Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to associate myself with some wonderful remarks commemorating the life of a great Australian, Nick Bolkus—those remarks made by the Prime Minister; the Leader of the Opposition; my friend the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, very powerfully last night; and, of course the very moving tribute offered by the Minister for Health. I rise to make a few brief remarks associating myself and reflecting on the Hon. Nick Bolkus's legacy, and in doing so I remember that in December last year I had the opportunity to meet his daughter Aria in her capacity as South Australian Labor's candidate for Colton. I reflected then on some similarities that appeared to me and how wonderful it was to see a legacy continue in that family. It's tragic that only days afterwards Nick passed away. Beginning my remarks, I, of course, think mostly of his family—of his wife, Mary, who I had the privilege of working with in former capacities, and the daughters: Aria, who I mentioned earlier, and Mikayla, who gave a wonderful tribute that has been reflected on in this place already.

For me, I find it difficult to overstate the significance of the influence the Hon. Nick Bolkus had on the Australian Labor Party, particularly its Left; on the state of South Australia; and indeed on the shape of our country. He leaves an indelible mark on the country that we live in today, and I want to touch on that through the lens of the role that he played as a minister, as a very significant part of the more than 25 years he spent serving diligently the people of South Australia in the other place—a time marked by an unusual adherence to a really clearly defined set of principles through which he approached his tasks in politics, but ensuring that those principles were always given a practical application, which I think is the very best of the movement that I'm proud to be a part of.

Nick Bolkus's most significant impact was in portfolios that I had the privilege of holding for a period of time. Thinking about his impact, I want to touch on those three lenses of citizenship, multicultural affairs and immigration very briefly. In terms of citizenship, what Nick Bolkus did was to transform or, perhaps, realise Australian citizenship as that common bond that unites us all and to think about how we could celebrate the moment of acquiring citizenship as something that is as nation building as the construction of physical infrastructure, recognising that, in our country, our greatest strength is the unrivalled capacity of the Australian people.

His elevating of citizenship takes me to the role that he played and his responsibilities in what was first called ethnic affairs and has since been reframed as multicultural affairs. What Nick Bolkus did was see our country as it is—or, indeed, as it was—see that recognised in our institutions and our cultural understanding and see ourselves through a clear-eyed lens, not looking back, not elevating nostalgia, but seeing us as we are. But he did more than that. He sought to imagine how we might be, how we could be a country in which everyone belongs, a country characterised by inclusion, belonging and respect. By putting down these markers, he made an extraordinary contribution to the country that I'm so proud to live in and to represent in this place today. His work carries on in this government through Minister Aly's great work, and, right across this nation, its imprint is felt. There are many Australians who have many reasons to be grateful for his contribution in that role.

The Prime Minister and others have touched upon how he went about his work as minister for immigration, and it would be remiss of anyone not to reflect on the important series of actions he took in the aftermath of the horrors of Tiananmen Square. He combined, again, a sense of principled compassion and respect for human rights with a determination to see these principles put into practical effect, and I challenge anyone to think about how our country would be but for the decisions he made in 1989 and the years following. This is one example of how he carried out a very significant role and, I can say, a very challenging role—but also a rewarding role, as others have said. Perhaps the immigration portfolio is unique in that I believe it does contain within it an ex-ministers' club, all of whom reflect on the significance and the weight of individual decisions that we have made, difficult decisions that shape lives and shape communities. I think, in how Nick Bolkus went about that work, he set a standard that all have aspired to follow but few have emulated successfully.

In touching on those three things, I don't wish to think that his life should be defined by them. However, they have all left a really significant impact on this place and on the lives of all Australians. As others have recognised, Nick Bolkus made an extraordinary contribution to my party, the Australian Labor Party, in South Australia and around the country. His surname was also remarkable when he entered the Senate. As my friend Steve Georganas—I should use that name in this context—knows, our parliament looks and sounds very different today because of the trail that Nick Bolkus blazed. Nick Bolkus made a huge impact on behalf of the people of South Australia. He transformed the South Australian Labor Party and opened up my party as a better party of government of the centre left through his role organisationally and through encouraging so generously a generation of talented politicians, many of whom have made contributions in this debate. As a minister he changed lives and, in many ways, changed our country. He deserves to be remembered in this place.

But the last point I want to make—again, turning back to those who loved him the most: his family and his friends—is that, if we are to pay tribute to a life lived like Nick Bolkus's was, it's not so much the words we offer in tribute to him; it's how we conduct ourselves, those of us who sit in this place and the other place, and how well we follow his example in seeing our country as it is, imagining how it could be better and seeking to chart a path between those two things. Vale, Nick Bolkus.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's actually an honour to follow the member for Scullin. They were fine words, indeed. I'm sure Nick Bolkus's family will very much appreciate reading and hearing those words you've just uttered in your speech.

