Senator McGRATH (Queensland—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (17:20): I would like to join with my colleagues in honouring the public service of John Moore, the former member for Ryan, former minister and, more importantly, a husband, a family man and a Queenslander. It's interesting, listening to the speeches, to reflect on the journey of someone who, as Senator Cash pointed out, used to get on a horse to go to the local train station—and this wasn't like a two-minute ride—to get the train to go down to school. This was a kid from the bush who made his way in life, in business and in politics but stayed true to himself. And in his time on the Brisbane stock exchange, which I think could be described as hectic, he was very successful. This is someone who understood the importance of capital, someone who understood the importance of investment and someone who understood the importance of making sure that business drove the state, because from business came jobs and investment. John went on to represent my state and my party, which was the now Liberal National Party but the Liberal Party here in Canberra. It was a hell of a journey for him. He had ups and downs, but the western suburbs of Brisbane, Brisbane itself, Queensland and Australia are better places because of the service of John Moore in this very building. He was minister for various roles that have been mentioned by my colleagues, but I really do think that it was in his role as Minister for Defence that his understanding of humanity and his understanding of getting things done came to the fore. He made sure that the Australian led peacekeeping mission in East Timor was suitably equipped, and that mission helped lead the East Timor to its independence. He was also responsible for the commencement of upgrades to the Collins class submarines, and he made many other reforms within Defence. We all know that Russell sometimes can be a law unto itself, but he brought rigour to the moneys that were being spent by the taxpayers of Australia. He brought rigour to how those moneys were spent because he wanted to make sure that the men and women who served this country had the equipment and the leadership that they wanted and requested to help make sure that Australia was a safer place. Senator McKenzie made reference to the somewhat boisterous nature—and so did Senator Scarr, actually—between the old Liberal Party and the old National Party in Queensland— Senator Scarr: It's all in the past. Senator McGRATH: And it's all in the past. As Senator McKenzie pointed out, the Liberal National Party— Senator Scarr: It's ancient history. Senator McGRATH: It is ancient history, but the Liberal National Party is a united force in Queensland, and the fact that we hold 70 per cent of the seats, the fact that David Crisafulli is Premier of Queensland and that Adrian Schrinner leads a long-term administration in Brisbane—the largest local government authority in the Southern Hemisphere—is partly due to the leadership of John Moore stepping up and making sure that there still was a Liberal Party when the Liberal Party was at its lowest. I speak as a Liberal. I speak as someone who grew up on a farm. Dad would go out and help the Liberal Party and come back at night and the results would be in and my father would always say, 'The Liberal votes always come in late.' Well, they never came in later. They never came in. To Senator Scarr's point, when the party was at its lowest—and we've had a lot of low points in Queensland—John Moore stepped up, because he knew that part of public service is making sure that your political party, who is a standard-bearer for your beliefs and your values, is an operational political party. If there hadn't been a Liberal Party, there would not be a Liberal National Party in Queensland today. That is thanks to his leadership. John had many friends in the Liberal Party—and Senator Scarr is a leader of the western suburbs and now the greater Ipswich region—but there were fights in the old Liberal Party. John Moore had a lot of enemies, but he had a lot of friends who understood that his heart and his soul were in the right place and that, if John Howard were someone who would have him sitting around his cabinet table—notwithstanding the rather boisterous history between those two—it is a classic case of the party putting their best people forward. So, on behalf of the people of Queensland, on behalf of the Liberal National Party and on behalf of the members of the Liberal National Party, I want to thank John's family and his friends for lending us the service of John Moore. They should all know that our country is a better place because of the life lived by John Moore, particularly the service that he has given to this country. Question agreed to, honourable senators joining in a moment of silence.