Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is often said that the past teaches us about the present, in that history gives us the tools to analyse what has gone before. Tonight I rise to highlight two significant Tasmanians. Both of these significant Tasmanians are outstanding political leaders, both of whom positively impacted our nation during critical stages of our state's and nation's history.

In a way, I suppose you could describe them as one of the original power couples: Joseph and Enid Lyons. Joseph is Tasmania's only Prime Minister to date—but, hopefully, not the last—and Dame Enid was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and to serve in federal cabinet.

As Tasmanian Premier between 1923 and 1928 and then Prime Minister from 1932 until his death in 1939, Joseph Lyons, or Joe, is arguably Tasmania's most successful politician. Known as 'Honest Joe', his personal popularity was an influencing factor in the governments he led. In a political career that spanned three decades, Joe served in the Tasmanian parliament during World War I and federal parliament during the Great Depression in the 1930s. As Prime Minister, Joe oversaw the rebuilding of the Australian economy after the Great Depression and established the Commonwealth Grants Commission. He pursued independent foreign policies, reducing Australia's reliance on Britain, and oversaw the creation of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1932. Joe was also Prime Minister during Edward VIII's abdication.

While he began his political career in the Australian Labor Party, Joe later became the founding leader of the United Australia Party, the UAP, which later became the Liberal Party. Joe had a steady hand when it came to managing the country's finances. He followed the trusted principles of low inflation, reducing government debt, balancing the budget and repaying loans. These are principles we should and do still aspire to today.

Born at Stanley in the north-west of Tasmania in 1879, Joe was the fifth of Michael and Ellen Lyons' eight children. Ellen was born in County Kildare, Ireland, and arrived in Australia in 1857, while Michael was born in Tasmania to Irish immigrants. After attending government and Catholic schools in Ulverstone and Stanley, Joe started working as a pupil-teacher at Stanley state school when he was 15. As a qualified teacher, he was posted around the state between 1901 and 1907 before attending Hobart Teachers College when it first opened. Joe then taught at the Glen Dhu and Wellington Square state schools in Launceston and was acting headmaster at Perth school.

It is said his complaints about poor working conditions for teachers and his growing involvement in politics led to conflict with the education department. Joe resigned his teaching position to stand as a Labor Party candidate at the 1909 Tasmanian state election. He won a seat in the House of Assembly, representing the north-west electorate of Wilmot, and returned comfortably in 1912. He also began courting Enid Burnell in 1912. The couple married at Wynyard three years later, when Joe was 35 and Enid was almost 18 years old. At that time Joe was a minister in John Earle's Tasmanian Labor government.

When Labor had come to power in Tasmania in 1914, on the eve of World War I, Joe was made Treasurer, Minister for Education and Minister for Railways. However, Labor lost the 1916 state election, and John Earle, a conscription supporter, resigned. Anticonscriptionist Joe Lyons took over the party leadership and became the opposition leader. Joe led the party until 1923, when he became Premier, leading a minority Labor government for the next five years. He was also Treasurer throughout his premiership, successfully reforming the powers of the conservative Tasmanian Legislative Council to reject money bills after a constitutional crisis in 1924. Labor lost the 1928 state election by a narrow margin, which proved to be a catalyst for change for the Lyons family. Joe decided to run for the federal seat of Wilmot in the 1929 election. He was elected easily and appointed Postmaster-General and Minister for Works and Railways.

When the Great Depression hit in 1930, Joe's conservative approach was supported by the business community but opposed by many in the Labor Party. He resigned from cabinet in January 1931, and, in March, Joe and five other right-wing Labor MPs crossed the floor to sit on the opposition benches. Joe and his supporters joined members of the Nationalist Party and Australian Party and formed the new United Australia Party, the UAP. He was elected leader, thus becoming the opposition leader.

After successfully moving a no-confidence motion in the Scullin government, Joe led the UAP to victory in the December 1931 federal election. At the 1934 election, the UAP suffered an eight-seat swing against it, so Joe invited the Country Party, now National Party, to create a coalition and form government. The Lyons government went on to win a third term in 1937 against the John Curtin led Labor Party.

While still in office, Joe died in Sydney on 7 April 1939, following a heart attack. His body lay in state at St Mary's Cathedral before being transported to Devonport for his funeral at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes on 13 April. Less than a week later Robert Menzies won the ballot for the UAP leadership, later becoming Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister.

In 1943, Joe's widow, Enid, embarked on her own political career, representing the UAP in the Tasmanian seat of Darwin, which was later renamed Braddon. As the first woman to enter Australia's parliament, Enid Lyons is an inspiration to many women here, and I referenced her career in my first speech in this place. With a strong belief in traditional family values and conservative politics, Enid shared her husband's political views and campaigned for him. However, her involvement in community affairs and politics had begun long before she met Joe. It started via her mother's involvement with the Labor Party and continued throughout her life.

Born in Smithton in 1897, Enid was the second child of four for sawmill worker William Burnell and his wife, Eliza. Enid attended Burnie State School, followed by Hobart's teachers college. She returned to Burnie as a junior teacher and struck up a friendship with fellow teacher and aspiring politician Joe Lyons. Interestingly, Enid first stood for election for the state seat of Denison in 1925. The election campaign ran during a whooping cough epidemic, which affected five of the Lyons children. Enid that year came within 60 votes of becoming the first woman elected to the Tasmanian parliament. Interestingly, Margaret McIntyre took that accolade when she won Cornwall, now Rosevears, in the Legislative Council in 1948, 23 years later.

When Joe became the leader of the UAP and then Prime Minister in 1933, Enid embraced the public spotlight and became involved in national politics. The couple and the 11 surviving children of their 12 moved into the Lodge in Canberra. Enid spoke at political and community events, taking a stand against military conflict while stressing the importance of being prepared for war in Europe. She accompanied Joe on two official visits to England and was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1937.

After Joe's death in 1939, grief-stricken, Dame Enid returned to Tasmania with her children, re-entering public life to run in the 1943 election. In her maiden speech on 29 September that year, Dame Enid spoke on social issues and the need for a postwar economic recovery plan. During her first term, she championed the extension of child endowment, free medical treatment for pensioners and the free distribution of life-saving drugs. Dame Enid increased her personal vote at two subsequent federal elections, keeping a clear focus on family values and national issues such as atomic energy, finance, population, industry, arbitration, social services, immigration and international affairs.

In December 1949 Dame Enid was appointed vice-president of the executive council in Robert Menzies's cabinet. Despite this role making her the first woman in federal cabinet, Dame Enid described the position as toothless, later writing, 'They only wanted me to pour the tea.' Dame Enid resigned from federal parliament in 1951 due to ill health but resumed public life later after a time of recovery at Devonport. She served as a commissioner of the ABC for 11 years but also worked for the Australian Women's National League, the Victoria league, the Housewives Association, and St Joan's Social and Political Alliance. She was made an honorary fellow of the Australian College of Nursing in 1951 and was founding vice-president of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1954.

Extending her public reach, Dame Enid wrote three books on her life and political career as well as penning a newspaper column twice a week. On Australia Day 1983, Dame Enid Lyons was made a Dame of the Order of Australia, making her the first Australian woman to receive damehoods in two different orders. Dame Enid died the following year, aged 84, and was buried beside Joe at Devonport after a state funeral. As you can see from their story, Joe and Enid Lyons were both strong leaders. Their strong values and commitment to their family, their state and their nation were evident throughout their lives. (Time expired)