Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin - Leader of the Greens) - Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Tasmanian Greens, I extend our very sincere condolences to everyone who loved and knew the Honourable Graeme Page. He will be grieved by his very large family, his wife Anne, their three sons Geoff, Jonathon, and Chris, and they had a daughter, Catherine, who died a few years ago. He had many grandchildren. He was obviously a man who knew a lot of love in his life. He had Madeleine, Charlotte, Sebastian, and Francesca, Georgia, Meg, and Scarlett, Jesse, Miller, and Rory, and Sophie, Nicholas, Elizabeth and Fraser. I am sure they are all very proud of their grandfather. [Names checked]
He gave a long life of service to Tasmanians in this parliament. He was elected in 1976 as the Liberal member for Wilmot, now Lyons, until 1996. He was an extremely hardworking and dedicated local member in his electorate, and served during his time in parliament in many committees, including as the Deputy Chair of Committees for 11 years from 1982 to 1992.
He was a man of accomplishments before he came to parliament. He started working in the family transport business at the age of 14. Then later, when he left parliament, he returned to running what was Page Transport. He was involved in many community and industry associations. I note that the life of a busy parliamentarian often does not lead to having a lot of time to be involved in other activities and it is a testament to his commitment to his community that he was on the Rotary Club of Westbury; the Tasmanian Livestock Carriers Association, of which he was the founder and the first president; the Tasmanian Mountain Cattlemen's Association; the Road Transport Association; the Tasmanian Transport Council; and the Interstate Livestock Shipping Committee. His outstanding work that he did for Motor Neuron Disease sufferers and their families will be something that continues well beyond his passing.
He served as the Speaker of this place from 1992 to 1996. I recognise he came to be elected as Speaker in circumstances that would give those of us who were here in 2018 cause to have a chuckle over. He defeated the Liberal government's nominee, Michael Hodgman QC, on 14 April 1992. Another former Speaker of this place, the Labor member for Lyons, Michael Polley, successfully nominated Graeme Page to be Speaker. There was a secret ballot, which Graeme won by 18 votes to 17, with the support of another of his Liberal colleagues as well as members of the Labor Party and the Greens. As Michael Polley said at the time, 'It was the first time since 1856, a person has been elected as Speaker of this House by a total and free vote of the majority of its members'.
Former MPs Dr Bob Brown and Dr Gerry Bates were both in the Chamber that day and they spoke in support of Mr Page's appointment and expressed their confidence in his ability to be a fair and just Speaker. After he was elected as the Speaker, Mr Page graciously accepted the position and then went on to say, 'My name has been on this chair for 10 years but I was the only one who can see it'. I understand from former Greens members that Mr Page took the position of Speaker very seriously in upholding the impartiality of the rulings. It was a position he held the utmost respect for.
He also supported the work of this place by presiding over the relocation of the Hansard service and the Committee rooms to more suitable accommodation in the state offices building in 10 Murray Street.
I recognise Mr Page for his longstanding service as a Liberal member of parliament. He did not always agree with the many views of the 'Hard-nut Greens' but I acknowledge the loss of the Liberal Party members of this place and within Tasmania and his family. I extend my personal thoughts and sympathy to all of you.
On behalf of the Greens, I again say thanks to Mr Graeme Page and his life of public service and our warmest condolences to his large family.
Members - Hear, hear.
