Grievance Debate

Bolaffi, Mr Allen

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:22): Today, I wish to address the house on behalf of the opposition in respect of the sad passing of Mr Allen Bolaffi. Today, with minister Bettison, I attended his funeral service. As members would expect, it was a Jewish funeral, one which, I would like to express to the house, was really quite beautiful. As members may be aware, the Jewish community have certain customs in respect of their funerals. In particular, the casket it is a plain pine box, with string handles, in which the deceased is wrapped in a shroud.

There is no display of ostentation at a Jewish funeral, as the belief is that everyone came into this world with nothing and leaves this world with nothing. In Israel there would not even be a coffin, as the body has to touch the earth. When the service is concluded at the grave site, the custom is to place a small stone on the grave using the left hand.

This shows that someone visited the grave site and it is also a way of participating in the good deed of burial. Leaving flowers is not a traditional Jewish practice. Another reason for leaving stones is to tend the grave. In biblical times, gravestones were not used. Graves were marked with mounds of stone, so by placing or replacing them, one perpetuated the existence of the site.

Today's Jewish funeral service for Mr Bolaffi was really quite a magnificent occasion. Members of the opposition have made some public comment in relation to his passing, a tragic loss of life at a young age. I wish to place on record and extend my greatest sympathies to his wife Viv, son Reuben, and daughters Amy and Kate.

Members of the family and the business community made a contribution today. As I say, it was a very noble but modest cerebration of his life consistent with Jewish tradition and, accordingly, it was a relatively short and simple service.

The contribution today, and those, I would have guesstimated, nearly 1,000 people who attended this service, underscore the extraordinary love and respect that has been demonstrated by the attendances today.

Very briefly, may I confirm and commend Allen's lifetime contribution to being a founder of the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce, which has subsequently been developed in two other states—he contributed to that for some 20 years—and his directorships on a number of eminent boards of companies in South Australia. His continued advice as an accountant to many across the South Australian and interstate communities is well known.

Less well known is the personal Allen Bolaffi. It is fair to say, having come from a profession of legal people, that lawyers and accountants have attracted their fair amount of ridicule from the general public. Most are assumed to have had some personality bypass but, if ever there was an exception to the rule for these professions, it was Allen Bolaffi. He was a jovial and very, very funny man. Some said today that some of his jokes were not terribly funny, but the reality is you could not go into a room without Allen lighting up the room with some laughter and some jolly contribution to make.

He was a hard-headed businessman, he was a tough professional, he was someone who shone in a room, but he also had another special skill, and that was to be a magnificent husband and father and mentor to many. If ever there is an enduring legacy of Mr Bolaffi, it is the fact that he has mentored and provided advice to young people across the community. We will remember him as a generous friend, a good man and a loving father who lived a most worthwhile life.