Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about a truly inspirational woman: the late Joan Kirner AC. Joan's actions, values and tenacity both in her official parliamentary roles and in her personal life introduced many to the world of politics, including myself. I offer my sincere condolences to Joan's family.

As an MP Joan was an education, environment and social equity advocate. As Premier Joan represented what can be achieved under difficult circumstances. Recognising that good policy involves all those who are affected, Joan engaged and empowered communities to be part of the solution. As she said, 'If you want to change the world for yourself and your own kids, you've got to change it for and with other people, particularly women.'

And so on Friday, 5 June, I attended Joan's funeral in Melbourne along with my Tasmanian colleagues former Premier Lara Giddings; our current deputy opposition leader, Michelle O'Byrne; and many other Labor women from across the country, including the Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Senator Penny Wong, Senator Anne McEwan, Senator Claire Moore and so many more state and federal MPs. It was a day, that I thought, like many of my Labor sisters, would never come, and when it did it certainly hit us hard. And despite the tears and the feeling of loss it was also a day of celebration—celebration for a woman who gave us so much, who contributed to where we are today.

Joan Kirner was a mentor like no other. She was fearless, tenacious, encouraging and so, so supportive. I was a much younger woman when I first met Joan, and like many of us I became absorbed by her strength, her wisdom and her belief in us that we could be leaders in our community. My involvement with Joan began with joining EMILY's List in the late 1990s around the same time I first met Julia Gillard, Penny Wong, Tanya Plibersek and so many more women that would ultimately influence my decision to run for parliament. Joan decided that I would be suited to sit on the EMILY's List national executive and, as they say, the rest is history.

EMILY's List Australia has helped 155 women into Australian parliaments across the country at both federal and state and territory level. EMILY's has raised $4.5 million to help individual candidates and ensure the long-term support of progressive Labor women. I organised fundraisers and coordinated candidate support with my Tasmanian co-convenor at the time, Karelle Logan, for our local Tassie ELAG—EMILY's List action group, as they were called—and I made new friends, or sisters, in the progressive women's movement that EMILY's was a key part of. And then in 2006 I ran for parliament for the first time with the support of EMILY's List.

None of this would have happened—indeed, I attribute where I find myself today to the incredible woman Joan Kirner. She was a trailblazer like no other. She gave us a strength we did not even know we had. She gave us a confidence, a belief in ourselves that enabled us to go forward and argue for equality. Her dear friend Hutch Hussein's words at Joan's funeral described the legacy which she has left:

Her indomitable spirit and soul will still be with us, living on in her legacy and the memories we all have about how she affected our lives.

Joan Kirner will be deeply missed by so many, but her memories do live on within us. She will never leave us.

Vale Joan Kirner.