Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

As a senator for Western Australia, and also as Minister for Defence, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of an extraordinary Australian and extraordinary Western Australian, who served our nation with such great distinction and honour in all aspects of his life: former Governor-General, Major General the Hon. Michael Jeffery, AO, AC, CVO, MC.

General Jeffery was born in humble beginnings in the small outback town of Wiluna in my home state of Western Australia. He described his upbringing as never luxurious but happy. Later, he would go on to say that the earliest years are the most important in framing a person's life. This is no truer than of Michael Jeffery himself. His mother, Edna, was a nurse and his father, Phil, was a stockman and a miner who served during World War II. Their shared commitment to their family, their community and their nation shaped everything young Michael would go on to do in his lifetime.

At 16 he entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, marking the start of a long and very distinguished career of military and civilian service. Early on, General Jeffery served in a number of units, including in the Special Air Services Regiment. In 1962 he posted to Malaya, serving with the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment, followed by a secondment in Borneo with the British SAS. From 1966 to 1969 General Jeffery served in Papua New Guinea with 1st Battalion of the Pacific Islands Regiment. While there, he married his wife, Marlena, whom he often, and very fondly, referred to as his 'teammate'.

After PNG, General Jeffery deployed to Vietnam with the 8th Battalion. During this tour he was awarded the Military Cross and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. In 1976 he returned home to Perth to assume command of the SASR. He was then promoted to colonel and became the first Director of Army's Special Action Forces. For his service in this role he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. He also headed Australia's national counterterrorism coordination authority, after which he commanded the 1st Mechanised and Airborne Brigade in Holsworthy in Sydney.

In 1986 he was promoted to Major General and commanded the 1st Division. On having a look at his service record, I'm sure, back then, that if we'd had a core or Army group he would certainly have gone on to command those too. In 1988 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the Army, and in 1989 he served as the Assistant Chief of the General Staff—Logistics. As a logistician myself, I know that all wise Army commanders understand the importance of logistics!

In January 1990 General Jeffery became Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and only a year later he was appointed Assistant Chief of the General Staff for Materiel. He was responsible for managing 600 Army acquisition and construction projects, then worth over $3 billion. It was not long after this final Army appointment that Major General Michael Jeffery retired from full-time service and commenced the next chapter of his life of leadership and service to our nation.

In 1993 he became the 28th Governor of Western Australia. In his seven years in the role his humility, his energy, his passion for causes and his dedication to his home state shone through. So it was no surprise when in 2003 Prime Minister John Howard asked him to serve his nation yet again, this time as Australia's 24th Governor-General. During his governor-generalship, Michael Jeffery continued with his own stamp of leadership. He did that with integrity, discipline, compassion and strength of character to his core.

General Jeffery was a devoted father, husband and grandfather, and he cherished the support of his family throughout his life of service. I extend my deepest sympathies to Marlena and his family for their great loss to our nation. Their loss is certainly all of our loss.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.