You might find it perplexing to understand why a National Party member is standing to rise to speak on somebody he never met—somebody from the Labor Centre Left—but I was reminded when I walked into the chamber by the member for Adelaide, who is a very good friend of mine, about Nick Bolkus. Steve Georganas reminded me that he worked for Nick Bolkus for 10 years and said that but for Nick Bolkus he wouldn't actually be in this place. So Nick Bolkus does have a little bit to answer for! I say that with genuine warmth, and it is meant, because Steve and I are great mates. I know Nick Bolkus was great mates with people across the aisle in the parliament. He was also of Greek descent, just like the member for Adelaide and me. We've both, fortunately, made sure all the necessary arrangements with the citizenship test are in place such that we are very much Australian and have very much renounced any Greek descent status that would perhaps prevent us from taking our places here.

As Steve reminded me as well, Nick Bolkus was a good friend of multicultural Australia. He was somebody who strove to make Australia a better place. Often, when Labor luminaries pass away, I refer to my predecessor Kay Hull to see what she thought of them and to get an understanding of the part they played in the parliament and in the life of Australia. I messaged Kay yesterday, and she said, 'He was a decent person.' She said, 'We did disagree on the South Australian water view.' I'm not quite sure how many members for Riverina would ever agree with a South Australian on the water situation; we always agree to disagree in that context. She said: 'To be honest, he was a decent backbench senator when I was there. He was so diplomatic and loyal to the Labor party.' She said, 'I always felt so much respect for how he accepted the fact that he had been overlooked towards the end of his political career in November 2001.'

He'd served as the shadow Attorney-General; it's not an easy position. It really isn't. Shadow Attorney-General is one of the toughest jobs in parliament because you don't get all of the resources that a cabinet minister would get. You don't get all of the briefings, all the departmental help, the staff or the resources, but you are expected—as somebody who is making the first law officer of the land accountable—to be across every legal matter that comes before the parliament. He was also shadow minister for justice. Again, that's a complex, intricate and difficult role, but he filled that role with great aplomb. He filled that role with all of the fervour and gusto that you would expect of someone of Greek descent—where of course they invented democracy, didn't they, member for Adelaide? I'm looking for an interjection—yes. I'll just note for the Hansard that he nodded!

Nick Bolkus took his role very, very seriously, according to Kay. As she said, he did not have a bad word to say about his party or about anyone. That, I think, is the measure of the man, as well. He was somebody who, as the member for Scullin quite eloquently described, saw a bigger picture. When he had the ability to change the country and make a difference, he took that with both hands and fulfilled that role admirably. From somebody whose parents came from—as the member for Adelaide reminded me—the Kastellorizo came somebody who entered this parliament and gave of his all from 1981 through to 2005. It's a long career. Not many parliamentarians get 20-plus years in the Senate, in the parliament, and he made use of every one of those 24 years to make a difference and to make this country a better place.

To that end, I say, we say, thank you to the late senator Nick Bolkus. Thank you for your endeavours; thank you for your efforts. Very sincere, heartfelt and genuine condolences to your loved ones, to your family and to your wide circle of friends—particularly in the Greek community, who would be feeling your loss very appreciably. Vale, Nick Bolkus. Well done.

Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A month or two before Christmas last year, I got a call from Nick Bolkus. He was at an aged care facility, actually, and he was struggling. His voice was barely more than a whisper, but the clarity of what he was saying to me and what he was asking me about was very much there despite the difficulty in hearing what he was trying to say. He was interested in the policies that we were implementing. He was asking questions about social cohesion and multiculturalism. He was asking me questions about the new ministry position that I have. He was engaged, he was wise, he gave me some good advice, and he cared.

We are all standing here, today, to pay our respects in this condolence motion to a man who gave so much of himself in public service—obviously to the state of South Australia but also to the entire nation. I want to offer my sincere condolences to his wife, Mary, and his children, Aria, Mikayla and Nicholas, plus the wider, very large community of friends and family that have been touched by the contribution that he's made—even to, right beside me, the member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas, who worked for Nick for 10 years. Now, Mikayla has worked for Steve. The amount of wisdom that Steve probably benefited from Nick and his experience in his career and as a mentor to so many talented politicians—I'll put you in that category—who serve their community faithfully and who do everything they can to give people a better life—that was Nick at the national policy level but also at a community level, at a local level.

We've heard that he was a pioneer of progressive politics. That's certainly the case. He was the architect of modern multiculturalism. We call him one of the fathers of multiculturalism, and that's certainly true. He had a long and distinguished career in politics. He was elected to the Senate in 1980, and his life was a life of public service and of literally giving himself to the nation and to his state of South Australia, his beloved South Australia. He actually began his career as a lawyer—we won't hold that against him—before he moved into politics and had a great political career. He served his home state of South Australia, which he loved so much, and he served all of this nation for a political career that spanned 24 years.

