David Smith
Bean · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“When Australian sport is showcased on the international stage, all Australians feel proud. But I think the best by-product of international success is the inspiration it provides to people back at home to get involved in community sports. There are few things as rewarding, both physically and mentally, as getting involved in sports.”
“But, unfathomably, this club has been prevented from seeking promotion to the ACT National Premier League Girls competition and prevented from providing girls and their club a strong pathway into higher levels of participation in their sport.”
“And it does this without increasing the administrative burden on our doctors. This bill also outlaws another practice that is becoming increasingly problematic in the insurance system, which is the practice of product phoenixing.”
“It is unjustifiable to expect Australians to commit to a medical treatment without being able to compare those costs against the fees charged by other providers. Australians have the right to know the level of support that is provided by their private health insurer so they can determine from the outset their likely out-of-pocket costs.”
“The Albanese government has delivered the largest cut to the cost of medicines in the history of the PBS, with the maximum cost of a general script falling from $42.50 to $30 in January 2023 and now to $25.”
“This bill before the House creates changes that will require an insurer to seek ministerial approval for the premium charged for a proposed new product and, importantly, where changes are made that reduce cover, a benefit or a term of condition of an existing product.”
The complete record
Every one of 282 lines we hold for David Smith, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 6.
“I'm pleased to be able to bring the words of a young constituent to the attention of the House. Sofea is 12 years old, and, through the Raise Our Voice initiative, submitted this excellent speech on a critical issue. Here is Sofea's speech: To build a better tomorrow for young Australians, the government must take urgent and meaningful action to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans. Each year, vast amounts of plastic enter the sea, causing severe harm to marine life such as turtles, dolphins and seabirds. This is not simply an environmental concern, it is a growing crisis that threatens biodiversity, food security, and the health of our planet. My name is Sofea. I am 12 years old, and I'm a student at Charles Weston School Coombs.”
“In 1891, one of the founders of the Labor Party, George Black, declared that Labor existed to make and unmake social conditions. It's as true now as it was all those years ago. What is contained in this appropriations bill as it pertains to social services is a testament to this, and I look forward to the continued benefits which will flow from it to communities right across Australia.”
“I have had the good fortune to meet with Rose MacDonald and Andrew Collins from Nansen Digital Forensics on multiple occasions, and I've always been impressed by their commitment to fostering positive social change and helping people in need. Their support for women experiencing domestic violence will be critical and life changing. The story of Nansen Digital Forensics is a wonderful example of the types of organisations that are supported by the Social Enterprise Development Initiative. The work done by these organisations will be so important to achieve the social change agenda of our government. Finding the right people in communities with the right ideas and supporting them to achieve real and positive change is how we build a better and fairer Australia. The social change agenda is one that is in the DNA of Labor governments.”
“They provide digital, forensic and cybersecurity services Australia-wide, assisting survivors of domestic violence by providing tailored, trauma-informed digital safety audits that help victims-survivors detect and manage technology related risks to prevent and combat technology facilitated abuse. Nansen Digital Forensics also offers training in digital safety and technology abuse for police, caseworkers and legal professionals, and provides skill-development pathways for women re-entering the workforce in ICT security. The support provided to Nansen Digital Forensics through the Social Enterprise Development Initiative has allowed it to scale its reach and social impact, including protecting vulnerable communities from technology facilitated abuse.”
“The objective of the Social Enterprise Development Initiative is positive—to empower local communities and organisations to use their knowledge and expertise to develop and implement appropriate solutions for Australians who need help. Grants by the Social Enterprise Development Initiative have supported 32 organisations across Australia to support people to build their own positive futures. It is expected that around 60 organisations will benefit over the course of the initiative. In my electorate of Bean, Nansen Digital Forensics received support to engage in critical work to support women experiencing domestic violence. They received a Social Enterprise Development Initiative grant of $92,000. It supports women experiencing domestic violence who want to protect their digital and online security.”
“The package covers a range of areas of disadvantage, utilising different levers to tackle different types of disadvantage. I would like to focus in my time today on one particular area of the package that I have recently learned a little more about. Under the $100 million outcomes fund within the Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage package is the Social Enterprise Development Initiative. The purpose of the outcomes fund is for the Commonwealth government to partner with the states and territories and social enterprises to fund projects which deliver outcomes in tackling social disadvantage. Of the $100 million related to the outcomes fund, $11.6 million has gone towards funding the Social Enterprise Development Initiative.”
