Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's a great honour to rise in this chamber this evening to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the Hon. Peter Morris, a principled Labor man, a reformer of conviction and one of the most significant public figures our region has produced. Peter Morris dedicated more than 25 years of his life to public service, serving the people of the electorate of Shortland in this parliament from 1972 to 1998. Across those decades, he became known not only as a highly capable minister and parliamentarian but as a tireless advocate for the Hunter and for working people right across Australia.

His passing is deeply felt in Newcastle and throughout our region. Peter's story was shaped by the Hunter from the very beginning. He was the son of a Greek migrant who came to Australia seeking opportunity and a better future for his family, and, like so many migrant families who helped build our industrial regions like Newcastle, the Morris family understood hard work, resilience and community. Peter grew up with those values deeply ingrained in him.

He attended Newcastle Boys' High School and later built his career in local government before entering federal politics. Long before he came to this chamber, Peter had already developed the qualities that would define his public life: intelligence, determination, integrity and a fierce commitment to the people he represented. No matter how senior the office he held, Peter never lost sight of where he came from. He was always unmistakeably a Hunter local. He carried with him the instincts of someone who understood working communities—communities built around the steelworks, the mines, the railways and the waterfront. He understood the aspirations and anxieties of ordinary families because they were the communities that shaped him.

Peter entered the Australian parliament during a transformative period in Australian history, and he helped shape many of the reforms that modernised our nation. As a minister in the Hawke government, he played an important role in advancing major transport and infrastructure projects that would leave a lasting mark on both our region and Australia more broadly. Peter understood that transport and infrastructure are never just about roads, airports or transport corridors; for him, infrastructure opened up opportunities. It was about connecting communities, supporting jobs, driving investment and ensuring regions like ours were never left behind.

His work supporting the development and growth of Newcastle Airport helped lay foundations for what has become one of the Hunter's most important economic assets. Today Newcastle Airport stands as a critical gateway for tourism, defence, industry and trade, supporting thousands of jobs and helping connect our region to the world. I would just add that, true to his Labor values and principles, Peter ensured that Newcastle Airport was established with a model of ownership between the two local councils so that today it is the largest airport in Australia that remains in public ownership. The profits therefore get returned to the communities that bought into that airport in the first place. The City of Newcastle and the Port Stephens Council remain custodians and leasers of those lands, and those profits are returned. It is a remarkable model, and it was only somebody like Peter Morris who had the foresight to set it up in such a way that this airport would never be privatised and sold off, and that the communities that house the airport and that invest in the airport get to benefit from it as well.

A lot of Novocastrians for many, many generations will be giving thanks to Peter Morris for his foresight in that regard, but that was just one example. Peter also understood the importance of better road connectivity between Newcastle and Sydney. It remains a sport for Novocastrians to critique the transport corridors between these two cities. Peter's advocacy around the M1 motorway corridor reflected his staunch belief that improving transport links would strengthen economic growth, improve safety and better connect regional communities to major cities and opportunities. Through his involvement in aviation and transport policy, including work connected to the new second airport of Sydney at Badgerys Creek just opening, Peter helped shape national conversations about the future of Australian infrastructure and economic development.

These were nation-building reforms and projects, but Peter never approached them in abstract policy terms alone. He understood what these projects meant to working people. He understood what secure jobs meant to families trying to pay the mortgage, raise the children and build a future. He understood what investment meant to regional confidence. That practical understanding grounded his politics throughout his career.

Peter also held a deep appreciation for Newcastle's rich maritime history and the communities built around our harbour and busy waterfront. He played an important role in the opening of the Newcastle Maritime Museum, helping ensure that the stories of our port, our working harbour, our seafarers and our industrial heritage were preserved for future generations. That contribution reflected Peter's broader belief that Newcastle should always celebrate and honour the working people and industries that shape our city. I welcome the current discussions with the New South Wales government around getting the museum's collection back into public display so that the community can once again engage with this important part of our history. I know just how disappointed Peter was when that museum closed, and I know it was his wish that it would be a temporary closure. He was really heartened to know there were people still fighting for the Newcastle Maritime Museum. I take this moment to acknowledge the Newcastle branch of the Maritime Union of Australia for the very constructive role they have played in those discussions and for their continued advocacy in preserving Newcastle's maritime heritage.