He is known, very much, for his contribution to modern multiculturalism, but we should not forget that Nick became the first Australian cabinet minister of Greek descent. That's a significant step within the context of multicultural Australia, but, more than that, what Nick did as a cabinet minister should be remembered and recalled. When Prime Minister Bob Hawke elevated him to the cabinet, it was as the minister for consumer affairs. In that role, he introduced watershed legislation to protect the privacy of Australians from data credit agencies. He also set up the banking ombudsman to provide a dispute resolution mechanism for bank customers. He did some really remarkable policy work—Steve, that was probably a bit of work that you did when you were working for him as an adviser; I'm not sure—that was significant and made a difference. Nick insisted on protecting all Australians equally and, in many respects, embodied the Labor values that we hold dear in every role that he held.

On the multicultural space and the advocacy that he was known for—obviously coming from a migrant background himself—when he became the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, as well as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs, he worked in those roles with not only compassion and empathy but also practicality. He got real and tangible things done. We've heard from previous speakers about the moment—I think most of Australia knows the history—when Bob Hawke, our then prime minister, provided refuge to thousands of Chinese citizens in Australia after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. It was actually Nick who was very much part of that decision. He was, alongside the PM, exceptionally proud of that moment in our history.

Back then was a time—which maybe one could argue is not too dissimilar to today—where there were people who were deliberately trying to divide us, as Australians, through fear and differences in our ethnicity and backgrounds, and that fear and division could have triumphed at the time. But, due to decisions like this, and people like Nick Bolkus who stood tall and firm against hatred and prejudice, we triumphed. He stood for the idea that our diversity is a strength and that, regardless of our backgrounds, who we are, where we come from or what our faith is, we can embody the Australia that we live in. We can be part of the Australia that we live in, and we can contribute to the Australia that we love so much. That is modern, multicultural Australia.

Nick stood up courageously and compassionately to do what was right, despite what was, at the time, a very high political risk. It would have been much easier for Bob and Nick to just fold, go with the polls and go with the loud voices that were, at the time, sowing that fear and division. But, they said, 'No, we are going to stand up and do what is right morally, ethically and politically.' People give politics a bad rap, but when you take political actions like this, the way that Nick did, that is I think the core element of politics—the ability to engage in that public space to make decisions that make a difference to people's lives around us. Nick very much symbolised but also practically delivered on that idea of political action.

We know he's of Greek background. He would have claimed to be the holder of the flame of democracy. Apparently the Greeks invented democracy. I think that's true and he handed it down. Nick certainly was someone who was proud of his Greek heritage and proud of the fact that democracy sprung from his homeland. He carried that torch with great courage and compassion throughout his political career. He understood that Australians and Australia should be proud and confident in our differences, and we should recognise that we are multifaith, multiethnic society—one that he helped build.

It's not just about tolerating others, it's about those democratic values and the democratic participation that he loved so much. It's about social responsibility in doing things for others and contributing. It's about the shared values that bind us together. Even when we might disagree, there are threads that bind us together and make up the society that we cherish so much.

He left an extraordinary legacy of dedication, service and foresight, and he will be remembered for his service by not just those in the Labor Party but all of us in this place. I think his spirit lives on in many respects through not only many of my South Australian colleagues but all of us in the party and all of us in this place. It was an absolute pleasure to engage with him and for him to give some time to me and advice to me over the many, many years from the beginning of my political career. I'm sure he was a great mentor to so many South Australian politicians in this place as well. It is so sad to see him go, but he left us with something very, very special, and we'll carry that flame on for him. Rest in peace, Nick.

Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today with deep sadness to acknowledge the passing of former senator the Hon. Nick Bolkus. Nick was a towering figure in South Australian public life, a formidable parliamentarian and a man whose contribution to this nation leaves a lasting imprint on the character of our country. And while his public contributions are well known, his private contributions are equally important. He was a much-loved husband to Mary and a father to Nick, Aria and Michaela. He was a colleague and mentor to many in the Labor movement across Australia, particularly SA Labor, and he was a valued friend to many. I'm lucky enough to be able to count myself as one of those.

For many Australians, and particularly for those of us from South Australia, Nick Bolkus was more than a senator. He was a reformer, a strategist, a Labor legend and, above all, a believer in the power of public service to improve lives. Nick was born in Adelaide in 1950 to migrant parents from the island of Kastellorizo in Greece, and his parents ran a greengrocer shop in Adelaide's West End. He was educated at Adelaide High School and Adelaide University—a true local. He showed his interest in politics early, fundraising and hand-delivering letters supporting Don Dunstan in 1965 and 1966 at the tender age of 15.

After a brief career as a lawyer, he unsuccessfully ran for the seat of Torrens in 1975 and for federal Senate in 1977 before being elected as a federal senator for South Australia in 1980. Entering parliament at just 30 years of age, he quickly developed a reputation that would follow him throughout his career. Nick was intellectually sharp, politically courageous and never afraid to engage in the contest of ideas. His wife, Mary, says he was always certain of his position, and she wondered how it was that two people who were always right ended up married to each other!

