John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—At the request of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Evans, I move:

That the Senate records its deep regret at the death, on 1 April 2012, of the Honourable Lionel Frost Bowen, AC, former member for Kingsford-Smith, places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service, and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

This afternoon I want to acknowledge Lionel Bowen's years of public service, his dedication to the Australian Labor Party and his commitment to faith and family. Lionel Bowen was born in Sydney's working-class suburb of Ultimo during the depth of the Depression. In his early life he came to know hardship firsthand. His mother worked day and night as a cleaner to support Lionel. She supported Lionel, his invalid brother and also his grandmother. Lionel himself left school at 14 to help support the family, working first as a messenger and later as a law clerk while attending night school.

In one of those extraordinary coinciden­ces, another Lionel, also in the Labor Party, also a lawyer, also a minister in the Whitlam government and also an Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia—Lionel Murphy—attended the same kindergarten and school as Lionel Bowen. The two Lionels lived just four doors from each other and played together as children. The hardship of Lionel Bowen's youth was disrupted by World War II. He was conscripted and served with the AIF from 1941 to 1945, rising to the rank of corporal. After the war he took advantage of the Chifley government's postwar rehabilitation scheme to study law at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1946. I am sure that these modest beginnings helped shape Lionel Bowen's commitment to Labor. His early struggles ensured that he remained forever conscious of the plight of those on the margins of society. His firsthand experience of retraining after the war showed him the positive role government can play in improving people's lives.

While working as a solicitor, Lionel Bowen stood for Randwick Council in 1948, and so began 42 years in public life. He would serve as Mayor of Randwick twice, first in 1950, at just 27 years of age, and then again in 1955. On council he oversaw the opening of the Windgap School for the Intellectually Disabled at Coogee—a very proud achievement of his time in local government. He would also serve greater Sydney as a member of Sydney County Council from 1957 to 1962.

In 1962 Lionel stepped up to state politics, contesting the then marginal state seat of Randwick, which he won. He became a leading caucus critic as the Heffron and Renshaw Labor governments limped towards defeat in 1965. As a state MP he advocated reforms to the then notorious New South Wales prison system, to liquor licensing laws, to the constraints applying to the issu­ing of taxi plates, and he strongly opposed rent rises for Housing Commission tenants.

Historian David Clune was told by Reg Downing, the eminence grise of the state parliamentary Labor Party of the time, that Lionel Bowen would have been leader if he had stayed in state politics. And Jack Ferguson, from the left, is reported to have approached Lionel to run against Pat Hills for leader, and promised to deliver him the left's votes. But it was not to be, and in 1969 Lionel Bowen left Macquarie Street to succeed Dan Curtin as the federal member for Kingsford Smith. He came to Canberra at a time of transition for the ALP. Party reforms driven by Labor's leader Gough Whitlam were resulting in the ALP broadening its base.

As well as Lionel Bowen, the federal Labor caucus class of 1969 included, amongst others, four doctors—Moss Cass, Doug Everingham, Dick Klugman and Richie Gun; a diplomat, Bill Morrison; a pharmacist, Joe Berinson; an economist, Rex Patterson; an accountant, Chris Hurford; a small businessman, Barry Cohen; and a future Prime Minister, Paul Keating. Bowen shared a cramped office in Old Parliament House with the last of those new arrivals. He was immediately struck by Keating's incredible intensity. From this time onward he would be a confidant and mentor to Keating, who was a man more than 20 years his junior.

Lionel Bowen served as the member for Kingsford Smith for 21 tumultuous years. He was a constant for the party during those years—years of despair and of triumph for the ALP. When Gough Whitlam came to power in 1972 Lionel was elected by caucus to serve in the ministry. Initially underwhelmed, Whitlam offered his congratulations with the dismissive: 'Well, Bowen, you've made it,' to which Lionel tersely replied, 'No bloody thanks to you.' Much is revealed about Lionel Bowen's character in this early exchange. Lionel was never overwhelmed by anyone. He remained unaffected by high office and was never intimidated by those who held it. In the words of close friend 'Johnno' Johnson, he was at home with the kings and the peasants.

Despite Whitlam's initial reticence, his estimation of Bowen would change with Bowen's effective stewardship of the portfolios of Postmaster-General, Special Minister of State and Minister for Manufacturing and Industry in Whitlam's cabinet. In 1973, as acting Minister for Education he oversaw the passage of the Schools Commission Bill by getting a reluctant Country Party to cross the floor under the threat of an early election This legislation, for the first time, saw funding allocated to non-government schools based on need. On hearing that the bill had passed Whitlam is reported to have said, `Comrade, this is terrific. Perhaps you can be my successor.' For Bowen this achievement was more than just a personal triumph. In his own words, it represented 'the most fundamental gain for the cause of equality in Australia.'

