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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
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CRIMES, MR E.H.

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) (14:50): I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of Mr E.H. Crimes, former member of the House of Assembly, and places on record its appreciation of his meritorious public services, and that as a mark of respect to his memory the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

I was saddened to learn of the death of Ernest Crimes—Ernie Crimes, as he was more widely known—on 17 January 2008 at the remarkable age of 100. Ernie served as the member for Spence in Don Dunstan's government from 1970 to 1975. He was also a stalwart of the trade union movement here in South Australia and, for 35 years, he was the managing editor of TheHerald, South Australia's Labor Party newspaper. That is how I first met him in my role as an occasional contributor to TheHerald, as was the member for Spence, and probably a number of others on the front bench. I know that Steph Key and others have all contributed under his leadership.

I quickly learned that Ernie was a man of firmly held opinions, to put it mildly. He was never afraid to voice his views on issues and personalities regardless of political affiliations; so, the member Stuart is in good company. He was also a prolific correspondent, whether in his own publication or as a regular contributor on the letters to the editor pages of our daily newspapers. More about that later.

Ernest Henry Crimes was born in the railway town of Crewe in the northern English county of Cheshire on 27 May 1907. His father, Jimmy, was a fitter and turner with British Rail and an activist unionist within the Amalgamated Engineering Union. An only child, young Ernie suffered severely from bronchitis which was aggravated by the long, damp English winters. In 1913, his family acted on medical advice and emigrated to Adelaide. Ernie's father had found work in the Islington railway workshops.

Ernie attended Hindmarsh Primary School, where he made his political leanings known early on by wearing (at primary school) a blue anticonscription badge in the classroom at the height of the First World War. In fact, there are various stories about police visits to the household and so on. After gaining his qualifying certificate from Woodville High School, Ernie was employed as an office boy with a secretarial firm. When his father lost his job because he defended a young worker who had been victimised, Ernie became the sole breadwinner for his household.

His family survived on Ernie's wage of £1 per week plus the generosity of their friendly local butcher. It was that period that instilled in Ernie a strong commitment to help enact social change. Ernie rose through the ranks at the secretarial firm and he was promoted to office manager, then paymaster, and he even served as a proxy at board meetings. He was called up to service in the Second World War but, when he told the recruiting officer that he was the only male employee in an office that also served the Fire Brigades Board, he was quietly advised to rip up his enlistment form.

It was during this time that Ernie became president of the commercial section of the Federated Clerks Union. He also began his association with The Worker's Weekly newspaper—never a daily newspaper, much to our enduring sorrow—where he took over writing a weekly column on foreign affairs that can only be described as extremely controversial. He joined the paper full time in 1949 and he was soon appointed managing editor. Ernie was paid so little in his role as managing editor of The Herald, that the then ALP state secretary, Jim Toohey—uncle of Glen Broomhill—later to become an influential South Australian senator and a mentor for many an aspiring Labor politician, took to passing a hat around the Labor parliamentary members in order to supplement Ernie's wage.

Ernie also became involved in the Australian Workers Union (AWU), and in 1959 he stood as the ALP candidate in the state's toughest seat—no, not Ramsay—the electorate of Gumeracha, which was held by the premier, Sir Thomas Playford. Even though he was unsuccessful, Ernie's dogged refusal to back away from a fight saw him contest the same seat at the next state poll in 1965. This was a safe seat for the Liberals—there could not be anything safer—but Ernie was determined to win it. He was again a candidate in 1965, and that was the election which brought about the end of the Playford era, although not the end of Sir Thomas Playford as the member for Gumeracha.

For his efforts, Ernie Crimes was rewarded with preselection for the vastly different western suburbs seat of Spence in 1970. I just think of the members for Spence over the years: Ernie Crimes, Roy Abbott, former president of the South Adelaide Football Club, and now our own Attorney-General. At his third attempt, Ernie Crimes made his way to the House of Assembly, albeit at the age of 63. At that election—this is a test for the Attorney-General—Ernie Crimes, in the seat of Spence, polled more than 75 per cent of the vote—the most that the ALP scored in any seat in 1970, which was a glorious year for our party.

Importantly, in his maiden speech in this place, Ernie paid tribute to his Liberal Country League opponent of 1970, Mr F.W.C. Rieck. Ernie noted that Mr Rieck's chances of winning Spence were:

...probably no better in that contest than were mine on two previous occasions...when I contested Gumeracha against that most legendary figure, Sir Thomas Playford.

Like the Hon. Glen Broomhill, to whom we have also paid tribute in this house today, Ernie Crimes harboured deep concerns about South Australia's environment. In that maiden speech, delivered on 15 July 1970, he expressed his fears for the future of our oceans and waterways. Ernie stated:

I turned to the problem of environmental pollution which does, I hope, exercise the minds of all thoughtful citizens. [These are] matters that are fundamentally and profoundly important, not only to this state but also to Australia...and even, in some cases, to several countries throughout the world. If ever there has been an indictment of society and of so many people, that is it.

