Ministerial Statement

Crowley, Hon. Dr R.A.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:06): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: It is with great sadness that I inform the house of the passing of former Senator of South Australia, the Hon. Dr Rosemary Crowley AO. The passing of Rosemary Crowley is an immense loss to the labour movement, but rest assured her legacy will live on. Rosemary was a tireless advocate for social justice, women's rights and progressive reform. When Rosemary entered the Senate in 1983, she was the first Labor woman from South Australia elected to the federal parliament. Rosemary loved the Labor Party, was fiercely loyal to it and worked tirelessly in its service.

Rosemary Anne Willis (later Crowley) was born in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1938, the second of six children. Her family, her Roman Catholic upbringing and her primary and secondary education at Kilmaire Brigidine Convent in Hawthorn instilled in her a passion for social justice and a vocation for community service. Rosemary completed a medical degree at the University of Melbourne before working as a resident medical officer at St Vincent's Hospital, then as a pathologist at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

In 1964, Rosemary married James Raymond Crowley and lived for a period in Berkeley, California, where James was studying for a PhD. The Crowleys arrived in Adelaide in 1969, where Rosemary took up several roles in the South Australian health system, including tutoring at Flinders University medical department. Having become politically engaged in Berkeley, California, Rosemary joined the ALP soon after her return to Australia and participated in the excitement of the election of the Whitlam government in 1972 and subsequently in the disappointment of Whitlam's dismissal in 1975.

In 1977 and again in 1979, she stood unsuccessfully for the South Australian Labor Party against Australian Democrat Robin Millhouse for the seat of Mitcham in South Australia's House of Assembly. In 1982, Rosemary was preselected to stand for the Senate for the Australian Labor Party and was placed in fifth position on the ALP ticket for the double dissolution election of 1983. There were 10 senators to be elected for each state, and she was the last senator elected, waiting for a month before she found out she had won. She was then subsequently re-elected throughout the eighties and nineties, including in 1996, when she was placed first on the party ticket.

Rosemary saw a clear connection between her work in health and community welfare and her role as a member of parliament. During her first 10 years in the Senate as a government backbencher Rosemary was a strong advocate and defender of the Hawke government's health and welfare reforms. She vigorously supported the program to restore Medicare, the Whitlam government's universal health insurance scheme, and other reforms in the areas of health, occupational health and safety, and family matters. When the Liberal Party's Fightback! package proposed the elimination of bulk-billing, she said, 'I will take the fight about Medicare anywhere, anytime to the people of this country.'

Following the re-election of the Keating government in March 1993, Rosemary was appointed by Prime Minister Keating as Minister for Family Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women. During her three years as Minister for Family Services, Rosemary delivered a raft of reforms, including enhancing the Hawke government's program of financial assistance for families with increased family payments, additional payments for low income earners, maternity allowances, disability support programs, carers' pensions, student assistance and the youth training allowance. Child care was also a high priority. The Keating government was committed to increasing childcare places and Rosemary introduced legislation for cash rebates for the cost of child care for working families and home childcare allowances.

Recognised as a pioneer among female parliamentarians, Rosemary paved the way for greater female representation in politics. As only the fourth woman elected to the federal parliament from South Australia—pretty amazing when you think about it—and the first from the Labor Party, and the only female ALP senator from South Australia throughout her 19-year term, Rosemary argued forcefully for initiatives to have more women elected to parliaments, believing that when women were given a voice, 'they opened huge possibilities for the whole of society.' Rosemary advocated for 50 per cent targets for women in our parliaments, which I am proud to say both the state and federal parliamentary Labor parties now have, and are better for it.

The Hon. Dr Rosemary Crowley AO will be remembered for her fierce intellect, unwavering principles and dedication to serving the community. She inspired countless women to pursue public office and make their voices heard. We send our heartfelt condolences to her three sons, her grandchildren, her five brothers and sisters and to friends and colleagues. While she will be greatly missed, her legacy will endure through the many lives she touched and the positive change she brought about. We honour her memory by continuing the important work to which she devoted her life. May she rest in peace.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): On indulgence, I also rise today to join the Premier and this house in expressing our deepest condolences on the passing of the Hon. Dr Rosemary Crowley AO. Dr Crowley's legacy as a tireless advocate for social justice, women's rights and improving the lives of others is one that we all recognise, and her leadership as the first Labor senator from South Australia helped pave the way for women in politics and public service as well.

Dr Crowley's work in health and family services has, no doubt, had a lasting impact on the lives of so many South Australians. Her unwavering commitment to bettering the lives of those in our community is something that we can all acknowledge and admire, and Dr Crowley's work and vision continue to resonate in the lives of those she touched. Her passion for ensuring fairness, equality and opportunity is a legacy that transcends political divides. To her family, her friends and all who had the privilege of knowing her, I also extend my heartfelt sympathy. Dr Crowley's passing is a great loss, but her contributions will endure. May she rest in peace.