He understood that democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires conviction, resilience and a willingness to stand up for what you believe is right, irrespective of the cost. And Nick brought those qualities in abundance. He was a key minister in the Hawke-Keating governments: Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister Assisting the Treasurer for Prices and Minister for Administrative Services. But he's perhaps best known as having been Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. In this latter role he reviewed the Migration Act and the Australian Citizenship Act and established the Refugee Review Tribunal. He was instrumental in allowing thousands of Chinese students to remain in Australia after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Thousands of lives were changed.

At Nick's state memorial service we heard from Dr Hang Quach, a professor of haematology from St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne. She told the story of her father being sentenced to life in prison as a political prisoner in Vietnam after the war and how her mother fled in fear to Australia as a refugee with two small children. Dr Quach was aged four at the time. They didn't know if her father was dead or alive or if they would ever see him again. As a 15-year-old, she wrote to Senator Nick Bolkus. One day she answered the phone at her home, and, to her great surprise, it was Senator Bolkus. It took a couple of years, but he performed the miracle. He managed to negotiate for her father to be released from prison and deported to Australia. At the state memorial, she showed a photograph of Nick and her father meeting for the first time, her father as a free man. Of course, she and her mother re-met the father that she couldn't remember, having not seen him for the best part of a decade and a half. Her father lived out his years in Australia, and his daughter is now changing the lives of Australians through her clinical research. She spoke of being forever grateful for the compassion and the second chance her family got in this wonderful country thanks to Senator Bolkus.

It's impossible to know how many hundreds of thousands—maybe millions—of Australians' lives have been changed for the better because of the work Nick Bolkus did in immigration, citizenship, multicultural and ethnic affairs fields. He approached legislation with rigour and seriousness, always conscious that the decisions made within these walls ripple far beyond Canberra into households, workplaces and communities across Australia. But what truly distinguished Nick Bolkus was not simply the positions he held but the principles that guided him. He believed in fairness. He believed in opportunity. He believed in multiculturalism and that diversity makes us a stronger and greater nation. He believed that government, at its best, could be a force for dignity, particularly for those whose voices were too often unheard.

Those who knew him personally speak not only of his intellect but of his loyalty and warmth. Politics can be an unforgiving profession, yet Nick forged friendships across factions and across the aisle. The capacity to disagree without disrespect is a lesson all of us in public life would do well to remember. The Nick I knew was sharp, witty and very, very softly spoken, but you always leant forward to hear what he was saying because it was always worthwhile.

Nick died on Christmas Day last year after a long illness that tried his patience. My heart goes out to my dear friend Mary, to Aria, to Mikayla, to Nick and to his sister, Ana.

Nick believed future generations deserve a nation more just, more prosperous and more compassionate than the one they inherited. He was not one who believed in pulling up the ladder after himself, and he demonstrated that through his work and through his life.

While political careers eventually conclude, bodies age and memories fade, the impact of public service lives on. It lives on in stronger institutions, fairer laws and expanded opportunities for others. It lives on in the lives of those you have impacted. Nick's legacy lives on in individuals like Dr Quach and all the patients she helps, in the SA Labor Party, forever changed by his guidance and support, and in the multicultural Australia he helped shape.

Nick Bolkus understood that legacy is not measured in titles but in the difference one makes and in the lives you change. May he rest in peace.

Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I speak to honour the life and service of a man whose contribution to the Australian Labor Party was profound, enduring and deeply principled: Nick Bolkus. Nick Bolkus was not a loud figure in Australian politics, but he was one who left a lasting impact on this country—a thinker, a reformer, a believer in Labor values and a man who devoted his life to public service with integrity and quiet determination.

Nick entered political life driven not by ego or ambition but by a belief that government could be a powerful force for fairness and opportunity for everyone. He joined the Labor Party as a young man, and from the very beginning he understood that politics was about fair representation for the people of Australia. He represented South Australia in the Senate with distinction, and later served as a minister in the Hawke and Keating governments during one of the most transformative periods in our nation's history. Those were years of big reform, years that reshaped Australia's economy, our education system and our place in the world, and Nick Bolkus was there, working thoughtfully, diligently and often behind the scenes to help make that change possible.

As the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and later as the Minister for Administrative Services, he approached his responsibilities with seriousness and care. He believed that public administration mattered, that institutions mattered and that the way government treated people said everything about the values it stood for. He had a deep respect for multicultural Australia and a clear understanding that our diversity was not a weakness to be managed but a strength to be embraced.

In every role he held, Nick brought a sense of fairness, balance and intellectual rigour. He was not interested in shortcuts. He believed policy should be well-considered, evidence-based and grounded in Labor's enduring commitment to social justice. Nick was also a strong believer in education, both as a policy priority and as a personal calling.

