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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-25 Daily Xml
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Condolence

OLSON, MR J.W.

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) (14:03): I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of the late John William Olson, a former member of this house, and places on record its appreciation of his meritorious service, 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 John William Olson, better known as Jack Olson, who died on 13 November 2008 aged 92. Jack served as the member for Semaphore from June 1973 until 1979 under the premierships of Don Dunstan and then Des Corcoran. He was also a longstanding member of the trade union movement in South Australia, and served his nation with bravery and distinction during World War II.

Jack Olson is remembered as a hardworking and devoted local member who represented the interests of the people of Semaphore, an area in which he was born, raised and lived virtually all his adult life with diligence and integrity. John William Olson was born in Semaphore on 10 October 1916, when the Great War in Europe was at its height. Upon completing his schooling and attending trade schools, Jack was offered an apprenticeship by General Motors Holden, where he began work as a motor body builder. He then accepted a position with the Postmaster-General and began work delivering telegrams on his trusty pushbike.

In April 1943, at the age of 26, Jack enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was part of the RAAF's renowned 452 Spitfire Squadron, which was the first Australian squadron to form in Britain during the Second World War when it came together in 1941. The 452 Squadron was ordered to return to Australia in 1942 to bolster our nation's air defences, and from early 1943 it was based in Darwin, where Jack Olson served as a leading aircraftman as part of the signal unit.

Following his discharge at war's end, Jack returned to work with the PMG where his political interests and aspirations began to grow. He took on the role of union organiser with the Amalgamated Postal Workers Union, and by 1960 he was working as a full-time union official. Under the guidance of this political mentors, the former member Semaphore, Harold Tapping, and, to a lesser extent, the federal member for Hindmarsh, Clyde Cameron, Jack rose to the position of APWU state secretary.

In 1973 Jack won Labor Party preselection to contest a by-election in the seat of Semaphore following the untimely death of former Speaker of the House of Assembly Reg Hurst. Jack won the by-election convincingly then further increased his majority at the 1975 state election, of course, which was a perilously close win for Labor, I think, basically, Dunstan's government in the tidal wave in 1975 against the Whitlam government, saved really by the late Jack Slater. Of course, Jack Olson was re-elected again in 1977, which was the year that I met him when I was working for Don Dunstan.

Jack was committed to the western suburbs and was passionate about the issues that were important to working people and families in his electorate. He and his wife Pearl raised their family of four children in Semaphore and they were involved in many aspects of the community's day-to-day life.

In Jack Olson's maiden speech, delivered soon after he was elected in 1973, he spoke about the importance of education, of kindergarten and crèche facilities, and the significant impact being made by the government's establishment of a roll-on, roll-off container berth at Outer Harbor.

He also threw his wholehearted support behind the housing redevelopment at North Haven, that he foresaw would ease pressure on demands for housing and would provide important leisure activities for the peninsula, such as the boat haven and golf course.

Jack was a well-known and popular figure within his electorate not only because of the tireless work that he undertook on behalf of his constituents, but also serving as a justice of the peace, a title that he held for more than four decades. I have been doing it for more than a quarter of a century—but he went on for more than four decades. He was also highly regarded by local government representatives in the area with whom he maintained a close working relationship.

Despite being a proud son of Adelaide's western suburbs, Jack Olson also travelled in order to maintain a worldly perspective. One of his fondest recollections from his union days was the time that he travelled in the then Soviet Union and was among the huge crowd in Moscow's Red Square for one of the annual May Day parades, probably presided over by Brezhnev and, I would imagine, Kosygin, or maybe even Andropov. Always conscious of fashion, Jack returned from that trip complete with fur hat and Russian Soviet-style coat, and delighted in telling the story of how he sipped vodka in the heart of Red Square as the might of the Soviet empire thundered past—all those intercontinental ballistic missiles and tanks.

Even though he was aged just 63 when the 1979 state election was called—that was the fatal election called early in 1979—Jack was unable to stand due to the fact that he would have reached the ALP's retirement age before the 44th parliament had served its term, which meant he was prevented from running—

The Hon. G.M. Gunn interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Gunny, you would have retired 20 years ago.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Now, don't you pick on Gunny. He later told family members that his one regret of political life was that he was not allowed to stand in 1979 and to fight for the right to serve a fourth term. His other major annoyance came towards the end of his political career when he was regularly mistaken for his namesake (albeit with a different spelling), John Wayne Olsen, as opposed to John William Olson, who, of course, went on to serve our state as premier, and, as everyone knows, is a very good friend of mine.

