Condolence

RODDA, HON. W.A.

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:00): Madam Speaker, I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of the late Allan Rodda, a former member of the House of Assembly and a former minister in this state; and places on record its appreciation of his meritorious service; and that as a mark of respect to his memory the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

Earlier this month I, like all members, was saddened to hear of the passing of Allan Rodda, who died on 27 May aged 92. Allan was regarded as one of the true gentlemen of the South Australian parliament who worked selflessly and devotedly for the betterment of South Australia; and, in particular, he championed the cause of rural communities and his constituents in the state's South-East. He was the self-acknowledged last of the Playfords, having begun his parliamentary career under Sir Thomas Playford in 1965 before retiring in 1985 as the last Liberal MP to have been part of the team led by this state's longest serving premier.

Allan Rodda was a man of decency and integrity who worked in a bipartisan manner to ensure that the best interests of South Australia were put ahead of party politics. Indeed, he claimed that one of the highlights of his political and ministerial career was being involved in the restoration of direct shipping links to Port Adelaide, a project that he happily pointed out resulted from 'good teamwork which began with [former Labor premier] Des Corcoran'.

William Allan Rodda was born in Tumby Bay on South Australia's West Coast in 1917, the year, of course, that the United States entered the Great War that had been under way in Europe since 1914, and also the year that revolution engulfed Russia. Following the outbreak of the Second World War two decades later, Allan enlisted to serve his country as a bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force.

Upon his return from the war he relocated to the South-East under the War Service Land Settlement Scheme. Indeed, from 1947 to 1954 he worked as a supervising agricultural officer for the soldier settlement scheme based in Penola. He also established a successful sheep and cattle grazing enterprise at Struan located between Naracoorte and Penola. In 1965 he was elected as the member for Victoria, a seat which was once held by poet and horseman Adam Lindsay Gordon and which was later renamed as the seat of MacKillop.

His arrival in parliament coincided with the election of a Labor government, with Frank Walsh replacing Sir Thomas Playford as premier. It did not take long for Allan Rodda to come to the attention of his long-serving Liberal leader. In the first vote that he was part of in this place he crossed the floor to vote against his parliamentary leader, Sir Thomas Playford, on the coursing legislation, which was the precursor to the TAB.

In the aftermath of that decision, Allan Rodda recalled that Sir Tom did not speak to him for three weeks; however, it showed from the outset that he was prepared to stick to his principles, even in the face of persuasive and powerful opposition. He also displayed his bipartisan approach in his maiden speech to the House of Assembly when he warmly and sincerely congratulated the Labor government on its 1965 election win, and thanked his unsuccessful ALP opponent in the seat of Victoria for the way that he had fought the campaign.

When Steele Hall's government was elected in 1968, Allan Rodda served as the Premier's parliamentary under secretary for more than a year. Then, in March 1970, just before the Hall government was defeated at the polls, Allan was appointed as minister of works and minister of marine. In 1978 Allan Rodda played a key role in hosing down a planned leadership challenge from within the Liberal Party against incumbent leader of the opposition David Tonkin (who was also an extremely decent human being and, of course, will be remembered as the Premier who steered through the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act and, obviously, the start on the Olympic Dam-Roxby Downs mine and the establishment of the Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission).

As a result, Allan Rodda's strong loyalty to Dr David Tonkin was rewarded shortly after. When the Tonkin Liberal government was elected in September 1979 following the defeat of the Corcoran government, Allan Rodda was in the unique position of being the only member in its ranks to have served previously as a minister. He was duly appointed to the roles of chief secretary (a position I think it is a shame has not been around for some years: I think probably Bob Gregory was the last chief secretary, from memory).

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: 'Bring it back,' I hear people calling out. The chief secretary's role included a whole range of different functions but at that time he had responsibility, under the role of chief secretary, for police and the correctional services portfolio, and was also appointed minister for fisheries. Despite being subjected to enormous pressure over reform of the prison systems and through various allegations about corruption within the police force, commentators regularly remarked on Allan Rodda's ability to remain calm and dignified, even under the most strenuous questioning. He described himself as, 'not a cut-and-thrust politician'. He said, 'I like to treat people the way I would want to be treated.' He returned to opposition following the election of the Bannon government in 1982, and the following year Allan Rodda announced his intention to retire at the 1985 election, after 20 years of service to the parliament.

1985 was the year that I was elected, but I know from my 7½ years here as a staffer that Allan Rodda treated everyone from both sides of the house, and staffers as well, with utmost kindness and decency. He had contested and won seven elections in the seat of Victoria. Upon revealing his intention to stand down from parliament at the age of 68 (that sounds like a good age to retire from parliament—and that is no reflection on anyone in this house), he said, 'I don't believe people should stay in politics until they have whiskers down to their boots.' That assessment was contained in an article written in 1983 by The Advertiser's political reporter, Matthew Abraham, who described Allan Rodda as 'the man whose gentle manner and softly, softly ways have earned him the title of the gentleman of South Australian politics'.

Allan Rodda remained true to the words he spoke in his valedictory speech to this place in 1985 when he declared, 'If you think I am going to retire, that is not true. I will go straight into action in another capacity.' Indeed, he returned to raising sheep and Hereford cattle at Struan with his wife Madge and son Bruce and continued to make a significant and enduring contribution to community life in our South-East.

On behalf of all members on this side of the house, I extend my condolences to Allan's surviving children Bruce and Pauline, to his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and to his family and friends. I know that many former members of this house who are now deceased, such as Don Dunstan, Des Corcoran and Jack Wright, held Allan Rodda in the highest esteem.