, collected and focused on that subject matter. There were some incredibly sensitive issues that were presented to this committee, as anyone in this chamber and the other place who served on the committee would know, as we investigated, for not the first time in this parliament's history, ways that our Australian family law system could be improved so that outcomes were better for individuals and their own families when they were going through the difficulty of separation. For a first term backbencher such as myself, I had a front-row seat to the class act that was Kevin in dealing with the issues that that committee examined with his usual calm and understanding demeanour.

He also had a difficult job ahead of him in compiling the report for that committee. Such a sensitive issue is one that people on all sides of this chamber and the other place have many and varied views on. Speaking as a senator—and we in this chamber pride ourselves on our collegiality—I think Kevin displayed almost senatorial tendencies in how he managed the work of that committee and the numerous reports that the committee produced, endeavouring as much as possible to make the work of the committee not just bipartisan but as multipartisan as possible. That was a real testament to Kevin's work.

Kevin was also a fearless conservative. Whether it was as a minister—and I can't personally speak for that because obviously he was on the backbench by the time I came to this place—or as a backbencher he truly saw the value in encouraging our party room to embrace policy debate and engage in the exchange of ideas in a fearless way. He knew that that was not only the great tradition of the Liberal cause but a way that our cause could be progressed. I'm sure many of my colleagues were approached by Kevin at various points in time to contribute to his AustralianPolity magazine, which he produced once or twice a year and which contained his thoughts on the world. Occasionally he would ask colleagues to contribute as well, and I was very humbled that he asked me, in my first term, to provide an article for that piece as well.

My colleague Senator Paterson referenced the work that Kevin did in developing the report that eventually gave rise to the legislating of Magnitsky style sanctions. That is an incredible piece of work, and, again as we've heard here today, those sanctions have now been applied by the Australian government in an attempt to hold foreign regimes to account. That is something that I'm sure Kevin's family are, and Kevin himself was, incredibly proud of.

I attended Kevin's funeral in Melbourne at the end of last year, and, as I'm sure anyone else who was there would attest, it was a very full cathedral at St Patrick's. It was very clear from the number of people there that Kevin was a much loved member of his community, not just the Liberal Party community but the community of Menzies more broadly and, particularly, his local church. I want to extend my deepest condolences to his community, which I know would be hurting at his loss, and, in particular, to his lovely wife, Margie, his children and grandchildren, who have lost a wonderful husband and a loving father. Vale, Kevin Andrews.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to honour the life and the legacy of Kevin Andrews. I, like Senator Chandler, only had the privilege of serving in this place for a three-year period of Kevin's long career. That represents 10 per cent of his 30 years—three decades—of service to this nation, as Senator Cash was speaking about. Having served with him for only that short time, I nonetheless learnt so much from him.

Like Senator Chandler, I was also appointed to the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System. We commenced that committee very early in that term of parliament. As someone who was new to this place, for me, Senator Chandler and other colleagues to get a masterclass in how to deal with very difficult issues, particularly when it came to the family law system, was a great privilege and an honour. The way that Kevin managed and facilitated that inquiry is something that I've tried to emulate through any other proceedings that I've had to do since that time.

But that wasn't the first chance I had to meet Kevin. He wouldn't have remembered, but I certainly remember meeting Kevin when he was Minister for Social Services and he'd commissioned Patrick McClure to do a review of the social services system. I remember Kevin describing it like a schematic diagram for an oil rig when you lay it all out. That's how complex the social services system was. He set in motion a plan to simplify that system so that we were better meeting the needs of Australians who were in need and doing it in a better and more efficient way so that that money that was provided by taxpayers was able to get to people who really needed it. That, I think, was the approach of Kevin Andrews right throughout his career—taking really complex issues and trying to simplify them to actually make a difference in people's lives.

I was speaking with Senator Blyth, who had her first party room meeting today, and she said she walked in and just saw all of these famous people. I, like Senator Chandler, as she remarked, walked into the party room and saw Kevin Andrews, someone that I'd admired significantly, not just because he was a conservative and someone I very much identified with but because he was someone that I knew served this nation with such commitment and drive and someone who you just knew was full of integrity. It's something that I try to emulate and try to follow in any possible way.

Kevin Andrews, in his final speech in this place not that long ago, in March 2022, said:

This, I believe, is the great Australian dream—to hand on to the next generation an even better nation than the one which we've inherited. I've always believed that a successful society is a compact across generations. We prosper because of the wise choices, the sacrifices and the hard work of previous generations, and, in turn, it's our duty to use our industry and judgement to ensure the best for future generations of Australians.

Well, this country is a better place for Kevin's contribution, and he made a difference to his community. He leaves behind a legacy of dedicated service to Australians. He was a man of faith, family and service. I want to extend my condolences to Margie and to his family and all those that were very close to him, who, as others have said, are no doubt hurting at this time. His life was lost to all of us and to them far too soon. Kevin, well done, good and faithful servant.

