Senator HARRADINE(3.53 p.m.) —I would like to associate myself with the condolence motion moved by Senator Hill, seconded by Senator Sherry and supported by Senator Boswell, the Leader of the National Party in this chamber. I do not intend to go over the matters which my colleagues have already mentioned. I think they have dealt with all the areas. Senator Sherry, in particular, has enlightened the Senate as to the work of Lance Barnard since he returned from his ambassadorial posting, I think in 1978. I had the privilege, as did a number of you, of attending the funeral for Lance in Launceston. There were a huge number of people present. That indicated to me that people from all walks of life felt a deep loss at the passing of Lance Barnard. He was a man of the people and a thorough gentleman.

He was a very good member for Bass and served the people to great effect. Despite the high office and the heavy burden that that office meant for him, he never turned people away. He had a deep and abiding sense of social justice—he would talk of the need for a fair go.

Of course, the Barnard family had been in politics for some time. Claude Barnard, as has been said, was a member for Bass. I was speaking to one of my strong supporters in Launceston who remembered as a boy being told by his father of an incident in the 1930s when `a well-known figure' was walking through a Launceston park and saw a fellow begging without shoes. He took his shoes off, gave them to him and walked home barefoot. That is the type of thing that the Barnards would do. Lance Barnard was similarly very generous. Incidentally, one of my staff member's parents first met at one of Claude Barnard's election night victory celebrations. So his father was a bit of a matchmaker as well.

On a personal basis, I will never forget the support that Lance Barnard gave me within the councils of the Labor Party during the 1960s and early 1970s. That was not easy to do—it is certainly not very easy to support me at the best of times and these were not politically good times. Lance Barnard recognised that federal Labor would never regain office whilst there was a public perception that the federal parliamentary Labor Party was dancing like a puppet to the tune of the 36 faceless men. I say that as a matter of historical record.

I would like to associate myself with the sympathy of other colleagues around this chamber and, indeed, the sympathy of so many people from all walks of life, in Tasmania and elsewhere in the Commonwealth. My sympathy goes to Jill, Tricia, Suzanne, Jacqueline and to Lance's son Nicholas, and also to his many friends on his passing.