My favourite story about Lionel's time as a minister in the Whitlam government is one he told me over a cup of tea in his lounge room five years ago. Lionel, who was a great raconteur, reminisced about a trade mission to the Kremlin in 1975 when, along with Gough, he met with Alexei Kosygin and other Soviet leaders. The meeting dragged. With the aid of a translator, apparently Kosygin said 'I'm delighted to have this meeting. This is the first occasion an Australian Prime Minister has visited the Kremlin, despite the fact we have fought alongside each other in two world wars. Now, let's do something big to honour this occasion, like a major trade announcement. The Soviet Union could take a substantial amount of your wheat and your wool, and you, from Australia, could reciprocate with landing rights for Aeroflot, and take minerals and cargo ships from the Soviet Union.' Gough responded, I am told, to a speechless Kosygin and certainly a stunned Lionel Bowen: 'I don't want to talk with you about mundane things like trade. I want to know what happened to the Grand Duchess Anastasia in 1918.' There was no trade announcement.

Despite Gough's musings after the success of the Schools Commission Bill, Lionel Bowen would not be his successor, but he would challenge for the ALP leadership on two occasions. The first time was against Whitlam himself after Labor's election defeat in 1975. In the ballot, Whitlam received the official endorsement of the dominant right-wing faction of the New South Wales branch of the ALP, including the support of its supremo, John Ducker. Lionel Bowen refused the entreaties of his own New South Wales right-wing power base to withdraw from that contest. The result: Whitlam received 36 votes to Bowen's 14 and Frank Crean's 13. The second leadership ballot occurred after Labor's defeat in the 1977 election, when Lionel was defeated by Bill Hayden more narrowly: 35 votes to 22. After that setback, Lionel Bowen immediately contested and won the next ballot, for deputy leadership of the federal parliamentary Labor Party, defeating the incumbent, Tom Uren, Mick Young and Ralph Willis.

Perhaps in those dark years after the defeat of the Whitlam government, a less committed, less dedicated man may have been content with a quarter of a century of meritorious public service across four tiers of government. But Lionel Bowen would continue to serve for more than seven years of opposition during the Fraser government. In his biography of Bill Hayden, John Stubbs reflected on those years of opposition:

Relations between Fraser and the Opposition remained acrimonious throughout Hayden's term as leader. Within weeks of Hayden becoming Opposition Leader, Fraser summoned him and his deputy Lionel Bowen to his office to inform them of some matters connected with security. Hayden nodded his head occasionally as Fraser spoke, but there was no response at all from Bowen. Eventually Fraser asked Bowen what was wrong with him. Bowen answered; 'I'm listening. It's just that I don't trust you, you bastard.' As they left Hayden congratulated Bowen for being so direct with the Prime Minister.

After Bill Hayden's replacement by Bob Hawke as Labor leader and Hawke's victory in the 1983 election a little over a month later, Lionel Bowen was to serve again in cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Trade and Attorney-General in the Hawke government. As Attorney-General, Bowen convinced a sceptical cabinet to back a comprehensive review of the Constitution. The subsequent referendum in 1988 propo­sed four constitutional reforms: to 'extend the right to trial by jury, to extend freedom of religion, and to ensure fair terms for persons whose property is acquired by any government'; to provide for four-year federal terms; 'to alter the Constitution to provide for fair and democratic parliament­ary elections throughout Australia'; and to give constitu­tional recognition to local government. All four questions were defeated—in fact, so badly that no question received a majority of votes in any state. Despite this, these reforms remain important ambitions for many on the progressive side of politics.

Lionel Bowen would remain Attorney-General and Deputy Prime Minister until his retirement in 1990. He remains the longest serving Deputy Prime Minister in Labor's history. I am pleased that I had the pleasure of serving in caucus with Lionel Bowen—albeit for just a short time—at the end of Lionel's parliamentary career and at the beginning of mine. In retirement, Lionel Bowen served as chairman of the National Gallery of Australia and was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1991 for his contribution to politics and the arts. Through all his years of high office he remained in the same modest Kensington home with his wife Claire. It suited Lionel. It was close to Randwick racecourse and to Maroubra Beach. Horseracing and bodysurf­ing were two of his great passions. The house was simply extended from time to time to accommodate the couple's eight children. Lionel Bowen passed away in this home. He ended life as he lived it: unbowed and with dignity, surrounded by family.

Lionel Bowen saw public service not as a vehicle for personal advancement but as a vocation with the purpose of improving the lives of others and serving in the nation's interest. His time on the national stage never diminished his deep commitment to his local community. As my colleague Senator Bob Carr said—and Bob, of course, knew him so well: 'He knew suburban politics like the back of his hand.'

Lionel Bowen's service to the ALP was not an opportunistic folly based on personal ambition. It was a calling, based on deeply held beliefs and an unremitting dedication to the cause of Labor. Lionel was one who put this cause before his personal interests. He is an example to us all. I offer my sincere sympathy to Lionel's family and friends.