Nick Bolkus represented a particular kind of Labor figure, one defined by substance rather than spectacle. He did not seek the spotlight. He did it because he believed in the hard work of reform, the patient work of persuasion and the enduring importance of institutions. Within the Labor Party, he was highly respected, a thoughtful contributor and a colleague who brought reason and principle to every discussion. He believed deeply in party unity and in the idea that Labor, at its best, is stronger when it listens, debates and moves forward together. For many members and colleagues, Nick was also a mentor. He gave advice freely, offered encouragement generously and was always willing to share his experience with those coming up behind him. That generosity of spirit is one of the great quiet gifts of public life.

In South Australia and across the Labor movement nationally, his passing will be felt deeply, not just because of the offices he held but because of the values he embodied: decency, thoughtfulness, service. Nick Bolkus acts as a reminder that good government is built on patience, preparation and principle. Condolence motions ask us to reflect not just on a life lived but on a legacy left behind. Nick Bolkus leaves a legacy of service, of reform and of belief in the Labor cause—a belief that Australia can be fairer; that opportunity should be shared; and that government, when guided by values, can improve lives.

To his family and his friends and all who had the privilege of working with him, I extend my deepest sympathies. To his daughter, Aria: I wish you the best of luck in the upcoming South Australian election as the Labor candidate for the seat of Colton. I know you will carry the Bolkus family name with pride while representing the Labor Party, and that your dad's example will continue to guide you as you follow in his footsteps.

Nick Bolkus served Australia with honour, he served the Labor Party with loyalty and he served the public with integrity. Vale, Nick. May you rest in peace.

Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's with great sadness that I stand here today to honour the life of Senator Nick Bolkus, who was a giant in Australian politics, a giant in South Australian public life and a groundbreaking national leader. He was a wonderful mentor to me, a friend, a colleague, and someone that taught me so much about politics, and a man whose service left an undeniable mark on the state of South Australia and our nation. Today, our condolences go out to his wife, Mary; his two daughters, Aria and Mikayla; his son, Nicholas; and his sister, Anna. As I said, it is with great sadness that I stand here today.

Nick's political rise was marked by a complete determination, intellect, and an unwavering belief in the possibilities of public policy. He was elected to the Australian Senate in 1980, at the 1980 federal election, beginning a remarkable 24-year tenure as one of South Australia's longest serving senators and ministers. Prior to that, he had worked and assisted many of Labor's greats, like Clyde Cameron, the industrial relations minister in the Whitlam government; Reg Bishop, who was Postmaster-General; and many others. He was a natural-born leader. He was empathetic, understanding, and he would always take the time to speak to people and learn and question and probe and grasp exactly what that particular person was and what he could learn from them. And that happened to everyone he came across. He showed me, personally, what it was like to represent a community.

I was lucky to be given a place in his office to work for him. It was an opportunity that I will always be grateful for. In fact, I wouldn't be standing in this place as a member of the House of Representatives if it wasn't for Nick's probing and encouraging me to run for a seat back in the late nineties. I remember clearly the discussion we had about running for Hindmarsh back in 1998, and, I've got to say, if it weren't for Nick, I wouldn't have made that move. No doubt, without his support, his encouragement and his guidance throughout not just those years when I was a candidate and then elected but continuously, right up until recently, I know I wouldn't be here. So I thank him for the opportunity, and I'll always be grateful to Nick for that.

Nick was entrusted with some of the nation's most important portfolios. He served as Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Administrative Services, Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs, where he actually helped shape modern multicultural Australia. Then, in opposition, he was shadow environment minister and shadow Attorney-General, still contributing to the nation's policies.

It was during this period, the Hawke-Keating era, that Nick made his most considerable and most compassionate and far-reaching decisions, allowing thousands of Chinese nationals who were in Australia before the 1989 Tiananmen Square issue to remain permanently. Overnight he made the decision to grant visas to them along with their families, and it was a decision rooted in humanity. It gives you an idea of Nick's thought process and his beliefs. This was a decision he made that was, as I said, rooted in humanity, moral clarity and a deep belief in Australia as a nation that stands with those seeking safety and integrity. Nick was always a supporter of refugees and of making the right decision to ensure that people who were without a home and had fled their nation, their country—whether it be through war, famine or destruction—would always have an opportunity to go through the system here in this nation to be given refuge. He was a true believer in that.

I think that comes from his background as well, when you look at Nick's history. His parents migrated from a little island in the eastern Aegean called Kastellorizo. They came out in the mid-twenties or thirties and made a home for themselves, first in Port Pirie, and then they moved to Adelaide, where Nick grew up in the inner city, in west Adelaide. A lot of his beliefs were grounded in, and came to fruition through, the migrant community in the western suburbs. There was a very large Greek community and Italian and Lebanese communities in western Adelaide. Nick grew up in that environment, going to Sturt Street Primary and then to Adelaide High School. If you look at his background, his parents came from this little island that had been occupied for hundreds of years by the Ottoman Empire and had then sought freedom—then it went to the Venetians and to the English. People left this island in droves, including his parents, and therefore he grew up in this environment understanding what it's like to flee or leave for a better life, and that formed his beliefs, I believe.

