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

It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 22 January 2025, of the Hon. John Colinton Moore AO, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of Ryan in Queensland from 1975 to 2001.

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

by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its sadness at the death, on 22 January 2025, of the Honourable John Colinton Moore AO, former member for Ryan, former Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs, Industry, Science and Tourism, and Defence, places on record its gratitude for his service to the Parliament and the nation, and tenders its sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

I'm conscious my colleagues on the other side of the chamber will have many comments to make, but I do want to rise on behalf of the government to express our condolences following the passing of former member and minister the Hon. John Moore at the age of 88. As I begin, I wish to convey the government's sympathies to his family and friends—namely, his wife Jacqueline; his children Simon, Sarah and Andrew; his stepchildren Sarah, Caroline, Charlotte and Annie; and all of their families.

John Moore was a country boy who never forgot his roots. He was born in Rockhampton on 16 November 1936 and was raised on a cattle station west of Bowen. Before his 26-year career in politics, John was a businessman and stockbroker who formed his own brokerage which he grew into the largest single trading business in Queensland.

John was elected to the House of Representatives for the division of Ryan in 1975 and held this seat until his retirement in February 2001. Previously known for his success in business, John forged himself as a formidable and talented coalition minister, serving in three federal ministries and two cabinets across the Fraser and Howard governments.

John will be remembered for his commitment to his constituents of Ryan during his two decades of service to this parliament, for his commitment to his party and for his commitment to our country. As Minister for Defence from 1998 to 2001, John Moore oversaw the Australian peacekeeping mission in East Timor. This was the largest deployment of Australian forces since Vietnam as part of the international force for East Timor, a multinational peacekeeping taskforce organised and led by Australia.

John will also be recognised for his contribution to the 2000 defence white paper, a paper which set out the long-term future of Australian security. What was clear from John's service last week, which I had the extraordinary honour of attending, was the extraordinary mark he left following two decades of service to the Australian parliament and, of course, to the Liberal Party.

After parliament, John continued to serve his community. In 2004, Mr Moore was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, AO, for service to the community through the Australian parliament. This award recognised his development of the strategic industry policy and of both policy and management reform in the defence sector. John was re-elected nine times by the people of Ryan—quite a feat. Those who knew him best gave heartfelt tributes at the service last Tuesday. They included General the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove AKAC, CVO, MC, (Retired); the Honourable Warwick Smith AO; and Dr Denver Beanland AM.

One of the quotes from the tribute was the famous Theodore Roosevelt quote. It's one that was used to sum up John's life and contribution and one that all members of this Senate could reflect on from time to time:

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause.

I pay my respects to John Moore and recognise his contribution to our state and to our country. The government expresses its gratitude for the work of the Honourable John Moore AO and extends its deepest condolences to his friends, family and loved ones.

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 John Moore.

From a childhood on a cattle station in Queensland to the heady world of stockbroking and on to the cut and thrust of federal politics, John Moore lived, without a doubt, a varied and interesting life. John was born in 1936 in Rockhampton, and he was raised on a cattle station west of Bowen. As Tom Switzer noted in his touching obituary for John:

He regaled generations of his family with accounts of his half-day horseback commute to the railway station in the company of his favourite Aboriginal stockman.

John's early schooling, like that of so many children living in remote areas in those days, was actually by correspondence. Later, he was a boarder at the Southport School on the Gold Coast before attending the University of Queensland, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce.

John became a stockbroker in 1960 at the Brisbane Stock Exchange, first working for AR Walker and Co, before forming his own brokerage, John Moore and Company, in 1964. He grew his company into the largest single-trader business in Queensland, opening offices in regional centres in both Queensland and New South Wales.

His success in business was not limited to broking, as he also held directorships or board memberships in a number of Australian companies such as Brant Limited and Philips. He was a board member of the Australian subsidiary of some multinational investment firms, including Merryl Lynch and Citigroup. John was appointed to the council of the Australian National University in 1971 and served as a councillor until 1976.

John had joined the Liberal Party in 1964, and by 1966 he was serving in the Queensland state executive committee and was twice president of the Queensland party. John won the Brisbane seat of Ryan at the 1975 dismissal election, becoming a backbencher in the Fraser government, which had come to power at that time by taking 30 seats from Labor. He then held the seat of Ryan until his retirement before the 2001 election.

