Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just over a year ago, Jo Cox, the UK Labor MP, was cruelly, brutally and senselessly murdered in the course of going about her business in her constituency, doing the job that all of us here do. Afterwards, through a motion that I was proud to be associated with, this House paid our respects to her and made a tribute to her, to her family, to all who knew her and to the work which she had done and which continues.

I was very pleased to be here for the contributions of my colleagues and friends the members for Griffith and for Ryan, and for the contributions of many government members, like the member for Corangamite, in a debate which showed the better side of this House. I am proud that we all stood in solidarity then. But, a year on, I believe that we cannot rest on those laurels if we are to pay tribute to those values and to that way of conducting ourselves in public life.

As I stand here, a year on, these are obviously very difficult times in the UK—and in London in particular. I have been reflecting on Jo Cox's words, when she said:

… we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

These are words we should have regard to, as I know people did in the UK in having a great get-together on the weekend to commemorate her approach to politics.

As I stand here, I think we should all try to commit ourselves to different ways of conducting the debates which divide us, recognising that there is far more which unites us.