I am looking forward to welcoming John Olsen back to South Australia. I know that there has been some criticism of me for asking Dean Brown to serve the state, but I think that it is important to be bigger than state politics. It would be really churlish of me or this government not to invite John Olsen to help serve our state as well.

In 1978, John Wayne Olsen was then president of the Liberal Party. John W. Olson became so concerned about the ensuing confusion that he asked Don Dunstan whether the then premier would advise the Adelaide media of the distinction. In fact, I was the principal press secretary at the time who was asked to ensure that there was a difference—and what a way to talk about your own staff.

So ineffective was I as a spin doctor that Jack Olson's patience was tested when he received three early morning telephone calls from journalists, beginning at around 7.30am (which is a lot later than they ring us), requesting information about Liberal Party activities. This was after his photograph had appeared in the Sunday Mail above a caption that identified him as the president of the South Australian Liberal Party. Understandably, Jack Olson took strong exception to this error and claimed that a number of his constituents had been moved to express their disgust at his change of heart, change of party and change of allegiance.

Don Dunstan assured the then member for Semaphore that he would undertake to draw the media's attention to this shocking mistake. Don added his sympathy for Jack's plight, pointing out that he knew of a Mr D.A. Dunstan who worked as a manager in the printing industry and who used regularly to receive similarly misdirected telephone calls late at night about Labor Party matters or Norwood constituency issues. I have had to put up with that, too. Only last week I was walking down North Terrace when someone came up to me and said, 'G'day, Neville. How are you going? Keep up the good work.'

Following his retirement from parliament, Jack Olson remained an avid follower of the union movement and of politics in all its forms. Let me assure the house that he was never found wanting for a political opinion. He regularly attended luncheons and Christmas events for former members of parliament and was an avid reader of political memoirs and records. Like his successors, the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Recreation and Sport, because of the Semaphore area, his great loves were the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL and later Port Power, when it ascended to the national competition with such glory as we experienced in 2004.

In sport, as in his political life, Jack's views were decidedly black and white. He was also a keen cricket follower. I am told that he was a fast bowler of some repute in his day—and I guess this is an area where there is some likeness to me, if I could be so humble. Until he succumbed to ill health in recent years, Jack was a regular at the Riverside Golf Club, where he used to partner his close friend and former Dunstan government minister, Geoff Virgo, who was one of the most impressive people I have met during my life.

A couple of Jack's proudest achievements, outside politics and his family, took place on the greens at Riverside. On ANZAC Day in 1987, he lived every golfer's dream when he scored a hole in one. The following month, in a remarkable feat, he did it again. The trophies he received to commemorate his dual achievement took pride of place in his home at Semaphore.

On behalf of all members on this side of the house—and, I am sure, all members of parliament, because Jack Olson was someone everyone loved and admired—I extend my condolences to Jack's children, Marilyn, David, Robert and Philip, to his four grandchildren and to all his family and friends. Jack Olson was one of the great stalwarts of the Labor Party, and I know that his loyalty was greatly appreciated by both Don Dunstan and Des Corcoran. He will be missed.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:14): On behalf of the opposition, I rise to second the Premier's condolence motion and express our regret at the passing of John William Olson, former member for Semaphore. It is very important that we remember the service of former MPs who make a considerable sacrifice to serve, but do so with pride. I speak on behalf of the entire Liberal Party when I express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of John William Olson (known as Jack). I put on the record our appreciation of his service to his country and to the state of South Australia.

John was born on 10 October 1916. As we have heard, he served with great credit during World War II as part of 452 Squadron in Darwin. He was elected in 1973 as the member for Semaphore and represented the electorate for some time until 1979. During this time he was a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Land Settlement, 1974-75 (chairman in 1975), a member of the Public Accounts Committee from 1975 until 1979 and a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works in 1979.

Mr Olson was also a state secretary of the Amalgamated Postal Workers Union, an executive member of the Australian Labor Party and the United Trades and Labor Council, and a delegate to the United TLC. He demonstrated a strong commitment to the union movement and to improving the rights of injured workers. He was previously a postal worker, and before that a motor body builder. During the war, Mr Olson served creditably for 17 months in Darwin on behalf of his nation.

