Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Nationals, I rise to join fellow senators in acknowledging the passing of Nick Bolkus, former senator for South Australia, and to place on the record our appreciation for his service to the parliament and to the people of South Australia. Nick Bolkus died peacefully on Christmas morning aged 75. He was a South Australian senator from 1980 to 2005 and the first Greek Australian cabinet minister, under the former prime ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.

Nick served as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and later as Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister for Administrative Services. He was a passionate believer in the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. In keeping with the ancient Greek philosophy, he was also passionate about our democracy. Senator Bolkus's work reflected a clear understanding of the economic and social importance of strong regional communities to Australia's national prosperity, with a special interest in immigration. Most notably, during his time as immigration minister, as Senator Wong outlined, Senator Bolkus allowed thousands of Chinese nationals who arrived in Australia before the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing to permanently settle along with their relatives, a totemic decision for which our nation is grateful.

He was a formidable contributor to debate and a senator who took seriously the responsibility of proudly representing his state. He was also a key factional figure in the South Australian Labor Party and a key mentor for some of those opposite. He also played a strong role in modernising administrative services and public sector management. Though his political philosophies were not exactly aligned with the Nationals, Senator Bolkus was a strong advocate for strong competition laws and consumer rights. He was sympathetic to strong section 46 laws under the former Competition and Consumer Act, where the misuse of market power provisions are outlined. He was supportive of truth in advertising and fair trading enforcement and expressed strong concerns about vertical integration and market dominance, especially where it harmed small business or vulnerable communities, such as those of new arrivals. Any friend of stronger competition laws is a friend of the Nationals because what is fairer for consumers and producers is a fairer society. Following his Senate career, Senator Bolkus served as Australia's ambassador to Greece until 2002.

Only a short while ago our party lost former senator Ron Boswell, and I note the AFR's political correspondent Phill Coorey's comments over the weekend that 'we're losing all the good ones'. I completely concur with those comments. We're losing a generation of senators who left an indelible mark on our democracy, on this chamber and on their respective political movements, and we are poorer for them leaving us. On behalf of the Nationals, I wish to extend our sincere condolences to former senator Bolkus's family, friends and former colleagues and to acknowledge his contribution to Australia's parliamentary and public life.