Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's a real honour to deliver this speech to acknowledge my friend and colleague former senator Catryna Bilyk. Catryna and I have shared more than just a party room over the past 17 years. We've shared campaigns, committee hearings, community events, late-night Senate debates, travel and many laughs along the way. We have stood shoulder to shoulder advocating for Tasmania, for Labor values, and for those who often go unheard in the halls of power.

Seventeen years of service in the Senate is no small feat, and in that time Catryna built a legacy that is as broad as it is deep. Whether it was championing low-survival-rate cancers, especially brain cancer research; standing up for children's safety; fighting for fairer wages; or helping families navigate palliative care and disability support, Catryna never stopped advocating for those in need. And she got results: the investments in brain cancer research—over $170 million from the government—secured as a direct result of her advocacy; the reforms to get NDIS access for brain tumour patients; her efforts to keep Palliative Care Tasmania open, not once but twice; the national assistance card program she helped extend to autism; and her fierce, fearless campaigning to improve survival rates for cancers that have long been neglected. These achievements continue to change lives, long after she left this place.

But Catryna didn't just push for government investment; she rolled up her sleeves and raised money herself. Through Walk4BrainCancer events, she personally helped raise more than $220,000 for research. That's enough to fund a small clinical trial through the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation. It's a powerful example of her determination to keep fighting for better outcomes however she could.

Catryna did all this while dealing with enormous personal challenges, including surgeries for brain tumours. I think most of us in this chamber will never forget the strength and resilience she showed during those times not just in facing those challenges but in coming to this chamber and working hard, just 10 weeks after, driven by that same fierce determination to make a difference. Catryna never let her own battle stop her fighting for others. That is the kind of person she is. She's as tough as they come but leads with kindness.

She also played a major role across Senate committees over the years. Inquiries she chaired and contributed to have helped shape policy on everything from education and employment to communications. Her work on facilitating and chairing the Select Committee into Funding for Research into Cancers with Low Survival Rates gave a voice to families and patients who had been left behind for far too long. It didn't just make headlines; it delivered outcomes. Catryna brought that same compassion and courage to her work on the Senate inquiry into stillbirth research and education. As someone who had personally experienced the heartbreak of stillbirth, she helped break the silence that too often surrounds it. Through this inquiry, Catryna gave notice to countless families and pushed for national action, including better bereavement care, improved data collection and stronger public education. Her contribution helped shift stillbirth from a hidden tragedy to a national conversation.

Catryna brought that same compassion and conviction to her international work. As co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of Ukraine and the Parliamentary Friends of Japan groups, she brought both personal passion and political weight to global issues. Her advocacy for Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal invasion was grounded not only in principle but also in her family's Ukrainian heritage. In the Parliamentary Friends of Japan group, she worked to strengthen one of Australia's most important regional partnerships. In both roles, she helped build lasting parliamentary solidarity and international friendship. Her involvement in so many other parliamentary friendship groups reflects that same drive.

Whether it was the Parliamentary Friends of Palliative Care, the Parliamentary Friends of Parkinson's or the Parliamentary Friends of Children's Literacy, or advocacy to prevent child abuse and neglect, Catryna never limited herself to what was in the headlines—she got stuck into the work that mattered. She brought the same care and focus to her role as Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme. Survivors of institutional abuse had been promised justice and support. Catryna made sure that promise was not forgotten, and she never let the urgency of that work slip from view.

That deep sense of justice has guided her throughout her career. Before entering parliament, Catryna was a unionist, an early childhood educator, a public servant and a government adviser. She spent decades fighting for early childhood educators to be paid fairly and treated with respect. That commitment to equality and dignity for working people has always been the core of her politics. She never sought the spotlight; she sought outcomes. In this chamber, Catryna has consistently put children, families and those in vulnerable situations at the centre of her work. From cybersafety to online literacy, from palliative care to early childhood education, she has seen issues through a human lens, not a partisan one.

She is also one of the most authentic people you will ever meet in politics. There is no pretence with Catryna. What you see is what you get; she says what she means and she means what she says. You could not ask for a more loyal friend or a more principled colleague. We have travelled together across Tasmania over the years—and, if anyone knows me, they know that's a difficult prospect—and, whether it was a seniors morning tea, a childcare centre, a cancer fundraiser or a local community forum, you could see straightaway how much people trusted her, because she listened, she cared and she followed up.

As Julie Collins, the member for Franklin, put it, 'Catryna is the best duty senator an MP can ask for.' It's a simple line, but it says so much about how deeply valued Catryna has been by those she has worked alongside—always dependable and always focused on delivering for her community. People knew they had someone in their corner when Catryna was on their side.

To Catryna's family: thank you. You have shared Catryna with the Senate, with Tasmania, and with the Labor movement for nearly four decades. We know the personal sacrifices that come with public life. We thank you for your patience, your support and your love. To Catryna's staff: you know better than anyone just how hard Catryna works. Your dedication and support made a huge difference in helping her achieve all that she has achieved. You have been part of this journey too, and you should be proud.

Catryna stepped away from the Senate, leaving behind a legacy of service, courage and achievement. She has helped shape a better Tasmania and a fairer Australia. She has never forgotten where she comes from, she has never stopped believing that politics can be a force for good and she has never once let the people of Tasmania down. While I'll miss seeing Catryna in the chamber, I know this isn't the end. She'll keep making a difference because that's who she is. Whether it's through community work, advocacy or simply spending more time with loved ones, her passion and care will carry on.

Catryna, it has been the greatest privilege to work alongside you, to campaign with you, to serve with you and to call you a friend. From one Tasmanian senator to another and from one proud Labor woman to another: thank you for everything you have done for our state, for our party and for the people who needed you most.

I acknowledge that former senator Catryna Bilyk is in the chamber with her former chief of staff, Daniel Hume. On behalf of the ALP caucus, you left this place with the respect of your colleagues, the love of your community and a legacy that will endure. Enjoy this next chapter; you have more than earned it.