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

With my colleagues' indulgence, I'd like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to a very special person in my life, my grandmother Kathleen Ward. Sadly, Nanna passed away on Monday morning, and, like so many other Australians who have to travel for work, I was unable to be there. Mercifully, she was surrounded by family who shared some very special moments together in the hours before she peacefully passed away. Kath, or Nanna as we called her, was an amazing woman. She was only 36 when my older brother was born, so we had a very young grandmother growing up. I know my siblings and my parents would all say that she had as much to do with our formation as our parents did. Obviously I wouldn't be here without her—she was my grandmother—but far beyond that she's had a profound impact on who I am and what I've lived for. Nanna was never wealthy and certainly faced a share of challenges, but she never waited for everything to be perfect to find joy. She had this remarkable ability to see beauty and gratitude in even the smallest of moments. This was the fruit of a very real and personal faith as a Christian.

Nanna worked as a carer, a role that, like many who work in that profession, perfectly reflected her caring heart. I've met some of the people that she cared for, and I've never forgotten how fondly they spoke of her. You could tell that they genuinely felt loved and valued under her care. I realise that we don't often speak about personal matters in this place, but I want Hansard to record just how wonderful Kathleen Ward was. She loved her family. She loved her community, and she loved her God. As much as she'd be chuffed to know that her name is now recorded in the Senate for all time, I know that it's recorded in eternity's hansard, the Book of Life, where she was welcomed into the loving arms of her Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ, in the early hours of Monday morning.

If I could leave one thought with colleagues, it's this—never take for granted the quiet, steadfast people who shape our lives, those who love us, guide us or even pray for us when no-one's watching. My Nanna was one of those people, and I'm so grateful that she was mine.