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Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Page: 9875

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:00): I move:

That the House express its deep regret at the death on 13 September 2011 of the Hon. David Francis Jull, a member of this House for the Divisions of Bowman and Fadden from 1975 to 2007 and Minister for Administrative Services, and place on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service, and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Members were saddened to learn today of the death of David Jull, a member of this House of very long standing, and a friend to many in this place on both sides of the parliament.

David Jull was born in October 1944 in a place fabled in Australian politics: Kingaroy. He was a Liberal and a lifelong member of the Liberal family. I know that the Leader of the Opposition will make some remarks on behalf of the Liberal family today. First elected in 1975 as a young MP, only the Hawke juggernaut of 1983 could deny him victory in elections. He was elected 11 times to this parliament, retiring just four years ago in 2007. He gave good years of service to the committees of this parliament, both to the House and to the parliament's joint committees. Most especially he served on committees for foreign affairs, defence and trade and intelligence and security. Many members in the parliament today would have worked alongside him on those parliamentary committees. As a minister David Jull experienced what Hasluck called 'the chance of politics', but he remained a faithful servant of the Howard government through the whole of its four terms.

David suffered ill health while still here, and I am sure we all remember that. Many friends of his on both sides of the House shared his great relief, and his family's great relief, at overcoming the cancer which he suffered in 2005. After 30 years of public service I am sure that he and his loved ones hoped for a much longer retirement than just four years.

On behalf of the government I offer my condolences and the government's condolences to his family, his friends and his former colleagues on this day