Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To be a federal member and to be successful, we always depend on a variety of people and a variety of organisations. But, of course, our own party members are very important to our success. I want to speak about a few of them today. I am very pleased to say that last year, when I held my annual function, the Prime Minister presented a service award to Martha Lynch. Martha has been an integral part of my local community and the local ALP throughout my term. She was a founding member of Doonside branch and has worked tirelessly for them since 1968. We are not absolutely sure about how long she has been a member, but she recalls in her youth being involved with the ALP during the Ben Chifley era—which I would like to point out to honourable members predates me—as she grew up near his electorate. She has held all the positions that you can within a branch. She has been a delegate to both federal electoral councils and state electoral councils and has served the Doonside branch tirelessly. Over and above that she has been very active in the local community. She has been a long-time member of the Doonside senior citizens and has been president of that organisation for the last eight years. She really is a wonderful example to us all, and Martha is 83 years young.

Sadly, I will also say that some of my good friends—who were also members of the party—have recently passed on. Most recent was Alf Randell, who was a St Marys institution until he moved up the coast. Alf and his wife, Billy, were tireless workers in St Marys and were particularly involved in the St Marys Community Arts and Crafts Centre. They were loyal supporters of me and people like Ron Mulock and others. I will sadly miss Alf. Carole Preston was a good friend and keen supporter. She was a member of my own branch. She was a mum who passed on, sadly, through breast cancer. Like a lot of people, she did not say much but was always there to help and always there to encourage. If worked needed to be done, she would be there. Dave Taylor was an old leftie but a member of my branch, and I had a tremendous relationship with Dave. His second marriage unfortunately broke down and he moved away from my electorate, but I was a constant recipient of advice about how the government should behave or how the opposition should behave. (Time expired)