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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-27 Daily Xml
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SCOTT, MR A.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:30): I move:

That this house acknowledge the enormous contribution made by the late Allan Scott to every aspect of South Australian society and further recognise the part he played in the Australian transport industry.

Much has been said about the late Allan Scott by many people, from prime ministers to farm labourers, and it is hard to find something to say about him that has not already been said or read. But this man loomed so large over South Australian life that it is worth saying again, especially in this place, to which he once sought office.

I speak of Allan Scott as he was born in my electorate at Milang, a quiet little town on the shores of the now shrivelling Lake Alexandrina. It is ironic that Milang was once renowned as a transport hub for those 'trucks' of early South Australian country commerce, the river boats.

Although Allan spent most of his life in Mount Gambier and was a vigorous advocate for that rural city, he never forgot his roots or the people he grew up with at Milang. I must, at this point, pay special tribute to his biographer, Graham Greenwood, author of A Truckie's Life, from which much of my detail was gleaned.

Members may be surprised to learn that one of Allan's ancestors was a US army general, regarded by many as one of its finest. General Winfield Scott played a part in numerous wars in the early to mid 1800s, including the War of Southern Independence and the American Civil War.

General Scott was described as 'brave, resourceful, energetic and perceptive—a remarkable strategist'. Allan Scott, it seems, has a pedigree. General Scott was his great, great grandfather. General Scott's son became a lawyer and moved from America to settle in Strathalbyn, so beginning a family line that led to Allan—born in January 1923, the last child born at the Milang hospital.

Like so many young country lads, Allan was up early doing farm chores before walking several kilometres to school; returning later to more jobs. Unable to afford to buy a bicycle, Allan made himself one. He yearned to be a farmer, a dream that took decades to realise, by which time he was already a successful transport operator.

He began working at the age of 14, although by that time Allan had had many jobs and little enterprises. In 1940, at 17, he joined the army, was a sergeant at 18 and fought in New Guinea. He always felt that the army taught him how to make decisions quickly and conclusively.

His truck empire began in 1947, with one truck he purchased for £180. By 1952, he was in Mount Gambier running stock. He pioneered the three deck stock crate, which everyone said at the time would fall over at the first corner. It did not, and neither did his business.

Allan got into the fuel business in the early fifties. Fifty years later, he owned the biggest Mobil fuel agency in Australia. The petrol business led to takeaway food, as Allan was constantly mindful of opportunities, wherever and whatever they were.

By 2005, the group's truck fleet numbered some 2,000 vehicles, with depots in every Australian state and New Zealand. The group's own weekly fuel bill is in the millions! Trucks were purchased in multiples of ten, with the bill calculated in millions. But for all his buying power, Allan Scott always dealt locally. He worked hard to establish good business relationships, was fiercely loyal to them and expected the same in return. Allan called up that loyalty from time to time, challenging even major oil companies to honour it.

Part of his success came from a willingness to make the service suit the customer, rather than expecting the customer to fit the service. If it presented an opportunity, he invested in it. This led him into all manner of transport fields: refrigerated trucks, fuel tankers, wine tankers, timber trucks and other specialised rigs. The diversity of his business interests expanded exponentially as one door led to another and another. Contracts covered a huge variety of goods and products: brewery, wine, newsprint, fuel, timber, etc.

Outside transport, there were hotels, motels, restaurants, real estate, property development, pastoral interests, thoroughbred breeding, retail stores, abattoirs, vineyards—the list goes on.

Amongst his highest profile interests were media companies: radio stations 5DN, 5MU and 5AD, as well as television stations SES8 in Mount Gambier and a TV station at Loxton. The acquisition of the South-East newspaper, the Border Watch, led to it becoming a pacesetter in South Australian rural newspapers, leading the way with technological advances that were daunting for many but seen by Allan as essential investments in the paper's future.

An example of Allan's resilience and resourcefulness came in a well-publicised case that came to light in 2002 of an employee who defrauded a subsidiary company of some $15 million. That loss would have sunk most businesses, but Allan Scott took immediate control and not only saved the company and all its employees but actually turned a record profit within two years.

