Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

I just wish to add a few words. I didn't have the honour of serving in this place with Senator Ron Boswell. I did luckily encounter Senator Boswell—and he will, to me, always be Senator Boswell, Senator McDonald, as a staff member for Senator Mathias Cormann. I think it's worth reflecting that, in that period—I'm talking about the 2010 to 2013 period, a time when Senator Boswell had already served 27 years in this place—he served on the scrutiny of new taxes committee which was the committee of the Senate that looked at the carbon tax and the mining tax. I think it's fair to say that that committee was one of the key avenues for prosecuting the arguments that did, in the end, see the Liberal-National coalition return to government. And there was Senator Boswell, after having served 27 years—I think it's fair to say he was getting towards the end of his career—in those communities, prosecuting the case, and, always, when Senator Boswell was in there prosecuting the case, it was about the impact on small business and about the impact on individuals. I suspect Senator Canavan may have actually written quite a few of those questions in a former role as well. But Senator Boswell was always there standing up his community and standing up for the constituency that he saw as sending him here. He will be remembered. He played such an important role in this institution, to his family and to his friends. May he rest in peace.

Question agreed to, honourable senators joining in a moment of silence.