Mr SHORTEN (Maribyrnong—Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): I thank the Prime Minister for his words. The Hon. Jocelyn Newman was a cancer survivor, a party warrior and a strong woman of unshakeable opinions and ironclad determination. I acknowledged as I was preparing for this that some students of politics might find aspects of her public record hard to pigeonhole. She was a proud army wife, who chafed at the white gloves and rituals of the ADF; a champion of women's rights, yet an opponent of affirmative action; and an advocate of a more generous social safety net but inherently suspicious of the influence of big government. Perhaps, for Labor people, the ultimate contradiction: in 1975, she applied unsuccessfully for a job as Gough Whitlam's adviser on women's policy, and yet later resigned from the Women's Electoral Lobby because they publicly opposed the dismissal. But what I've learned from all of this is that Jocelyn Newman's views stemmed from conviction, not doctrine. She didn't just repeat things she'd heard. She spoke from her lived experience, from a deeper place. And in fact I took the opportunity to pass my condolences and to call Campbell Newman when preparing these remarks, and he very generously shared some thoughts with me about his mother. Naturally, he captured the essence of her better than any of us here could hope to do. He described his mother as someone who cared about people very deeply and that she had, of course, a very strong and particular belief in the best way to do this in public life. She was extremely effective, he said, as an advocate, an organiser, a motivator of strangers and neighbours alike. She was a natural at getting people to join up to get involved to do things. From the Launceston Women's Shelter to the election campaign trail, her charm made people willing to follow her. And I think that's the terrible thing about Alzheimer's, that you become estranged from yourself, from the qualities and the person that so many knew and admired. Jocelyn Newman was a woman of strong convictions but also of deep faith. She believed in the Christian teachings of servant leadership, in demonstrating your values through what you do for others. Her life of achievement speaks for that most powerfully. Our condolences to her family. May she rest in peace. Honourable members: Hear, hear! The SPEAKER: As a mark of respect, I ask all present to signify their approval by rising in their places. Honourable members having stood in their places— Debate adjourned.