Download Fragment

Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Page: 2750

Senator RYAN (Victoria) (15:59): I rise to support the motion moved by Senator Abetz which the government so graciously allowed him to move on behalf of the Senate today, and particularly on behalf of the members of the Liberal Party. It is often said that we learn too much about our friends, and even occasionally our family, at their funerals. Despite all the time that we spend together in this place, I fear it is even more true here because, as others have comment­ed, our experience at the magnificent service for Judith Adams did teach us a few things. But, as we learned from Judith, nothing should surprise us because of the incredible life experience that she brought to this place.

I do not plan to repeat the comments made by so many people before me in the chamber today, other than to stand behind them and state that I agree with them. I would like to outline what made Judith unique—unique to me in the service I have had with her in this place since July 2008 and, I think, to all of us. As others have commented, Judith was a person of extraordinary strength, courage, tenacity and determination. She was also a person of extraordinary compassion and, indeed in my experience, politeness at all times no matter what the pressure and no matter what the situation. For those who took Judith's politeness or good manner for a lack of determination, woe to them as they learnt very quickly that they should not make that mistake. They learnt very quickly that Judith was indeed a person who was here for a purpose and who would in no way pull back from fighting for the causes she believed in. She brought her life experience to this place and we, the people she represented and Australia are better for it. As we have heard, she was tireless in her political efforts for her community, for the Liberal Party and, as so many others have spoken about, particularly for the communities she represented directly and in which she lived.

I would like to talk about what I think made Judith uniquely effective as a politician, a senator and an advocate. As well as being a profoundly decent person in whom one could always trust, she had an extraordinary empathy with people. Judith had an extraordinary ability to connect with the people she was talking to and representing, as we have heard from so many stories and anecdotes today. She had an insight into what made people tick and what mattered to them and into why they were doing what they were doing. At a personal level, last year when I had a serious but temporary illness in my own family, Judith constantly checked in on me with the occasional phone call and email, and a note wishing me best wishes, for a number of weeks. Back in this place, she would pop round just to check up on how I was. Knowing that she was always thinking about someone else and the burdens that someone else was carrying was extraordinary, given what she was going through at that time. It was this very skill that Judith brought to her public life. We have heard about her passion for the members of the ADF and for the health system. It was not just about a budget, which we might hear about later tonight, or billions of dollars; it was actually about people, whether it was particularly cancer survivors, people needing cancer treatments or members of the Australian Defence Force. It was about the experiences that people were having with the government and their own communities.

Her life experience and her understanding of her own community, as well as her understanding of what made bureaucrats tick and what made government work, were what made her such a powerful advocate. Judith's insight into people opened our eyes. In my time with Judith she opened my eyes to the lives and challenges of those with whom I did not share experiences and, when we talk about those who do bring such a broad experience of life, I think that maintaining an open mind and allowing them to share their experiences is so important.

I am glad that Senator Johnson mentioned the patient assisted transport scheme because that was one of my first long discussions with Senator Adams at a Senate committee hearing, and I note that today there has been a bit of controversy about it in South Australia. I imagine that Judith would have been hoping that one of us follows that up with as much rigour as we can muster, as she undoubtedly would have done in a couple of weeks at Senate estimates. There were many issues where Judith brought her own experience, issues which we could so easily forget as we talk about billions of dollars of government programs in the abstract but which mean so much to individuals who need the assistance of government or who need a system to work for them. Judith made sure we did not forget the people when we talked about government policy and when we had our occasional arguments, as we may have over the next few weeks.

Judith did this on myriad issues but, as people have highlighted, also on that particular passion for the health system, which all of us interface with and all of us touch through ourselves, our families and friends. Judith was a friend, a profoundly decent person and a valued colleague. Her strength and determination is an inspiration for all of us. She also reminded us about the real and practical importance of what we do here and, importantly, that we should value every moment of our own lives and our own ability to make a contribution to our family, to our friends and to this place. Judith, you are sorely missed. My deepest condolences to your family, particularly to your sons, Stuart and Robert, who were so gracious to share you with us.