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

I rise briefly on indulgence to acknowledge the passing of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain. With the passing of Margaret Thatcher, the world has lost one of the towering giants of modern history. She gave Britain a future as well as a past. As the current British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said, 'She did not just lead her country, she saved it'.

If I may, Madam Speaker, I wish to read onto the parliamentary record a tribute to Margaret Thatcher from Brian Griffiths, now with Goldman Sachs, who worked with her at No. 10 Downing Street. Brian Griffiths writes:

She was wonderful to work for, even though she was demanding. If you put a policy proposal to her she would raise dozens of questions which probed every detail of it. She was hugely enthusiastic and for a politician remarkably intellectually curious. She loved exploring ideas, Hayek, Freedman, the Bible, socialism, but managed at the same time to be intensely practical. She loved an argument; hated 'yes' men; expected her colleagues to work as hard as her; she read everything we sent her from the policy unit; she had a limited sense of humour, except when there was no one else around; had great respect for the ability of the average person to manage their own affairs; and also had a real Christian faith which ultimately was the basis of her public policies. She was also exceptionally kind to all who worked for her.

She may not have had a great sense of humour but she certainly had a dry wit, as John Howard reminded us early on in her term. She declared to a Conservative Party conference her absolute pride that she was the first, the very first, British Prime Minister to be—there was a pause—'a research scientist', she said.

She was one of those people who demonstrated that the individual can make a difference. In her case, not only did she change lives but also she changed a country and contributed to changing the world for the better.

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