Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) | Hansard source

Like many people who grew up in Western Australia, as often happens, I first met Michael Beahan on a beach in Bali. I was probably about 14 and my family was having a holiday, as were the Beahans. We met each other there for the first time and had a few dinners together and played with their children. And, as is the way in Bali—and you may know this, Mr Deputy Speaker—many people go there and think, 'I've got to haggle for everything and drive it down to the lowest possible price.' In talking with my mum and dad about that holiday and that trip that we had there, one of the things they remember that stood out about Michael was his insistence in coming to us and saying: 'I've spoken to all of these people who are living here, trying to make a living out of selling us things, and I found out how much they get paid. For heaven's sake, don't haggle. They need a living wage. Pay them a fair price.' That was something that stuck with our family and with me for a while.

When I moved over to Melbourne, we obviously lost touch, drifted apart, but I was really delighted when, much later in life, after being elected as the member for Melbourne, I got an appointment one day in my office to talk about an issue to do with a local neighbourhood house, and who should turn up but Michael Beahan. Having enjoyed a very distinguished career in this place, in the Senate, which didn't overlap with my time, he continued, after moving over to Melbourne, to make enormous contributions to the community, not only in respect of his involvement in Merri Health but also his involvement with Neighbourhood Houses. Neighbourhood Houses, as many members in this place would know, are absolutely critical for binding together communities. We found out, especially during COVID, that that is where the fine-grain work of looking after people and tying together communities is done. Through his involvement with health, and also with Neighbourhood Houses, he continued giving an enormous amount, including to the people who live in Melbourne.

So it's not only on behalf of the Greens that I want to extend my thoughts and condolences to all his family and to all who are missing him, and not only personally, as someone who remembers that time spent on the beach together, but also on behalf of my community for the work that he continued to do that made a big difference to the lives of people in Melbourne. Condolences to his family and to all those who are mourning his passing. Vale Michael Beahan.

See this speech in context