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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
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Condolence

Such, Hon. R.B.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:01): By leave, I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret and sadness at the untimely death of the Hon  Dr Robert Bruce Such, member for Fisher, former minister and Speaker of this house, 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.

Mr Speaker, this is amongst the most melancholy of duties for any leader in this place. While we move many motions of condolence in this place for former members, it is rare that we express our condolences on the passing of a serving member of this house.

It seems so recent that Bob would be walking into this chamber. Often he would pass through here, and on the way through his hallmark greeting was, 'There he is', and then he would offer an observation on the contemporary issue or matter of the day, or during question time he would pass a note through the messenger to me. I was looking around to see whether I had any remnants; I wish I had some, because there were many of them, but unfortunately we have been a little bit too efficient and they have been cleaned out. The notes were always constructive, they were always supportive, they were always guided by what was in the best interests of the people of South Australia. It is sad to realise that will not happen anymore.

The Hon. Dr Robert Bruce Such, Bob to all who knew him, was a true blue South Australian. Born on 2 June 1944, he grew up in the Adelaide Hills suburb of Hawthorndene and attended Coromandel Valley Primary School and Goodwood Boys Technical High School. He went on to study at tertiary level at Flinders University, completing a Bachelor of Arts with honours, majoring in economics, and finally achieved the highest award in education, a PhD. Dr Such also completed diplomas in teaching and education.

Before entering parliament, Bob was a lecturer and researcher in politics, economics and environmental studies at what is now the University of South Australia. In the 1980s he began to practise what would become his future career in politics as a councillor for the City of Mitcham. It is clear from this description of his early life how well he prepared himself for eventually entering parliament. He grew up in the area he ultimately represented. He educated himself to the highest level in all the major subject areas in which he was interested and which he would continue to champion for the rest of his life. He immersed himself in his electorate and was initiated into the world of local government politics before he put himself up for preselection for the South Australian parliament.

This preparation for political service is a clear indication of the kind of man Bob was. Whatever he undertook, he did so with a calm, orderly and diligent approach. He did not enter politics until he felt he was fully versed and prepared for the discipline and rigour that is demanded in order to succeed in making a difference. Bob entered politics for what he believed he could give—not just for his electorate, but for the people of South Australia. His preparation and experience for having the letters MP after his name served as a template for all those who hold political aspirations.

Bob Such displayed no hubris. He was not interested in creating headlines or grandstanding, or manufacturing a high profile. He never sought power for its own sake. He never sought recognition for what he achieved, and he never indulged in the self-aggrandisement of political celebrity. He was concerned with many issues and took action to promote their public debate. Bob was a men's health ambassador, a member of the board of the Freemasons Centre for Men's Health and the board of the Australian Melanoma Research Foundation.

Bob was a keen environmentalist and a member of the Treenet Management Committee. He was passionate about the restoration of our creeks as well as the protection of our national parks, native vegetation and native fauna. He was well known for his tenacity on so many issues. His persistence led to the introduction of tighter laws on hoon driving, graffiti vandalism and the spent convictions legislation, as well as increased penalties for animal cruelty—and who could forget his fight for justice in the question of speeding fines? Certainly not the police.

Locally, he fought hard for his constituents in Fisher, an area where he had longstanding ties, as well as helping thousands of people who contacted his Aberfoyle Park office on issues such as better health care, education, law and order, and road safety, to name just a few matters. He also lobbied for upgrades on local major roads and the expansion of the Reynella East College. I can speak on behalf of all of my colleagues who received voluminous correspondence from Bob's office, often just a few short lines which looked like they were dashed off late at night after a long session in the electorate office, but all of them advancing the interests of his beloved electorate of Fisher.

There was a genuine humility to this man which made him widely respected and admired in the parliament and the community. When he was elected to represent the seat of Fisher for the Liberal Party in 1989 it was no surprise that he was appointed as shadow minister for further education and employment and youth affairs in his first term. In 1993 when the Liberal Party formed government, Dr Such retained the seat, and the premier, Dean Brown, appointed him as minister for employment, training and further education and minister for youth affairs.

He showed himself to be extremely capable in both portfolios and was a regular and confident contributor to debates on the floor of this house. However, when Mr Olson replaced Mr Brown as leader and premier, Dr Such found himself demoted to the backbench. I can recall sitting down one day with Bob, and he told me about that time. When he spoke about these events you could tell they remained vivid in his memory. It was a brutal and lacerating memory for Bob and for many others who lived through those events.

He retained his seat for the Liberal Party until prior to the 2002 election when there was a competition for his preselection. He made the momentous decision to resign from the Liberal Party and run as an Independent. Making that decision took a great deal of courage, and a measured man like Bob did not take that decision lightly. His belief in himself and his strong link with his electorate paid off and, at the 2002 election, his electorate backed him all the way with a 62.1 per cent two-party preferred vote. Bob Such was a man voters knew well and they decided to put their faith in him. The headline in the local paper called him 'The Fisher King'. Bob's only response was the typically self-effacing one: he promised to continue to fight for, and listen to, his constituents and aim to get the best results for them.

