Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, may I also extend to you my congratulations on your election to this high office.

I rise this afternoon to also pay tribute to a remarkable Western Australian, a deeply committed public servant and a stalwart of the Liberal Party—that, of course, is Senator Dr Alan Eggleston, who passed away on 13 May 2025. In doing so, I want to associate myself with the very generous remarks made by Senator Cash and those made by Senator McAllister and Senator McKenzie.

Alan served this chamber and the people of Western Australia with quiet dignity, fierce intelligence and an unwavering sense of duty. His was a voice of regional Western Australia, grounded in the red earth of the Pilbara, shaped by his medical background and driven by an enduring belief in fairness, opportunity and service. Alan Eggleston was not only a senator for Western Australia; he was a senator of Western Australia. He was a champion of remote Australia before it became fashionable, an advocate for regions too often forgotten by Canberra, who considered it the responsibility of government to provide a fair go for all Australians, no matter their postcode.

It was a privilege to have had published in the West Australian newspaper just recently an obituary written by me for Alan, and I'm grateful to the West Australian newspaper for giving me that opportunity. I'll just make some brief remarks this afternoon and make some personal observations reflecting on his life in local politics and his early involvement and lasting involvement in the Liberal Party, his contribution to shaping the north-west of Western Australia and his long legacy to me and others in this Senate chamber who had the privilege of working with him.

Alan's commitment to service led him to local government, serving as mayor of Port Hedland from 1988 to 1991. He approached this with a calm pragmatism and understood that policy is not something cooked up in offices in Perth or in Canberra; it was lived day by day by local people. Alan was president of the Kalgoorlie North division of the Liberal Party from 1980 to 1984 and the WA state Liberal Party vice-president from 1981 to 1985. He was an active member, deeply respected for his policy insight and the authenticity of his views. He was not a party man for party's sake. He believed in the values of liberalism, especially its emphasis on individual dignity, enterprise and limited but effective government.

Remarkably, Alan's election to the Senate almost never happened. At the 1987 federal election, Alan stood in the unwinnable sixth position on the Liberal Party ticket. He had contested a Senate spot for the 1990 federal election but withdrew his candidature while the selection meeting was taking place. Alan was finally elected to the Senate in 1996, winning the third spot on the ticket by just a single vote. Alan reportedly said that, over the years, many people came to him and said they were that one vote.

But it was his tireless advocacy for northern Western Australia that defined his parliamentary career. He used every tool available to a senator to fight for infrastructure and services for the Pilbara, Kimberley, Gascoyne and beyond. He spoke powerfully about the impact of the mining boom on regional housing and social cohesion. He lobbied for improved air services, better roads and the need for skilled workers to be attracted and retained in remote towns. He never tired of reminding those in Canberra—those in this Senate chamber—that WA was the engine room of our national economy and that those who lived and worked in the north deserved to share in its rewards. He also fought hard for Aboriginal communities and understood that health outcomes were about more than hospitals; they were about housing, education, clean water and community trust.

We heard from Senator Cash about the 22 years of service he provided in various forms in the township of Port Hedland, and of course he was the local GP in Port Hedland for many, many years. I grew up in Port Hedland when Alan Eggleston was its local GP. My father was the local policeman, and, while I never knew Alan Eggleston when I was five or six, my mother does tell the story of how she recalls, while she was pregnant perhaps, encountering him in his surgery all those years ago. What a remarkable revelation about how life twists and turns and then finds itself meeting again, having had the opportunity, as I did, as a more mature kid that grew up in Port Hedland, of working beside him in this Senate chamber.

Within the WA Liberals, Alan was a mentor, a sage source of advice and, for many, a moral compass. He was never one for factionalism or internal games. He encouraged younger Liberals to visit the regions and see life beyond the metropolitan bubble. Alan believed that the Liberal cause was strongest when it remembered its country roots—when it stood up for small-business owners, pastoralists, local volunteers and the battlers who keep rural communities running.

