Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to join the Prime Minister in lamenting the passing of Ian Wilson. As the Prime Minister has already indicated, Ian Wilson came from a long line of distinguished servants of our country and our community. His great-grandfather was Sir John Bray, the Premier of South Australia in the 1880s. His great-great-grandfather was the newspaper proprietor and philanthropist, Sir Langdon Bonython, and his father, Sir Keith, was in fact the first member for Sturt.

Ian Wilson was a member of this parliament in two stints for 24 years. He was a Rhodes scholar. He was a minister for the last two years of the Fraser government, including a stint as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. He was very well liked in his electorate and, in fact, when he came into the parliament in 1972, he was one of the very few coalition members of parliament who won against the trend in that particular year.

His life was the very epitome of public service. Once there were many like Ian Wilson, who regarded themselves as having a vocation to public service. Sadly, there is less of that today. Nevertheless, we honour his spirit and perhaps we encourage others to emulate it by remembering him in this parliament. On behalf of the coalition, we pass our condolences to his widow, Mary, and his sons.

Question agreed to, honourable members standing in their places.

Debate (on motion by Mr Albanese) adjourned.

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