Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise in honour of a history-maker and champion of the Central Coast, Malcolm Brooks, who passed away on 19 June this year. Such was his contribution to our community, to local and state government and to the Liberal Party that most people know exactly who you mean when you talk about Malcolm, or Brooksy—not just who you mean but what he stood for as well. There's a quote that's often attributed to Sir Isaac Newton which goes something like this: 'If I've seen further, it's by standing on the shoulders of giants.' Malcolm was one of those giants.

The Central Coast has been served well by Malcolm, who gave more than 50 years of civic and community service to our region in so many different ways. Gosford, our great city and the capital suburb of our region, was his civic passion. Malcolm has really left a legacy that others now stand on, build on and continue to grow. I first came to know and respect Malcolm from the moment that I first joined the Central Coast Young Liberals. His name back then was revered and sometimes feared in the hallways of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party, as was his famous publication, The Way Ahead. Before he passed, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Malcolm and Tricia, his wife. It was a true mark of respect for an individual who gave decades of his life to the service of our party and our community.

I had the honour of being mentored by Malcolm some 20 years after I met him, when I was first elected. He had served our community as a Liberal candidate for the seat many years before, so it was an honour and it remains so to this day. I always knew when I was about to be told that I was on the wrong side or the right side of a public debate when our conversations over a cup of tea started with: 'Now, listen, Love.' It was through those wonderful conversations that I got to see beyond Malcolm the public figure and caught a glimpse of Malcolm the person. He was an incredible individual. He had a fierce and steady intellect and a cunning and persuasive personality. He was the driving force behind many local initiatives and was a fearless warrior for what he believed in.

Beyond all of that, my lasting impression of Malcolm is of his kindness, not only towards me but also towards our community and, most importantly, his friends, his family and the love of his life, Tricia. To Tricia and your sons and daughters-in-law, Darryl, Debbie, Evan, Lyn, Leon and Denise, you've lost an incredible giant whose shoulders we all stand on today. Our hearts go out to you and your family. Malcolm's true and lasting legacy, beyond his automobiles and aeroplanes in the Gosford region, was his love for each one of you, as well as his kindness towards other people. Your legacy will live on, Malcolm Brooks. We thank you for all you did for us, for all you did for our community, for all you stood for, for who you were and for your unwavering belief in our region and our nation.