Nick was not simply just a minister; he was also a reformer, a thinker, a principled advocate who understood the machinery of government. I had many conversations with him about these issues and policies et cetera. He used the machinery of government to deliver meaningful change. He modernised our consumer protection laws, advanced transparency in political funding and strengthened the foundations, of course, of multicultural Australia. He also achieved a milestone of profound symbolic importance: Nick Bolkus was the first Greek Australian to serve as a federal cabinet minister. It's not to say that there weren't other politicians of Greek descent before him, like Senator George Georges and some others. But Nick actually was a cabinet minister, and this was an incredible message not just to the Greek community but to many, many migrant communities who had settled in Australia. It showed that, as a son of migrants, you could be at the top level, forming policy with outcomes in legislation that benefit the community. For countless families—Greek, migrant and multicultural families—this was a very important message.

We were so proud of him as a Greek community. I recall the many times when Bob Hawke, the Prime Minister of Australia, or Paul Keating or cabinet ministers would come to a Greek festival, an event of the community; these things just didn't take place prior to that. You would have rarely ever—well, never—seen a prime minister at an ethnic event prior to the late seventies and early eighties. So this was a big message saying, 'Yes, we are a government that respects you, we're a government that honours you and we're a government that understands your contribution as a migrant to this nation.' And Nick had a big influence on leaders of this nation to actually take migrant communities seriously and to take them on board and understand the importance of our multicultural communities. For countless families, as I said, of Greek migrants in Adelaide and all over Australia, it was a huge message, and it said: you belong, your contributions matter, and your story is part of Australia's story. This is the time when the thinking of Australia changed and we became a truly multicultural nation.

Beyond titles and portfolios, Nick was known for his generosity—generosity of time, generosity of giving advice and generosity of just catching up and giving you his views on what he thought would be a way forward for any issues or problems that you may have had. This reached out across the political aisle. He was respected as a formidable intellect, a strategic mind and a man of deep integrity. When I say he was respected across the aisle here in this place—he was also respected internationally. I visited Greece many times, and Nick was one of the first executive members of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association, which is a group of MPs from around the world that are of Greek descent. This was formed in 1996. Nick was on the very first executive. Through the contacts he had made—every time I visit Greece and I see politicians and have meetings, one of their first questions to me is: 'How is Nick? How's Nick going? Give him my regards.' That was especially from George Papandreou, former prime minister of Greece. I've met with him on a number of occasions. He was the former foreign affairs minister as well. His first words to me every time I'd see him in Athens were: 'How's Nick going? Give him my regards.' This is the level of respect that he had internationally.

In South Australia, Nick's imprint is absolutely everywhere—in the multicultural institutions that he strengthened, the young leaders that he mentored, the families whose lives were changed by his decisions and the political landscape he helped shape over four decades. At the heart of Nick's life, of course, was his family. He leaves behind his wife, Maria; his comrade and friend Mary Patetsos, a respected community leader; and his three beautiful children, Nicholas, who is practising law and doing very well in South Australia, Aria, his daughter who is the candidate for the seat of Colton—and we wish her the very best—and Mikayla, who has gone back to legal work but worked in my office for a few years as well. All of his three children share his strategic mind, his deep generosity and his integrity. Today, we remember the man who rose from Adelaide's western district to the highest level of national leadership and a man who championed fairness, dignity and multiculturalism before those values were widely celebrated; a man who mentored generations, including myself, transformed policy and lived his life in service to others; a man who was a personal friend to many and the leading light for change. South Australia lost a dedicated servant, and Australia has lost one of its great champions.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to honour a former holder of the immigration portfolio, a Labor giant and a personal friend in Nick Bolkus. Nick and I first met at a time when I was working for the Australian Republic Movement and he was the shadow Attorney-General, which I think means I owe Malcolm Turnbull for the first time that I met Nick Bolkus. Back then was when the Senate was dealing with whether or not there would be a vote for a constitutional convention, which ultimately did happen. We did really well in the convention vote and then really badly in the ultimate referendum vote. That was the first opportunity I had to meet with Nick. And then, some years later, after I was preselected, he remembered the earlier meetings and, effectively, to some extent, just adopted me. We were from different states, different factions—we got along well, and that was enough. To now be in a situation where I'm the custodian for this government of one of the portfolios that he advanced so brilliantly for the Hawke government and the Keating government is a really significant honour.

When I was first preselected, it was Nick who knew parts of my electorate better than I did, even though I'd lived there my whole life. On visits, like to Saint Basil's nursing home, I'd find myself—as a lifelong resident, having grown up only a few kilometres away from a site—being introduced, by someone from a different state, where the personal relationship that Nick held with people was deep and real and valued.

