Mr DUTTON (Dickson—Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for his very kind words, and I join him in honouring the life of John Colinton Moore AO. John's life was quite an odyssey, as the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out. It was one that took him from solitude in the Queensland outback to the frenzied floor of the Brisbane Stock Exchange and to the hustle and bustle of federal politics in Canberra. John was born in 1936 in Rockhampton and was raised on a cattle station west of Bowen, completing university qualifications in commerce, accountancy and securities. John worked with a brokerage company before establishing his own firm in 1964. He did see enormous success on the Brisbane Stock Exchange, and his firm would become the largest single-trader business in Queensland. In 1964 John became a member of the Liberal Party. After the dismissal of the Whitlam government, John joined the ranks of Malcolm Fraser's new government in 1975. He'd won the seat of Ryan with 66 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, and he would recontest that seat nine times and ultimately hold it for 25 years. In 1980, Prime Minister Fraser made John his Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs. John standardised different state company codes under a federal act, and he made deregulation inroads into the securities industry. Responsible for overseeing the Customs Act, John became entangled in the colour TV set affair. The item had been imported by fellow minister Michael MacKellar, who didn't pay the necessary customs duty tax. Whilst there was no deliberate misconduct—just innocent mistakes—both men resigned their ministries. With the coming of the Hawke and Keating governments, John's talents were rightly recognised by three of four opposition leaders, and he held different shadow portfolios, typically economics focused, under Andrew Peacock, John Howard and Alexander Downer. John Moore backed Andrew Peacock in the leadership spill which saw John Howard toppled in 1989. John Moore later apologised for the fallout which befell the Liberal Party because of his and Wilson Tuckey's regrettable tell-all appearance on ABC's Four Corners. But, after John Howard's 'Lazarus rising' moment, bitterness between the two Johns was set aside for the good of the party and our country. Prime Minister Howard initially made John his Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism. John helped drive investment into and the modernisation of our car and pharmaceutical industries. In 1998 John became the Minister for Defence. He presided over the Australian led UN peacekeeping mission in East Timor that ensured the country's independence, and he commenced the upgrade of the Collins class submarine fleet. He created Defence's first chief financial officer position, and he put in place new accountability around acquisition. He released a new defence white paper in 2000, and, recognising a reservist's desire to roll up their sleeves and serve alongside regulars, John amended legislation to enable them to be called up for full-time service. For the first time since Federation, reservists could be called upon for combat and peacekeeping duties abroad and for humanitarian and disaster relief operations. John's reforms to defence, along with his wider parliamentary service, saw him appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2004. John called time on politics in 2001. Over the next two decades he imparted his business wisdom to a new generation. He chaired Australia's wine statutory authority and travelled with his beloved family. On behalf of the coalition I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Moore family, who farewelled John at a state funeral in Brisbane on Tuesday. May he rest in peace. The SPEAKER: As a mark of respect to the Hon. John Moore, I ask all present to rise in their places. Honourable members having stood in their places— The SPEAKER: I thank the House. Debate adjourned.