Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to associate myself with this condolence motion, and I want to follow on from some of the things my colleague from Western Australia Dean Smith talked about there. One of Dean's comments was that Senator Eggleston wasn't overly ideological, and that is true. But I must say that the first time I can remember ever encountering Alan Eggleston was at a Liberal Party state conference when he was a member, and probably the president, of the Kalgoorlie North division. This was at a time when the internal laws of the Liberal Party did have some little anomalies that I'm certain Alan used to the best of that division's benefit! Alan used to wear a long coat, and attached to that coat were numerous proxies. The Kalgoorlie North division was allowed to carry unlimited proxies because of its remoteness, and, certainly, that division used that ability to wield, within the Liberal Party, a degree of influence that I know Alan always used wisely.

Alan was an absolute champion for regional Western Australia. I was not lucky enough to share time in this chamber with Alan, but that does not mean he was not a significant part of my political journey. Certainly I remember him being an absolute fixture at state conferences, state council meetings and regional branch divisional meetings, right from my earliest days in getting actively involved in the Liberal Party of Western Australia. We did have a strong connection because, like Alan, growing up I was deeply associated with a regional division of the WA Liberal Party. In my case it was the O'Connor division, and in Alan's case it was Kalgoorlie North and then the Durack division. Whilst we didn't always agree on issues, we did try and work together as regional divisions on many occasions.

Alan was an absolute force of nature. He stood up for what he believed. He was willing to stand up against things that he thought were wrong and take a stand publicly on those aspects where he thought that his voice could lend support to a cause. You have only to look at his parliamentary biography—and I did print it out—to see the sheer number of committees he was involved in over his journey in this place. It is quite extraordinary. I cannot believe it. Sometimes I look at mine and think, 'Did I actually serve on that committee?' But, looking at Alan's, it's quite extraordinary how many committees he did play an active part in.

His list of party positions in the Western Australia Liberal Party was also extensive. He was a champion of our party. At the memorial service that Senator Cash talked about, one of the things that came through so very strongly was how much our Western Australian Liberal Party meant to him. I think, as we stand in this place as representatives of our various organisations, it is worthwhile reflecting on Alan's approach to his service and his understanding that the party was bigger than the individual, that he was representing a set of values and people who shared a common set of ideals and principles. He did so with a passion, intelligence and commitment that I think we would all do very, very well to reflect on.

His service in local government has been gone through. It was obviously of huge benefit to his local community to have someone of such passion and force advocating on their behalf not only locally when he lived in Port Hedland and was a member of the local government there but also when he came to this place to advocate actively for those regional communities that often are forgotten about and that often are the last people to receive services regardless of how economically successful they are. Port Hedland is the economic powerhouse of this nation. We should all remember just how much of Australia's wealth actually flows through the port of Port Hedland. Alan was a champion for making sure those regional communities, particularly in the north of Western Australia but right across Australia, did get the recognition they deserved.

Something that Senator Cash touched on I will touch on myself. It was something I learned at Alan's memorial service—just how he was treated in medical school by certain individuals. One thing that really stuck with me from that service was how his fellow medical students going through at the same time never allowed that bureaucratic rejection of Alan to influence their view of Alan. They always treated him as one of the graduates of that class, even though he had to go to London to finish his medical training and then subsequently returned to Western Australia. His fellow medical students recognised in him that quality which we all grew to know and respect over many, many years.

He was truly a wonderful servant of our state. He was a man of enormous heart, great intellect and unwavering courage. He never let the world define his limits. From doctor to mayor to senator, he carved out a remarkable life of service and purpose, always with humility, wit and determination. Rest in peace, Alan.