Littleproud, David MP

Mr LITTLEPROUD (Maranoa—Leader of the Nationals) (14:21): On behalf of the Nationals, it is a great honour to associate myself and our party with the fine words of the Prime Minister, the opposition leader and the Treasurer. It is with a heavy heart that I extend our condolences and sincere respects to the family, friends and colleagues of the Hon. Bill Hayden, AC. His passing on 21 October is an enormous loss for our nation. As we honour Bill's memory today, our thoughts and sympathies are with everyone who knew, loved and cherished him, especially his family—his wife, Dallas, and children, Kirk, Georgina and Ingrid. When we reflect on the life of Bill Hayden, members on all sides of this parliament will remember an exceptional record of public service. We will remember a man of leadership, conviction and purpose and we will remember an incredible Australian who made a tremendous contribution to our nation and who has left a legacy that will continue to endure into the future. Bill lived an extraordinary life. In many ways, he was a larger-than-life figure—such was his impact on public policy, on the federal parliament, on the Labor Party and on our nation. Born into a working-class family in Brisbane in the midst of the Great Depression, Bill did it tough growing up. He saw and experienced himself the raw pain of poverty and social disadvantage. However, these difficult circumstances did not hold him back. In fact, it was these experiences that galvanised Bill. It affirmed inside him a genuine need to support the downtrodden and the marginalised. It was a burning desire which would always spur him on, motivate him and drive his sense of public service and duty. Famously, after he left school and served in the police force, young Bill Hayden was elected as the Labor member for Oxley in 1961 at just 28 years of age. What would follow was a parliamentary career that was defined by many achievements. Among the most significant was during his time as the Labor leader in the aftermath of the defeat of the Whitlam government in 1977. Demonstrating leadership, professionalism, drive and a ferocious work ethic, Bill Hayden rapidly brought the Labor Party back to life from the fringes of opposition, winning a net gain of 13 seats in the 1980 election and coming close to defeating the Fraser coalition government. It was this remarkable result that laid the foundations for the Labor Party to form government under Bob Hawke just a few years later. However, resigning from the Labor leadership in 1983 did not end Bill's accomplishments in politics or public policy. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Hawke government during the eighties, he was a forceful advocate who drove and secured more engagement between Australia and our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region. Crucially, Bill led peace efforts in Cambodia which paved the way for its 1983 peace settlement. He opened up the Australian economy and, despite internal political pressure, he approved critical support for the maintenance of joint defence facilities with the US. After his retirement from politics in 1988, Bill would then go on to serve with honour and distinction as Australia's Governor-General, a position that he held for a near-record seven years. All of these are legacies to be immensely proud of, but, despite his many successes over a long and decorated career, Bill Hayden never compromised on his working-class values and principles. In his 1984 account about the power struggles of the Hawke Labor government, Paul Kelly fittingly wrote: Hayden's attitude was old-fashioned and uncompromisingly working-class: what you see is what you get. Bill was a leader who was tenacious about what he believed in. He was a loyal and faithful servant of the Labor movement, and no-one could ever doubt the sincerity of his morals or the decency of his character. Today, this parliament stands united in celebrating his life and honouring his memory. May he rest in peace.