Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

By leave—I move:

That the Senate record its deep regret at the death on 19 June 2013 of the Hon. William Michael Hodgman AM QC, former minister and member for Denison, and place on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

All senators will mourn the loss of Michael Hodgman who passed away on 19 June at the age of 74. Mr Hodgman was one of the most colourful figures in Australian politics. There are many parliamentarians who have served the public in both a state parliament as well as in the federal parliament. Senators Singh, Bob Carr, Thorpe, Rhiannon and Xenophon are just some recent examples of that. Michael Hodgman, however, went one better. Over five decades in politics he had two careers in state parliament, separated by a period in the federal parliament. He served the Tasmanian Legislative Council as the member for Huon from 1966 to 1974. He was then elected to the federal seat of Denison on the second attempt in 1975. He held that seat until his defeat in 1987. I had the good fortune, as a very junior woodchuck staffer, to occasionally bump into Mr Hodgman as he strode around Old Parliament House, and 'colourful' is absolutely an appropriate term that ascribes Mr Hodgman. He was very self-deprecating and he always enjoyed a laugh.

In 1992 he was elected as the member for Denison in the Tasmanian House of Assembly and held that position until 1998. He regained that seat in 2001 and held it until his retirement in 2010. There are many cases where politics has been a family business—the Downers, the Anthonys, the Creans, the McClellands and the Fergusons, to name just a few. The Hodgman family has equally distinguished itself in public service in Australian parliaments. Michael Hodgman's father, William, also served in both houses of the Tasmanian parliament. His brother succeeded him in the seat of Huon and, more recently, Michael Hodgman's son, Will, served in the same parliament.

It is somewhat astounding that a person with such a long and distinguished political career found time for anything else. Michael Hodgman was not only a politician but also a barrister, a sailor, a boxer, a horseman, a punter and a player. As a barrister he appeared before the High Court as well as representing some of Australia's most notorious criminals. Federal Court Judge Duncan Kerr won the federal seat of Denison from Mr Hodgman in 1987 and said:

Michael was blunt, outspoken, fair, funny, and, despite our two fiercely fought campaigns, my friend.

He continued:

He was an outstanding advocate who gave freely of his skills on a pro-bono basis to appear in some of the most difficult cases before the courts.

As a gentleman jockey, unpaid, and a boxer, Mr Hodgman added to his collection of tales which he shared with all and sundry. All of us who pursue a career in politics understand that a part of the process of seeking to represent our fellow Australians is the need to build a public profile. Few have achieved that as successfully as Michael Hodgman. He was the most recognisable person in Tasmania for decades.

In his time in Canberra he came to be known, in the most affectionate of ways, as the 'Mouth from the South'. On one famous occasion, as minister for territories, he responded to a question from Bob Katter, then a Nat, in a way that was described by Mungo McCallum as 'screaming adjectives like a maddened thesaurus'. As a politician Mr Hodgman was a complex mix of conservative and genuine liberal. He was a staunch monarchist in regard to Australia and also a supporter of independence for East Timor long before it was popular.

I extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. His life was a full one and we in political life appreciated the time he shared with us. He will be remembered as a great contributor to his state and to the nation, and he goes to his grave holding a secret that many of us have always wanted to know—who was Chickenman?