One of the most pleasurable last memories I have of being with Peter, before he went into care, is of being out on a restored vessel called William the Fourth. That boat now commemorates him, and he was so thrilled to be out there on the water once again. He looked like the happiest man in Newcastle that day. It's a great joy for me to remember him in that context, in the place that he loved so much, on the William the Fourth boat touring the working harbour that he dedicated much of his life and advocacy to. It's a special memory that will stay with me, that's for sure.

But Peter's most enduring and nationally significant contribution perhaps came through his fearless advocacy not as a minister, not as someone holding high office in this place, but, at that time, as a humble backbencher heading up a committee. He wrote an extraordinary report that many of us continue to refer to today—I see former deputy prime minister the member for Riverina acknowledging that it was indeed a landmark report—called Ships of shame. For those of us that have been around the block enough, we know just how important that report was.

In 1992 Peter chaired the inquiry into shipping safety and standards that exposed shocking exploitation and dangerous practices occurring aboard foreign vessels operating in Australian waters. That report uncovered appalling conditions endured by seafarers—unsafe ships, inadequate living conditions, exploitation of crews and systemic neglect of safety standards. It was confronting, but Peter refused to look away. At the time there were powerful interests content to ignore those conditions. Peter insisted that Australia had a responsibility to uphold fairness, dignity and safety for all workers. People visiting our shores were not somehow carved out of that, in Peter's mind. The Ships of shame report became a catalyst for reform in maritime safety and regulation. It's a standard that is still used today. I recall that when I was speaking to the Newcastle branch secretary of the MUA very recently, he made it very clear to me that seafarers would still be working on rust buckets today if it wasn't for Peter Morris. I think that's a very true statement.

I remember when I became a candidate, standing in the 2013 election. The International Transport Workers' Federation was in Newcastle. Peter encouraged me to attend the seminars that were being run by the transport federation, and they allowed me to board a ship with them in the Newcastle Harbour. These are people who have international tickets to board ships to check on the safety and wellbeing of seafarers all around the world. We were delighted to have them in the Port of Newcastle. It was a real eye-opener for me, I have to say, and I'm really indebted to Peter and to the International Transport Workers' Federation for that very early education. Although Peter's report was way back in the 1990s, I was boarding a ship in 2013 that hadn't paid its workers for three months and didn't have enough food for them to get to the next port. But I'm really pleased to say that—now, with that infrastructure in place and those safety inspectors aboard ships—that ship left our harbour having paid that crew, having fed them and made sure they had water and food to get to the next port. But it does remind me that you just need to remain forever vigilant. In Australia, we do have good working conditions for people in our ports, and we want that extended to the people that work on ships that come to our ports. It was an important part of my early education as a—I was not even then the member for Newcastle, but it sticks with me. That is in no small part due to the extraordinary work that Peter Morris did—and made sure all of us in the region were familiar with the work that he had done. That was a good education for me as the young parliamentarian I was soon to be.

The Ships of Shame report really elevated public awareness. It strengthened the security of international shipping practices and helped drive improvements in safety standards and conditions for seafarers. It's something we should be really proud of here in Australia—that we ask international seafarers to abide by those conditions and regulations too. The report reflected Peter's broad philosophy that economic progress should never come at the expense of human dignity, that workers deserve to return home safely, that fairness matters and that governments have a responsibility to stand up for those whose voices are all too often ignored. That commitment to fairness and justice defined Peter Morris throughout his public life, and he was deeply respected across the labour movement because he combined intellectual rigour with a solid grounding in those principles of high regard for common humanity.

