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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-22 Daily Xml
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Condolence

CARNIE, HON. J.A.

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) (14:02): I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of the late John Carnie, a former member of both the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council, and places on record its appreciation of his meritorious service to our state and to the parliament; and, as a mark of respect to his memory, that the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

Recently I, like all members, was saddened to hear of the passing of John Carnie who died earlier this month on 10 September, aged 82. John was a quiet achiever who worked selflessly and devotedly for the betterment of South Australia and particularly for rural communities and constituents on the state's West Coast.

He served as the Liberal member for Flinders from 1970 to 1973 and then as a legislative councillor from 1975 until 1982 and, whilst I did not serve in the parliament at the same time as John Carnie, obviously I was working in this building between 1977 and the time of his period in the Legislative Council and know that he was well respected by members on both sides of the parliament for his courage and tenacity and for his commitment particularly to rural voters.

John Carnie is perhaps best known to broader followers of South Australia's political scene for his role as a leading parliamentary member of the Liberal Movement, and he also played a role, as I understand it, in the formation of that movement which had a major impact on the political landscape back in the 1970s and beyond.

John Carnie was born in Barmera, in the heart of the Riverland, on 30 March 1927, the same year that Australia's original Parliament House was opened in Canberra by the Duke of York. He was schooled at Barmera Primary, and then later came to Kings College in Adelaide, before going to the University of Adelaide, where he graduated with a Diploma of Pharmacy.

He worked as a pharmacist in a number of locations in South Australia, and went to England, where he studied at the University of London in 1951 and 1952, and earned a Diploma of Biochemical Analysis. It is interesting to think of the number of pharmacists in the parliament, particularly on the Liberal side: a former deputy premier, a former Speaker, the former minister for transport, Michael Wilson, and a number of others.

In 1955, John took up a position as a pharmacist in Port Lincoln and he soon became actively involved in the community, as well as in the political life of the Eyre Peninsula. He served for several years as a committee member with the Port Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, including a year as its president. He also served two years as president of the Port Lincoln branch of the Liberal and Country League, before being elected as the member for Flinders in May 1970. In doing so, he took over the seat from Sir Glen Pearson, who had served as the member for Flinders for 19 years before retiring at the 1970 election, which saw the defeat of the Hall government and the election of the Dunstan government.

In John Carnie's maiden speech in this place, delivered on 21 July 1970, he paid a glowing tribute to his predecessor, whom he described as 'what a politician should be...a man of the highest principles and utmost integrity'. He also used his maiden speech to outline the issues that mattered most to him and most to his constituents in the regional centres and communities of our state's West Coast.

Among them were his concerns about school facilities on the Eyre Peninsula, and also about the curriculum being delivered in those schools. He talked about the state of country roads, which became a cause for him, and also the need for improved police services in country areas, particularly on the Eyre Peninsula, about the surety of electricity and water supplies, and the ongoing viability of the fishing industry, particularly in the Port Lincoln area.

He also expressed his belief that government assistance should be given to enable more entertainment to be taken to country towns, both light and cultural entertainment. Members would remember the big drive by the Dunstan government to bring country theatre to regional centres around the state, which I think is one of the great achievements that perhaps is not spoken about much, but when you go to country centres like Whyalla, and other locations, and see these fabulous theatres that cities in Britain of ten times the size would not have.

John Carnie made no secret of his strong opposition to the Dunstan government's 'one vote, one value' policy that was aimed at ending South Australia's rural gerrymander. In his maiden speech, John argued that such a move would significantly dilute the political influence of rural South Australia, and he said this:

This one-sixth of the (state's) population provides one-third of the total net value of production, and over one-half of the overseas exports.

He then went on to ask:

Is this group, which has played, and is still playing, such a significant part in the economy of South Australia, to continue to lose its voice in the government of this state?

However, despite his opposition to one vote, one value, John Carnie also used his maiden speech to express his support for former Liberal premier Steele Hall, who had actually been one of the prime movers, along with Don Dunstan, in reforming the state's electoral system.

John Carnie then went on to join Mr Hall's Liberal Movement, and stood as a Liberal Movement candidate at the 1973 election, where his seat of Flinders was won by the National Party's Peter Blacker. Of course, Peter Blacker is someone who continues to play a major role in this state, particularly with the State Strategic Plan. I understand that Peter Blacker is in the gallery today; welcome Peter. As I say, Peter Blacker plays a very prominent role in regional affairs today and also in the State Strategic Plan and the consultations that have helped make this plan something that I am sure will be a model for other states. Of course, that was obviously a very difficult time in terms of the divisions with the Liberal Movement, and it is not one that I intend to address here today.

John Carnie returned to state parliament as a member of the Legislative Council, following the July 1975 election; so was out. He lost his seat in the House of Assembly in 1973, and was then elected to the Legislative Council in 1975. Despite his commitment to regional communities and issues he became a target of a scare campaign conducted by a group calling itself the 'rural action group', when the Legislative Council was debating a bill to transfer country rail services.