[A commonwealth Senate committee] report states that South Australia's problem is simple but serious, and [that] Adelaide's water system is endangered.

Ernie served as acting deputy speaker from some time before he retired from parliament at the 1975 election, aged 68. Because he was only halfway through his second term when the poll was called—it was a snap election—Ernie was not entitled to a parliamentary pension, but he continued to serve a role in public life. In 1975 he was appointed for a short time to the board of the Savings Bank of South Australia.

Ernie also attracted attention for his parliamentary fashion sense even before Don Dunstan appeared in his now legendary pink shorts. Ernie and a former member for Salisbury, Reg Groth, claimed to have pioneered the wearing of coloured shirts in this chamber. Ernie recalled later that a lot of people objected to it. Throughout his tenure as the member for Spence, Ernie continue to work in his role as managing editor of The Herald. He worked closely with renowned journalist and author Bruce Muirden, a close friend and colleague of mine. The pair worked together to produce The Herald from 1960 through until Ernie's retirement in 1989, aged 82.

'Muirden wrote it, but I was behind the scenes,' Ernie recalled of The Herald during those years. I have to say that I used to share a room in this building with Bruce Muirden, and I used to hear his weekly conversations, sometimes more than once, with Ernie. Their relationship could only be described as colourful; it was a kind of deep and abiding friendship and respect but peppered with a great deal of enthusiastic exchange of views on a whole range of different issues.

Even though deteriorating eyesight forced him to give up driving his car at the age of 88, Ernie remained active and continued to harbour his passion for politics. He wrote countless letters to the newspapers, many of them appearing under his alias, L.F. Hutchinson of Henley Beach. So, if any members opposite have ever been attacked publicly in the 'Tiser or the old Adelaide News by L.F. Hutchinson, you now know who it was. An avowed socialist until his death, Ernie once revealed that during his adolescence his fondness for motion pictures had led him to briefly admire American capitalism. Ernie once recalled:

I saw the propaganda of their films, the glitter, the glamour and the beautiful women.

He said, 'I thought "what a wonderful society". Then I saw behind the facade.' It was very interesting that, at his funeral at Enfield cemetery a couple of weeks ago—Ernie at nearly 101—there was music. Al Jolson's music was his preferred choice, and I think there was also a bit of Fred Astaire.

While his political philosophy changed dramatically as he began his working life, his interest in movies and the film industry scarcely waned. He joined various societies connected with the movies. However, he did become disillusioned with the subject matter of modern movies. He went on to say:

Even when the Depression was at its worst, we could go to a dance very cheaply or see a bright, happy film for a shilling. These days, if you can afford to see a picture it's all horror—no wonder everybody's depressed.

Even after he celebrated his 100th birthday last May, Ernie, with the support of his family, was still able to look after himself and Lucy, his beloved wife of 70 years. Although he suffered increasingly from deafness, Ernie hated to miss a word of the federal parliamentary debates being broadcast on the radio. He remained a devoted student and outstanding participant of the political process until his passing. I know that he gave his successors in the sub-branch considerable curry for many years.

On behalf of all members on this side of the house, I extend my condolences to Ernie's wife Lucy, to their children, Paul and Denise, and to all of Ernie's family and friends.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (15:03): Every party has its colourful characters, and there is no doubt that Ernie Crimes is one of Labor's most colourful. As we have heard, he was born in 1907. He was a former union official, an MP for Spence from 1970 to 1975 and for 36 years was the editor of The Herald, Labor's newspaper. Whether it was as a union official, a columnist, an editor or a parliamentarian, the record shows that Ernie Crimes knew what he had to say and was always prepared to say it.

In an interview last year—and the Premier has just alluded to it—with Labor's newspaper The Herald, the paper on which Ernie served for 36 years, he proudly said that he even predated his nemesis Don Dunstan in the fashion stakes, wearing colourful shorts in parliament long before Dunstan had thought of it. The shorts found their way into South Australia's political history. It is fair to say—and as former members on this side would recall—that the Liberal Party and its members were often at the wrong end of his wrath, but it is also fair to say that he spread it around. In some respects, we had a bit in common with his disdain for Bob Hawke, Don Dunstan, Frank Walsh, Paul Keating, and a string of other ALP luminaries. These would have made good conversation starters with those on the opposite side of the political spectrum.

As our state's political history shows, Ernie was very much on the left of Labor, and he demonstrated his commitment to socialism when he resigned from the party after Bob Hawke privatised the Commonwealth Bank in 1985.