John was re-elected nine times by the people of Ryan and, in total, he served more than a quarter of a century in the other place. His first ministerial appointment was as the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs from 1980 to 1982 as part of the Fraser government. In that role, John helped to implement the federal companies act and the deregulation of fees in the securities industry.

While the Labor governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating were in power from 1983 to 1996, John served in the shadow cabinet for several key ministries, including finance, industry, and commerce and communications. John then backed Andrew Peacock in the leadership spill, which saw John Howard toppled in 1989. John later apologised for the fallout which befell the Liberal Party because of his and Wilson Tuckey's regrettable tell-all appearance on ABC's Four Corners. You then had John Howard's Lazarus rising moment, and bitterness between Mr Howard and John was set aside for the good of the party and for the good of Australia. In fact, Prime Minister Howard initially made John his Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism. John then went on to help drive investment in and the modernisation of our car and pharmaceutical industries. It was in 1998, though, that John was appointed as the Minister for Defence. In that role, John oversaw the largest deployment of Australian forces since Vietnam as part of the INTERFET role in the East Timorese independence process. He also oversaw the upgrade of the troubled Collins class submarines, ensuring Australia had a truly region-leading capability.

John was 65 when he retired from the parliament in 2001. He didn't stop there though. He decided to return to the business world, where he'd first made his mark before politics. For more than a decade after he retired from the parliament, he served as a corporate director and mentor to a number of young entrepreneurs. Some senators may be interested to know that he also pursued his interest in wine, and he actually served as chairman of what is now Wine Australia. But one of his greatest loves was travelling widely and spending time with his family. John Moore was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2004 for service to the community through the Australian parliament for the development of strategic industry policy and for both policy and management reform in the defence sector.

On behalf of the coalition, I offer my heartfelt condolences to his wife and the entire Moore family who farewelled John at a state funeral in Brisbane last week. May John Moore 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, I rise to speak to this condolence motion. Together, we gather to pay tribute to the Hon. John Colinton Moore AO, a distinguished former member of parliament who represented the division of Ryan in Queensland with unwavering dedication from 1975 until his retirement in 2001.

Mr Moore's passing on 22 January 2025 at the age of 88 marks the end of a remarkable journey of public service and commitment to the nation. I want to recognise my National Party colleague Senator Susan McDonald who spoke at his eulogy and gave a very heartfelt reflection, particularly as a fellow country Queenslander, who similarly would have gone through an education system in primary years which reflected correspondence. I know she would have loved to have been able to contribute to this condolence motion had it been a little earlier in the day.

Born on 16 November 1936, a country boy in Rockhampton, Queensland, John Moore's early life was deeply rooted in regional Australia. Raised on a cattle station west of Bowen, he experienced firsthand the challenges and the virtues of rural life. His initial education was through correspondence and was a testament to the resilience and determination that would later define his career. He completed his secondary education at the Armidale School before earning a Bachelor of Commerce from UQ with a focus on accounting.

Before entering the political arena, Mr Moore established himself as a prominent businessman and stockbroker. In 1964 he founded John Moore and Co. which grew to become the largest single traded business in Queensland, extending its reach into regional centres right across Queensland and New South Wales. His entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to regional development were evident in these endeavours, reflecting a deep understanding of the economic landscapes beyond our urban centres.

Mr Moore's political journey commenced with his election to the House of Representatives for the division of Ryan in 1975. Throughout his tenure, he held several key ministerial positions, including the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs in the Fraser government and the Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism and the Minister for Defence in the Howard government.

His tenure as Minister for Defence was marked by significant global and regional challenges. He played a crucial role in overseeing critical defence initiatives, including the deployment of Australian forces to East Timor as part of the UN peacekeeping efforts. He was instrumental in strengthening Australia's defence capabilities, particularly through the advancement of the Collins class submarine fleet. Mr Moore also focused on defence procurement reform, ensuring that efficiency and accountability were at the forefront of major acquisitions. His leadership in defence policy helped modernise Australia's military strategy and reinforce the nation's commitment to regional security. One of his most significant contributions to the Australian Defence Force was the release of the white paper Defence 2000:our future defence force, which provided a comprehensive plan for the nation's defence capabilities. Reflecting on its impact, John Howard remarked:

The Defence White Paper is the most far-sighted reshaping of Australia's defence capability in a generation. It would not have been possible without John Moore's determination to improve management within Defence and also win new resources for the ADF.

