Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to pay tribute to David Stratton. David Stratton was much more than a film critic. He was a committed champion of Australian cinema and a trusted guide to the world of cinema beyond our shores. He was also a constituent, a Blue Mountains local since 1991, and a valued member of our community over the following decades. From his 18-year stewardship of the Sydney Film Festival, bringing international cinema to Australia, to his thoughtful reflections on the Movie Show and At the Movies, he helped shape the way we think about film. With his collaborator of 28 years, Margaret Pomeranz, he modelled the art of respectful, intelligent and constructive disagreement. Above all, David Stratton backed our filmmakers, often before the rest of the world caught on. He made sure that our best stories, our landscape and our voices were celebrated as part of a great global tradition of cinema.

In announcing his passing, David's family invited people to celebrate his life and legacy by watching their favourite movie, or his favourite movie, of all time, Singin' in the Rain. Glenbrook Cinema presented a special screening of that film in his honour. It was sold out. Mount Vic Flicks in Mount Victoria also remembered David, recalling that he introduced the first film the current owners screened there 12 years ago—yes, Singin' in the Rain. Since then, they said 'he continued to be generous with his time and knowledge, never tiring of us asking his thoughts on new films or being a special guest speaker at many events.' and ' In that time, we came to know David as a lovely, funny and generous person and are incredibly lucky to have had him as part of our journey.' The Edge cinema in Katoomba, which he often visited, recognised that 'his deep knowledge and passion inspired generations.'

I extend our community's deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. As Special Envoy for the Arts, I acknowledge David's lifetime of service to screen culture.

In my first speech to parliament, I recognised and thanked an absolute Labor stalwart and supporter of mine from my first foray into federal politics in 2010, Susan Elfert. Today I want to again pay tribute to her, honour her life and mourn her recent death. Susan mentored and guided me and so many Lefties in the Blue Mountains and was the most loyal comrade as my vice-president of our Macquarie federal electorate council—and she became president when I was elected.

A Wenty and Bullaburra resident, Susan was passionate about social justice, the law and the environment. As a founding and ongoing member of the Labor Environment Action Network, LEAN, Susan played a key role in educating branch members about environmental policy and building support for ambitious climate change action and protection for the environment. I think outgoing LEAN co-convener Felicity Wade described her perfectly when she said: 'Fierce, sharp, committed, loved the environment, and she backed people.' Susan certainly did back people. In a membership movement, she backed people and supported them to find their voice. I feel very grateful to have had her backing.

The Blue Mountains has lost an arts champion with the death of Mary Catherine Travers, an irrepressible, witty and warm person with a huge understanding of arts, advocacy and administration. Among many things, she was theatre officer and youth and puppetry officer at the Australia Council theatre board in the 1980s, a business manager for the Sydney Dance Company and, as an independent consultant, worked with theatres, writers, visual artists and arts agencies.

Mary was a pioneer of arts advocacy. She was the founding executive director of Arts Action Australia, establishing the first Arts Advocacy Day in 1990. On spending time with Mary at an arts forum I held in the Blue Mountains many moons ago, the then shadow arts minister said to me, 'Wow, you really do have people who know about the arts.' Mary was chuffed to get that feedback. Mary gave her time and energy generously to the Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters, helping to fundraise to repair cyclone damage at a primary school in Timor Leste.

Not long before she died, Mary was celebrated in a glowing portrait by Dr Janet Saunders at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. I'm so proud that she got to see herself glowing in that beautiful painting.

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