What is to be admired about Mr Crimes is that he always stood by his principles. Political expediency was not in his nature, and that no doubt prevented him from achieving higher office. His contribution was always dictated by a commitment to the union movement and the beliefs instilled in him by his father's background as a strong union man in Great Britain.

Politics aside, it is perhaps best to reflect on an even greater contribution made by Ernie Crimes in his more than 100-year lifetime and that was his commitment to his family. As Phil Robins' final interview last year attests, Ern cared for his wife Lucy at their Croydon home where they lived for some 70 years. What a great achievement.

His son Paul, daughter Denise, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren have much to remember and much to reflect on through the clear memories that Ern had of the development of the Labor movement in South Australia from World War I right through to the present. It is indeed a proud connection with his party.

His granddaughter, Emily Webb, shares his passion for film and was interviewed by Peter Goers on ABC radio last year about memories she had catalogued. His story is very much the story of Adelaide's western suburbs, of Labor's struggles with socialism and how Australian politics arrived at the place it is today.

His story is also about a migrant family in an increasingly multicultural Australia and how such families have made a lasting contribution to the community. These are stories of family migration worth telling, and we on this side of the house wish his family all the best for the future and express our condolences and respect to his memory. I commend the motion.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:07): Last September, I concluded my two-part speech about the former member for Spence, Ernie Crimes, to mark the occasion of his centenary. Alas, today I rise to bid Ernie farewell.

Though I doubt that he was a believer—at least, if he were, he were quite angry with God—God bless you, Ernie, and may your soul rest in eternal peace. I offer my thoughts and condolences to Lucy, his wife of some 70 years, who survives Ernie in the family home at Robert St, Croydon, as well as his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was once described as the most left-wing member of the Dunstan caucus. I am not sure so much on social issues, but certainly on the question of nationalising the means of production and exchange he was uncompromisingly left wing.

He was born in the town of Crewe, getting towards Deeside in Cheshire, England, on 27 May 1907. He was only five years of age when he came to Adelaide with his mum and dad. It is clear that in his life the politics of his father, a fitter and turner and an ardent socialist, had much influence.

Still in primary school, a young Ernie said that he was a campaigner against conscription. There were two referendums on conscription for overseas service in the Great War, and Ernie said he wore to school an ALP badge emblazoned with the word 'No' in the middle of a map of Australia: 'No' to conscription for overseas service.

In his domestic life, Ernie was independent almost to the very end. He would do all the dishwashing and dusting although he complained that he was prone to breaking things owing to his failing eyesight. He was happy with his life and lot in Croydon. He lived a full life of political adventure. Although once a fan of Bob Hawke, his great Labor hero was Ben Chifley. 'I loved Ben, I loved Ben,' he said to TheLabor Herald last year.

Ernie Crimes made two attempts to unseat the man he once described as a dictator—and that was Liberal premier, Tom Playford—in 1959 and again in 1965. Ernie Crimes claimed about a third of the vote in Gumeracha. Ernie retold the tale that Clyde Cameron contacted him to try to stop him from running against the then premier. At the time Ernie was suspended from the ALP owing to pro-Soviet leanings. A fierce factional fighter, Ernie Crimes made no secret of his hostilities with Premier Dunstan, nor did his revulsion over the privatisation of the Commonwealth Bank ever wane.

Ernie Crimes said that one of his life's great disappointments was the collapse of the Soviet Union. He had visited there and he said:

Actually, the only impression we can get of the Soviet Union even though they had some trouble with Stalin—who wasn't a bad man; he was a relatively good man—even though they had some trouble there, the people were so well ordered, the kids were wonderful. We'd go to schools and camps. Remembrance of the dead in the war against fascism. Oh, it was wonderful.

Ernie Crimes loved movies and musicals. He admired America as the home of the movies, but then, owing to the influence of authors such as H.G. Wells, Upton Sinclair, George Bernard Shaw and, of course, Karl Marx, Ernie changed his direction. However, he maintained his love for the movies and, indeed, at his funeral, the song Singin' in the Rain was played.

Ernie served as the first member for Spence from 30 May 1970. Up until that election, the seat had been known as Hindmarsh and it had had two members over a long period: from 1918 to 1950, John McInnes, who died in office; and Cyril Hutchens from 1950 to 1970. Ernie compulsorily retired at the snap election in 1975 owing to an ALP policy at that time that no MP could stand for a new term if he would turn 70 by the end of it. As I have said before, I know from first-hand experience that—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Yes—Ernie Crimes found it hard to get over that early election because it deprived him of an entitlement to parliamentary superannuation, which was a cruel blow. I wonder whether the ALP could have adjusted its rules to allow Ernie one more term, but he was crooked at Don Dunstan for calling that early election; as you would be. The Premier said that he had a Liberal opponent in 1970. That may have been the case. Certainly, Cyril Hutchens was unopposed on many occasions as the Labor candidate for Hindmarsh, but I am sure that Ernie did not have a legitimate opponent in the 1973 general election because the Labor Party gave Jim Sheridan leave (as it has done from time to time over the years) to stand against an endorsed Labor candidate. Jim Sheridan was a party member, and the reason he was standing against Ernie in Spence in 1973, as I think Nick Bolkus stood against someone in Elizabeth in the 1970s—

