Condolence

Lewis, Hon. I.P.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:17): By leave, I move:

That the Legislative Council expresses its deep regret at the recent death of the Hon. Ivan Peter Lewis, former Speaker and member of the House of Assembly, and places on record its appreciation of his distinguished public service, and that as a mark of respect to his memory the sitting of the council be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

Peter Lewis's service as a member in the other place spanned more than a quarter of a century and outlasted a number of boundary redistributions that even took him towards Bordertown, as I understand. From 1979 until 2006, Mr Lewis served as the member for Mallee, Murray-Mallee, Ridley and, finally, Hammond. Many remember him as a committed and effective local member. He certainly held firm and determined views about the ways in which he could assist the local community and he achieved many good things for his electorate over a number of decades of service.

Some of his best remembered efforts relate to the improvement of regional roads and the winding back of commercial fishing in the Murray, in which he was quite successful. He was also concerned throughout his parliamentary career with ensuring that elected representatives are responsive to public opinion. He demonstrated that commitment in a number of ways, memorably in his later years through his efforts to enshrine citizen-initiated referenda in the state constitution.

He was in life, as he is in death, often characterised as controversial and a maverick. He was consistently described by his friends and foes alike as colourful, chiefly because of his habit of speaking his mind without particular regard to whether people might react poorly to what he said. Whether or not everyone admired Mr Lewis, we would all have to agree that he was an effective Speaker in the other place who carried out his duties capably and with character. He is often remembered as intelligent, articulate and sharp-witted.

I think we must also agree that he demonstrated a remarkable degree of self-confidence in his determination to stick to his beliefs, no matter how far out on a limb he had to go to prosecute them. Many in this place will remember Mr Lewis for his support of the Mike Rann-led Labor Party in 2002 to form a minority government.

I will make two brief points in relation to that. Mr Lewis was not the only Independent member of parliament who served in the Rann government, or for that matter the Weatherill government. In his own words, Mr Lewis made the decision to support Labor on the basis that he believed it would deliver the stability in government that South Australians deserved. Mr Lewis was a person who knew his own mind. No doubt, he was occasionally a polarising figure in South Australian politics whose influence was applauded by many but not always by all.

We must not forget that behind every politician is also a private citizen with a private life. Mr Lewis leaves behind his bereaved family and friends. On behalf of the state government, I convey condolences to all those who loved and cherished Mr Lewis in life, and I trust that they will ensure he is fondly remembered for his personal qualities as readily as he is remembered as a politician.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): I rise to second the remarks made by the Leader of the Government, and to endorse them. The Hon. Ivan Peter Lewis, as the Leader of the Government explained, was a colourful character in South Australian politics. As always, you learn a little bit more about people, things that you did not really know all that well, when you do a bit of research into their history when, sadly, we come to a condolence motion.

I did not realise that the Hon. Mr Lewis was one of 10 children—I think he was number six in the line—and was born on the Eyre Peninsula. He moved across, I think to the Adelaide Hills, at an early stage of his life. He was quite well educated, going to the local primary school, Urrbrae High School and then to the University of Adelaide to do an MBA, and the Roseworthy Agricultural College. It was probably fitting that he ended up being a member of parliament representing a country seat.

As the minister said, he represented what is now the seat of Hammond but, of course, it was called Murray-Mallee and Mallee for a number of years. As members may know, I am originally from Bordertown, and the boundary was shifted down between Keith and Bordertown, the boundary between Mallee and what was probably Victoria back in those days, or Murray-Mallee in Victoria, so I could well have been one of Peter Lewis’s constituents—but I wasn't.

He was outspoken and controversial during much of his political career. My interaction certainly came after I was elected in 2002. Of course, as the Leader of the Government indicated, one of the things he will be remembered for most was in helping to form a government with the minority Labor government led by Mike Rann. Afterwards, some years later, Peter Lewis said to people whom I know that he regretted doing that but, nonetheless, he was the man who helped to form the Labor government.

One of the things that he looked at doing was a compact for good government. A couple of things were quite strange: removing a ban on fishing out of the River Murray. I remember that the net fishers were here for some days on end, waiting for the final sword to fall on their particular industry; and the eradication of branched broomrape, which was never achieved. There was a significant amount of money spent in the electorate but branched broomrape (a parasitic weed) is still quite widespread in Hammond.

After his career as Speaker, in 2006 he tried to move from the House of Assembly to the Legislative Council but he was not successful. I guess we can say that the Hon. Peter Ivan Lewis made an interesting contribution to politics.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 14:25 to 14:36.