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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
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Condolence

FERGUSON, MR D.M.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:01): I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of Donald Mervyn Ferguson, former member of the House of Assembly, and places on record its appreciation of his long and 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 rise today to honour the contribution to public life of the late Donald Mervyn Ferguson, who passed away peacefully after a short illness on Saturday 9 March, aged 76. I personally extend my sympathies and best wishes to his immediate and extended family. They deserve to feel very proud of his contribution to this state.

Donald Mervyn Ferguson is remembered as a hardworking and devoted local member who represented the interests of the people of Henley Beach with diligence and integrity. He was first elected to this place in the 1982 state election, when he defeated Mr Bob Randall in the seat of Henley Beach. He was again re-elected in 1985 and 1989.

It was during this period that I recall meeting Don. In fact, I was at my grandmother's place and he was doorknocking in Fulham Gardens. He was an old-style politician who did his business door to door, and I am sure that that was one of the things that stood him in great stead with the electorate.

Following a redistribution, the seat of Henley Beach was abolished in the lead-up to the 1993 state election. In that election, Don unsuccessfully contested a position in the Legislative Council. Of course, he was no orphan in 1993; there was a lot of that going on at that time.

During his 11-year career in this place he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee, the Economic and Finance Committee, and the Joint Committee on Subordinate Legislation. He was Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees from February 1986 to October 1989 and again from October 1992 to November 1993.

Donald Mervyn Ferguson was born in Adelaide on 7 August 1936. Before entering parliament he was proudly involved with the trade union movement. He held a number of positions with the Printing and Kindred Industries Union before becoming state secretary.

A glimpse of Don's maiden speech in December 1982 showed him to be thoughtful and conscientious. The issues he raised in that speech were close to his heart, and many of them are still relevant today. He spoke about the state's manufacturing industry and his wish for the manufacturing sector to become more internationally competitive. Don was very unlucky never to serve as a cabinet minister. In a three-week period in 1988, Don missed out on a cabinet post by a single vote on two occasions. In late July 1988, John Klunder was appointed minister for forests after he defeated Don 19 votes to 18.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. There's a community of interest being held here. Unfortunately for Don, a fortnight later, Bob Gregory defeated him by the same margin and was appointed minister of labour and marine.

In 1987, well before live streaming and YouTube, Don called for the speaker of the house to consider a proposal for a dial-a-debate telephone service offering unabridged recordings of the day's proceedings. Don said the debates should join dial-a-prayer, sports relays and recorded pop music as the daily telecom service in the interests of open government. John Trainer, who was speaker at the time, said that he was not sure about the level of public demand for such a service. As a result, Don's proposal never eventuated.

He fought the 1989 election campaign while battling cancer, a condition from which most of his constituents had no idea he was suffering. In a Sunday Mail article, he admitted that his fight with the potentially fatal disease, and struggle to keep an election campaign going, had been an enormous strain. With just two workers, Don began a direct mail campaign, knowing his doorknocking ability would be almost nonexistent after the election date was announced. 'We put out 22,500 letters,' he told the Sunday Mail. 'It was a hell of a job.'

His efforts in that election campaign were rewarded when the Labor Party formed a minority government with the support of two Labor Independents. In 1990, the fragile nature of the Bannon government on the floor of parliament was highlighted when Don was taken to hospital after collapsing during a caucus meeting. However, as the true fighter Don was, he was back in parliament the next day proclaiming he was 'fit as a fiddle' and that there would be no by-election.

Don was committed to the western suburbs and was passionate about the issues that were important to working people and families in his electorate. He was a man who stood firm to his beliefs and his conscience and pursued what he believed was best for this state. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere condolences to Don Ferguson's family. I am sure they are greatly saddened by his passing, yet they can feel very proud of the many decades of work he carried out for others. May he rest in peace.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): I rise to second this motion on behalf of the South Australian Liberal Party, and I offer our most sincere condolences to the family of the late Don Ferguson, the former Labor member for Henley Beach (the electorate now known as Colton) from 1982 to 1993. Don was one of those great local members—always in touch with what was going on in his electorate, never too busy to speak with residents, and happy to lend his support to those grassroots issues affecting the Henley Beach community.

He was also strong on the environment, protecting open spaces, and ensuring the development and progress of his electorate was done in a diligent, respectful and appropriate manner. Another of Don's great attributes was his high ability to cut through, get the message across, and get the job done.

He was not one for political jargon. He preferred plain English to convoluted phrases, and regularly campaigned for the need for contracts and government documents to be written in a language that people can actually understand. He even went so far as to suggest the introduction of legislation, which, sadly, never made it through.

