Morrison, Scott, MP

Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:01): I move: That the House records its deep regret at the death, on 18 December 2020, of Major General the Honourable Philip Michael Jeffery AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC, former Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and place on record its appreciation of his long and distinguished public service, and tender its deepest sympathy to his family in their bereavement. Major General Jeffery was a truly remarkable Australian—a soldier, a governor, a Governor-General and, when retirement should have beckoned, our national soils advocate. He led the life of service in a great cause—Australia. The story of Michael Jeffery is a reflection of this vast open country. He was born in 1937 in Wiluna, goldmining country in the middle of Western Australia. His mother was a nurse and his father was first a stockman, a boundary rider, a gold prospector and then, when the war came, a soldier. Young Michael's earliest memories were of immense sunsets in the trackless blue skies, the soaring masts of the gold derricks and the trains pulling across those endless miles of red earth. Spending holidays in the much greener pastureland of Nannup in the South West, Michael dreamed first of becoming a farmer, but, instead, he became a soldier. At the age of 16 he set out from Perth for Royal Military College Duntroon, where many of the young men he met became lifelong friends. As an officer, he was very close to his men. On one occasion he took one of them fishing in some mangrove waters off north-west Western Australia. He was trying to land a fish when the soldier said, 'I can see a crocodile, sir.' He paid little attention, because he was very focused on the fish, until the soldier swore and dived out of the dinghy. He turned to see a large crocodile before him in the dinghy. Michael then abandoned ship. He turned to the soldier and said, 'Who's going to pull up the anchor?' He really meant: who's going to pull it back into the dinghy with the crocodile? To which came the reply, 'You're the officer, sir,' so he did. This officer served with distinction in Malaya, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and wherever his country called. And he always answered that call. Through his service, Michael Jeffery demonstrated what he called his guide for life—three words—'service over self'. When he won the Military Cross for his courageous leadership in Vietnam, he said, 'If I could have cut my MC into 120 pieces and given a little bit to each of the fellows, I'd much prefer to do that.' Michael Jeffery served in the military for 40 years—an infantry company commander in Vietnam, commanding officer of the Special Air Service Regiment, head of Australia's national counter-terrorism coordination authority, Major General commanding the Army's 15,000 strong 1st Division and finally Assistant Chief of the General Staff Materiel responsible for the day-to-day running of a 65,000-person army. Then, in 1993, he was sworn in as the governor of his beloved Western Australia, and, in 2003, he became our 24th Governor-General. It had been a difficult time for the office when he became Governor-General, as we all recall, and our new Governor-General sought to model his service on that of Sir Zelman Cowen by seeking to reflect Australia to itself. In keeping with this ethos he donated his military pension to charity while he served as Governor-General, a pension he had put away for every week of those 40 years he served his nation in uniform. General Jeffery's term as Governor-General concluded in 2008, but of course his service to his nation did not. A character like his, so full of energy and adventure and commitment, does not easily go into retirement. Of all the roles he could have then pursued, I believe he found the one that pursued him best. As our first ever National Soils Advocate, he applied a keen intellect, a soldier's common sense and his profound personal conviction and passion. As he put it, 'If you save the soil, you save the planet.' He became an advocate not only for the health of our soils but for the future of our agriculture and the livelihoods of our farmers. And, from the red soil of his childhood to the ancient soil of this country that he worked so hard to renew, Major General Jeffery loved this land, literally, and he served it faithfully for nearly 65 years. The essence of Michael Jeffery was that he never sought to turn the spotlight onto himself; he was a very humble man. He was also a man I know of very deep faith, who was strengthened every day by his wife of 53 years, Marlena—a wonderful love story. Mrs Jeffery, we know the sacrifices that military spouses make, and we know that vice-regal roles are partnerships. I want to thank you also for your devotion to Australia. Mrs Jeffery and Sarah, who was with you, and all the family, thank you for allowing us to join with you at the memorial service to farewell a great Australian and to let us into the many wonderful stories of affection and love that were shared amongst you all. Major General Jeffery was a wise counsel to me and so many Australians, who he mentored and nurtured in the service of this country, and a great Australian. May he rest in peace.