Allan's desire to see things dear to him survive and flourish have been evident in many ways. He was passionate about South Australia, passionate about Mount Gambier (his adopted home) and passionate about his birth place, Milang.

At one end of the scale, Allan would strive to save major South Australian icon companies from being lost to the state, companies such as Elders, SA Brewing and the Bank of Adelaide, to name a few. These efforts often involved putting together consortia to raise tens of millions of dollars, some of which was his own. He lamented at one stage after saving a local meatworks and its 120 jobs—for no gain I might add—that 'no-one in South Australia seems to want to fight to keep business here'. He was often lured interstate by attractive offers to relocate, but his sense of loyalty to his community and state always overrode those temptations.

At the other end of the scale, Allan was a frequent visitor to Milang, supporting all sorts of clubs and community events and projects. Over the decades, Allan was a frequent visitor at the tiny Milang Football Club where he had played as a lad, always happy to be a part of their events. He recently contributed $10,000 to the Milang Memorial Gardens, which he was to open last September, before the last stages of his illness denied him that pleasure. It was pleasing to be present at the opening, and his son, Ray, took part in the proceedings.

He was a friend to many politicians, and a foe to others. Despite his association with the Liberal Party, he held no fear or favour for any strain of politics, counting people from both parties among his friends. Bob Hawke knew him well enough to warn the Transport Workers Union not to take him on, as he would not be beaten. Allan also admired Don Dunstan as a progressive leader and was particularly pleased by Dunstan's decentralisation policies, which appear to have waned under his successors. Allan became friends with journalist Prue Goward, now a New South Wales state politician. During her time as Equal Opportunities Commissioner, Ms Goward often spoke with Allan Scott. He feared no-one and spoke his mind, with or without support from others. His lone voice often won the day.

Allan Scott's sporting interests and affiliations were myriad: football, basketball, hunt clubs, bowls clubs, wheelchair sports, speedboat racing, horse racing and, car rallying and even included several years of sponsoring a Mount Gambier based V8 supercar at Bathurst. His involvement in sport was as a player, a competitor, administrator and sponsor.

One story that sums up his love of sport and community occurred when the North Gambier Football Club—arch-rival of his beloved East Gambier—fell on hard times. Allan Scott assisted North Gambier to get back on its feet, a move designed to keep the local competition strong. His association with Port Adelaide Football Club—the mighty Power—

Mr Pengilly: Who?

Mr PEDERICK: —the mighty Power—has been well documented, and several major sporting venues in South Australia bear his name in recognition of his generous and unswerving support.

His support for charities amounts to some $2 million a year. Organisations that have enjoyed his benevolence include: Foodbank, The Royal Flying Doctor Service, Boandik Lodge for the Aged, the Life Education Centre, the Millicent Police Youth Club, the Freemasons, the Women's and Children's Hospital, Safety Beat; the RSL, the Barnes Memorial Trust; the Mount Gambier CFS; Constable Care; Bedford Industries, the Variety Club, the Mount Gambier City Band, Youth Farm, the St Martin's Lutheran Church Project, St Vincent de Paul and the RW Page Child-Care Centre. No doubt there are many others.

Two high-profile projects to have enjoyed his patronage are the One and All and South Australia's 1987 America's Cup Challenge. Then there are the official awards, from his 1986 OAM and 2006 AO for services to the community, to Lions and Rotary service club awards and Australia Post and Telstra business awards. These mark the exceptional esteem held for him at all levels of society.

On a personal level, Allan took a close and paternal interest in the wellbeing of those around him and close to him. His wealth was never flaunted or squandered, but it enabled him to be generous and magnanimous in giving others a helping hand. A family friend from Milang was Bob Honor, a long-time Milang resident whose father, Charles, was one of the 645 sailors lost on the HMAS Sydney in 1941. Allan had known Charles's family and was well aware of the loss his death would inflict on young Bob and his family. Bob has been surprised and humbled ever since by the occasional and unheralded offer of support to him from a man who took it upon himself to keep a fatherly eye on him.