“I am pleased to rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026, specifically on the sections which relate to the Social Services portfolio. The Department of Social Services is a major employer in my electorate of Bean, and the department and its minister, the member for Sydney, with the assistant minister, my good friend the member for Cooper, sit at the forefront of the social change agenda of the government. The appropriations under discussions here today will improve the lives of many, many Australians. A key part of the social agenda of our government is the Targeting Entrenched Disadvantage package. This package, which is funded for $230 million, is delivering tangible and sustainable change for disadvantaged Australians and their communities.”
“Thank you to Menslink for stepping up to provide support for the Royals community at this time. I express my deepest condolences to Joey's family and his friends. I know his loss is immeasurable to so many.”
“I rise with sadness to pay tribute to a promising young life cut tragically short. On Friday, Joey Henry lost his life in a farm vehicle accident. He was an immensely talented rugby player with a very bright future in front of him. A recent graduate of Marist College Canberra, he captained his school's First XV to win the premiership in 2023. In 2024, he made first grade for the Canberra Royals and played with them in the club's premiership win in the John I Dent Cup. He was also part of the academy program for the Brumbies. Joey was a leader, was well respected both on and off the field and made a contribution in whatever endeavour he was involved in. Joey's loss has caused so many unimaginable ripples of grief to pass over different parts of our community, from his school to his team and of course to his loved ones.”
“Alongside these important changes, we will also be increasing the support that children receive along the journey through supporting small group tutoring, more mental health supports and greater individualised support for students. Our Better and Fairer Schools Agreement is an important step to bring greater equality of opportunity to all Australians. Combined with our investments in TAFE and the university sector, including in regional hubs—there will be one in my electorate, on Norfolk Island—our investments in early education are great examples of what this government is all about, providing opportunities for all at whatever stage of their education journey they might be at.”
“The mandatory inclusion of phonics and early years numeracy checks is an important way of looking after the basics, making sure that our kids are off on the right path on their educational journey. We're also including, as part of the funding support, more support for the attraction and retention of teachers. It is no secret that we have a teacher crisis right across Australia. Not enough people want to become teachers, and not enough teachers want to remain in the profession. This is felt across the full spectrum of schools but felt acutely within government schools. There are many forces which contribute to this crisis, but only government can address it. I am pleased that our government will include measures to address this crisis within our broader support for public schools.”
“Over 10 years, the government will commit an additional $16.5 billion in funding to our public schools. This will put every public school across the country on the pathway to receiving full funding. Make no mistake; this is going to be transformative for the lives of children across the nation. It will open new doors and create new opportunities for their futures. That's what this government is all about, and I'm very proud of this important change. Alongside this funding will come new educational reforms that the government has secured for students, important changes which will secure the educational outcomes that the additional funding promises. This includes year 1 phonics and early years numeracy checks.”
“We had a situation where every non-government school in Australia was fully funded but government schools were not. This obviously created a significant equity gap for children across Australia, limiting the education outcomes for millions of children. I've heard this firsthand from teachers and school leaders, as well as how important meeting this gap was, and I know that the minister received similar feedback right across the country. We will address this gap through the Better and Fairer Schools agreements. These agreements will increase the Commonwealth government's contribution to the schooling resource standard. These agreements with the states and territories constitute the biggest new investments for public schools by any Australian government ever.”
“It is with a great sense of satisfaction that I rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025, specifically those parts of the bill which impact the education responsibilities of the Commonwealth government. I feel great satisfaction to talk about the education portions of the bill because this government, the Albanese government, has a proven track record of expanding educational opportunities for all Australians. It has always been the Labor way. I acknowledge my friend the education minister, the member for Blaxland, for his dedication and delivery in this very important portfolio space. One of the most important things that we needed to do when we returned to government back in 2022 was take a serious look at the funding for public schools across Australia.”
“Let us work for these ends 'to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours'. Those words were right 80 years ago, and they remain right today.”
“Ultimately, on a day like this, we all need to remember a central fact—there are not Israeli lives and Palestinian lives; there are only human lives, and these lives will continue to be lost while peace remains distant. But the people of Palestine and Israel deserve peace. They deserve lives of safety and dignity. Let us take renewed purpose from this needless suffering and work towards a future of peace, freedom and dignity. As the Prime Minister reminded us in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, let us remain true to those founding words in the UN charter from 80 years ago, which determined 'to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war', 'to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights', and 'to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom'.”
