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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (28 June) . . Page.. 2103 ..

MR HIRD

: Mr Speaker, in 1974 I began my career in local politics in the Australian Capital Territory, along with you and Mr Kaine, as well as Gordon John Walsh, Susan Ryan, Ros Kelly and Peter Vallee. At that time Gordon was the leader of the ALP team in the House of Assembly. He lead the ALP through to 1977. I was saddened to hear of his death last week at the age of 67.

As the Chief Minister has indicated, Gordon was born in England in 1932 and was therefore too young to fight in World War II. However, he certainly felt its effects, twice being evacuated from London, with other children, following threats of a German invasion. As the Chief Minister said, he joined the army at the age of 15 and excelled in his chosen field of catering, eventually graduating as an instructor. He served in Malaya with the British armed forces and eventually finished up in Australia in 1956. He was immediately snapped up to work as a caterer at the Melbourne Olympics. As well as providing him with a job, the Olympics also enabled him to indulge in his love of sport-however, only as a spectator. This does not take away from his personal sporting achievements as a runner and a boxer, in which he represented the army with distinction on a number of occasions.

Gordon often told me of his attraction to Australia's lifestyle and the Australian ethos. He was particularly attracted to the fact that in Australia you could speak your mind, as the Leader of the Opposition has indicated, and that rewards would come to those who chose to have a go.

After moving to Canberra, Gordon quickly moved his interest in politics into practical terms and joined the Australian Labor Party. Subsequently he was appointed to the ACT Advisory Council. When the council was replaced by the House of Assembly in 1974 he proved his popularity by being elected by the broad community. He served the ALP, as indicated, up until 1977. During this period Gordon realigned his political thinking and subsequently was one of the founding members of the newly formed Australian Democrats. He represented that party from 1977 through to 1986.

Mr Speaker, in the second House of Assembly Gordon was elected to the position of Chairman of Committees,which was equivalent to the position of Deputy Speaker in this house, an office which he served with distinction. This office enabled him to ensure that the voice of the community was never lost in the hurly-burly of political life. It was this community advocacy which determined Gordon's political stance on issues. He saw himself as, and he was, a true representative of the people of this great territory.

Gordon was heavily involved in the moves for the ACT to gain self-government and was appointed to the Select Committee on the Transition to Territorial Government. When his party, the Australian Democrats, opted for a weak model of independence his conscience was such that he resigned as President of the ACT Democrats, describing the proposal as a "damp squid". He even moved a motion in the second House of Assembly which criticised the feebleness of the proposal and the lack of power which it gave to the people of the territory.

Gordon held many other positions in public life and made the effort to further his understandings of issues by completing a social welfare certificate in 1983 and a bachelor of arts degree in 1992. Mr Speaker, it is not often that people of the calibre of

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