His policy contributions behind the scenes were significant, and he was instrumental in shaping the party's thinking on how we delivered practical outcomes where the circumstances were culturally and geographically complex. Shortly after his coming to the Senate, in 2012 the coalition was beset with two very important issues—important to Western Australians most particularly. The first was a very heated debate about whether or not to continue the process of deregulation of our wheat export markets. Anyone who knows anything about wheat exports knows that the bulk of wheat exports from our country come from Western Australia. Curiously, at the time, the coalition government, led by Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce, wanted to reverse the success of wheat deregulation. Alan and I were quick to our feet as Western Australian senators to say 'not in our name'. It was a moment in this Senate chamber when I learnt a very important political lesson: don't blink first. And, of course, having to cross the floor—as Alan and I were prepared to do, to support WA wheat farmers—wasn't necessary because Senator Joyce, at the time, and Senator Nash, at the time, didn't call a division.

The second issue speaks to Alan's commitment and indeed the commitment all Western Australians have to maintaining our federal structure. The Rudd-Gillard period saw the Gillard government bring forward a referendum proposition to recognise local government in our Australian Constitution. That referendum bill reached the Senate. That referendum bill passed the Senate. Alan and I, with senators Bushby, Fawcett, Back and McKenzie, used the privileges that are bestowed on us as backbench senators to oppose that referendum bill. Again, curiously, the coalition had a bipartisan commitment to that referendum proposition. That bipartisan commitment was challenged in our party room, and Tony Abbott and others saw the wisdom of then advocating against that particular referendum proposition. But of course the referendum never happened, because Kevin Rudd called an election for the first possible Saturday for that referendum, and we've never heard of the recognition of local government in our national Constitution ever again—and long may that be the case. Alan Eggleston was the first republican I ever met in the Liberal Party, but I chose not to ever hold that against him!

I extend my deepest condolences to Alan's family, friends and former staff; to the WA Liberal Party, who have lost a cherished elder; and to the people of the north-west, who have lost a champion. Let me use these last words as a way of sharing with this Senate chamber what others have said about Alan. The first is from Elsia Archer, a champion of regional Western Australia and a local icon in the small township of Derby in WA's far north Kimberley region. Elsia said, 'Alan was one of life's finest gentleman and cared for all.' The second is from Evi Ferrier, Alan's companion and partner of many, many years. She said: 'Alan was a remarkable playmate. He was always willing to join me in anything, even tap-dancing master classes and swimming in the ocean all year round.' In her last conversation with Alan, she told him, 'I love you more than the world.' Alan responded, 'What about the dog?'—good humoured and fun to the very end.

Alan Eggleston is, as far as I've been able to discover, still the only Western Australian senator to have ever appeared on a poster for Perth's Fringe festival.

I know, Senator Brockman; I didn't know that either until Evi sent that to me.

We have lost a remarkable individual, a person who has served our state with great triumph and always with the greatest humility. Again, we extend condolences to Alan's family, to all his friends and to those in the Senate chamber that had the privilege and honour to work with him.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to associate myself with this condolence motion, and I want to follow on from some of the things my colleague from Western Australia Dean Smith talked about there. One of Dean's comments was that Senator Eggleston wasn't overly ideological, and that is true. But I must say that the first time I can remember ever encountering Alan Eggleston was at a Liberal Party state conference when he was a member, and probably the president, of the Kalgoorlie North division. This was at a time when the internal laws of the Liberal Party did have some little anomalies that I'm certain Alan used to the best of that division's benefit! Alan used to wear a long coat, and attached to that coat were numerous proxies. The Kalgoorlie North division was allowed to carry unlimited proxies because of its remoteness, and, certainly, that division used that ability to wield, within the Liberal Party, a degree of influence that I know Alan always used wisely.

Alan was an absolute champion for regional Western Australia. I was not lucky enough to share time in this chamber with Alan, but that does not mean he was not a significant part of my political journey. Certainly I remember him being an absolute fixture at state conferences, state council meetings and regional branch divisional meetings, right from my earliest days in getting actively involved in the Liberal Party of Western Australia. We did have a strong connection because, like Alan, growing up I was deeply associated with a regional division of the WA Liberal Party. In my case it was the O'Connor division, and in Alan's case it was Kalgoorlie North and then the Durack division. Whilst we didn't always agree on issues, we did try and work together as regional divisions on many occasions.