Don also shared one of my great passions, which is a love of manufacturing. He recognised its significance to our state's export base and saw it as the key to unlock our future and vast potential. Don also knew that manufacturing did not stop at our city boundaries, and that it is intrinsically linked with our regions. In 2013, Don's views on manufacturing are as relevant as ever.

Unfortunately, Don was forced to confront some serious health challenges towards the end of his term as a parliamentarian, yet at no time did he let this deter him from his duties as a politician. Indeed, very few people knew just how ill he was. He even managed to endure the rigours of a state election campaign while undergoing intensive chemotherapy.

It is very clear from looking over Don's achievements and parliamentary record that he was a hard worker, and a no-nonsense man who refused to grandstand or big note himself. He just wanted to get on with the job and serve the people of Henley Beach. With these words, I endorse the motion and pass on the opposition's condolences to the family of Don Ferguson at this sad time.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (14:09): I rise to briefly speak to this condolence motion for Don Ferguson. As was mentioned, on 6 November 1982 Don was elected the member for Henley Beach. He contested and won two more elections in 1985 and 1989, and resigned just before the 1993 election, as the Premier mentioned, to contest a Legislative Council seat and, unfortunately, was not successful at that attempt.

He was an excellent local member, and well connected to the community that he represented in this parliament. On any review of Don's parliamentary career, it can be seen that the many issues that he advocated upon were wide and broad. These were issues that had at their heart the welfare and the wellbeing of the electorate and the constituents that he represented so well for more than a decade. Just to briefly mention a few, and the Premier mentioned a couple of them, Don advocated for an extension to the time of daylight saving in 1984. He saw the value in daylight saving and the benefits of extending its period. It took some time but that extension now exists and, clearly, Don had a good idea that was ahead of its time.

Don also advocated for contracts to be free of gobbledygook and written in plain English, and I focus on this issue because it was Don who always spoke in plain English. You would not die wondering what Don had said. He always spoke in a way so that everyone and anyone could understand what was being said.

As mentioned, in 1989 Don was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer that at that time claimed 80 per cent of its victims and, while fighting this disease, he contested the November 1989 election. He saw no need, as was mentioned, to let others know of his battle. He informed his sub-branch which, under Don's leadership, implemented a very professional and, at that time, very innovative direct mail campaign, as it was impossible for him to undertake the doorknocking that had underpinned his two previous successful campaigns.

Don not only beat his cancer and won that election in 1989 but, importantly, won another 24 years, continuing to live in the electorate with the community he represented so well, and remained through that time a valued member of that community.

This morning, by chance, I had the opportunity to speak with the former local member for Henley Beach, and now current councillor, Bob Randall, and I asked him about Don, bearing in mind that it was Don who defeated him in the 1982 election. Bob said that Don was a good fellow and, importantly, looked after his area very, very well, and that is something that is recognised by all the people who not only voted for Don but who Don represented during his time here.

Don Ferguson was first and foremost a good bloke, a decent human being, who rose from a trade union background to become a member of parliament, and whose unwavering interest during his time as a local member was his area and the people who lived in his electorate. This interest in the local area remained with him to his passing through the many things that he participated in, but I particularly highlight his and Joan's long involvement with the Henley and Grange Historical Society.

Like me, Don never forgot what a privilege it was and is to represent your community in this parliament. Reading his inaugural speech to the parliament, he said what an honour it was to follow in the footsteps of Glen Broomhill, and this is where I have the additional privilege of following in the footsteps of Don Ferguson, an outstanding local member of our area.

To his wife, Joan, to Karen and Kevin, to Mark and Liz, and to his grandchildren, Hannah, Declan, Hamish and Callum, I offer my sincere condolences. He was an outstanding local member. Vale Don Ferguson.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:13): I had the privilege of attending Don Ferguson's funeral on Friday and I have to say that it was absolutely packed. There were a number of people there from the trade union movement, in particular, and also from the greater labour movement, as well as former members of parliament, and the ALP. Don's family was very obvious at this funeral. Kevin Hamilton, a former member of this house, spoke very eloquently with regard to Don Ferguson's contribution as a local member, but I was also reminded of my knowing of Don Ferguson which was, interestingly, not so much as a member of parliament but more as a trade union official.

I remember that in my time at Trades Hall, and before that at the Working Women's Centre, Don Ferguson was the sort of union secretary who would make sure that he was inclusive and also that the Printing and Kindred Industries Union (PKIU) was there not just for their male members but also for their female members. I know that very early on at Trades and Labor Council meetings one Betty Fisher was a delegate for the PKIU at what would be very much a male-dominated Trades Hall meeting. She was also a mother of the chapel, as Don was the father of the chapel before he became state secretary for the PKIU in 1980.