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

I just want to make a few remarks to join my colleagues in remembering the Hon. Kevin Andrews. I first met Kevin when I came here as a member of the House of Representatives in 2004, when he was a minister in the Howard government. As my colleagues have said, even then he was somebody who was well known and to be looked up to and respected. A point of connection that I had with him was not only being a person of faith but also the commitment to families. When the then Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, appointed me to chair the backbench committee overseeing the implementation of family relationship centres, I found I had a very common cause with Kevin around the value of seeking to empower and enable people to hang in there with marriages as opposed to seeing the rate of marriage breakdown and family breakup rise. We built a good relationship over those issues at that time.

I then encountered Kevin after I left this place after the 2007 election and came back as a senator when he became the defence minister, and I had a fair bit to do with him. Some of the achievements that he had during that time, I think, were things like the naval shipbuilding plan for Australia, which was putting in place a framework to have an ongoing industry base to build ships in a sustainable manner which lowered risk and cost. Some of those sorts of achievements, I think, have been overshadowed by subsequent events, but he had a very strategic mind and sought to make those kinds of long-term changes as opposed to just the quick political wins that so many people accuse politicians of.

It's been mentioned a couple of times that Kevin saw work in the parliament as a vocation and not a career, and I think it's a mark of the character of the man that, when he was not reappointed in the Defence portfolio and went to the backbench, rather than becoming bitter—which I have seen in far too many people in this place—he looked for new opportunities to serve. As the then chair of the parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Kevin indicated that he wished to come and serve on that committee, and he particularly wished to serve on the human rights committee. In that role, he took on, as members have mentioned here, the inquiry looking into autonomous sanctions known as the Magnitsky sanctions, but he also did a power of work looking at freedom of religion and belief. Kevin understood, as one of our former eminent judges has said, that, if you don't have freedom of belief and conscience and religion, you don't have freedom at all. He was diligent to understand the state of freedom of religion and belief in this nation and the steps that we may need to take moving forward. Much of that overlapped with the work that Mr Ruddock and his expert panel did during that time.

Kevin also reached out to many of the diaspora communities in Australia who were suffering persecution, even though they were living here, from agencies from their countries of origin, and he also did a power of work supporting women and girls in the Pacific. I just think it's a mark of the man that, while many would have been bitter and decided to move on and do other things, he continued to look for the opportunity not only to serve the constituents of his seat of Menzies but also to provide leadership in the capacities where he had the opportunity in this parliament.

We have seriously lost a good man in Kevin. I was privileged to have him as a colleague and a friend and a mentor over a couple of decades. My sincere condolences to Margie and the family. Vale, the Hon. Kevin Andrews.

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

I too rise to associate myself with the remarks of all my colleagues, particularly our leader in this place. For so many of us, Kevin Andrews was a parliamentarian's parliamentarian. Coming into this place in 2017, I had known Kevin through my time here as a staffer. Reflecting on that time, Kevin was always extremely respectful of people who worked in a staffing role in this place. It wasn't at all dismissive. He would talk, he would listen and he would communicate with you.

But, coming into this place, as you've heard from many of my colleagues, actually, I don't think Kevin perhaps realised how much of a mentor he was to so many of us. I believe I probably took Senator Hume's place on the joint committee on the NDIS, which at that time Kevin was chairing. Not only did I get a masterclass in how to chair a committee—how to do that very important work of the parliament—but I also saw someone who was deeply involved in utilising that committee system to get positive outcomes for Australians. It wasn't about political point-scoring. Kevin Andrews used his position as chair of the NDIS committee to see a public policy problem or a system that was failing an individual and utilised his position as a parliamentarian either to address that systemic problem or to help that individual.

So often in that time on the NDIS committee, we would have a meeting, and a problem would become apparent through hearing from a particular witness or a set of witnesses. Then the committee would disperse, and we would go back to our home states. Then, on reconvening in this place, we would find that Kevin Andrews had worked the problem, that Kevin Andrews had been in touch with the minister or that Kevin Andrews had been in touch with the department and, actually, if he had not solved the problem—which in many, many cases he did—then he at least brought that public policy problem or that issue affecting an individual to the attention of the minister or the bureaucracy. It was an absolute masterclass in being an effective parliamentarian in this place.

To Margie, to Kevin's family, to colleagues who knew him much, much better than I do, may he rest in peace.

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

I too would like to honour the memory of the Hon. Kevin Andrews. I got to know Kevin well first during the gay marriage debate; we were on the losing side. As others have remarked, he was an incredibly courageous and brave but also very principled advocate for his cause. He was an absolute gentleman, he was respectful, and he kept us very focused. He kept everybody very focused. If only we could have cloned him and had more of him, maybe we would have done better. It was an honour to serve next to him during that unique process.