“This decision speaks to our commitment to play a positive and constructive role in the future of Palestine and Israel, towards the establishment of peace and prosperous relations between two states. The Australian people have a clear view that the violence in Gaza needs to stop, and they have made this view clear. I call for the swift release of the Australia activists taken from the recent aid flotilla and remind the Israeli authorities of their obligations towards those in their custody. The deeper connection between the attack on 7 October and the ongoing attack in Gaza is in their victims. Civilians are the ones who are suffering. Civilians, particularly children, are the ones paying the price for decisions they never made.”
“For too long we have listened to the loudest voices of obstruction and not heard the clarion call for peace. For too long we have allowed the intrusion of our own political biases to derail our commitment to a future of real peace. Forgoing an opportunity for lasting peace only guarantees the certainty of permanent war. Violence begets violence, and the cycle continues. Violence in response to violence will not bring peace, as we are witnessing now. We need to break the cycle and commit to a pathway to peace. The lesson and message of today calls on all of us to use all of our powers and influence to achieve peace in Palestine and Israel. I believe the decision of our government to recognise the Palestinian state is a positive step towards achieving peace.”
“It has stretched beyond the borders of Gaza, with conflict spreading to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran. This widening instability has created a greater regional crisis, the geopolitical ramifications of which will resonate for some time. Compounding the horror is the sense that there is no easy pathway forward to a permanent and just peace for that tortured part of the world. A just peace would see Palestinians and Israelis living in peace and security in their own respective countries—a just peace which generations of people of goodwill on all sides have expended significant efforts and political capital towards achieving. This just peace at times seems further away than ever before. For too long we have allowed the immediate complexities of agreements to stymie our efforts for a long-term peace.”
“It is not just the killing and maiming which has caused the human catastrophe in Gaza; the forceful dislocation of a million people has created significant and almost unmanageable problems. People are living in poor shelters, with limited access to hygiene and drinking water; access to food and medicine is limited and malnourishment is widespread. Starvation is increasingly a part of life in Gaza. With the scale, scope and impact of this crisis, it's little wonder that many genocide scholars apply that term to what they are observing. It's difficult to see how this war on Gaza has done anything to prevent a future attack on Israel, bring justice to the victims of 7 October or bring peace and freedom to the hostages and their families. Instead, this conflict has become one of the defining issues of this first part of the 21st century.”
“We have watched on in horror at the systematic destruction of Gaza, the loss of life on a large scale, and the rapidly compounding humanitarian crisis stemming from a lack of basic aid. We've witnessed the documented destruction of civilian infrastructure of schools, hospitals, water supplies and sanitation. We've seen death and suffering on a scale not seen for many years. The violence that is being used has taken on all the appearances of also being unmitigated and unrestricted. The civilian death toll from Gaza is almost beyond imagining—at least 80,000 are dead—and 160,000 have been injured, many of them with lifelong injuries. The psychological harm inflicted on nearly the entire population will last for lifetimes. The harm to the children in this regard is particularly devastating.”
“I recognise the significance of this day for Jewish people everywhere and those in my electorate of Bean. Their pain and outrage are more than understandable. The Jewish community have a right to feel safe and secure wherever they are. And, in the face of the unacceptable rise of antisemitism, I commit myself to always standing up for this community. Today, we remember the 251 hostages taken by the militants, particularly those who were killed in captivity. We remember the horrors that the hostages endured and acknowledge the pain felt by their loved ones. The remaining hostages must be released. Importantly, today also marks the beginning of the response of Israel to this act of terrorism—a response which itself has become one of the key issues of our times.”
“Today marks the second anniversary of a violent and cowardly attack on civilians and the beginning of one of the great humanitarian calamities of our times. Two years ago, we watched on in horror as militants launched attacks deep into Israel, engaging in acts of unmitigated and unrestricted violence. People were murdered in their homes and young people enjoying a music festival had their lives cut short. We know that hundreds of civilians were killed that day—many of them children. Many more were injured, and all who were exposed to the violence will carry the trauma of that day for the rest of their lives. This violence against civilians was, by its nature, unprovoked. There is no justification for the deliberate killing of civilians.”
“My question is to the Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness and Minister for Cities. How is the Albanese Labor government making it easier for first home buyers to buy their first home? What has been the response?”
