Kay Patterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—Alan Cumming Thom, as has been mentioned, was Clerk of the Senate from July 1982 to February 1988. His term as Clerk was the culmination of 33 years of long and dedicated service to this parliament and particularly to the Senate. He was, as Senator Watson said, a Scot who came to Australia as a young boy. He studied arts and law at the University of Sydney and worked at the Attorney-General’s Department before he came to work in the Senate—after applying for a position, I think, as Clerk of Records. He went on to serve in a variety of positions.

From 1970 to 1979, I think it was, he served in the role of Clerk Assistant in the Senate, and in that role he had administrative and advisory responsibility for the Senate committee system. He was particularly involved in the Senate’s establishment and expansion of standing committees, and his sage advice, based on his service in the Senate, had a significant influence on the outcome of that process, which is, as has been acknowledged publicly and internationally, one of the best committee systems in the world. He ensured that that was made public through writing journal articles and academic papers, and through presenting papers and making sure that students of politics and parliament were aware of this committee system and aware of the function of the Senate. As Senator Watson said, Alan Cumming Thom was awarded a Churchill Fellowship during which he visited America and studied legislative committee systems, and that added to his understanding of and expertise in the operations of parliamentary committees.

He was involved in the very challenging task of moving the Senate from Old Parliament House to the new Parliament House—I do not know whether we should still be calling it ‘new’ 20 years on—and he faced numerous challenges in that move, although I am not privy to those challenges. But he used his knowledge, his skill, his wisdom and his grace, I would say, to ensure that the Senate’s interests were protected in that move and not undermined. Senator Harradine said in this place, on the occasion of Alan Cumming Thom’s retirement:

I am sure it was not those pressures that led to his retirement.

It was in some ways a premature retirement. He was still a fit, active man, full of vim and vigour, and at the time I was surprised when he retired.

He was the Clerk when I came into the Senate. I look around and I realise that there are not many of us left, Senator Watson, who were here when Alan Cumming Thom was the Clerk—in fact, I think you and I and Senator Ray are the only ones in the chamber at the moment.