Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to the death of the Hon. Joseph Max Berinson and I move:

That the House record its deep regret at the death, on 2 June 2018, of the Honourable Joseph Max Berinson, a former Member and Minister of this House for the Division of Perth from 1969 to 1975, place on record its appreciation of his public service, and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Two of Joe's grandsons Shua and Eli Solomon are in the gallery today, and we welcome them. Rabbi Shua is a rabbi from the Mizrachi Synagogue in my electorate of Wentworth. He tells of a man devoted to his family, a man of integrity and of vision. Rabbi Shua remembered once asking Joe why he had decided to go into politics. Joe joked that everyone is entitled to one mistake in their life. But he also said that his best accomplishments were not made on the public stage but in the quieter moments, in the small pieces of legislation that made a big difference to people's lives. That's how we remember Joe today.

He was one of Gough Whitlam's 1969ers. Before making his way across the Nullarbor to Canberra, Joe had worked as a pharmacist and later studied law. He became highly rated for his hard work and intellect by his colleagues and, more significantly, by his exacting leader. Gough Whitlam's clashes with his caucus and colleagues were legendary. Few could take on the great man and not end up bruised. Joe Berinson was an exception. On at least one occasion, Joe gave Whitlam an almighty blast. He got away with it, according to one of his colleagues who said: 'Gough is something of an intellectual snob. He respects other intellectuals, and Joe has that respect.'

In the final months of the Whitlam government, Joe became the Minister for the Environment. It was enough time to ensure that Kakadu was declared a national park, preserving that magnificent part of Australia for future generations. Although he lost his seat at the election, the experience had given him a taste for political life. In 1980, Joe was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council and over 10 years served three premiers as Attorney-General. It was in that capacity I first met Joe. In the turbulent aftermath of WA Inc., Joe's careful and considered calm certainly stood out.

Throughout his public life, Joe Berinson was proud of his faith. When he died, his family included a verse from the Book of Micah in the note of condolence: 'What is good and what does the Lord require of you except to be just and to love and to diligently practice kindness and to walk humbly with your God.' It so happens that this verse will be read in synagogues all over the world, this Sabbath. For the Berinson family it sums up Joe. Their hearts will be filled with love and sorrow but also great pride when they hear it on Saturday. To Joe's beloved wife, Jeanette, his four children, 15 grandchildren and his extended family, I offer the heartfelt sympathy of the parliament and the nation. Yehi Zichro Baruch; may his memory be a blessing.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the Prime Minister for his words and join him in offering heartfelt condolences to Joe's family. It was in 1969 when Labor and Liberal contested the seat of Perth, and it was Joe who won the federal seat of Perth against Fred Chaney. He was very proud that his campaign featured what he claimed was the first television ad in Western Australian politics. Years later, he was still delighted and walking people through the storyboard: 'There was a lady who asked: "Who are you going to vote for?" She'd said she'd vote for Joe Berinson. They said, "Why?" And she gave some fine reason about this fellow. Then we had Kim Beazley Sr, and they asked him why he thought people should vote for me, and he said because I would be a very good addition amongst our people in Canberra.' Then they switched onto Jill and Linda—they were only six and 4½, respectively. They were asked: 'Do you think people should vote for Joe Berinson?' They had learnt it so well, they were able to say, 'Yes,' and 'Yes.' They were asked why, to which they replied, 'Because he's our dad.' He really loved that.

Following Jim Cairns's resignation, Joe joined the Whitlam cabinet as the Minister for the Environment. There hadn't even been a proper Department of the Environment until 1972, and Joe said he was no committed greenie. But, ever the voracious reader, he quickly gained a reputation for being across his brief and for his well-informed questioning of his colleagues' cabinet submissions, or, as Gough put it, he made a nuisance of himself.

Then came the Dismissal. Joe's story captures the bewilderment and chaos of 11 November 1975. He said, 'After lunch the bells rang for parliament to assemble. I went and sat in my seat on the front bench, next to Joe Riordan. Joe turned to me and said: "I suppose you've heard. The big fella's been sacked." It was an indication of how naive I was that I said, "You mean Gough sacked the Governor-General?" He said, "No, the Governor-General has sacked Gough." It must have taken me 15 or 20 seconds to absorb. I just sat dumbfounded until I said, "If Gough's been sacked that means we've been sacked, too." Joe said, "That's right," and that was the end of my ministerial career.'

In that same year, after many years of part-time study and flights across the Nullarbor, balancing his parliamentary paperwork with legal books and lecture notes, Joe obtained his law degree. In 1980, when he returned to public life in the Western Australian Legislative Council he went on to serve as Attorney-General for 10 years and under three premiers, as we've heard. After politics, Joe became president of the Jewish Community Council of Western Australia, carrying on a lifetime of service to his faith and to Carmel School in particular. His legacy as a cabinet nuisance lived on in the school's AGM. The principal wrote in his tribute to Joe: 'The only audience questions that the board were apprehensive about were those posed by Mr Berinson.'

I think, though, that the final words belong to his family. They said, 'In life he did that which is asked of man: act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God'. May he rest in peace.