Alan was an absolute force of nature. He stood up for what he believed. He was willing to stand up against things that he thought were wrong and take a stand publicly on those aspects where he thought that his voice could lend support to a cause. You have only to look at his parliamentary biography—and I did print it out—to see the sheer number of committees he was involved in over his journey in this place. It is quite extraordinary. I cannot believe it. Sometimes I look at mine and think, 'Did I actually serve on that committee?' But, looking at Alan's, it's quite extraordinary how many committees he did play an active part in.

His list of party positions in the Western Australia Liberal Party was also extensive. He was a champion of our party. At the memorial service that Senator Cash talked about, one of the things that came through so very strongly was how much our Western Australian Liberal Party meant to him. I think, as we stand in this place as representatives of our various organisations, it is worthwhile reflecting on Alan's approach to his service and his understanding that the party was bigger than the individual, that he was representing a set of values and people who shared a common set of ideals and principles. He did so with a passion, intelligence and commitment that I think we would all do very, very well to reflect on.

His service in local government has been gone through. It was obviously of huge benefit to his local community to have someone of such passion and force advocating on their behalf not only locally when he lived in Port Hedland and was a member of the local government there but also when he came to this place to advocate actively for those regional communities that often are forgotten about and that often are the last people to receive services regardless of how economically successful they are. Port Hedland is the economic powerhouse of this nation. We should all remember just how much of Australia's wealth actually flows through the port of Port Hedland. Alan was a champion for making sure those regional communities, particularly in the north of Western Australia but right across Australia, did get the recognition they deserved.

Something that Senator Cash touched on I will touch on myself. It was something I learned at Alan's memorial service—just how he was treated in medical school by certain individuals. One thing that really stuck with me from that service was how his fellow medical students going through at the same time never allowed that bureaucratic rejection of Alan to influence their view of Alan. They always treated him as one of the graduates of that class, even though he had to go to London to finish his medical training and then subsequently returned to Western Australia. His fellow medical students recognised in him that quality which we all grew to know and respect over many, many years.

He was truly a wonderful servant of our state. He was a man of enormous heart, great intellect and unwavering courage. He never let the world define his limits. From doctor to mayor to senator, he carved out a remarkable life of service and purpose, always with humility, wit and determination. Rest in peace, Alan.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to join with my colleagues in recognising and respecting the life of Dr Alan Eggleston, a former senator from Western Australia. I associate myself with all those who have gone before me to speak here this afternoon.

Dr Eggleston was born on 30 December 1941 in the beautiful Western Australian town of Busselton, and he spent his early years there before relocating to Perth to attend Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont, where we held his commemoration service. After completing secondary school, he ventured on to pursue a degree in medicine at the University of Western Australia. Despite facing notable challenges due to his medical and physical condition, he modelled great determination and tenacity. Following his time at UWA he travelled to the United Kingdom, where he completed his studies at London university and Birmingham hospitals. He then returned to Australia as Dr Alan Eggleston.

In 1974 Dr Eggleston relocated to Port Hedland. What was initially intended to be a short time became a 22-year commitment to the Pilbara region and its people. For those that aren't familiar with the Pilbara, it can be a challenging place. Through my career, I've been a part-time FIFO worker to the Pilbara, and to base yourself there and live there is a tremendous commitment. Those that do it absolutely love it, but its scorching hot summers and cold winters—or cold nights—could not have made the idealistic backdrop for a young medical graduate. Despite that, Dr Eggleston devoted himself to his community, and we saw that right through his career, particularly as a senator.

For 22 years, his Port Hedland surgery was a refuge in a region where access to medical care was limited. At times he was the only general practitioner for literally hundreds of kilometres. He cared for all with dignity, compassion and resolve, even famously delivering several babies mid-flight as a flying doctor. It was out of his deep commitment to service that Dr Eggleston went on to become a local government councillor and widely respected mayor of Port Hedland.

It was his enduring commitment to service that led him to represent the Western Australian people, at the federal level, that we all have the privilege of serving here in this place. He served in the Australian Senate with distinction for 18 years. Together with his devotion to the north-west, Dr Eggleston was a committed federalist, believing that federal and state governments have a critical role in ensuring the best interests of regional Australia are served and not just the exclusive domain of the cities.

