Page 2048 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 21 June 2011
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His contribution to our local tourism industry was both shrewd and practical. We heard at the service his particular tactic of scheduling meetings with interstate colleagues late in the afternoon. It meant that perhaps his visitors would have to stay the night. Well, it often did. It meant they had to stay the night in a Canberra hotel, eat in a Canberra restaurant and, naturally, enjoy Canberra wine. In the long run I suspect that many of these perhaps accidental tourists became important and positive opinion changers for our tourism industry and the produce offerings of this region.
As tourism minister, I often talk about the very strong link between elite sport in Canberra and the role it plays in supporting the tourism industry. Our elite sporting teams draw crowds to our city to watch games. They generate TV and other media coverage and generally send the message to Australia that there is more to Canberra than politicians. In this area Jim Murphy’s business head and his heart for sport delivered in spades for the people of Canberra. His love of Rugby League and the Canberra Raiders and his long business experience made him one of the most effective board members of the Canberra Raiders in the organisation’s history.
Samuel Johnson is reputed to have said: “Wine gives a man nothing. It only puts in motion what had been locked up in frost.” In a sense, I think that sums up both Jim Murphy and his attitude to Canberra. It is pretty clear that regardless of what business Jim got into, his natural drive would have seen him succeed. It was perhaps fate that it was wine that set in motion what was always locked away within him. More broadly, with the assistance of Jim Murphy, the local wine industry, like so many others since, became one that unlocked the innovation and drive of the Canberra community.
I join with all members in acknowledging Jim Murphy’s outstanding contribution to Canberra and in expressing my condolences to his family.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella): I would just like to say welcome to Margaret, AJ and Damien and thank you for being here. First and foremost, I say thank you for sharing dad with us. It is a very generous family that would let Jim out of their home. I suspect, because he had so much to give, you would really have wanted to keep him to yourself. But I think you guys knew, as perhaps his mum knew, he was much bigger than that.
I think that is what we celebrate here today, that bigness of Jim Murphy. And it is not just the physical bigness. I am quite surprised that a prop could actually turn into one of Canberra’s best-known wine connoisseurs. It is not that usual attachment that one would give to a Rugby League player. But it is the many facets of the man’s nature and his character that I think have attracted so much attention.
You only had to have listened to the radio, 2CN, the next morning to hear the number of people that just rang in with a story to tell. And it was so surprising—everybody had a Jim Murphy story. That is the sign of a man who was part of his community. He never asked for anything back. I think that is also part of the greatness of Jim.
We talk about the boardroom table at Regatta Point. I have an understanding—and perhaps somebody in the gallery will nod at me—Jim actually had that made. I
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