He offered to do a fundraiser for me—and, actually, when I heard that Aria was running in the state parliament, I desperately wanted to go and do a fundraiser for her, but they're not legal in South Australia, so the intention was there but I wasn't able to help Aria in the way that Nick had helped me. But he said to hold a different sort of event, because he recognised—I was running and the previous speaker, Steve, was running at the same time—it was the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square decision, the immigration decision. And, because it was Nick, we had those students coming—not because it was an event for me; they just wanted to see Nick again—to probably one of the biggest events I've ever held. But the amazing thing was: almost everybody just brought flowers, and there was a presentation, like you were at a wedding, of flowers, with student after student wanting to go forward to basically just give a gesture of thanks to Nick Bolkus. If you think about how significant it was for them: of course, the protesters themselves, with the tanks coming down, were students, and, therefore, to be a student in Australia at the time—people were really scared, and that decision from the Hawke government was life-changing for them, and fundamentally a good thing for Australia to do and a real part of nation-building.

In opposition, as shadow Attorney-General during the Howard government's changes to native title, he played the leading role in what, to this day, is still the longest-ever debate in the Senate. It went for more than 100 hours—although that was largely Nick's fault, because 900 of the amendments had been moved by him.

I've always had a large Greek community within my electorate. Boundaries have changed, but there's always been a big Greek community. No-one should underestimate the extent to which Nick Bolkus is loved—absolutely loved—and admired. And it's not simply because of the story that he tells: the story of being the first Greek Australian to serve in cabinet—of course that's huge—and of being the son of Greek migrants who came to Australia between the two world wars, travelling in steerage for a months-long journey. Of course that matters. But it also was just the values and decency of the man.

Because of the nature of elections and Senate timetables, there was a brief window, of just over six months, when I was in the same caucus as Nick Bolkus, when I was first elected, as the Senate time started to wind down—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:23 to 11:43

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll begin my remarks by extending my condolences to Nick Bolkus's wife, Mary; to his children Aria, Mikayla and Nicholas; and to his sister, Anna.

When you're speaking last on a condolence motion, there's not much left to be said, especially having listened to the contributions of all my colleagues here in this place over the last day or two, where I believe that they all have beautifully summed up Nick's life.

I wasn't able to get to the funeral service for Nick at the Greek Orthodox Church, otherwise known as the Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel, in Adelaide on 21 January, because parliament here was sitting, but I was able to get to the state memorial on 22 January at the Allan Scott Auditorium in the Hawke Building at the University of Adelaide. Again, the collective contributions there on the day, beginning with Daniela Ritorto, Premier Peter Malinauskas, former deputy premier John Rau, Mary, Aria and Mikayla, and the Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing's contribution in this chamber yesterday, I believe perfectly encapsulate the life of Nick Bolkus and the person he was—the husband, the father, the friend, the politician and the community man that so many others have spoken about in their contributions about him.

The number of people who were at the Allan Scott Auditorium state memorial service also provided a glimpse of the respect that Nick was held in by people from across the country. The number and diversity of people who had come to know him and the impact that he had had on their lives were well displayed on the day by the presence of those people.

I first met Nick Bolkus shortly after the dismissal of the Whitlam government, when I took a job working as research officer to Senator Jim Cavanagh. Nick was then working for Clyde Cameron. The federal MPs and senators at the time predominantly worked on the 15th floor of the AMP building, which was located directly across the road from the state parliament house.

The senators and members had their offices up there, but the staff of the federal representatives were located in a shared room where I, Nick, Paul Holloway and Malcolm Dixon also worked—Paul working for Ralph Jacobi, the then member for Hawker, Malcolm Dixon working for Senator Reg Bishop and Nick, as I said, working for Clyde Cameron. Within that shared space there was a private office. Unsurprisingly, Nick Bolkus took the private office—he was the most senior of all of us at the time. He took the office, and I'd still see him every day as we worked, effectively, alongside each other.

What was noticeable was that Nick didn't seem to do a lot of work as a research officer but, in fact, spent most of his time networking with people within the political system and outside of it—building relationships with MPs, community leaders and business people and with whomever else he was able to. In fact, it would be fair to say that I can rarely recall Nick without the phone glued to his ear, such was his interest in trying to make connections with people in and around the state, and interstate as well.

At the time, whilst he was a young person, every Friday the MPs would come back from Canberra—people like Reg Bishop, Jim Toohey, Mick Young and, sometimes, Senator Don Cameron, Clyde's brother, and state members Jack Wright and Geoff Virgo, who were considered to be some of the more influential MPs of the day, and my friend the member for Adelaide would probably remember many of those MPs—and would gather for lunch at one place or another, and I'm pretty sure that, at those lunch meetings, they would try to sort out the issues of the country and the internal issues of the Labor Party. Chinatown and Hindley Street were popular venues. It was interesting that Nick was already embraced by that group so early in the piece. My view is that they embraced him because they saw the qualities in him that would make him a future leader, and they were absolutely right. They backed him, and he ended up as a senator in this place in 1981, after having been elected in the 1980 election.

