Allison, Hon. H.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:50): By leave, I move:

That the Legislative Council expresses its deep regret at the recent death of the Hon. Harold Allison, former minister of the Crown and member of the House of Assembly, and places on record its appreciation of his distinguished public service.

Today, I rise on behalf of the government to acknowledge the passing of the Hon. Harold Allison, former member for Mount Gambier and Gordon in the other place. The Hon. Mr Allison was born in Sheffield in the UK in 1930 and, after migrating to Australia in 1955, he pursued a 15-year career as a teacher and librarian at Mount Gambier High School.

In 1975, the Hon. Harold Allison won the seat of Mount Gambier and remained as its local member until his retirement in 1997. During this time, he championed the regions, advocating for regional rail services and water supplies in particular. He was appointed Minister of Education in both 1979 and 1982 as well as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs in 1979.

During this time, the Hon. Mr Allison played a significant role in the implementation of Aboriginal land rights in this state, in particular the passing of what was then the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act in 1981, which allowed the title of some 100,000 square kilometres of land that we now know as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in the far north-west of the state to be managed by traditional owners. In December 1993, the Hon. Harold Allison was appointed as Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly until his retirement. On behalf of the government, I extend the chamber's condolences to the Hon. Mr Allison's family and loved ones.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:52): I rise today on behalf of the South Australian Liberal Party to honour the life and service of the Hon. Harold Allison, former member for Mount Gambier and Gordon, minister of the Tonkin government and Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. I extend our deepest condolences to his children, Fiona and Tim, and to all those who mourn his passing.

Harold Allison was born in Sheffield, England, in 1930. He served in the Yorkshire Royal Navy, worked in the steel industry and migrated to Australia in 1955, stepping off the HMS Orontes into what would become his new life and his new home here in South Australia. He settled in Mount Gambier, where he tried his hand at a plethora of occupations. Mr Allison was indeed one to have a go. He was an accountant, a hotelier, a real estate agent and, perhaps most importantly prior to entering political life, a teacher and librarian at Mount Gambier High School.

He spent 15 years in education, shaping young minds, before stepping forward to serve in the South Australian parliament. In 1975, Harold was elected to represent the seat of Mount Gambier, a seat which had been held by Labor and was considered unwinnable. He won it, and he held it. Harold Allison is proof that no constituency should be taken for granted, and Harold faithfully served the people of the South-East until his retirement in 1997.

Harold Allison was often thought of as a quiet achiever, but I stand in this chamber to proudly say that his impact was anything but quiet. His political career was one of action and of service. As Minister of Aboriginal Affairs in the Tonkin government, Harold played a critical role in the return of land to the Pitjantjatjara people. This was a hugely significant handover of more than 100,000 square kilometres, an area larger than Tasmania. It was a cornerstone moment for land rights in Australia, and Harold helped make that happen.

He also served as Minister of Education, bringing his classroom experience to the cabinet table. He understood what regional schools needed, not because he had read about it in a briefing but because he had lived it. He believed that every student, no matter their postcode, deserved the same opportunities—and that is a belief that the Liberal Party holds true today. Harold Allison's legacy lives on in our current party policy.

As a local member, Harold was known for his deep advocacy on issues that mattered to country people, issues such as regional rail, water supply and the infrastructure that keeps rural communities viable. He stood up for the South-East, and he did so consistently and without fanfare. He simply got the jobs that needed to be done, done. This is how he earned a reputation as a quiet achiever. In his final term, Harold served as Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees. Both those roles suited his calm temperament, his attention to detail and his unshakable sense of fairness.

Those who knew Harold knew him to be a man of depth, of dignity and of principle. He did not seek headlines; he sought outcomes and he achieved many of them. He also had a lighthearted side: a fan of opera and reportedly not shy about singing along, he once featured in The Advertiser under the headline 'Anyone for Tenors?' There was a dry humour there and, in equal measure, a warmth that his colleagues on both sides of the house respected.

