Mr JOYCE (New England—Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) (14:06): Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me this brief summation of the life of Ian Louis Robinson, dairy farmer. I will try not to add to the comments that have already been made, but all of us know that through our life here the average term of a politician is roundabout seven years. He was in this job for 37 years between state and federal politics, which, if nothing else, gives a sense that the community must have believed that he was a person worth electing. As the Leader of the Opposition said, his approach to politics was one of working with people because he always believed that that is the way you get a lot more done for your community. One of his great ambitions was to upgrade roads in his area. In his time he called for 100 million pounds to be spent on local road infrastructure. That is around $2.7 billion in today's money. You can ask what the purpose of that its. Well, today we have the $3.2 billion Roads to Recovery Program, so some of these sentiments continue on through the ages. He knew every leader of the National Party, except Senator William J McWilliams from Tasmania—the first. That gave him the capacity to watch question time with a real process of observation and experience, suggesting where people had their strengths but predominantly suggesting where they may have their weaknesses. He was also a great advocate for decentralisation, all the time saying that if you want to get people out into regional areas you have to have a positive government program to do it. Doug Anthony always felt a sense of guilt that he had not appointed him to higher office, beyond his assistant ministry. He was one who, nonetheless knowing that his good friend Doug Anthony had the capacity to appoint him to a higher ministry but had not, he still remained incredibly close and good friends with Doug Anthony. This gives you a sense of the maturity of the person, who might have had his ambitions but also had the maturity, and was a strong enough team player, to say 'That is my lot and that is what I will do.' To his wife we offer our condolences and our prayers. Obviously, he outlived his first wife, whom he loved. He was blessed, having been married twice and loving both dearly and closely. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. The SPEAKER: As a mark of respect I invite honourable members to rise in their places. Honourable members having stood in their places— The SPEAKER: I thank the House. Debate adjourned.