Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to associate the Nationals with this condolence motion for the Hon Michael MacKellar AM. Born in Sydney in 1938, MacKellar was an agricultural scientist specialising in agricultural extension before election to parliament. He was the Member for Warringah for a record 25 years before the current member, Mr Tony Abbott, became the local member in a by-election.

The Hon Michael MacKellar was Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs between 1975 and 1979 and Minister for Health from 1979 to 1982, in the Fraser Government. He also held the positions of Minister Assisting the Prime Minister from 1979 to 1980 and Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment in 1981. It is clear from these appointments that Michael MacKellar was highly regarded and an important member of the Fraser government.

As Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, he oversaw the placement of tens of thousands of Vietnamese who were fleeing communism. This has been a lasting legacy such that we now have a thriving and industrious Australian Vietnamese community.

In many ways it was a shame that MacKellar had to resign over unpaid duty on a television. His contribution had been core to the government. But MacKellar refused to be stopped from making a further contribution. The after-politics section of this contribution is testament to his continuing commitment to important issues of the day. Maintaining his sense of public service, after leaving politics MacKellar became the Chairman of the Australia New Zealand Food Authority, in 1998. He also acted as Chief Operations Officer of the Baker Medical Research Institute and Chief Executive Officer of the Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association. MacKellar also served as the president of the Melbourne-based National Ageing Research Institute.

In his last speech in Parliament, Mackellar spoke of the privilege of not just being a member but a minister, because you can make real change happen. He said:

I think particularly of the difficulties in the immigration and ethnic affairs area when Australia faced a challenge which it had never faced before—the potential arrival of hundreds of thousands of distressed refugees from Indo-China in small boats. We as a government and I as the Minister helped to deal with that situation in a way which, I believe, did Australia great credit.

That is quite true. Dr John Hewson explained in his valedictory speech for MacKellar that, along with Malcolm Fraser, Michael was instrumental in organising two United Nations conferences on refugees:

He really did internationalise an understanding of the problem of refugees. I think that will long be remembered as a very significant contribution.

Michael also, in conjunction with Malcolm Fraser, commissioned the Galbally report on migrant services and subsequently implemented most of its recommendations. I think that this represented the first substantive commitment by any Australian government to a multicultural society.

Out of this, we saw the establishment of the SBS, comprehensive support for new arrivals, the Migrant Resource Centre and the Australian Institute of Multicultural studies.

Mackellar also had a broader vision of Australia that made him understand what the future would bring. He said in his last speech, in 1994, that the Prime Ministership of Malcolm Fraser has been denigrated far too much—not so much by his political opponents, but by those who should be his political supporters. He added that in the sweep of history great achievements were made by the Fraser ministries. It is only now that Malcolm Fraser has passed on that true recognition for him and his government achievements is happening.

On the lighter side, Dr John Hewson described Michael MacKellar as an absolute burglar on the golf course. He was renowned for his sporting ability and his avid readership. He was also well-known for founding the coalition's wine appreciation society—the source, I understand, of many a good night. All this from a boy who was born and grew up in Baan Baa in the former electorate of Gwydir No wonder his first speech was on the wheat industry.

It is a sad time for his family and close friends. I extend condolences to them on behalf of all National senators.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.