Bob Honor fondly tells a story that demonstrates Allan's humility and good humour. Seven years ago, Bob's Aunt Una—a former teacher, now 98—was speaking to the crowd at a Back to Milang School reunion. Allan was chatting quietly to someone at the back of the hall. Miss Roberts resumed her teacher's mantle saying to him sternly, 'I was telling you to be quiet as a student and I'm telling you now!' to which Allan—a chastened but smiling Allan—replied, 'Sorry, Miss Roberts.'

Allan's contribution to all aspects of life in South Australia is far greater and broader than most will ever know, perhaps even to some of the 3,000 people currently employed by the 80 companies of the Scott Group. To sum up, I would like to quote directly from Graham Greenwood's book:

It was once said that perhaps the true contribution of Allan Scott will not be recognised by the Mount Gambier and South Australian community until after his death. Only then will it be truly appreciated how many organisations have benefited so much from Allan Scott's generosity.

On behalf of all South Australians, I offer my deepest sympathy to Allan's family for their loss, and my heartfelt thanks for the life of an extraordinary man. I commend the motion.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (11:43): I rise to speak briefly on this because, knowing Allan, by now he would have been saying, 'That'll be about enough, boys.' He was quite simply a great, gigantic South Australian who had friends—as has been said—from virtually every walk of life. Some of the most important people in the country were his friends, and he was kind enough to make a friend of me, which I thought was very generous, given that I am a long way down the list of people with whom he used to hang out.

I just want to say a few things about Allan that stick in my mind. One is his incredible energy for a new project. This bloke was in his 80s, and he was in my office many times talking about what he wanted to do next—a new project in a different area, whether it was a diesel plant, a diesel refinery at Port Bonython, or another new business elsewhere. He had more energy as an 80-year old than many business people half his age. His capacity to find enthusiasm and a way in which to get things done stands in stark contrast with some of the people I have seen who like to complain that not enough is done for them. He was a person who did not wait for anyone to do anything for him.

He did have a habit of saying things which he later regretted. I remember one instance, in particular. There was an argument about a couple of million dollars. I cannot remember what it was about, but it was a difficulty at the time. He said to the journalist from the local paper, 'Don't worry, I drop more than that in the collection plate every Sunday.' I rang him and said, 'Allan, you do know you will have every God botherer in the country after you. This could cost you a bit of dough.' At the time he conceded that, on reflection, he may have phrased it slightly differently.

He ran an extraordinarily difficult business, a major conglomerate, with endless energy. Whenever I went to Mount Gambier, I would tug the forelock and pay my respects. He was a giant in South Australia but an absolute giant in the South-East. I would always go to see Allan and, occasionally, we would have lunch. Even then, although Allan had made such a success of himself, lunch was inevitably in his office. He never liked to venture far from the office. He ran that amazing conglomerate business with tremendous energy.

He was very proud to have hanging on his wall what he told me was the original document of Congress's appointment of General Winfield Scott as a major general. From my knowledge of American history, only two men have ever been appointed to that rank—Ulysses S. Grant and Winfield Scott. If it was the original document, I did suggest to him that he should probably move it to a much safer place because it would be extraordinarily valuable.

As has been said, he was incredibly generous. I will be at Greg Boulton's farewell on Saturday night at the Port Adelaide Football Club—as I am sure some members opposite will be. I can tell members that, on my flight to Mount Gambier, it looked like an end-of-season Power footy trip. Many Port legends and current Port players were on the plane and their respects were properly paid.

I express my condolences to Grace and his four children. He was a great man and we will not see his like again.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (11:48): I support the motion and recognise the comments of earlier speakers. Allan is another example of the passing of a great generation of South Australians. He was a World War II veteran. He was one of a dying breed of men and women who have served the country very proudly and have instilled the values of the current younger generation as they brought them up. My thoughts—and I know the thoughts of all MPs—go to Allan's children (Robyn, Zena, Julie and Ray), his grandchildren and other family members who will miss this patriarch very deeply. He was a champion of not only his family but also the whole South-East.