In 1980 he assisted the Working Women's Centre by doing very direct things. For example, at one stage we were broken into when we had our very famous office in Gilbert Place, and he came along and changed the locks and organised the security. He was not even on our management committee, but he heard that we had had this terrible break-in, so he came along and made sure that we were all safe and that we were okay.

He did many things over the years, including ensuring that our banner on Labor Day marches ended up getting wheels. He organised wheels for our banner so that we did not have to lug the banner but could actually wheel it along. It was slightly embarrassing because we were the only banner with wheels, but Don made sure that we were supported. He was one of those people at Trades Hall meetings who showed a lot of common sense and really good leadership. I can remember many meetings where we might have 30 different unions represented, but he would come up with a sensible way forward, which is particularly important.

Later on, when he had retired from being a member in this place, he was one of the people who joined me in setting up the Trade Union Choir. I have to say that he not only had a marvellous voice but he was also very keen. He did his homework in between gigs and practices, and he was one of the few people who could sing the Internationale in Mandarin beautifully. Most of us struggled, but Don made sure he did his homework so that he could lead us in the singing, and he even impressed our teacher at the time. I might say that we did not sing the Internationale in Mandarin very often because it was so difficult, but we did do a very good version of Cosi Sikelele, which, as people know, is the ANC standard and national anthem.

He was a great birdwatcher, and it was something that my husband, Kevin Purse, and he would talk about. They would discuss different places where you could look for different native birds and some of the problems associated with some of our birds not being around any more. He was also a great supporter of and had a lot of interest in Aboriginal culture. I remember that when he first got very sick and was identified as having cancer I sent him a card of a native bird. He explained to me that in Aboriginal language that was actually a symbol of death, and he thought I should know this because if I was going to send these sorts of cards to people who were ill they may actually know that this probably was not the right icon to attach to the card.

An honourable member: Was it a willy wagtail?

The Hon. S.W. KEY: It wasn't a willy wagtail, no. I remember that very keenly and thinking that, also being an admirer of native birds, I must make sure that I sent the right one to the right people for the right occasion.

He was a great friend and supporter. In later years, he and Betty Fisher would spend a lot of time talking on the phone, and they would also ring me. Don would quite often ring up and talk to me about the latest things that were happening in the Labor Party. Sometimes he was positive, sometimes he was not, but he continued to be a great supporter. I will very much miss him, as I know Kevin will. My condolences to Joan and the family and friends. I know there were many friends, certainly there on Friday, who celebrated his life—people from this place and also from the trade union movement.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (14:19): I rise to support the motion of the Premier, in condolence for the death of Don Ferguson, 76, member for Henley Beach. I have many fond memories of Don: his humour, his wit and his voice. He and the Hon. Terry Hemmings were great entertainers. Almost without fail, at 7pm after dinner—we did use to sit late in those days—the Fergie and Terry show would happen in this house. How standing orders allowed that I do not know, but it was sort of irrelevant to the issue before the house. But, sir, it filled the benches, I can assure you, and all of us were victims. We all took our turn to be victims of these terrible two. I remember mine with great fondness—that is where the 'Lion of the Barossa' started from.

Of course, he could sing with a beautiful voice. He was a very affable person with friends on both sides of this house. He made me feel very welcome when I arrived here in 1990. He was very good at his job. Even among those on the other side of the house, he certainly taught me; I observed very carefully how he was able to work his electorate. He worked hard and he served well. I bought a house in his electorate, and he was one of the first people to visit it. I have had other Labor MPs there too, but we will not deliver on that yet. Mr Kevin Hamilton and his wife, Maureen, are mutual friends, and I think Steph said that he was very close to them. I join all members in expressing our sincere condolences to his family and his friends, including Kevin and Maureen.

The SPEAKER (14:21): I served in the 1989 to 1993 parliament with Don Ferguson. He was thoughtful and balanced—as the member for Ashford said, he used a lot of common sense—and was suitably pessimistic about our political chances, especially at that time. He came from the Printing and Kindred Industries Union and from a small group of unions that were marshalled for the Labor machine by Geoff Virgo. That was a doomed but highly disciplined Labor caucus.

Don had won the seat of Henley Beach from Bob Randall (now a councillor on the Charles Sturt council) at the 1982 election, and his victory was essential to John Bannon forming a Labor government after that election. I vividly remember sitting next to him in the refreshment room, agonising over our chances of surviving at the 1993 election, and he said to me, 'Young man, when you are planning your doorknocking, take out the polling booth results from the last election, identify the booth catchment where you have your best two-party preferred result and go and doorknock that area. You can always squeeze more out of it.' Vale Don Ferguson.

Motion carried by members standing in their place in silence.


[Sitting suspended from 14:24 to 14:33]


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