In August 1975, The Advertiser reported that John Carnie and another Liberal Movement legislative councillor, Martin Cameron, had received threatening phone calls warning them not to be present at the bill's second reading. Undeterred, both men supported the bill, which confirmed that John Carnie was a politician of great character as well as a man of great courage.

John Carnie was a decent man, someone who exemplifies that spirit of rural members of parliament, who was always courteous to all members on all sides of this house. He was liked by members on both sides of the house. On behalf of all members on this side of the house and, I am sure, all members of this house and of this parliament, I extend my condolences to John's wife, Bernice, his children, Grant and Jane, and all his family and friends.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): I rise to second the motion. John Alfred Carnie was the member for the electorate of Flinders (as the Premier has indicated) on Eyre Peninsula from 1970 to 1973, and then a member of the Legislative Council from 1975 to 1982. Indeed, he is one of the very few people to have a photo in both the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council lounges.

Born in 1927, John was 82 years of age when he passed away peacefully in his sleep at Stirling Hospital on Thursday 10 September 2009. John was the dearly loved husband of Bernice, loving father of Grant and Jane, stepfather of Anne and Keaton, Jane and Bevan, Joanna, David and Richard, loving grandfather of Sarah, Andrea, Angela, Susannah and Emma, and stepgrandfather of Alice, Thomas, Oscar and Henry.

Born and educated as a young boy in Barmera, South Australia, he moved to Adelaide to board and attend what was then called Kings College going on to study at Adelaide University. Between 1951 and 1953, he travelled to England to study at London University, obtaining a Diploma of Pharmacy.

As a young pharmacist in Port Lincoln, John was very involved in his community. As an active member of the local chamber of commerce, he also enjoyed being involved in sailing and golf; but, most of all, he was passionate about ensuring the voice of country South Australians was heard in the city. He often spoke in parliament of the need for the government to support farmers. John understood more than most that South Australia's prosperity was almost solely reliant on a productive and lucrative farming sector. He would often remind members of parliament that the small population of country South Australians, compared to the majority in the city, actually provided one-third of the total net value of production and over half of overseas exports for the state.

Enthusiastic about ensuring opportunities for South Australians to be enterprising and successful in business, he championed many changes to shopping and operating hours. In 1976, a private member's bill of John's in the Legislative Council designed to change trading hours was defeated, but the principles of flexible shop trading hours were adopted as Liberal Party policy.

The political nature of the proposed changes forced the then Labor government to set up a royal commission into trading hours. Not satisfied to sit back, John then set out to change the restrictive bans placed on bakers in Adelaide. They were not allowed to bake from 6pm on Friday until midnight on Sunday, yet bakers in country towns had no such restrictions. Most other states at the time did not have the restricted regime for trading that South Australia had. The Labor government feared the trade union backlash from changes to trading and banking hours, but John worked tirelessly and tenaciously in supporting all medium and small businesses in South Australia. His passion and commitment to South Australia and the service he provided is greatly appreciated.

I met John only in relatively recent years—in fact, not long before I became a member of this place—and it was through his wife, Bernice, rather than because of his political background that we first met. She spoke at a Rotary meeting in Stirling and John escorted her to that meeting. I found him personally to be a very humble person, not inclined to blow his own trumpet nor to impose his view of the world (and politics especially) on a newcomer like me. Because of that, he was someone whose thoughts I respected. We would run into each other around the streets of Stirling where he lived for the past several years. He struck me as someone who was content with the life he had lived. He made his contributions through his career, his political life and his family life, and he seemed to keep a healthy balance among those various things.

I know that during his fairly short illness and his last stay in Stirling Hospital, he remained cheerful, content and quiet. The staff and chief of the hospital have asked that their condolences be added to mine, and I pass on my sincere condolences to his family. I commend the motion to the house.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. G.M. GUNN (Stuart) (14:16): I would like to add my condolences to those expressed by the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. I was elected to parliament on the same day as John Carnie in 1970. He had a larger majority than I in the first election; however, things changed after that. John and I had a lot to do with each other because we both had large portions of Eyre Peninsula and, therefore, we were involved in lots of mutually interested exercises to try to assist those people.

My understanding is that the current member for Flinders did not meet John Carnie, because when he was a member she was in Papua New Guinea. I think that John did his best to support those people that he represented, and he was fortunate to have a second opportunity to be involved in politics. I add my best wishes to his family. I know that John tried very hard for the short time he was in the House of Assembly. I will not go into the reasons why he was defeated, but that is an interesting story.

The SPEAKER (14:18): On behalf of the house, I also add my consolations to the family of the Hon. John Carnie and I will ensure that a record of today's proceedings is forwarded to his family. I ask all members in support of the motion to rise in their places.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.


[Sitting suspended from 14:19 to 14:30]


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