Mr DUTTON (Dickson—Leader of the Opposition) (15:44): I join with the Prime Minister in paying tribute to Senator Linda White. As the Prime Minister pointed out, he and I had a number of conversations in relation to this matter, and I know that he, along with the whole Labor family, is feeling the loss acutely, and his respect was evident in every word that he uttered to me—his friendship and his adoration of Linda—and I pass my condolences on to the Prime Minister and to the Labor Party. Prime Minister, as leaders of our respective parties, we have the great privilege to lead this House in paying tribute to those who have served and shaped our nation. These are important moments. They're poignant moments. And some condolences are harder to deliver than others. I commend you, Prime Minister, as I say, for your words. During the time in which we all serve in this place, we all see many colleagues exit the political arena. Some call time on their careers. Others leave in the defeat which comes from the democratic process. But in both cases our former colleagues get to know a life away from politics, and that life affords time for reflection, time for new opportunities, and, most importantly, more time with those whom we love and cherish the most. Death is, of course, the most unfair exit from this place because death deprives our colleagues of these times. Our hearts break whenever fate thrusts an unfair exit on our fellow parliamentarians, regardless of their political stripes. In this 47th Parliament, fate has thrust unfair exits on Jim Molan, Peta Murphy and now on Linda White. In Linda's maiden speech, she said she was saving many stories for her memoirs, and, while those stories will sadly not be written, Linda's story will live on in the memories of her colleagues and friends, especially those opposite me. In that same speech, Linda promised that no-one would be left wondering what she thought, and she certainly lived up to that promise. She spoke her mind with courage. She never held back on espousing her convictions. And so there was never any ambiguity when it came to knowing what made Linda White tick. Linda was driven by the causes of social justice and inclusion. She was a campaigner for women's rights, economic empowerment and equity in the workplace. She was not afraid to express her belief in big government or advocate for market intervention. And, most of all, she was a champion of the unions. Linda joined the union movement as a 20-year-old. To pay her way through university, she started working at McDonald's. She felt that her employer was not offering its adult workforce enough shifts. And so she became a union delegate, to petition her managers for better conditions. Although Linda was ultimately unsuccessful in her efforts, those events shaped her life. Linda 'felt the power of collectivism for the first time', as she put it. Union organising and collective action became her driving force. Linda described her career as 'a series of experiences, decisions and opportunities', some within her control and some not. Fresh from university, the young Linda couldn't quite land a union job; instead, she found herself working for Maurice Blackburn Lawyers—from articled clerk to admired senior associate. Linda acknowledged that she had 'a dream run' during her decade at the firm. She helped clients through their darkest hours and supported victims of sexual abuse and assault. Despite the long hours working in the legal profession, Linda continued to recruit and organise for the union movement. Her efforts did not go unnoticed, especially by the erudite Lindsay Tanner. Linda was thrilled to finally land a union job in the Victorian branch of the ASU. Within a year, she'd been promoted to the national office as Assistant National Secretary. Over the course of the next quarter of a century, Linda would distinguish herself through her work. She became a staunch defender of the rights of workers in the airline industry, as the Prime Minister noted earlier. She was the lead negotiator for enterprise agreements at Qantas and secured the inclusion of paid parental and domestic violence leave. After Ansett's collapse in 2001, Linda fought for 10 years to help secure some $760 million in compensation for workers who'd lost their jobs. Indeed, last September, on the Senate floor, Linda proudly wore the wings given to her by a former Ansett female flight attendant. Another victory dear to Linda's heart was when she helped to secure equal pay for 200,000 women working in the social, community and disability services sector. Linda said: 'Getting justice for people has dominated my working life.' Justice fuelled Linda's sense of duty. Not surprisingly, when she was elected as a senator for Victoria in 2022, Linda threw herself headfirst into issues relating to justice. She spoke of the differences in superannuation savings between men and women. She wanted to continue the work of the National Redress Scheme. And, most significantly, she was instrumental in setting up the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which she described as 'a new compact with the Australian people'. Linda of course had many friends in many circles. She was a patron of film, of art and of cricket. She found joy in life, from chatting about the latest releases in her book club to discussing motorsport with her brother. Linda said: 'Australian democracy is more fragile than we realise,' and today, in commemorating Linda White, we are also reminded of the fragility of life itself. On behalf of the coalition, I offer my heartfelt condolences to Linda's family, especially her brother, Michael, and his wife, Julie, and to Linda's friends and colleagues. May Linda White rest in peace.