Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (14:01): I move: That the House record its deep regret at the death, on 1 May 2025, of the Honourable Peter James Nixon AO, a former Minister and Member of this House for the Division of Gippsland from 1961 to 1983, place on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service, and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement. Peter Nixon's life spanned nearly a century, but he never forgot the values instilled in him as he grew up on a Gippsland farm. As part of his family's fourth generation on the land, Peter knew all about unrelenting hard work and facing challenges head-on, not least at the age of 10 when he and his family sheltered in the Snowy River from the calamity of the Black Friday bushfires. Modestly describing himself as 'a simple farmer', Peter entered politics at the age of 33, winning the seat of Gippsland for the then Country Party at the 1961 election. He quickly gained a reputation as being tough, genuine and hardworking, a man who kept his feet on the ground, and for his sense of humour, often cheerfully at his own expense. That he was re-elected eight times stands as ample testimony to his qualities—qualities that he carried into multiple ministries, first as Minister for the Interior and later in the portfolios of Shipping and Transport, Postmaster-General and Primary Industry. He helped shape national policy in areas including the first national road rules, agriculture, Indigenous affairs and the new Parliament House. Peter tried to see the best in others, something perhaps helped by his evenings spent playing pool with Doug Anthony and Billy Snedden against Labor stalwarts Clyde Cameron, Jim Cope and his verbal sparring partner, the former member for Grayndler, Fred Daly, and he knew that disagreement should never be a barrier to affection. As he put in his moving eulogy to Malcolm Fraser: … such was the man and his achievements that none of our differences could compromise the respect and friendship which I feel for him. This, however, didn't mean that Peter shied away from a stoush. As he put it when announcing his retirement in 1983: 'I've loved every minute of it, and the harder the fight, the greater I have loved it.' For Peter, the end of political life merely signalled the beginning of a series of fresh chapters. A diehard Richmond Tigers fan, he became one of the first commissioners of the Australian Football League. Former Richmond president Ian Wilson deemed him 'the wisest man I know'. He was a trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He chaired Southern Cross Broadcasting and an inquiry into the Tasmanian economy. In 1983 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, and he embraced his role as an elder statesman of his beloved National Party. I know many in this place valued his generous counsel. Peter's long life was one of variety and integrity, and underpinning it all was family. He and his beloved wife, Sally, were married 58 years, a union that only came to an end with Sally's passing in 2013. They had three children—Joanne, Mark and Christopher—followed in turn by grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Our hearts go out to all of Peter's family and to all who knew him and loved him, including, of course, his broader family in the National Party. May Peter Nixon rest in peace.