He was serious about policy, he was serious about reform and serious about public service, and he understood people. He understood relationships, he understood community and he understood the importance of humour. For many of us in Newcastle, Peter was far more than a former minister or respected elder statesman. He was a mentor, a confidant, a storyteller, a trusted source of wisdom and advice. He had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcome and valued, and conversations with Peter were always memorable. They could be long—and a long journey to get around to the story—but it meant that it was really tattooed into my memory bank forevermore.

He possessed a razor-sharp political mind and an extraordinary memory, and, after leaving parliament, Peter remained deeply engaged in Newcastle and the Hunter. I want to acknowledge the words from the now member for Shortland of just how involved he remained in the Shortland FEC. People, after giving 27 years of service, have got every right to sit back and retire, but that was never Peter's way. He remained very actively engaged and cared deeply about the rank-and-file members of the Australian Labor Party, and they loved him for that. We should all take a leaf out of his book, really. He took enormous pride in the region's achievements and the potential of our region.

Just recently, Peter's longstanding contribution to our maritime community was recognised through the ceremonial hoisting of the William the Fourth's new ship's tender, the Peter Morris. He will be very, very chuffed about having a vessel named in his honour. The tender was hand built by the Lake Macquarie Classic Boat Association in partnership with the William the Fourth organisation and stands as a fitting tribute to Peter's decades of support and patronage. While I was unfortunately unable to attend that ceremony, I want to sincerely thank everyone involved in bringing that project to life and in honouring Peter in such a meaningful way. It's a beautiful reflection on the respect and affection that our community held for him.

He believed passionately in Newcastle's future. He believed in our workers, our industries, our creativity and our resilience. And he believed that regional communities deserved ambition from government—not just attention during election campaigns but genuine long-term investment and opportunity. That belief continues to resonate today.

I know many across our community will feel Peter's loss profoundly. His passing represents the loss of a generation of leaders shaped by public service, community connection and deep ideological convictions—people who entered politics because they genuinely wanted to improve the lives of others, people who understood that politics at its best is about service. I will miss Peter deeply. I will miss his wisdom, his encouragement and his generosity with younger generations of Labor representatives. I will miss his stories, and I will miss his unwavering commitment to Newcastle and the Hunter. I will be attending a service called the Merchant Mariners Memorial service, coming up in a couple of weeks. It'll be the June long weekend. That, again, is a legacy of Peter Morris. He understood that we lost many merchant mariners during the war time and we had no way to honour them. We now have at the Newcastle harbour a magnificent memorial in honour of the merchant mariners. We have a service every year, which will happen, as I said, in the June long weekend, and we will all be remembering Peter, who will be very much in our hearts and minds at that service this year.

On behalf of the people of Newcastle, I do extend my deepest condolences to Peter's family. Peter and his wife, Florence, who sadly passed away in 2019—I know that really hurt Peter; he really missed Flo—were loving parents to four children, including the late Matthew Morris, their son, who was a former state member for Charlestown, from 2003 to 2011, so this is a family that knows service. Peter and Flo are survived by their children Michael, Paul and John Morris, along with Peter's remaining siblings, including one of my predecessors, the former federal member for Newcastle, Allan Morris. He was in this parliament from 1983 to 2001. In my part of the world, if you don't serve for more than 20 years, you're considered a bit of a wimp, I think! I am only the sixth federal member for Newcastle since 1901. That shows the kind of service that has been given, and, in no small part, more than half a century of that has been the Morris family. So I do not want to ever underestimate the significance of that service. And I do want to send my condolences to all the members of the Morris family and to Peter's many dear friends and loved ones, and, of course, the ALP rank and file, who I know will be mourning his passing. I hope that they take some comfort in knowing that Peter leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, a legacy built not only on the offices he held or the projects that he advanced but through the values he championed—fairness, dignity, opportunity and service to others. Newcastle and the Hunter are stronger because of Peter Morris, and Australia is better because of Peter Morris. Vale, Peter Morris.

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