The first time I noticed Kevin from the outside, before I was in parliament, was when he challenged for the Liberal leadership. I'm not sure anyone else has mentioned it yet. He was a bit of a trendsetter, I believe; he was the first to challenge Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal leadership, and many others followed. I think the interesting thing to remark about that was that he clearly didn't do it for himself. I think he probably understood that he wasn't going to be Liberal leader, but he challenged because he wanted to change a policy. He had a principled position about the policy position of the Liberal and National parties at the time and wanted to change that. It takes a lot of courage to do that. It takes a lot of courage. We all know that. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out in front of the media. As I said, he probably expected a loss, so that's obviously somewhat embarrassing, but he had the courage of his convictions and acted on them. He didn't just speak about them; he acted on his convictions.

While he failed in his leadership tilt, he did succeed in changing the policy of this nation on that issue. He did turn around the position of his party room on the proposed emissions trading scheme, and he turned around the country's attitude on it. Ultimately, within months, the then prime minister dumped that policy. Not long after that, he himself was gone, in part, at least, because of the efforts of Kevin Andrews to go against a policy that was popular at the time but which he, as I said, thought wasn't right for the country. It shows the importance in this place of fighting for what you believe in. You can make a difference by doing that. We could all just follow the weathervane of focus groups and opinion polls, but that's not really what we are here for. Anyone can do that; it takes someone of the stature, courage and statesmanlike behaviour of Kevin Andrews to make a difference in this place.

I want to finish by commenting on the fact that his greatest legacy is his family. He spoke often of his kids but probably more often of Margie. He loved his wife, and it's a great testament to him. I also would like to comment that I hope people continue to read his book on marriage, Maybe 'I Do'. I think it's the greatest Australian book on the importance of marriage and especially on the importance of marriage for children, which—coming back to where I started—I fear we have lost focus on a little bit in all of these debates. Ultimately most people get married to have kids. As Kevin writes eloquently in that book, it makes a big difference if we can keep people married, and kids should be the centre of everything we do. To Kevin's family and to Margie, I hope you find some solace in the legacy that Kevin has left for all of us. Vale, Kevin Andrews.

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

I too would like to add my voice and associate myself with the comments of my colleagues in relation to the late Hon. Kevin Andrews. I think I probably worked with him a bit longer than most people in this place, with a slight interregnum after 2016. But the terminology that all my colleagues have expressed in respect of the way Kevin conducted himself and the way that he participated in debate shows that he certainly was a strong advocate for his values and for the things that he believed in. He was prepared to put himself out there in support of those things, and, as Senator Canavan has just said, sometimes that's an extremely difficult thing to do. Sometimes it's a lonely place to be. But, to be frank, that's the point of being here. That's why we come here: to represent the people that have elected us to do those things, to express those views and, obviously, to represent our communities.

Kevin did that in so many ways, but he always did that with a high level of dignity, respect—and respect for this institution. Sadly, some people forget the importance and the significance of the huge privilege that it is to serve in this place and the good that you can do in representing the values and the principles that you bring to this place. Now, I'm quite happy to say that, on a number of occasions, I didn't necessarily agree with Kevin and the arguments that he was putting, but I was proud to serve in the same party room as him. I think that the breadth of values and opinions that are expressed in that party room is one of the real values of the system that I'm a part of as a member of my party. There were a number of times that I walked into the party room not necessarily certain of the particular stance that I might finally take on a matter. But participating in the debate in my party room and then all walking out together to put forward a position that we had agreed upon amongst us in the party room is a very powerful thing, and one to value, and Kevin was someone who was always prepared to make a contribution in that sense.

We, as large political parties, are often derided for the fact that we are political parties. The public is told that we are told what to say and do. Those of us that are in the room know that we have our conversations, and I've seen individual voices, as Senator Canavan has just indicated, change the view of a prime minister and the party room and change the position of the party. It's an important process that we should all undertake, and Kevin always did that in a very, very respectful way—forceful, strong, but respectful—and I think that's a real value that he brought to this parliament over a very proud career that exceeded 30 years, which is something to be extremely proud of for him, but also for Margie and his family.

Margie herself was quite a regular visitor here in the building, and I'm very thankful for the friendship that both Kevin and Margie extended to Gaylene and me, because there was a time when our partners were an important part of this place, and I think the place was better for it, to be honest. Senator Canavan mentioned the importance of his family. I agree. For any single one of us, our greatest legacy is our family: our kids, our grandkids—for those that have them; for those that don't, it's something to look forward to. Kevin was exceedingly proud of his family and the important job that he was doing to make this country a better place for them.

So I'm very happy to add my voice to and associate myself with the comments of my colleagues in relation to the extraordinary career of Kevin and the support that he received from Margie and his family to do this job. I express my condolences to Margie and to his family more broadly and to his broader community of friends, who I know were extremely close to Kevin. I trust that all of those people, particularly Margie and the family, can find comfort in the very warm memories of Kevin that we all hold. So I express my condolences to Kevin and, as others have done, say vale to the Hon. Kevin Andrews.

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