In 1981 Senator Jim Cavanagh, who I worked for, retired, so my connection with Nick became somewhat more distant after that. He was elected to the Senate. I went back into my own private life and so on. But we always kept in touch. It wasn't until pretty much the time that I got elected to this place that we once again came together, you might say, and regularly contacted each other over a whole range of matters.

The interesting thing about Nick's career is that he went on to be a minister and—again, as the member for Adelaide pointed out—the first Greek person to become a cabinet minister, which, in its own right, was a huge achievement. But he was someone who was absolutely committed to policy work. I'm pleased that the Minister for Home Affairs, in his remarks before they were cut short, touched on his contribution to Indigenous land rights and, in particular, the debate that took place after the Mabo decision in the High Court where legislation was brought into the parliament, and, subsequently, the debate in terms of amendments to land rights when the Howard government took office.

As someone who had taken an interest in land rights—because former senator Jim Cavanagh, who I worked for, was in fact the first minister to bring legislation relating to land rights into this parliament—I listened with interest to the very long debate that took place when Labor was in opposition and there were amendments to the land rights act. Yes, it was a long debate, but, again, Nick Bolkus played a leading role in that debate—as he did in the debate under Paul Keating when Labor introduced legislation following the Mabo decision. It's one of the achievements of Nick that has not been given, I believe, sufficient airing or sufficient credit for.

Whilst we talk about multiculturalism and his contribution to that, which I entirely agree with and I concur with all the remarks that have been made about that, he also contributed immensely to the Indigenous land rights issues in this country, and that shouldn't be overlooked, because it did set a precedent and a pathway for Indigenous land ownership that we still have to this day.

When he left politics, I would occasionally catch up with Nick, and, again, his interest in politics never waned—not only his interest, but, quite frankly, he was someone who could read the political winds so well. He was someone that you would take advice from because you knew that he understood politics and he understood what the likely consequences of different decisions were. It was always a pleasure to catch up with him to hear his insights into what might lie ahead, and we would do that quite regularly.

In fact, when I had Lindsay Tanner, who was the finance minister after my election to this place in 2007, come out to my electorate to do a community forum, I had Nick as the emcee—again, because of his interest in politics, his ability to perhaps elicit the right questions that the public might want to hear and the people that were attending might want to hear and also his ability to be able to contribute to the forum responses that there might be. Lindsay was so well known and it was great to have the two of them there together, because they had both worked with each other and knew each other, and it was an asset for me to have both of them there.

Subsequent to that, as I said, I'd kept in touch with him, but, in later years, Nick's health started to decline. When he went into the nursing home in 2019, I would visit him. Regrettably, because of COVID, the visits had to be stopped for a while. But, once the restrictions were lifted, I'd still go back and visit him, and I watched him deteriorate physically over that time. I'd take him outside of the centre, and we'd go down to the local shopping centre nearby. I'd take him down there for a coffee, and we would again talk politics. And, even though he was physically almost unable to feed himself or drink his coffee, his mind was as sharp as it was the day I met him. Again, he was someone that you could ask for advice about what was likely to happen. He could read the political winds, as I said earlier, and that never left him.

In his time here, at this place, I know that he developed friendships with a lot of MPs—I'm talking about friendships that were life lasting—and it was so good to see people, at the memorial service, like Laurie Brereton, Warren Snowdon and Brendan O'Connor come along. Nick, when he was reminiscing about his time in this place with me, would often mention them as being partners in whatever else he was doing. The late Simon Crean was another person—and I know Simon would've been there had it not been for the fact that he couldn't be there, because he had passed away—that I know Nick would speak so highly of.

Everything's been said about his contribution to public life and the examples of the people that he has helped, and I'm not going to go over all of that. But I say this about him: he was a person who, like all of us, came into this place wanting to make a difference, and he did. He made a difference in this place. He made a difference back in South Australia in particular, where he was an influential leader within the Labor Party. He made a difference within his own Greek community; the member for Adelaide referred to his international contacts and so on. And he made a difference to people's lives, including people overseas—and again there were examples given of that. He did so always committed to, and always being a true believer and a faithful member of, the Labor Party. Even when he left this place—and he didn't leave under his own decision—he never turned his back on the Labor Party or the people that he had got to know over the years.

I'll finish with this observation about Nick: I knew him for most of my life, and in all that time I can never once recall him raising his voice—not once; not within the chamber and not outside of the chamber. He was always quietly spoken, very placid and very considered in everything he said. So to Nick I say: Nick, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for what you did for the people of Australia. May you rest in peace.

Debate adjourned.