I would like to briefly associate myself with the sentiments of this chamber and the remarks that have been given in tribute to Senator Alex Gallacher. He was the type of person that makes this the best club in the country. Despite being on the other side of the chamber, he was always someone who would engage with everybody in this place. He would deal with everybody as an individual, show them respect and listen to them, but then go away and fight for the things that he held true as a union leader, a member of the Australian Labor Party and a senator for South Australia.
I hope that Senator Gallacher’s passing doesn’t let us lose something from this place too. Sometimes I think that senators like him aren’t made anymore, but hopefully that’s not the case. He represented some things that are great about our nation: a down-to-earth spirit, a love of the egalitarian and ‘fair go’ culture that we’re about, and a real defence of honest hardworking men and women of this country. I didn’t get time to work with Alex on many issues. I’d just note that, today, we’re paying tribute to Senator Gallacher on the same day that the next step has been taken on the radioactive waste journey. That was one issue I dealt with Alex a little bit on, and I really respected his no-nonsense attitude to issues like that, where he saw that there was an interest in the advancement of this country to support. His passing is a great loss to this chamber, but his legacy and memory should inspire all of us to ensure we do not lose his spirit from this chamber.