I first became aware of Allan when I was a teenager. I used to go to the South-East to visit my father, who was also in the transport industry. In the 1960s Allan was the man in Mount Gambier; there is no doubt about that. His business grew until he became one of the men in South Australia. We were all the better for it. He was a self-made man. He was a very generous man. He was a fairly straight shooter. He had enormous energy, as has been observed by earlier speakers. He was a good friend of many in political life, and a good friend of many in the Liberal Party. He was a man who reflected in many ways the values of the Liberal Party, in particular the value of family and the value of the individual and respect for the individual. He was a man who saw the benefit of individual enterprise. He was of the view that private enterprise, private business and private endeavour was what made the state, his district of the South-East and, before that, Strathalbyn, and the nation strong.

He will certainly be missed from the landscape in South Australia. Many members on this side of the house have fond regard for Allan. We see him as a champion of the state. We recognise his service and his philanthropy. We wish all his family well in the years ahead as they carry forward the great legacy that Allan gave to not only them but also the South-East and the people of South Australia.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:51): I was fascinated by this man, whom I met several times. Allan built a hugely successful country business—I emphasise the word 'country'. He kept most of it country, where he could. Many people today could or should learn from the way in which Allan Scott ran his business. Today's financial meltdown would not have happened if more business people ran their business like Allan Scott did. He never bought anything he could not afford. He built up an asset and he shared his success. He did not go and book up stuff unless he could afford it.

As has been put very well by the member for Hammond, he started his business with one truck. He started work at the age of 14. He worked hard right throughout his life. People have been told that hard work never killed anyone. Well, it certainly did not in his case. He was very fit. I wish I was as fit as he was, even in the few weeks before he died. As the minister said, he had so much energy, even when he was well into his 80s. Allan often had to have two personal staff to keep up with him, because he was so quick. He was not electronically switched on and he would have a secretary with him all the time to keep track of what was happening, and they would be panting to keep up with him.

Allan gave very good service. His business began as a small local country carrying service and he built it up as he could afford it. He accumulated assets and he dealt locally, and he was extremely reliable. To run a good transport company, when you are delivering things you have to pick up and deliver on time, because people get to rely on you. One of the success stories with respect to Allan Scott is that if he said he would have the goods there at 7 o'clock on Monday morning they would be there. He would move heaven and earth to solve a problem if they could not be there.

It is incredible to see a business the size and complexity of Scott's Transport (and also Ascot, which is an interstate subsidiary of the company, particularly in the Northern Territory); it is a massive operation. How he kept track of it in his own mind, without the huge use of computers, is amazing. He had 200 trucks and 3,000 employees and so many other interests. As I said, he invested in so many aspects of business in South Australia.

We often talked trucks, or talked shop. He just loved trucks and, of course, I always have. I have only a couple of trucks compared to what he owned. He was always a Mack man, he loved Mack Trucks, but there was a bad model Mack, and he was not too happy, so he changed varieties. He told me about the problem and why he changed and all the rest of it. But he always knew. I do not know how long it has been since Allan actually drove a truck—it would be some years, I would reckon—but he seemed to know all about them and which ones to buy, and the trucking companies loved him, because those trucks were always kept in immaculate condition. When you consider how many of them there are, how often do you see them having rolled over? There are hardly any—yes, there is the occasional one.

Allan had a knack of employing good staff, and they were extremely loyal to him, particularly in an age when they are pushing the envelope hard and there are drugs involved in truck driving. Allan would have none of that. He had very strong ideals and opinions, and he always had the courage to put his point of view. As has been said, there were a couple of embarrassing moments, but I had no problem, in particular, with the choking comment, because I think that many in this house would agree with him. As a member of the Port Adelaide club, I did not disagree at the time. However, in the end, I think it had the desired result, because the year after they won the grand final. So Allan could say, 'Well, I did it. I got in trouble. But look at the result: we won.'

Mr Pengilly: They didn't win last year's.

