Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

It may well not be severe. We will not have a debate on that now, Senator Boswell. The simple fact is that, at least in how it is described, it was clearly a very severe law with regard to basic civil liberties. It was probably no surprise, given the picture of Ruth Coleman that has been painted. She was at the forefront of challenging that law directly by speaking at a meeting in 1980 and, after making a speech claiming her right to address constituents, being amongst 42 people arrested in Forrest Place. As I said, she faced jail because of her refusal to pay the fine, until it was paid by someone unknown. She was clearly a woman not at all afraid to speak her mind. She spoke out on behalf of other women and of other people. That role of a senator, speaking on behalf of people whose voices would otherwise not be heard, is a very important one.

The tenacity she demonstrated by overcoming the very severe and serious brain haemorrhage that she suffered without warning just before the 1984 election should be noted, as it has been by others. To recuperate from that and come back after a year or so of convalescing shows determination and also, as I think she also said in her speech upon returning, her love of the role of the Senate and the work that she could do there.

It is a bit unfortunate, but totally understandable, that we sometimes have few people speak to condolence motions for people who last served in this place many years ago. In some ways, I guess we all hope that we will live long enough that, when we do die, there will be no-one left serving here who remembers us. That would mean we have managed to survive for a fair while, so it is probably not a bad thing in lots of ways. But it does tend to mean that former senators’ contributions may not be as fully recognised as they might otherwise have been.

Clearly, Ruth Coleman was a pioneering woman in many ways. She has left a legacy not just for the Senate but for public engagement and political debate more broadly. As I think Senator Evans mentioned in his contribution, Ruth Coleman left school at the age of 13 or 14. She is one of a number of people who showed that a lack of formal education was no barrier to contributing incredibly effectively to the wider community, and indeed to political debate. That of course is not an exhortation that people should forget about school and go do something else; it is a reminder that, when people have that tenacity, that determination and that talent, they can overcome a lot of hurdles. Ruth Coleman did that in lots of ways. I am sure that the Senate, her state of Western Australia and the nation are better for her contribution. I associate the Democrats both with this motion and with condolences for her family.