An honourable member: Peter Duncan.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: It could have been, I am not sure. Peter Duncan was not preselected until the 1973 election—was to maximise the Labor upper house vote. We wanted the Labor voters to turn out to vote in the Legislative Council election for Central No. 1. I remember Jim Sheridan being given permission. He was one of the few Gaelic speaking members of the Australian Labor Party.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Critically important.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Critically important. During Ernie's time as the member for Spence, he was a member of the Labor Party's Parliamentary Labour and Industry Committee, the Conservation Committee and the Parliamentary Land Settlement Committee. He was managing editor of TheLabor Herald, the official newspaper of the United Trades & Labor Council of South Australia from 1950 until he retired in 1986. The previous editor, Smedley, had had a falling out with Clyde Cameron. That is how Ernie graduated from being a columnist writing under the nom de plume Saboteur to the editor of the paper.

After he retired from parliament, he was appointed to the board of the Savings Bank of South Australia. He also served as president of Labor's May Day Committee and he was also on the Labour Day Committee.

I can remember the imprecations and raised voices that came through the door of the Labour Day committee room at Trades Hall as I waited in the corridor to see him one day. He was the South Australian president of the Australia Soviet Friendship Society, and a member of the ALP state executive.

Ernie had been a secretary of the Gas Workers Industrial Union and he also served with the Australian Workers Union. Indeed, I think in the 1960s or early 70s the Federated Gas Workers Industrial Union had a ballot for secretary, and oddly enough you did not have to be a member of the union to run in the ballot. The ballot was advertised and my friend John Boag stood as secretary, and I think he went on a visit to Port Pirie to try to garner some votes and was ringing up members who worked in the Brompton depot of the gas company. Ernie as returning officer gave him a call and said, 'Mr Boag, it is against the union's rules to canvass the members in an election, and if you continue to canvass the members I shall regrettably have to remove your name from the ballot paper.'

Ernie Crimes is a character of the Labor Movement of old. Not too many are left who came from the era of empires battling against one another through hot and cold wars. Ernie Crimes at least leaves this world passionate about his beliefs and committed to his wife and family. Vale Ernie Crimes.

The Hon. G.M. GUNN (Stuart) (15:17): I came into parliament on the same day as the late Mr Crimes—even though our views were somewhat different. I will never forget: he sat where the member for Giles sits and he used to point his finger at me, and I would suggest to members that they ought to have a look at Hansard and see some of the colourful phrases that were used. In his role as being involved with the Labor Party Herald he used to write in raised black type when referring to two members, namely myself and the Hon. Dean Brown, as evil and weevil.

An honourable member: Which one's which?

The Hon. G.M. GUNN: I am not sure which was which. However, that was all part of good political banter. But I am pleased that the Attorney-General mentioned his role on the Labor Party environment committee, because I recall going to Coober Pedy with the late Mr Glen Broomhill as minister and with Mr Crimes and other people, and they were taking evidence in relation to whether they should backfill opal mines. It was a most controversial issue, and when we got there we were met by a group of people who were led by an Ulster Irishman, whose father had been a member of the B-Specials.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: We get the idea; I can almost feel the idea.

The Hon. G.M. GUNN: Well, I was unfortunate enough to be sitting between this gentleman and Mr Crimes, and can I say that it was a most interesting discussion. I was particularly concerned about Mr Crimes' welfare when we were leaving. However, after that meeting we never heard any more about backfilling of opal mines. We never heard any more. Ernie did make his view clear, and my friends up there had their views in relation to the matter. I think that was the last time Ernie went to Coober Pedy.

Notwithstanding that, I have to say that we had a lot of good fun and banter across the house. I think he did refer to me as being a member of the landed gentry. I don't know why—just a simple country farmer. However, we need colourful characters in this parliament. I remember him complaining in this house that when he got home on one occasion some people who obviously had something against Ernie had advertised his house for sale! He actually took umbrage at that. Those of us on this side of the house could see the funny side, but he did not. I would like to extend my condolences to his family. He was one of the most colourful members, and I will have to read those speeches again to see those interesting things that he said about me.

The SPEAKER: I thank members for their contributions, and I will forward to Mr Crimes' family an extract of today's proceedings.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

[Sitting suspended from 15:21 to 15:32]

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