When John Howard won power in 1996 after 13 years of hard labour, there were only two men in the coalition at that time who had cabinet experience: John Howard and John Moore. Moore was, of course, an Andrew Peacock man, but, despite these ideological differences, there was a deep mutual respect between these two men. Howard brought him into his office, and together they drew up the first Howard ministry. Wets and drys putting the nation first—a task of significant consequence after years in opposition.

The relationship between Moore and the Nationals was not so amenable. John was a blue-blooded Queensland Liberal at a time when the Nationals, under Joh Bjelke-Petersen, were in ascendancy and, at that time, the majority coalition party in Queensland. Those of us outside of Queensland in the National Party looked to Queensland to see what could be possible if the Nationals were the majority party. There was no love lost between the parties in those days—it's now very harmonious in the LNP—with battles over preselections a common occurrence. The great Ron Boswell, a former leader of the National Party in this place, recalled the ruthlessness of the Liberals in attempting to displace Nationals, including Flo Bjelke-Petersen, from the Senate ticket, and he said, 'We clashed like buggery.' I think that quote was from today. For his part, Moore liked to describe the Nationals as the pineapple party.

Despite these political rivalries, he was a man who understood and respected the role of regional Australia. His upbringing on a cattle station gave him an intrinsic appreciation of the agricultural sector and the unique challenges faced by rural communities and those of us that live in them. This perspective informed his policy decisions, ensuring that the needs of regional Australia were considered in national discussions. John was a wealthy man from a farming background, and as a stockbroker he regularly took an active interest in the market, even as a minister—back in the day when there was less scrutiny over the intersections between private and public dealings. He brought a business-minded approach to governance, balancing economic pragmatism with political acumen. In recognition of his extensive contributions, Mr Moore was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2004. This honoured his service to the community through the Australian parliament, his role in developing strategic industry policy and his efforts in policy and management reform within the defence sector.

As we reflect on his life and service, it's essential to acknowledge the personal qualities that endeared him to colleagues right across the political spectrum. He was known for his integrity, dedication and steadfast commitment to the betterment of Australia. His ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds, coupled with his deep understanding of both urban and rural issues, made him a respected figure in this parliament. In remembering John Moore, we honour a man whose contributions have left an indelible mark on our country's history. His legacy will endure as a testament to his contribution to Australian public life and national security. On behalf of the National Party and the Senate, I extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Jacqueline, his family and friends and all who had the privilege of knowing him. May he rest in peace.

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

I must say this condolence motion brings a lot of memories back for me. John Moore was my local member for many, many years, and he was also my sitting federal member when I first joined the Young Liberals in 1987. I became chair of his local Young Liberals branch. Much of what has been discussed during the course of this condolence motion has brought so many memories back to me. I want to quickly make a few points from my perspective, given that context.

The first is that John Moore came to parliament with a formidable skill set from the business world and also from his community involvement. He did establish a very success stockbroking firm, one of the most successful in Queensland, and he had a deep understanding of finance and a brilliant and logical mind. He also served as a minister in two different governments—both the Howard government and the Fraser government. At a relatively early stage in his political career, he was elevated to the ministry of the Fraser government. Between 1998 and 2001, he served as Minister for Defence.

I want to read a contribution he made during his time as Minister for Defence during an MPI. I won't read the start, where he has, in typical John Moore style, a bit of a stab at the opposition, which was quite delightful, I must say, and brought back a lot of memories as well. I want to quote this in relation to his thinking on Defence. This is from an MPI on 25 August 1999:

A new defence white paper is in preparation and will be released by the government next year. A central element of the government's vision for defence is a lean defence force—one that is not hampered by waste and inefficiency. Our Defence Reform Program is a very important means of achieving such a force. The Defence Reform Program seeks nothing less than the fundamental realignment of the way Defence is managed and led.

I think, just from that short quotation from Hansard, you can see the intellectual rigour he brought to his portfolio in terms of looking at the big picture and looking forward five years, 10 years and 20 years. I think that should really be appreciated.

The next point I want to make is that John was an excellent local member. He was an excellent local member, and he was served by an excellent team of staff. They were very, very loyal to him. I think that says a lot about John Moore—the fact that you can hire such an outstanding team of staff and they stick with you through the high points and the low points.

