Brown, Sen Bob

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania—Leader of the Australian Greens) (15:52): On behalf of the Australian Greens I also support this condolence motion and extend our sympathies to Lady Anna and the family of this great Australian, the 19th Governor-General of our great country from 1977 to 1982. I did but meet Sir Zelman in passing in Melbourne with Lady Anna, but for much of my life I have looked for role models and admirable people. One could not go past this great Australian as a person who, without creating division, contributed greatly to the intellectual and social commentary and development of Australia. He will, as the previous speakers have said so well, be marked down as one of the most remarkable, humane, liberal and generous thinkers and contributors to Australian society in recorded history. We have lost a wonderful Australian who will go down in the annals of this nation's history as someone to whom we can look as an exemplar of what it is to be a contributing human being in a world and a country which have their troubles but which nevertheless look for stability, intellectual rigour and—I mean this in the full sense of the word—a moral authority that gives us centring as we each undertake to contribute to public life. Vale Sir Zelman Cowen, a great Australian.