Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I pay tribute to two great Western Australians who passed away in recent months: the Hon. Joe Berinson and former senator Jim McKiernan. In their political careers they left the Labor Party, Western Australia and this nation stronger. Joe Berinson was a former Attorney-General of Western Australia and an active legal reformist. He was also a Deputy Speaker of the House. Born 7 January 1932 at his family's home near Hyde Park, Joe was educated at Highgate State School—now Highgate Primary—Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia. He worked as a pharmacist and, after enduring a disappointing result in the seat of Swan in 1963, in 1969 he was elected a the federal member for the electorate of Perth, at that time sprawling all the way out to Midland. Along with the election of the Whitlam government in 1972, Joe was re-elected as the member for Perth, and in July 1975 he was promoted to the position of Minister for the Environment. With the Whitlam government's dismissal and defeat in 1975, Joe lost the federal seat of Perth and returned to Western Australia to practice law before being elected to the state legislative council in 1980. He was appointed attorney-general and implemented important legal reforms, including the abolition of capital punishment in Western Australia, and the passing of the Equal Opportunity Act and sexual assault laws. He remained as attorney-general for 10 years and was the longest serving Attorney-General of Western Australia. He was also an active member of Perth's Jewish community, representing it with great honour, including as president of the Jewish Community Council of Western Australia.

Sadly, I'm also speaking about the passing of former senator Jim McKiernan. He gained a trade qualification as a machinist and quickly found himself active in the trade union movement. He described the union movement as:

… the only real organisation outside the political sphere which can or is willing to do anything for the working class.

He joined the Labor Party in the late 1970s and thought about running for a range of seats, including the seat of Perth, before nominating for a Senate seat in 1983. In his first two years in the Senate he tabled 28 petitions calling for the removal of references to the Queen in the citizenship oath. He also had his citizenship called into question, something we're familiar with in more recent times. His response was:

… I haven't got the time to be stuffed around by an antiquated Constitution drafted 100 years ago.

A great character and a huge loss. Our thoughts are with Joe's wife, Jeanette, and Jim's wife, Jackie, two incredible women in their own right. Vale Joe Berinson. Vale Jim McKiernan.