From the party perspective, he also served as president of the Queensland Liberal Party during some of our best moments and some of our less good moments. He served as president of the Queensland Liberal Party between 1973 and 1976, and I can remember him saying—and Senator McGrath might remember this; our headquarters used to be on Wickham Terrace in the city—when he was president, during the 1975 election, he decided to put a bucket out the front of the Liberal Party headquarters on Wickham Terrace because people would actually just stop their cars and throw money into the bucket because that is how desperate they were to get rid of the Whitlam Labor government. He served extraordinarily well through the best times of the Liberal Party.

Then we turn to his period as president of the Liberal Party between 1984 and 1990, which were probably the most difficult times of the Queensland Liberal Party. From my perspective, that's where you saw John Moore's character at its best. When the party needed him, he stepped up. Those were very difficult times for the Queensland Liberal Party for some of the reasons that have been referred to, and he was a loyal servant to the party and provided leadership to the party during those very difficult times.

So, as a Queensland senator sitting in the Liberal party room, I would like to pay my deepest respects to John Moore for his service to his country, his service to his community and his service in a number of portfolios, and I'd like to pay my deep condolences to his wife, Jacqueline, and their children and family.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to join with my colleagues in honouring the public service of John Moore, the former member for Ryan, former minister and, more importantly, a husband, a family man and a Queenslander. It's interesting, listening to the speeches, to reflect on the journey of someone who, as Senator Cash pointed out, used to get on a horse to go to the local train station—and this wasn't like a two-minute ride—to get the train to go down to school. This was a kid from the bush who made his way in life, in business and in politics but stayed true to himself. And in his time on the Brisbane stock exchange, which I think could be described as hectic, he was very successful. This is someone who understood the importance of capital, someone who understood the importance of investment and someone who understood the importance of making sure that business drove the state, because from business came jobs and investment.

John went on to represent my state and my party, which was the now Liberal National Party but the Liberal Party here in Canberra. It was a hell of a journey for him. He had ups and downs, but the western suburbs of Brisbane, Brisbane itself, Queensland and Australia are better places because of the service of John Moore in this very building. He was minister for various roles that have been mentioned by my colleagues, but I really do think that it was in his role as Minister for Defence that his understanding of humanity and his understanding of getting things done came to the fore. He made sure that the Australian led peacekeeping mission in East Timor was suitably equipped, and that mission helped lead the East Timor to its independence. He was also responsible for the commencement of upgrades to the Collins class submarines, and he made many other reforms within Defence. We all know that Russell sometimes can be a law unto itself, but he brought rigour to the moneys that were being spent by the taxpayers of Australia. He brought rigour to how those moneys were spent because he wanted to make sure that the men and women who served this country had the equipment and the leadership that they wanted and requested to help make sure that Australia was a safer place.

Senator McKenzie made reference to the somewhat boisterous nature—and so did Senator Scarr, actually—between the old Liberal Party and the old National Party in Queensland—

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

It's all in the past.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And it's all in the past. As Senator McKenzie pointed out, the Liberal National Party—

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

It's ancient history.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is ancient history, but the Liberal National Party is a united force in Queensland, and the fact that we hold 70 per cent of the seats, the fact that David Crisafulli is Premier of Queensland and that Adrian Schrinner leads a long-term administration in Brisbane—the largest local government authority in the Southern Hemisphere—is partly due to the leadership of John Moore stepping up and making sure that there still was a Liberal Party when the Liberal Party was at its lowest.

I speak as a Liberal. I speak as someone who grew up on a farm. Dad would go out and help the Liberal Party and come back at night and the results would be in and my father would always say, 'The Liberal votes always come in late.' Well, they never came in later. They never came in. To Senator Scarr's point, when the party was at its lowest—and we've had a lot of low points in Queensland—John Moore stepped up, because he knew that part of public service is making sure that your political party, who is a standard-bearer for your beliefs and your values, is an operational political party. If there hadn't been a Liberal Party, there would not be a Liberal National Party in Queensland today. That is thanks to his leadership.

John had many friends in the Liberal Party—and Senator Scarr is a leader of the western suburbs and now the greater Ipswich region—but there were fights in the old Liberal Party. John Moore had a lot of enemies, but he had a lot of friends who understood that his heart and his soul were in the right place and that, if John Howard were someone who would have him sitting around his cabinet table—notwithstanding the rather boisterous history between those two—it is a classic case of the party putting their best people forward.

So, on behalf of the people of Queensland, on behalf of the Liberal National Party and on behalf of the members of the Liberal National Party, I want to thank John's family and his friends for lending us the service of John Moore. They should all know that our country is a better place because of the life lived by John Moore, particularly the service that he has given to this country.

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