“That was the same year that Senator Walker from the other place was born. For that little boy in the corner shop, for the last 12 months, Labor has delivered in Bean. We've delivered a Medicare mental health clinic in Tuggeranong, saved the Interchange Health general practice and Burrangiri, opened the tender for an urgent care clinic in Woden, and we'll be delivering a perinatal wellbeing centre in Tuggeranong. And now, from 1 January 2026, we'll be delivering cheaper medicines because we care about the cost of living and have always, always been the party of health care in Australia.”
“Labor has always been the party of health care—from the Curtin and Chifley governments' work establishing the PBS, to Whitlam's universal healthcare reforms, to Hawke's Medicare. Now, under the Albanese Labor government, we continue that tradition with the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 passing the parliament this week. We believe that every Australian should be able to afford the medicine they need without worrying about the cost. That's why, from 1 January 2026, no Australian will pay more than $25 for a general PBS script. That is a cut of more than 25 per cent, saving Australians over $200 million every single year. Medicines haven't cost $25 in Australia since 2004—the same year Shannon Noll topped the charts with his cover of 'What About Me?' Yes, it was a cover.”
“It is sad and emotional that this Police Week carries enhanced meaning because of this terrible violence and loss of life. I'd like to recognise the member for Richmond, who has just come into the Chamber, and her service to her community. To the families of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, I offer my deepest and most sincere condolences. There is nothing I nor anyone else can say that will take away your pain, but I can say with confidence that this House, this parliament and the entire nation stand with you in this time of grief. I say to my colleagues here, as lawmakers and leaders, let us work together to ensure that future National Police Remembrance Days are occasions of reflection and remembrance and not raw grief.”
“In thinking about this speech and National Police Remembrance Day, I recalled a contribution made by the member for Wide Bay in the House on 15 December 2022 after the murder of Constable Rachel McCrow and Constable Matthew Arnold at Wieambilla in Queensland. The member said, reflecting on his own response as a former police officer to that terrible violence: You're a part of the community. You keep order. You help people. They rely on you and you rely on them. That's policing in Australia, and I think that is part of why this has struck so deep. Attacks like this, they attack the very fabric of who we are. That is the crux of this outrage. It's not just simply an attack by a criminal on police; it's an attack on who we are. An attack on those meant to protect us is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on Australia.”
“These officers were shot in cold blood in the course of doing their duty, serving a warrant on a dangerous offender in regional Victoria. I pay tribute to those fallen officers as well as those injured. I also pay tribute to the bravery of the officers on the scene who acted with such courage and selflessness. I extend that tribute to those officers who, as we speak, are engaged in the dangerous and treacherous mission to bring the violent and ruthless offender to justice. The deep sorrow and shock felt at this terrible crime is felt most deeply by the family and loved ones of the officers in question. They leave grieving families, but also the loss is immense for their colleagues. The entire community they served will feel the impact of this atrocity.”
“Police Week and the National Police Memorial Day afford us an opportunity to reflect upon and remember the importance of policing and the sacrifices that those we trust to protect us must sometimes make. For reasons that are entirely clear, the weight of this feels almost unbearable this year. Each year, in connection with National Police Remembrance Day, we gather at the National Police Memorial across Lake Burley Griffin from here. On the simple yet poignant wall of that memorial is inscribed the names of the police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, who gave their lives in the protection of their communities. Now we will see the addition of two more names to that sacred wall: Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, alongside Constable Keith Smith.”
“I rise with a sense of sadness and resolution to speak to this motion. I thank the member for Wide Bay for introducing this motion and acknowledge his service as a police officer before coming into this place. I'd also like to acknowledge the work I've undertaken with him and the member for Tangney as the leaders of the Parliamentary Friends of Policing. I also recognise the member for Cowper and thank him for his service. For me, the three years I've spent representing AFP members have been amongst the most memorable and transformative in my career. Police Week this year commences on 13 September and culminates with National Police Remembrance Day on 29 September. Later this week, we will recognise the Police Bravery Awards.”
“They have been the best community leaders in Bean, and may their example inspire the next generation of assistant principals and principals to lead with courage, compassion and care. We are fortunate to have community leaders like Michael, Ian and Greg, and I thank them for their deep ongoing service.”
“Ian is a leader of integrity, faith and conviction, and I hope he enjoys time with his family and continues to contribute on his own terms. For nearly 10 years Greg Terrell was the Principal of Bonython Primary School. He led the school with empathy and focus, bringing a wealth of experience to bear in his approach to school leadership. He helped to foster at Bonython a culture of connection, community and belonging for all students. Greg cultivated a spirit of inclusivity and learning, as is captured by the school framework values of grit, integrity, embracing diversity, and self-management. He is now the principal of Palmerston District Primary School, outside of the electorate, and I thank him for his service at Bonython. Michael, Ian and Greg have inspired, supported and believed in thousands of students under their watches.”