Mr VENNING: No, they did not win last year's, but you cannot win them all. Allan was involved in joint ventures with many other companies, more than people would realise. I attended the opening of many a warehouse—and, in particular, the warehouses north of Gawler around the glass factory, which Allan had a lot to do with. I know there was a partnership arrangement with Ahrens Pty Ltd. To sit in a group of people with Bob Ahrens (another South Australian icon) and Allan Scott, I just thought, 'Wow, here are some very high achievers who really go for it, who are employing a lot of South Australians.' Across Australia, Ahrens Pty Ltd and Scott's, are proud South Australian icons. I pay a tribute to Bob Ahrens, because he is still well, and it is great to be associated with them.

Allan shared his success and wealth with others—and I will not list them, because the member for Hammond has done that so capably. He never advertised it. To hear a list like that read to the parliament today is very commendable, indeed. He certainly was very charitable to other people.

I now turn to Port Adelaide, the club. Allan was a lifelong supporter of Port Adelaide, as were a lot of people, such as Dale Baker in the South-East. Dale was a personal friend of Allan's, as was the late Ren DeGaris. They were very much together—I hear a grunt from this side. If you got into a discussion with these people it certainly was quite educational, and I will never forget some of the comments. When I write my book I am sure some of them might end up in it, because I have kept a diary, which goes back 45 years, and a lot of it is in there.

I have been a lifelong supporter of the Port Adelaide Football Club. I was disappointed, as was Allan, in recent times, that Port Power never rose to the strength we thought it would, because the membership did not achieve the numbers. There are prominent South Australians—the Deputy Premier and others, and I think also the Premier—who are members, but the club has not attracted the rank and file South Australian, as did the Crows, because they got into the AFL first.

Allan and I often had a discussion about what we should do about that. However, Allan could never get the word through to the board, and there was always a bit of contention there, and I think part of the choking comment came into that. So, there were many discussions about increasing the club's support base. It is sort of working: let us hope that it is successful in the future, as a memory to him—I will renew my membership.

Allan was, indeed, a great South Australian. He was a high achiever and was much respected and admired. He has been an example and the epitome of success. I also express our condolences to his wife, Grace, and his four children, particularly his sons, who have extremely big shoes to fill. I know it was tough. He often spoke about his boys following him into business, but I know that dads can be tough, like my father (and, indeed, probably the member for Hammond's father), and I think Allan was pretty tough on his sons. However, I think they will now realise that they have a fantastic business to pick up on and I am confident that the business will still be run as a family business. Again, my condolences to the family.

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (11:58): I rise briefly to support this motion. I had the pleasure of meeting Allan Scott only once, and that was in the company of Sir Eric Neal, another fine South Australian. Allan Scott certainly was an absolutely fine South Australian. As the member for Hammond has said, he was a self-made man. He spread his wealth around. He was able to recognise the fact that there were others who were not as well off as he was in his latter years, but he also remembered where he came from and how hard he had to work to achieve what he had. All South Australians should take a long, hard look at the achievements of Allan Scott and where he came from, because they could learn that hard work never killed anyone and that you make your own luck.

Allan Scott is constantly in the minds of South Australians if for no other reason than his legacy in the sporting arenas. I know that he had recently parted ways with some of the sporting organisations but on the boundary of my electorate of Morphett, the Morphettville race track is now called the Allan Scott Park. Allan Scott put a lot of money into horse racing, and I thank him for that. It is a big industry, just like the trucking and transport industries.

It is often said that you are never dead until people stop talking about you, and I can guarantee that South Australians and, in fact, Australians will continue to talk about Allan Scott for many years, because he was an amazing fellow. His achievements will outlive him, and I for one certainly look forward to seeing his legacy continue to prosper under his sons and to South Australia being a better place because of what Allan Scott has given us as a result of his many years of hard work and passion. With those words, I support the motion.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:00): I thank everyone for their kind words today on the late Allan Scott. He was certainly a very large man, not just in the transport industry but also in South Australia and Australia as a whole. As the member for Morphett just indicated, I sincerely hope that his business lives on and that the legacy of Allan Scott lives on. May the mighty Power rule! With those few words, I commend the motion to the house.

Motion carried.

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