Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with heartfelt sadness that I participate in the adjournment debate to acknowledge the life and work of a great Australian, the Hon. Jock Ferguson, unionist, socialist and member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia. Jock Ferguson died last month after suffering a massive heart attack. Jock’s death is a great loss to his family, to the trade union movement, to Western Australia and to Australia.

Jock dedicated his life to Australia’s working-class, particularly AMWU members in Western Australia, and to the Australian Labor Party. Jock was described in the Western Australian media as a ‘man of the people’. I can think of no other person who deserves this title more than Jock Ferguson. Jock was a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. I would like to express my sorrow and sympathy to Jock’s wife, Tina, Jock’s children and Jock’s sister, Monica. I want to thank Jock’s family for letting so many Australians share the remarkable life of their husband, father and grandfather.

Jock was born in a tough working-class suburb of Glasgow call Possilpark. For many years Possilpark was a thriving manufacturing and engineering centre providing highly skilled, well-paid employment for generations of Glaswegians. In the sixties over 100,000 manufacturing jobs that underpinned the prosperity in Glasgow were lost. As Jock said:

The people of Possilpark suffered the consequences of the stripping of industry and loss of jobs for decades afterwards, with deeply entrenched long-term unemployment, high crime rates, the scourge of drugs and violence, one of the lowest life expectancies in Britain, and significant numbers of people suffering from malnutrition and other conditions associated with tremendous poverty.

This experience underpinned Jock’s values and working-class principles. After serving his apprenticeship as a fitter, Jock joined the merchant navy for five years, spent some time in New Zealand and then moved to Western Australia. Jock spent many years in the Pilbara and Gascoigne regions working as a fitter.

Possilpark’s loss was the Pilbara’s gain. Jock was a union activist and soon became a shop-floor leader. His commitment to the working class resulted in him becoming a local organiser, then assistant state secretary and then state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union. It was only last year that Jock took up his elected position in the Western Australian Legislative Council, where he continued his lifelong support for working people.

I had the privilege of working with Jock Ferguson for 25 years. We had much in common, both being fitters from Scotland with strong union principles. We both had a unique command of Australian English and we both had the privilege of holding senior positions in that great Australian union the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union. It was a great honour for me, even though it was a sad duty, to represent the Prime Minister at Jock’s funeral recently in Perth. I was also extremely privileged to be asked by Jock’s family to give a speech of thanks for Jock’s life and work. As the Prime Minister said in his contribution to the funeral:

It is with sadness that I note the death of Jock Ferguson MLC. Jock enjoyed a legendary status in the West Australian labour movement. He had begun his working life as a fitters apprentice, and after years working in the British merchant navy and later on the Pilbara, eventually had the honour of leading his union. As a union leader he earned respect from workers and employers alike as a committed, effective and persistent advocate for the cause of working people.

Jock embodied many of the finest traditions of the Labour movement. He fought to improve the working lives of ordinary Australians—building a nation that values the fair go for every man, woman and child. I pay tribute to Jock and his lifelong service to the Labour movement, the Labor Party and the nation. His memory will long endure.

On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I extend my condolences to Tina, to Jock’s family and to the many friends who are mourning his loss.

I think it is not a bad situation when you have a fitter from Glasgow being recognised by the Prime Minister of the country in such a way.

It is a mark of the many achievements of Jock Ferguson that tributes flooded in, not only from the Prime Minister but from other politicians, political parties, unions, the community and Jock’s beloved rank and file members. I would like to place on record a few of the many tributes that were published in the Western Australian press for this great Australian:

Sincere sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Jock Ferguson, a dedicated member of parliament representing the East Metropolitan region who was known and respected for upholding and fighting for his beliefs.

That was from the parliamentary Liberal Party of Western Australia.

A respected Member of Parliament; he will be remembered for his contribution to the people of Western Australia. Sincere condolences to his family and his friends.

That was from Brendan Grylls and members of the parliamentary National Party. And in another tribute:

The Greens members of parliament (WA) offer their condolences to the family of Jock Ferguson. A committed and tireless People’s Champion for justice and fairness, we are very sorry to see him go. He will be remembered fondly as a person who dedicated his life to others.

The board, members and staff of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry said:

Will be remembered for working with local employers over many decades to help grow the state, create jobs and keep workers safe.

From Peter Hollow, Maggie and Jim Sheffield:

Farewell comrade, you made the Pilbara and W.A. a better place. Condolences to all the family.

And from his ‘brothers of the Newman Pilbara mining union’:

Sympathy to Tina and family. We have all lost a great brother. Thanks to him the Pilbara unions have stayed strong.

There are too many other beautiful and heartfelt tributes to place on record in the short time I have tonight. As can be seen, Jock Ferguson was loved by his family, his members and his colleagues. Jock was respected by the business community and his political opponents.

Jock had a great sense of humour and a quick wit and was great company. Jock made union dinners and ALP functions bearable. I always knew that if you wanted a good night at a boring function you should sit next to Jock.

Some years ago Jock was involved in a dispute where a member was sacked for having a sex toy. I will not go into any further details in this august chamber except to say that Jock was asked in the media, in a television interview, to define a sex toy. Quick as a flash, Jock replied, ‘A five foot three Scotsman with a moustache.’ For those that knew Jock, he was a five foot three Scotsman with a moustache. This was typical Jock Ferguson.

Jock was a great Scotsman, a great Australian, a man of the world who left an indelible mark on the trade union movement and Western Australia. Jock has ensured that his legacy will be the legacy of committed activist in the trade union movement and in the Labor Party, fighting for a better society within Australia. We will always remember and never forget Jock’s great sense of humour. His sense of humour was never put to the side; he always used that sense of humour in big disputes and in negotiations. But he always was a serious man, a serious player, a fantastic friend and a great Australian. Comrade, we thank you for your work and your legacy and your friendship as a great Australian.