“Under Michael's leadership, St Mary MacKillop College has become a powerhouse of achievement in sports, academics, the performing arts and community service. Michael will be stepping down as principal at the end of the year but has so much still to contribute. Ian Hewitt was until recently the Principal of Trinity Christian School after commencing there as a teacher in the 1980s. As principal, his growing Trinity moved from strength to strength. He oversaw significant investment in the school's physical infrastructure, including a very impressive new performing arts space. He has also found time to contribute at a national level. I've always enjoyed my engagements with Trinity under Ian's leadership. I've always found the school mirrored Ian in important ways: warm, welcoming and inclusive.”
“I rise to speak about three leaders from my electorate and the values they embody. In Bean we are fortunate to have many impressive school leaders who guide and shape our school communities—school leaders who I've enjoyed engaging with and learning from over the years. Principals are very much community leaders, and these three have provided significant service to the community in Bean. Michael Lee has been the Principal of St Mary MacKillop College since 2008. He is a dynamic and inspiring leader who has led his school community with distinction, compassion and moral courage. Michael is very much a force of nature, a man of deep learning and intelligence as well as unshakeable values of social justice and fairness.”
“Government support for the Thriving Kids program is critical, and it will help kids in this situation across Australia, whether they're in the cities or the regions. That is the appropriate way to support kids and their families, and I look forward to continuing to support them in this place and beyond.”
“Unlike other shonky providers, they embody professional values we need all providers to model. I listened to what they had to say, engaged with their perspectives and passed on that feedback directly, and I'll continue to do so. It might have been easier for the government to have not acted right now—to have allowed the situation to develop and evolve. After all, change is difficult and not without loss. But, difficult or not, the change needed to take place, and, by grasping the nettle, the government and the minister have ensured that the scheme will continue to grow and flourish. To conclude and to echo previous speakers, I want to speak to the situation kids with autism face. They and their families face an unacceptable wait for diagnosis and early intervention.”
“If we can't manage costs—if NDIS spending gets out of control and can't be managed—the viability of the entire scheme is threatened. The NDIS is far too important to allow that to happen. So, faced with these challenges, the government needed to act on recommendations of the report, and it has. The decision came after a comprehensive consultation process based upon engagement with key stakeholders, virtual information sessions with over 4,000 providers and the review of more than 10 million transactions. In my own capacity as the member for Bean, I engaged a range of service providers across my community. I engaged with physiotherapists, speech therapists and many others. They are all good people who want to continue to support NDIS participants and want to make clear the challenges in doing so.”
“NDIS participants can be vulnerable due to their disabilities, and the purpose of the scheme is to support and empower them. This core principle cannot be sustained if NDIS participants are paying more than any other Australians to access the same services. But, for too long, NDIS participants have been paying more to access services, and we know this because the 2024-25 Annual Pricing Review found that this was the case. This trend has serious implications. When NDIS participants pay more for the same services enjoyed by other Australians, they have less funding to put towards other forms of support. More broadly, when participants pay more, the financial viability of the entire scheme is threatened. It's easy to step over this particular point, but it's an important one.”
“What I can see today, and what I'm sure most other members of this place see, is that the NDIS continues to make a real difference in the lives of Australians with a disability, their loved ones and their carers. Over 717,000 Australians with disabilities are benefitting from the NDIS, with their participation enabling them to live lives of dignity and independence. I see the difference it makes in Bean every single day. But, like any government program, particularly a program of this size and importance, regular reviews are critical to ensuring both that it's operating as required and that participants are receiving affordable and quality services. There are important principles at stake. It's not enough for participants to receive care and support.”
“I also rise to speak about the National Disability Insurance Scheme. I'd like to thank the Member for Herbert for bringing the matter forward and sharing with the House the story of his daughter Emery. I do not doubt the sincerity with which the member has brought this matter forward for the consideration of the House. It does afford us an opportunity to explore the matter further. In the context of this debate, I'd like to acknowledge all the wonderful providers in the electorate of Bean who work with NDIS participants every day. The NDIS is an important piece of our social infrastructure, developed and introduced by a Labor government. It was a product of a long campaign by Australians with disabilities, and the government of the time listened and acted.”
