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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-09-10 Daily Xml
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GALLNOR, MARY

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (17:58): Mary Gallnor was an activist and champion of many causes. She made a wonderful contribution in many areas and always gave her best. Mary was widely admired and respected for her passionate and tenacious advocacy across a broad range of social justice issues. Feminist issues were important to her but she always said that we cannot leave the men behind and so worked on a men's support group committee also, gaining significant government funding for it. She was a member of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and a delegate to the Liberal Party Policy Committee, just to name a few of her activities.

I first met Mary in about 1989 when she came to visit the office of the then member for the federal seat of Makin where I was an electorate officer. The purpose and cause of her visit soon became clear: it was voluntary euthanasia. She put her case logically and without rancour and in such a way that it was impossible not to respect her argument. Indeed, over ensuing years, I found much in common with this formidable woman, who was also a member of the South Australian Liberal Party Executive and regarded highly in that sphere—and by me, of course, for, although we had some differences, we had many, many shared values.

Mary was born in 1933. One of the first pictures on her memorial photo show was of a baby Mary about one year old looking fearfully at the sea at Redcar Beach. I imagine it was one of the last times she was ever so reticent. She had an early interest in drama and gave many memorable performances. She married in 1959 and moved to Australia in 1968 with her then husband Terry and her young family Alexandrea and Jo. After arriving Mary's passion was educating young Australians. She excelled in teaching at several Adelaide schools. Mary was a teacher in more than a general sense. She taught about life, appreciating people regardless of background, ethnicity or political persuasion.

Her politics became a bigger part of her life, and she went on to hold many positions in the Liberal Party. Her work for voluntary euthanasia saw her become part of that international movement, travelling widely for meetings and advocacy and educative promotion. She was a regular face at SAVES' Adelaide rallies, particularly the ones on the steps of Parliament House, celebrating many milestones in the struggle that still continues with the help of many greats from all over the world, including Australia's own Phillip Adams, being a favourite, and state campaigners like Frances Coombe and Sandra Kanck among the many, many friends she made in that area.

Within our parliament Mary will be remembered for her advocacy of over 30 years of VE law reform. A founding member of SAVES in 1983 she served as president for eight years. Her energy and activism also saw her elected to president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies. She reached out to Labor, Democrats, Family First, Greens and other political bodies that may have assisted to help people who wanted to legally end their life without legal recriminations against close associates. Mary also became a champion for breast cancer awareness when it struck close to her family, firstly in her and then her daughter Alexandrea. Both went on to warn of the imperative of early diagnosis.

At her memorial service at the Burnside Community Centre on 4 August speakers from across the wide political spectrum spoke in praise of Mary as a person. The most commented recollection was that, regardless of position, status or disadvantage, Mary would treat each and every one with compassion and the same respect and fight tooth and nail for their rights. She loved her myriad of friends, and I was proud to call her a friend as I know did our mutual friends Gary and Marie Lockwood. She also supported the Muriel Matters Society, a cause close to many who care for democracy, activism and feminism.

She travelled all over the world to keep those international friends in her network informed of her activities. However, most proudly and fiercely Mary loved her family, her daughters Alexandrea Cannon and Joanne Hayhurst, their respective partners Bill Holmes and Danny Hayhurst, her beloved granddaughter Rose, and her extended family overseas. The family would like to record Mary's work with the South Australian parliament and assorted political parties to attempt to enable people in this state to have the right to choose to die with dignity if their life was deemed insufferable.

In Mary's 30 years of campaigning she had seen VE legalised and working in eight places around the world, and she had actively supported VE bills presented to our parliament 13 times. Many is the time she lobbied MPs, and all simply for people to have the dignity of choice in dying, a release from unbearable suffering. Her family asked that every member of this House of Assembly and the members of the Legislative Council reflect on Mary Gallnor's aspirations for a free and fair society, the freedom to choose the right to die in appropriate circumstances, the fairness of protecting rights for prostitutes, and the non-discrimination of homosexual and transgender individuals.

Mary's final regret was that the quest to secure the rights of individuals to self-determination at the end of their lives was not achieved in her lifetime. She is remembered fondly by her family, her friends, many acquaintances in the many areas in which she struggled, and she will be sadly missed. We hope to be able to let her family see the bill passed at a time in the not too distant future.

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