Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand tonight to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution to Tasmanian politics made by the Hon. Sue Napier MP, member for Bass and, in so doing, I speak on behalf of the Tasmanian Liberal Senate team. Sue Napier was a true pioneer of Tasmanian politics. Sue Napier has been an outstanding state representative for the people of Bass for almost two decades. Her courage, her determination and her compassion have set her apart. As a woman in politics, Sue blazed a trail for others to follow: she was Tasmania’s first female Liberal cabinet minister, its first female Deputy Premier and the first woman to lead the Liberal Party. She has served with distinction in a range of portfolio and ministerial duties, while never losing touch with the grassroots.

I have enjoyed working with Sue Napier on a range of issues important to northern Tasmania and the state as a whole. I admire her as a quiet achiever with a can-do attitude. More recently, we have worked on the need to save the Australian Technical College in Northern Tasmania, and that campaign was successful. We worked with former federal member of parliament, Michael Ferguson, shadow Treasurer, Peter Gutwein, and other state and federal Liberals to save the Australian Technical College. We have worked in the north-east, and last October, for example, with other members of the Liberal Senate team, we visited Flinders Island. So, on behalf of the Tasmanian Liberal Senate team, I would like to acknowledge Sue’s outstanding contribution to Tasmanian politics.

I also note that my fellow Liberal senator from Tasmania, Senator David Bushby, wrote a thoughtful letter to the editor in the Hobart Mercury, and I would like to read it. It says:

I HAVE had the pleasure of knowing Sue Napier since she first entered Parliament. I also had the honour of serving Sue as her chief of staff while she was State Leader of the Tasmanian Liberal Party.

Sue Napier has been a great representative, not only for the people of Bass but for all of Tasmania and I feel privileged to have worked with her. She was an excellent minister and Deputy Premier and it was a great shame that circumstances of the time transpired against her putting forward her best claim to be Premier.

Sue has led the way for Liberal women in Tasmania and will be sorely missed in the front line of public life. However, I am sure Sue will still contribute in a significant way in her new life as a private citizen and I look forward to working with her as she concentrates on her passions and causes.

I would like to wish Sue and her family all the best in the coming months as I am sure do all Tasmanians.

A very thoughtful letter.

A range of tributes have been given to Sue Napier, but, before I mention some of those, I would like to acknowledge on the record her wonderful profile. In doing this, I want to say that last Friday I had the honour, on behalf of the Bass electorate of the Liberal Party in Tasmania, to pay tribute on their behalf to Sue Napier. It was a great honour indeed. It was one of the few occasions I have seen Sue Napier a little bit emotional as she responded to that tribute where there was a standing ovation in her honour and to give her the due praise that she deserves.

Sue is a fifth generation Tasmanian who, prior to entering state parliament in 1992, worked as a popular and successful teacher and university lecturer with an active profile in sport, community and youth affairs. She has accumulated a number of firsts in state parliament, which I mentioned earlier: the first female leader of the Tasmanian Liberal Party, the first female Deputy Premier and then its first female Leader of the Opposition and its first female Liberal state minister.

She has undertaken a broad range of portfolio responsibilities since her election in 1992. In 1994 she was Assistant Minister for Women and Youth Affairs; in 1995-96, Minister for Transport, TT-Line and Youth Affairs. She was re-elected in 1996 and became Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, the Arts, and Sport and Recreation. She was re-elected in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2006. Sue became the first woman to lead the state parliamentary Liberal Party from July 1999 to 2001. She was shadow minister for health and human services, shadow minister for racing, sport and recreation, and shadow minister for women Tasmania from 2000 to 2006. She was shadow minister for education and skills from 2006 to 2010, as well as the shadow minister for the environment, heritage and the arts, shadow minister for social inclusion, shadow minister for climate change, shadow minister for women Tasmania, and the leader of opposition business—a very heavy workload indeed. She has announced that she will not be seeking a further term and will conclude her term on 20 March.

Sue has a BA (Hons) from the University of Tasmania, she has a Master of Arts from Leeds, specialising in sport psychology and motor learning, and she has a Diploma of Physical Education from the University of Tasmania. Sue’s personal interests include golf, fishing, walking the dog and spending time with the family, which is fantastic. She certainly supports families and her friends alike.

The Hon. Will Hodgman, leader of the state Liberal Party, gave a tremendous tribute to Sue Napier on 9 February when he said:

It is typical of Sue Napier’s character that she felt unable to honestly commit to a four-year term in Parliament, and I respect her decision.

Sue has made an enormous contribution to Tasmania. She has many ‘firsts’ …

He went on to say:

She has served the people of Bass with distinction for eighteen years, since 1992, and is widely respected across all parties for her integrity, her commitment to Education and her knowledge of parliament.

It is typical of Sue that she wanted to ensure our major Education policy, announced on Sunday, was completed and released before she made this decision.

Will Hodgman continued:

On a personal note, I have valued Sue’s advice and guidance since I was elected.

She has an incredible capacity for hard work and for being a terrier with an issue until it is resolved.

Sue’s determination and love of politics led her to work hard on the Liberal’s education policy and, as a tribute to her, I would like to note that that education policy was released on Sunday, 7 February. It is headed ‘The Liberals’ $30 million plan to fix our education system’. It goes on to say:

A Hodgman Liberal government will raise education standards by overhauling Tasmania tomorrow and investing $30 million and revitalising our high schools, focusing on results, and providing more support to students and teachers.

Under a Hodgman Liberal government, there will be no more experimentation with our children’s education.

Frankly, voting for real change on 20 March, next month, would be a tribute to Sue Napier. Sue was a committed liberal and is determined to see real change in the election of a Will Hodgman majority Liberal government.

I also want to acknowledge the wonderful work Sue Napier has done with the other state Liberal members for Bass and the candidates for Bass, including Peter Gutwein, Tasmania’s shadow Treasurer, and of course former federal member for Bass Michael Ferguson, who is also running in the state election. He is a very fine and upstanding and outstanding candidate and indeed he is a future member of parliament. Michelle McGinity has been chosen by the Liberal Party to fill the gap, and she has a very fine pedigree as well with a marketing and public relations background. She is very articulate and feisty, and I think she will represent the interests of the community very well. Of course she is the daughter of Dr Paul McGinity, who has been so unfairly and inappropriately treated by the state Labor government and in my view by the process laid down by the Medical Council of Tasmania.

Last Friday night at the Bass electorate Liberal Party meeting I had the honour of launching the campaign of Nick Pedley. He will be another colleague working hard for the election of a Will Hodgman Liberal government on 20 March, as indeed will Pam Dakin, who is also running to support Will Hodgman in the electorate of Bass. I want to pay tribute to the work of Rob Mantach, who chaired the meeting last Friday night. He has done much to support and lead the Bass electorate. I know David Fry, a former state member for Bass, would also want to be recognised in this message to the Senate.

On behalf of the Tasmanian Liberal Senate team, and from me personally, I want to say congratulations Sue Napier; well done to you for your years of service to the people of Tasmania, particularly in the north. You are an outstanding citizen, you have contributed brilliantly and I want to wish you and your husband Drew all the best, particularly with the challenges that you face in the weeks and months ahead and for your time together. I wish you well and I pay tribute to you.