Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today on indulgence to offer some personal reflections on the departure from this world on 11 May 2017 of someone I never met, someone I did not know, and someone who would never have heard my name. Yet I heard the voice of Mark Colvin telling me 'Goodnight' on most weeknights for the past 10 years. Whether it was while driving, in my office, at home or sometimes later on a podcast, I have been an avid listener of the brilliant PM show on the ABC and, therefore, Mark Colvin for so many years. PM and the remarkable medium of radio, and now the podcast, allowed Mark Colvin to continue his career as a broadcaster beyond his already remarkable career as a foreign correspondent. Over 20 years of hosting PM, Mark Colvin—along with teams of producers, technicians, journalists and ABC staff—delivered to all of us lovers of radio our evening update of national news, current affairs, international issues and global concerns. It was the voice of Mark Colvin that brought the program together and gave us a window on the world and the gift of familiarity and trust.

Across May and April on successive Sundays when I had the chance, I had read much of his memoirs, Light and Shadow, in our upstairs room while sharing a large beanbag with one of my dogs. It is a terrific memoir—one of those works where you feel compelled to read out passages to passing loved ones, beautifully written passages that tell the story of a life so extensively and enthusiastically lived and so generously shared with all of us listeners and readers. I finished reading Mark Colvin's book about 10 days before he left this earth, and I must say I was very sad to hear of his death. Just the night before I had been speaking about him and the magic of broadcasters in general with one of his friends, James Jeffrey, and I thank James for his wonderful tribute that the member for Griffith told us about earlier this afternoon.

Since the day I heard of his death I have been reflecting on broadcasters who have fed my addiction to radio and now, more latterly, to podcasts. I think of the great Wally Foreman, a Western Australian broadcaster who I would regularly spend Saturday mornings listening to as he would talk me and thousands of others through a cricket game or a footy match. I think of Eoin Cameron, once also a member of this place, who was a greatly loved breakfast broadcaster and generally a curmudgeon of Western Australia. Both are sorely missed in my home state. In Perth, thousands of people turned up to Wally Foreman's memorial service. Hundreds turned up to the funeral of Eoin Cameron. In Sydney, many hundreds of friends and listeners—as well as family, of course—paid their respects at the memorial service for Mark Colvin, and many, many more listened over the web.

When I listened to these memorial services myself, I was thinking how strange it was that a radio voice would mean so much to me and to so many other people who do not know the person who offers it. I was reminded of another radio broadcaster that I met once—sadly, only once. Older people across WA often ask me if I am related to Catherine King, MBE. I let them know that I am only related to her through marriage, and that Catherine King is my husband's grandmother. The people I chat with tell me how they remember her show on the ABC from many years ago, how they or their mum or their relatives would always listen to the women's sessions and how they liked the friendly voice and easy familiarity of Catherine. I must admit that, at the time, I could never understand why this woman was so significant to them—after all, it was just radio; it was not like the famousness of television or the movies. I had not appreciated how great and personal a connection a listener has with a radio broadcaster, to a voice and a personality a listener lets into their life on a regular basis.

After the loss of broadcasters I have listened to for years, and now with the loss of that king of current affairs, Australia's window to the world and the host of the brilliant and dependable PM, Mark Colvin, I now know better. I can understand why so many people ask me after a Catherine King. She was their friend on the radio. Now I have lost my friend on the radio, as well. My sincere condolences to the family, loved ones, friends and colleagues of Mark Colvin, of which there are so many. My very sincere condolences to those of you who knew him and loved him. Mark Colvin left his mark on this country, and has made a tremendous contribution to journalism and broadcasting in Australia. I did not know him, but he was my radio friend. He was the radio friend of many thousands of people and, on behalf of all of his radio friends, I know we will miss him greatly. Vale Mark Colvin.

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