During his time as the Labor member for Semaphore he experienced some difficulties, as we have heard, with mistaken identity. It is remembered on this side of the house that people confused him with J.W. Olsen (with an 'e'). I am sure that members opposite could imagine how sick and tired their John Olson must have been of receiving phone calls in the middle of the night seeking advice on Liberal Party matters, which, no doubt, he offered without qualification. I could imagine that.

Survived by his children, Marilyn, David, Robert and Phillip, daughter-in-law Lorraine and grandchildren, Sean, Brooke, Purdey and Skye, we thank them all for his service. It has been my experience, and I am sure that of everyone in the house, that all MPs, regardless of their political affiliation or views, come here with the best of intentions and serve their people to the best of their ability, and John Olson was no exception.

I am sure all members present will join me in paying respect to the late Jack Olson and acknowledging the contribution that he made to the state, the parliament and the country.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:17): I will speak briefly, because much of Jack Olson's life has been well articulated by both the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. I am very proud to have followed Jack Olson, as I have Norm Peterson, who ultimately was the successor to Jack Olson in Semaphore, as the Labor Party, one would remember, was not fortunate enough to win the seat back in 1979.

Jack Olson was someone I knew, but not well. Obviously, Jack had retired many years prior to my seeking preselection, but I did meet with Jack on a number of occasions and had quite a few chats with him, as I did his predecessor, the late Harold Tapping, who was a well known local identity and former member for Semaphore. I remember that, during my first campaign in 1989, Harold appeared in a number of photos with me and helped me to the extent that he could. I think even in those days he was in his mid to late eighties.

Any member of Semaphore follows in a tradition of representing a very working class area, one that is steeped in Labor tradition, thanks to the Electoral Commission, of which I offer no criticism whatsoever under any circumstance. Nobody could, for one moment, suggest any criticism towards the Electoral Commission, but it would be fair to say that the old electorate of Semaphore is somewhat different today to what it was. I cannot even think of the name any more. It was—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, no, it couldn't, although there was some suggestion—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: It is still full of Conlons.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: It is still full of Conlons—one less, thankfully. But the seat of Semaphore is not as it was in the days of Jack Olson, and when I first became the member, at which time it was, effectively, the Le Fevre Peninsula, which, in itself, is a very discreet community and probably more like the country electorate in many ways than an urban electorate, given the sense of separation, as it is surrounded in most part by either the ocean or the Port River, and there is a very strong sense of community, much more than you would find in a normal urban electorate, which often spans many different suburbs, many different council areas, and often many different demographics and geography.

The discrete community of Semaphore (the old electorate of Le Fevre Peninsula) is one that anyone in the Labor Party is very proud to represent. Jack did that in a very noble and a very appreciative manner. He was re-elected, I think, on each occasion with an increased majority. As the Premier outlined, he was disappointed that he was not able to run in 1979, and perhaps the Labor Party was, too. It just shows that, in the days when we had age restrictions on MPs, it was, in that instance, to the Labor Party's detriment.

Jack was a great local. He was born and raised in the area. He lived in the area and raised his family there. On behalf of my constituents and myself, as a successor to Jack, I extend my condolences to Jack's children: Marilyn, David, Robert and Philip, to his four grandchildren, and to all of his family and friends.

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:21): I rise to record my thanks to Jack Olson in his role as secretary of the Amalgamated Postal Workers Union and in the role that he was prepared to play at that time, against the odds, in supporting women's rights in the union movement. I was organiser for the Administrative and Clerical Officers Association while he was still secretary of the APWU and I found that, in some of the debate about the role of women in the union movement, I was often in the minority.

As the Premier has noted, Jack Olson spoke about childcare in his inaugural address. He was somebody who was prepared to think about the different role of women in the workplace and the union movement. Jack Olson established an honourable code for his successors in the APWU, who were always prepared, in my experience, to support the rights of women in the union movement and to treat women with respect, which I think some of my colleagues have noted was not always the case. Jack Olson was a real gentleman and very much welcoming of the engagement of the new group within the union movement. I wish to pay tribute to his brave actions at this time and make sure that his grandchildren know about them.

The SPEAKER: I thank honourable members for their comments. I will pass on to Jack Olson's family a copy of the transcript of today's proceedings.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.


[Sitting suspended from 14:24 to 14:35]



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