Some of my colleagues have talked about votes that occur in political parties. I have a sliding-door moment that relates to Dr Eggleston myself, and it's due to a vote. I was a preselection candidate for the seat of Burt in 2016, and I was involved in the party but not really in the forefront of the party, you would say. I ran as a candidate and met with Dr Alan Eggleston, a former senator at the time. I, of course, knew who he was, but it was the first time he got to meet me. Through that meeting and that exchange that I had with him in South Perth, he made a commitment to me that day that he would support me in my preselection, because he was drawn as a random delegate from state council.

I knew it was going to be a very tight preselection, and it would come down, literally, to one vote. Unfortunately, Dr Eggleston was sick on the day of the preselection, and he wasn't able to come, so I lost by one vote! But the sliding-door situation is that I was, you would say, somewhat in obscurity within the party, but it went to state council, and the decision was overturned by state council. I therefore had to do my preselection in front of state council—sorry, I went on to lose by that one vote, and I went on to state council to have the preselection recontested. Had Alan Eggleston turned up to my original preselection, I would have won it, run for the seat of Burt, not won at the election and just been that guy that ran for Burt that one time. But, instead, I was put in front of state council, where I got the opportunity to be introduced across the whole state council. Then, literally three years later, I was pre-selected into the Senate. Life is filled with strange moments like that. That path may never have been opened for me if that circumstance didn't happen, and these are small moments that remind us of how the lives of those around us can unexpectedly shape even our own.

It was a privilege to attend Dr Eggleston's commemoration service at Christ Church Grammar School. Those that were there saw that the auditorium was filled to the brim with many people—family, old schoolmates, former colleagues and even former premiers—with many gathering to reflect on the profound and lasting impact that he left on all that had the privilege of encountering him. His legacy will endure well beyond his lifetime, and his influence will continue to be felt in regional health, local government and indeed in federal politics. Dr Alan Eggleston will be remembered with a deep respect and admiration as a man of resilience, compassion and servant leadership. Senator Brockman just quoted from his obituary that, I think, he had in the West Australian. You said:

A man of enormous heart, great intellect, and unwavering courage, Alan never let the world define his limits. From Doctor to Mayor to Senator, he carved out a remarkable life of service and purpose—always with humility, wit, and determination.

And you went on to say in your obituary—you didn't just say it here—he was a 'dragon slayer'. And that's true.

Vale, Alan. You left the world a better place than you found it. May you rest in peace.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would just like to associate myself with the comments of all my colleagues in the chamber today who have spoken with respect to the service of former senator Alan Eggleston, Dr Eggleston, having had the very good fortune to serve with him—as my wife said to me as I was heading out of the chamber earlier in the night, a man who loved his leather jacket. It might have been for reasons that have been explained by Senator Brockman earlier, but the leather jacket was a feature that even Gaylene noticed. He was somebody who achieved despite what everyone else might have expected. I think of the story that Senator Brockman told about the appalling way that he was treated by the medical system when he was doing his training to be a doctor, the support he got from his colleagues on the course and the fact that, despite that, he found a way. He just got on with the job and did the job and then went on to a remarkable life of service to the Port Hedland community, whether that be as a medical practitioner in that community, whether that be in local government or whether that be when he came to the Senate and remained a remarkable advocate for regional Western Australia.

He had what I would describe as a very, very wry sense of humour. He could be a bit mischievous at times, as those of us who served with him would know, and he was on many occasions our wise man. He would provide advice, he would provide support and he would hold court. He had a great intellect, and he used that for the benefit of his community, for the benefit of the country—with over 18 years of service in this place—and also in support of colleagues and others, who he was always prepared to provide support to in this place when they needed it or when even he thought they may have needed it. He was only too willing to offer.

It is a remarkable career that he has achieved—a remarkable life that he has achieved. It was appropriate that he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for all of that service. I am very, very pleased that he was a colleague for me for a period of time in this place, for 12 years, and very much enjoyed working with him. The fact that he served as chair of the economics committee over a couple of stints, environment and comms, and also foreign affairs, defence and trade shows the breadth of what he was capable of—to be given the responsibility to chair those committees. So, to all those that loved him and miss him, my condolences. Rest in peace, Eggy.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Senate may indulge me for just a couple of seconds, I did have the privilege of serving with Eggy. You hear the statement 'a gentleman and a scholar'; there could be no truer words spoken about Eggy. He was an absolute diamond. To his family and friends and to the Western Australian branch of the Liberal Party: you've lost a champion there. Eggy, rest in peace, mate.

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