“I remain firmly committed to working to ensure that the people of Bean continue to get access to real on-the-ground services which bring a meaningful and positive change to their lives and health care. I'm proud to be part of a government that is delivering meaningful health care, including meaningful mental health care, not just for residents of Bean but right across Australia. Labor governments have always made accessible and affordable health care a priority, from the beginnings of Medibank to Medicare, and now to an Albanese government.”
“I am pleased that my constituents are now able to access critical mental health supports and services for free and that these services are close to other critical community amenities and transport links. I'm proud to deliver this centre for the people of Bean. Our new Medicare mental health centre will be complemented very soon by a number of other critical services in Bean, including a perinatal wellbeing centre, also accessible to anyone with a Medicare card. This follows the establishment of an eating disorders clinic, also in the electorate of Bean, late last year. I'm looking forward to that perinatal wellbeing centre coming online soon, and I'm also looking forward to the establishment of a Medicare urgent care clinic in Woden, just down the road from Tuggeranong.”
“I know how good these centres are, as I have one such centre in my electorate of Bean. Last month I visited the new Tuggeranong Medicare Mental Health Centre with the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the member for Dobell, for its official opening. It was wonderful to meet the staff and partners who worked to make the centre possible. The centre is a welcoming and calm environment with a dedicated and able staff ready to offer assistance. The location of the centre could not be better, being close to the Tuggeranong bus interchange as well as parking and other public health facilities and shopfronts. The centre is located on Eileen Good Street in Greenway and is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday.”
“On this side of the House, we believe firmly that the only thing you should need to access important care is a small piece of green plastic—your Medicare card, a card those opposite have never been particularly committed to or interested in. Recognising all this, our government is acting to put mental health at the heart of Medicare in ensuring that mental health services are located appropriately and accessible to all. At the recent election, we made a $1.1 billion commitment towards mental health. What this looks like on the ground is 91 Medicare mental health centres across Australia. These centres are staffed by clinical and non-clinical staff who offer mental health support and care without the need for an appointment, referral or treatment plan. Best of all, it's free. All you need is your Medicare card.”
“I would be happy to take the member for Grey to my electorate to see the difference an Albanese government is already making after a decade of neglect from those opposite. I'm pleased to be able to rise today to lend my support to this important piece of private member's business. I commend the member for Griffith for bringing this matter forward, and I'd also like to congratulate her on her election to this place and her powerful first speech in the first sitting period. This motion goes to the heart of the agenda of the Albanese government in terms of access to and outcomes in health care. We recognise the essential importance of mental health in the overall context of public health. We also recognise that mental health services and supports can be inaccessible in terms of cost, availability and proximity.”
“But, above all, John Stone was a dedicated servant of his country, and he leaves behind a family which can, with justification, feel pride at his service and achievements over many decades. To his family, I convey my deepest sympathies and condolences for their loss. Vale, John Stone.”
“It's not an exaggeration to say that I did not share John Stone's world view or philosophy—quite the opposite!—but it says something deeply profound about the fundamental decency of our democracy and the need for debate that I can stand here and respectfully reflect on the life and contributions of someone with whom I had deep disagreements. This sort of contribution is impossible in many other places around the world, but it's a normal and expected part of public discourse in our national parliament. I believe this is a good sign of the health of our democracy, a democracy that John Stone actively contributed to, not just during his time in parliament but before and after parliament.”
“His contributions to debate in the other place were always robustly informed by his personal philosophy and his extensive education and experience in public policy. His debates with the late Peter Walsh as finance minister were frequent features of the business of the Senate during that period. John Stone was very much a product of his time and his extensive education. His contributions to important debates on public policy helped shape outcomes in important ways during an incredibly important time of national reform and change. He resigned from the Senate on 1 March 1990 to run for the seat of Fairfax but failed to win the seat at the elections later that month. His career as parliamentarian might have been over, but he continued to make a significant contribution to public life.”
“John Stone was an active participant in that contest. He had firm, sincerely held views and put these views forward forcefully in the public discourse, and even more so after resigning as secretary of the Treasury six days out from the 1984 budget. He was an economic rationalist during the time of the emergence of the third wave of social democratic and progressive politics. He was a sceptic on aspects of immigration when modern Australian multiculturalism began to come into form. He was a foundational member of the HR Nicholls Society and then later the Samuel Griffith Society. Don Dunstan famously described his ascendency in Treasury in the mid-seventies as being 'the Stone Age'.”