Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to share with the parliament the story of a very dear man whom we lost on 4 April—Alessandro Mandarino—known to everyone as Alex. He was my partner Gino's dearly loved dad, and someone who was also very special in my life. He is sorely missed by both of us and by his wife, Enza, daughter, Daniella, grandchildren—to whom he was 'Nono'—Ellie and Joshua, and great-grandson, Anton.

Alex's story was the classic, post-war migrant one. He was born on 9 April 1935 in a little village near Naples to Nicola and Raffaella, one of 11 children. Two of his brothers and one sister still live today in Italy and one sister, Lina, with her family in Australia.

Alex migrated to Australia in 1959, leaving war ravaged Europe after completing his national service. He embarked with only a suitcase and a dream of a better life. He arrived at Circular Quay in Sydney and immediately set out looking for work. This took him cane cutting in Cairns and then working on the erection of power poles across regional Victoria. Finally, he arrived in Wollongong to start work at the steelworks. He remained working there as a scaffolder and rigger for the next 35 years. Here, he met Enza and married her within two months—he knew a bargain when he saw one! It was a marriage that lasted 48 years, until he passed away last month. It was a true partnership of love and support, and Enza continues to miss him every day.

Alex joined the ALP with Gino in December 1986, and he remained a proud Labor man, working on campaigns until ill health made it too difficult. He was always keen to chat with me about how Labor was going in the federal parliament and, as Gino outlined in his eulogy for his dad, he was determined to register his vote for his state member, Anna Watson, in the New South Wales election, from his hospital bed in the weeks before he died. He was a true gentleman and had a wide circle of friends. Of all his activities, I think the lunches around the family table with his children, grandchildren and great grandson gathered together for the fantastic food prepared by Enza, and a chance to catch up, were some of the most precious to him and to all of us.

Gino said at the funeral that he remembered:

Me, taking the trip out to the dusty steelworks car park to collect my father's fortnightly pay packet. With his mates, they laughed, tossing out nick-names, sharing ribald jokes and used extremely colourful language—things I appear to have inherited. I learned about the values of working people: fairness, responsibility and aspiration. Those timeless values are still dear to me—and they will remain so—because of him. My father will be remembered as a good and decent man. I hope we made him proud.

I know we did. Rest in peace, Alex. You are very sorely missed.