What stands out most, however, was his commitment to public service. Harold Allison believed that politics was not about power but about responsibility. I am going to repeat that: he believed that politics was not about power but about responsibility. It is what we owe, at the top level of public service, to those we have been elected to represent and to serve. Harold Allison served his constituents with care, his party with loyalty and this parliament with quiet honour. His passing is a loss, not only to his family and the community but to the Liberal tradition in South Australia. It is a loss to all who value thoughtful, principled leadership. Vale Harold Allison.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:56): I rise to offer my condolences on the passing of Harold Allison MP and to offer my sincere condolences to his family, including his daughter, Fiona, and son, Timothy, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

He was the member for Mount Gambier and Gordon, which is where I live and where I grew up. I remember, as a child, being aware of his presence. Most people knew him as a former school teacher, and he was a teacher at Mount Gambier High School for over 15 years. I must say, it was not until his passing that I became aware that he was also an accountant, a real estate agent and a hotel owner. Even more surprising is that he was apparently the cousin of Joe Cocker, the rocker. There is an article that talks about him meeting his cousin, and they could not work out whether they were first cousins or second cousins, apparently. The headline was: '"I'm baffled," Cocker tells cousin Harold'.

Harold was a member of parliament for 22 years and he was well known in our area. He has been described in a local paper recently as, 'A politician of the people, never concerned with a person's political standing but focusing on how to aid with their personal concerns.'

When I was in primary school I had a school project. I must say, I cannot remember what the school project was, but for some reason I needed to visit the local MP's office. I remember going home and saying to my dad, who was Scottish, 'Dad, I need to go and see the local MP's office.' He said, 'That would be Harold Allison. He's not too bad.' Considering my dad was a staunch Labor man—my dad was a staunch unionist—to say 'He isn't too bad' was actually a huge compliment. I remember being quite struck by the fact of learning that, in fact, Liberals could be quite decent people.

I went down to the local MP's office—I was quite young; I was in primary school—and I remember I was expecting to meet the secretary or the office assistant or something like that, but in actual fact Harold came out and spoke with me about the project. I remember that he was very friendly and very helpful. As I recall, I got an A+ on my school project, so that is another positive in terms of Harold Allison. I think it does show the ability in regional areas to really know a local MP and for an MP to know and be helpful to all of his or her constituents. I think, in that regard, we can certainly offer our tributes to him.

Again, I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends. We remember a life lived serving others and serving our state. Rest in peace, Harold Allison.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (14:59): I rise to support the condolence motion and to put on the record my sympathies to the loved ones and to the family of the Hon. Harold Allison, who has been described as a politician of the people. On social media, people were reflecting that he was the best MP that Mount Gambier would have, and probably ever would have, and I would like to put on the record the deep appreciation that I have, and I know that many other people in Mount Gambier have, for the late Harold Allison.

Harold Allison was born in 1930 and was a member for Mount Gambier and Gordon in the House of Assembly from 1975 to 1997, when he retired. During that term, he served in the Tonkin government as Minister of Education and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. He also held the roles of Deputy Speaker of the House and Chair of Committees. As has been reflected today, he was known by many as a teacher and a librarian at Mount Gambier High School, and, as the honourable member on the other side suggested, even an accountant and a publican, and Joe Cocker's cousin, which is fantastic.

He was a passionate advocate for the South-East and was a valued member of the community. He was not one to seek the limelight, only agreeing to stand for parliament after nine others had declined. After accepting the nomination, Harold famously knocked on every single door in Mount Gambier ahead of the 1975 election. As the Hon. Clare Scriven was reflecting on her dad thinking he was not a bad bloke, I did remember stories that I used to hear about Harold Allison, how he would head out to the mills and talk with the workers who were also very much staunch Labor supporters and unionists, but they all had deep respect for Harold.

During his time in government, he served as Minister of Education and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, as I said, bringing the same earnest and hands-on approach to cabinet as he showed on the ground in Mount Gambier. He earned respect across the political divide for his hard work, his decency and steadfast representation of his constituents. As I said, many stories were shared online detailing his love for having a bit of a sing. He was a fierce competitor in his hockey playing days, and he would help out family members at the car wash, just doing the final polish, and people were always surprised to see an MP there polishing their car at the end of the line.

Former Premier of South Australia the Hon. Reverend Dr Lynn Arnold AO commented that, despite being on the opposite side of politics, he always had the highest regard for Harold, and he was delighted many years after they both left politics to catch up with him again at his son's car wash at Glen Osmond Road.

Harold Allison passed quietly in his sleep on 28 June, a Saturday, just shy of his 95^th birthday. He is survived by his very proud daughter, Fiona, and son, Tim, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Again, we have lost probably the greatest member for Mount Gambier that we have ever had. Vale Hon. Harold Allison.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 15:03 to 15:15.