Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I want to join with members on both sides of the chamber in adding my voice to the condolences to Jane McGrath’s family. There is no doubt that the passing of Jane McGrath has touched the hearts of millions of Australians, and there are a number of reasons for that. One, of course, is the widespread nature of breast cancer itself. There would be few if any families that have not been directly affected by the incidence of breast cancer. But one of the other reasons we are touched by the events surrounding Jane McGrath is the way in which she carried herself. As a public figure of sorts, I have observed her over recent years. She has been inspirational to many, many Australians. I guess for many of us it was the interview with Andrew Denton that gave us such a wonderful insight into Jane McGrath, her struggle and her personality. You could not help but watch that interview and admire her courage, the effervescent vitality that she clearly displayed, her great love for Glenn and her family and her sense of humour, which also was obvious in that interview.

There have been a number of other interviews in which Glenn has been involved that really do give to many of us something of an insight into the way that Jane handled herself in times of great difficulty. She has been a worthy inspiration to so many. The reality is that one in eight women will be diagnosed in Australia with breast cancer. It is a frighteningly high statistic. The good news is that over the last 20 years the survival rate has been improving by an average of about two per cent a year. So, although more people are diagnosed, early intervention and treatment has resulted in a much higher survival rate, and that is a good thing. Clearly, as members of parliament we all have some responsibility to ensure the proper resourcing of research facilities as well as the facilities for remediation.

I mentioned that very few families would not be touched by the incidence of breast cancer, and in my own family my sister-in-law has confronted breast cancer and has had to deal with that, as have her loving family. Only a month or so ago, I attended the funeral of the mother of a good friend of ours, who passed away from breast cancer. A very good friend of our family is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer with chemotherapy and radiation, and she too is a very vibrant lady with a great deal of vitality. My wife and her circle of friends have got together on a few weekends for bandanna days. Over a glass of wine, they have sat down to provide I think a bit of support to one another and have made their funky bandannas. Going through the treatment usually results in the loss of all body hair, so very often people wear hats, bandannas, scarves and the like. Indeed, bandannas are one of the fundraising activities and symbols for breast cancer.

When you see that in your neighbourhood, in your family and in your circle of friends it reminds you of how pervasive this disease is. All of those who have been touched by it—whether they are victims or friends or relatives of victims—look to the experiences of the McGrath family and are inspired by the way they handled themselves during the last few years. Glenn McGrath is an elite athlete and has had to confront a lot of things in that walk of life. I am sure nothing compared to the challenge that he had to confront when he found that his wife was suffering from a life-threatening illness. We as a nation all shared in observing that. In recent weeks, as Jane’s illness obviously became worse, it focused the minds of many people in Australia. On behalf of—I am sure—all of the people I represent in this parliament, I would like to extend my sincere sympathies to Glenn and the family and our thanks to them for the role models that Jane and the family provided us all. I think that will help us as we grapple with similar circumstances in our own families and in our own circle of friends. I pass on the best wishes of the people of Brisbane to the McGrath family.

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