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

I rise today to pay tribute to a Labor true believer, David Cragg, who, sadly, passed away recently. A warrior in social democratic values, 'Craggy', as he was affectionately known, was a fixture of the labour movement. He was one of the friendliest, most academically minded and most well-respected people that I've come across in my 25 years in the party. A staunch supporter of workers, David spent his entire career representing them; first as an organiser with the Federated Ironworkers Association in 1986, then at the Victorian branch of the Australian Workers Union from 1991 to 2009 and later as assistant secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council until he retired in 2018. He also worked as an adviser to former senator Robert Ray.

Throughout his life, David was a patriot on a number of human rights causes, particularly the rights of minorities living under authoritarian regimes and the need for Magnitsky style sanctions in Australia. He was also a principled supporter of the State of Israel and the United States alliance, even when those causes weren't always shared with comrades in the movement.

David always made time to grab a coffee, sharing his knowledge and his wisdom with others with such warmth and enthusiasm. That was David. This was the case for me during my last catch-up with him, over a coffee with Tonya Stevens when she last visited Australia. With his trademark double thumbs-up paired with a heartfelt 'God bless you', he spread his generous spirit and positivity with everyone he crossed paths with. God bless you, Craggy. May you rest in peace.