Page 358 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 2019
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Prior to entering the parliament, Mr Scholes worked for the Victorian railways, following in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather. He served as a Geelong city councillor from 1965 to 1967 and as president of the Geelong Trades Hall Council from 1965 to 1966. He was first elected to parliament as the member for Corio at the 1967 by-election, at the age of 36.
He was recognised, through his appointment as an officer of the Order of Australia in 1993, for his significant service to the Australian parliament, the people of Corio and the broader Australian community.
Mr Scholes passed away on 9 December 2018 at the age of 87. This morning we extend our deepest sympathy to his daughters, Kerry and Anne, as well as his extended family and extensive friendship network throughout the Australian Labor Party, the trade union movement and the broader Australian community.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (10.06): I too rise today to express condolences on behalf of the opposition at the passing of the Hon Gordon Scholes AO. Mr Scholes was a prominent and successful figure over three decades in political life. He was a prominent figure in the Victorian Labor Party, and he was elected in 1967 as the federal member for Corio in a by-election.
Mr Scholes won the Geelong seat in a very close-run race. The trades hall, federated workers bodies and unions all backed Mr Scholes heavily. Interestingly, opposition leaders Arthur Calwell and Gough Whitlam visited the seat on at least a couple of occasions during the campaign, with the leadership changing during that period. Mr Scholes gained a nine per cent swing to narrowly win the seat, a seat that he would hold until 1993. Upon his election he was reported as saying:
It’s so hard to say whether you are doing the right thing during the campaign. You take a punt at things at the time, and if you win, then it was the right thing.
The election was very significant as it gave a boost to Mr Whitlam and gave him and the Labor Party confidence for the years ahead.
Whilst on a different side of politics, Mr Scholes made a significant contribution to public life, especially through his time as Speaker of the House, Minister for Defence and Minister for Territories. Of course, as Minister for Territories, he was instrumental in the discussion about and ultimate development of self-government in the territory.
As Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1975, Mr Scholes presided over the chamber during the constitutional crisis that happened in November. Following that election, Mr Scholes then served as the opposition spokesperson for postal and telecommunications commissions, primary industry and defence. He also served as the spokesperson on the Australian Capital Territory.
After the election of the Hawke government in 1983, Mr Scholes was made Minister for Defence, a role he held through 1984, before taking on the role of Minister for
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