Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the Australian parliament, I pay tribute to a long-serving and hardworking member of the community of Logan City, Mr Ernest James King, known to us as ‘Jimmy’. Jimmy King passed away on 3 November 2008, aged 91. As a child living through the Depression, Jimmy helped support his family. At the age of just 10, Jimmy held down the equivalent of a full-time job and still managed to go home and get his chores done. Growing up in the Depression years gave Jimmy a fair idea of what he wanted for his future and he was not afraid to work hard to achieve it. He met and married Mavis, his wife of 64 years, and they started a family—one of which any man could be proud. Jimmy saw and experienced a great many changes through his lifetime, changes that most of us learn about in history classes. His passion for fairness and equality was unsurpassed, and he always had time for a yarn and to reflect on the changes within the local community.

Jimmy was a life member of the Australian Labor Party. He continued his work with the party into his late 80s. In fact, well into his late 80s Jimmy continued with every part of living, driving to Rockhampton to visit the family, mowing the lawn at home, handing out how-to-vote cards on election day, visiting older people in their homes to assist them with their postal votes, holidaying with his wife, Mavis, and doing community work.

Jimmy was a legend amongst Labor people in the Logan City area. He called a spade a spade and argued his point with passion. He was cheeky, and if you look in the Macquarie Dictionary under the word ‘larrikin’ do not be surprised if you see the name Jimmy King—a true Aussie larrikin who was never lost for an opinion. He had a sharp wit and a sense of justice that held him in good stead throughout his life.

Jimmy never missed an Anzac Day march in the entire time I was privileged to know him. He would be up at Woodridge Cenotaph with a tear in his eye remembering his mates left behind and the ones he had outlived. He would say afterwards, ‘We fought, yeah, we fought for something and I hope these kids never have to go through what we went through.’

Jimmy always had a smile for people. I remember a time when the two amigos, Bill Burton and Jimmy King, were the godfathers of Woodridge. I was proud to call Jimmy King my friend and he will be missed by his family and by his Labor mates, one and all. Vale, Jimmy King.