Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to wish a big happy birthday to Robert 'Uncle Bob' Anderson, a proud Ngugi elder from Mulgumpin in Quandamooka country, now residing in my electorate of Moreton. He celebrated his 93rd birthday yesterday. Ninety-three years ago, Uncle Bob was born on Overend Street, East Brisbane. His father worked on ship repairs and suffered a serious industrial workplace accident, and in later years he was committed to an institution. This was years before the days of social security, and Uncle Bob's mother worked two jobs to keep the family of six together.

Uncle Bob is a veteran trade unionist. He has spent a lifetime in the labour movement and was the first Indigenous Australian to work as the state organiser for the Building Workers Industrial Union, later the CFMEU. Uncle Bob joined the East Brisbane branch of the Labor Party in 1950. He has also served in various First Nations organisations, working in the fields of reconciliation, native title, social justice, youth welfare and cultural identity, always seeking out injustice and inequality and demanding justice for and supporting those who could not speak for themselves. Ninety seconds is not long enough to outline what Uncle Bob has achieved and continues to achieve. Read the book. Just recently he was named Brisbane NAIDOC Elder of the Year.

This is just enough time to say that Uncle Bob is a great man who continues to inspire and continues to live out his values. I was lucky enough to meet with Uncle Bob, and I should point out that, whilst he normally campaigns for me, he wasn't able to in the 2022 election. But I did get a good result for you, Uncle Bob.