Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I would like to recognise a remarkable South Australian who has served the public at both the state and the federal level. Raymond Steele Hall was born at Balaklava on 30 November 1928. On Friday he celebrated his 90th birthday, and I want to pass on my very best wishes to Mr Hall.

Mr Hall reached another significant milestone this year. It was the 50th anniversary of his becoming Premier of South Australia in 1968. Mr Hall was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1959. He became opposition leader in 1966 and formed government in 1968. One of the most significant things he did as Premier was something that was very brave: he reformed the electoral system in South Australia, which had produced some unfair and inequitable outcomes. Though it was to the great detriment of his government, he did it because it was the decent, honest and right thing to do.

Mr Hall later went on to represent South Australia in the Australian Senate. Most significantly for me, in 1981 he was elected to the seat of Boothby. I was incredibly proud to be elected to the seat of Boothby in 2016, 35 years after he was elected, and my success was supported by Mr Hall, his wife, Joan—a former state member of parliament and minister herself—and their children, Ben and Alexia. I extend my sincere thanks and congratulations to Mr Hall and the entire Hall family on these very significant milestones.