David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

In supporting my leader's motion, I want to begin by offering to Judith's two sons, Stuart and Robert—both of whom I know quite well—and their families my deepest condolences on the passing of your mother, your mother-in-law, your grandmother. She was a dear friend and colleague who was taken from us far too soon. I also wish to pay my respects and offer my thanks to Judith's staff, who supported her so well when she was in treatment, kept the wheels turning for her when she was not able to do so herself and who had the sombre task of packing up her office after she died. I know that could not have been an easy task. Judith was very grateful for your support and I know she kept you busy right up until the end, because she certainly never stopped working and expected as much from her office.

I visited Judith in hospital a few weeks before her death and she was sitting up checking her BlackBerry, still entirely focused on work and the issues of the day. She never let her illness get in the way of her work and responsibilities as a senator—never ever; it was a job she loved to the very end. Even after the death of her husband, Gordon, in 2008 and her diagnosis three months later of secondary breast cancer, you could not stop her from participating in her senatorial duties. She refused to wallow and just simply got on with it. I think her full workload helped her to keep going. She was that sort of person. Her strength made her almost seem indestructible, and it makes it harder to believe that she is not with us in this chamber anymore. Judith brought to the Senate, in her own words, 'the background, the experience and the will to represent WA', and she had a lot of each of those. She was the second oldest woman to be elected to the Australian Senate but she had the energy of many senators half her age.

Trained as a nurse and a midwife in New Zealand, she cut her teeth in rural health in Western Australia and met Gordon in Meekatharra, of all places, where he worked as a pilot for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. With her husband, Gordon, she raised two sons and farmed for 35 years in her beloved Kojonup in the deep south of Western Australia. When elected to the Senate in 2004, Judith travelled widely around Western Australia and threw herself into issues affecting Western Australians. Following her diagnosis, she was an outspoken advocate for women with breast cancer, particularly those living in rural and remote areas. She pushed for the national rebate scheme for breast prostheses and also championed improvements in, as we have heard, the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. If I did not know anything about the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme before I met Judith, I certainly do now. Judith's advocacy and hard work for the issues facing regional Australia, particularly in health care, are unrivalled in this chamber and are a model for us all. Rural women will benefit from Judith's work for many, many years to come. I know she would be proud of these achievements, but they were achievements that she saw were necessary; they were not about any accolades for herself.

She was also a very strong supporter of the Australian Defence Force, having served in Vietnam as a theatre nurse in the New Zealand Territorial Army before her move to Western Australia. She also took part in several tours, particularly with the Navy, in the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. Many a former Chief of Navy would say to me that they thought Judith Adams had more sea time than they did.

I am very proud to have been a colleague and a fellow West Australian Liberal in the Senate alongside Judith Adams. She was a very wise counsel over the years and a true and loyal friend. She was also a loyal servant of the Liberal Party and a tremendous asset to any lower house member lucky enough to have her helping in their campaign for election. Judith was instrumental in the campaign for the member for Hasluck, Mr Ken Wyatt, our first Indigenous representa­tive in the House of Representatives. Hasluck was, and continues to be, one of the most marginal seats in Australia. Judith relished the challenge and, as they say, the rest is electoral history. She got Ken over the line at the last election, and we hold her in great and high esteem for that achievement. More recently she set up Liberal House in Albany, a second office to reach out to the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Judith was determined to have the seat of O'Connor return to Liberal hands, where it belongs. I am sure we will all work hard to ensure that her aspiration, her dedication, to get that seat back is achieved. Her tremendous efforts will not be forgotten when we do successfully return that seat to the fold at the next federal election.

Judith was such a decent and respected senator. She was well-liked and highly regarded by members and senators of all political parties. I know she was particularly chuffed while in hospital to receive a giant get-well card from all the Labor senators who wrote such kind and supportive words to her. I pause to thank you all for that.

We farewelled Judith on what would have been her 69th birthday. People came from all over Australia to say goodbye. She would have been humbled by the turnout. Members and senators came from all over the country and were joined by our federal leader, Tony Abbott, and WA Premier Colin Barnett. The former member for O'Connor, the Hon. Wilson Tuckey, gave the eulogy, and it really was a touching tribute to a great lady. May I pause to thank all the non-Liberal members and senators who attended, who travelled so far to be there and pay their respects. It was truly a magnanimous and gracious gesture.

Even though she was taken from us far too soon, Judith packed more into her life than most of us can ever aspire to. In simple terms, she was a doer. Rather than sitting back complaining about what should be done or who should do it, she went ahead and did it herself without fanfare and without seeking acclaim. The Liberal Party has lost one of its finest, but she will not be forgotten. Thank you, Judith, for being such a fantastic representative for our state of Western Australia and for the Liberal Party, but, more importantly, thank you for being a loyal and true friend. We will all miss you deeply.