He also sought to uphold the highest standards in this place. As Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees between 2002 and 2005, and then following his elevation to become Speaker of the house until 2006, Bob was extremely balanced and even-handed in the role of presiding member of this place upholding the integrity of the office. He was also a member of several parliamentary committees and through his time he chaired various select committees examining youth justice, cemeteries, education and antisocial and criminal behaviour. However, in 2005, he announced that he was battling prostate cancer. Strong in the belief that he would beat it, his electorate backed him all the way, and he retained his seat once again as an Independent in the 2006 election. He did the same again in 2010.

In the 2014 election, he was one of two Independents who held the balance of power. With his signature sense of balance, he did not rush into a decision, preferring to consult his electorate first. Unfortunately, after only a few days, he received the advice that he was suffering from a brain tumour and took leave from his parliamentary duties. Once again, he resolved to take on the battle against cancer and underwent treatment, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

On the opening day of the new session of parliament, he made a brief but emotional return in order to connect with his colleagues and friends and to take up the seat of his beloved district of Fisher. It was obvious to all present on that day that Bob had made an extraordinary effort to come here—an incredible act of courage, an incredible act of will and a dedication to Public Service the likes of which I have not witnessed before or since.

For the next few months, despite the difficulties of chemotherapy, Bob was focused on his recovery. But he would never want his electorate disadvantaged. At this point, I would like to offer my gratitude and thanks for the tireless commitment of his staff in the Fisher electorate office. Margaret, Linda, Sandra and Barbara—who I believe are here today. All of the work that you did to sustain the important work of Bob I know you did in his name. I know that many of you have served over an extended period for him, and we are so grateful for your service.

I think my ministerial colleagues know by their regular contact with Bob that we had in this place a representative of particular quality. His precious work, to which he dedicated his life, continued to be exercised even after his illness, taking precious time to work with Labor MP Steph Key and Liberal MP Duncan McFetridge on the drafting of a new voluntary euthanasia bill. He gave everything he could to get back to his job but, sadly, that was not to be. On 11 October this year, he passed away at Daw Park Hospice surrounded by members of his family.

I last saw Bob at the Flinders Private Hospital early on the evening of Monday 15 September, and he was bravely fighting his illness. Lyn was there by his side and, as always, Bob was optimistic about his future. He loved life and he wanted to fight to keep it. He spoke about his hopes, about his doctor's advice and the progress of his chemotherapy, but I could see from his physical appearance, and also from the look in Lyn's eyes, that the future was not as bright as Bob would hope.

Then we received the awful news. The outpouring of grief that followed Bob's death reflects, I think, his life and work. He is deeply mourned by his constituents, who consistently described him in these terms: genuine, decent, hardworking—high praise for any man but, in particular, a politician. His wife, Lyn, described him as a fantastic ideas man with a wicked sense of humour, and they shared many laughs together because he never took himself too seriously. He remained positive and defiant until the end of his life, and I am sure that is how all of us would like to remember him.

When sad things happen in our life, it is often the regular, recurring rituals of everyday life that can sometimes bring comfort—birds singing at dawn, a cup of tea in the afternoon. For us here in this chamber, before each question time, a ritual almost as regular as the rising of the sun was Bob Such's private member's motions. Sadly, we will no longer see Bob rise in his place and speak as the member for Fisher to give notice of a private member's motion.

To Lyn, Bob's brother, John, to sons, Adrian and Darren who are here today, and the rest of your families, I hope that the days ahead contain some small comforts to be found by you as you cope with your enormous loss. In particular, I hope that today's contributions demonstrate the high regard in which Bob was held by so many of his colleagues in this place and that they offer some solace to you.

Farewell, Bob Such. You were dearly loved by those with whom you worked, by those you helped and, most of all, by your family, who loved you right to the end and will always love you.

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): I rise to second this motion proposed by the Premier, and I do so on behalf of the South Australian parliamentary Liberal Party and, indeed, the entire Liberal Party here in South Australia. I wish to recognise the outstanding contribution made by one of our state's most dedicated and passionate politicians, the late Dr Bob Such.

It is with great sadness that we reflect on his passing, and our thoughts and sympathies go out to Dr Such's sons, his brother, of course, his widow, Lyn, and the extended family and friends, who are just so many. The legacy that Dr Such leaves behind spans almost a quarter of a century. I think it is safe to say that Dr Such did not work to live, he lived to work. He did this with energy, enthusiasm and tenacity. He was a passionate advocate for public policy and he worked tirelessly to achieve positive outcomes across many spectrums of law reform here in South Australia.

Dr Such's political journey started with the Liberal Party back in 1989 when he defeated the incumbent Labor MP, Philip Tyler, in the southern seat of Fisher. The hard work of doorknocking more than 7,000 homes during his campaign paid off and gave Dr Such a real understanding of the breadth of issues facing residents in Fisher. In February 1990, he stood in this chamber and delivered his maiden speech. I quote:

My motivation in standing for parliament is to help people and to do something worthwhile for the community and for the state.

He described his constituents as the 'forgotten people' and criticised the Labor government for overlooking the southern suburbs. He saw the urgent need for better roads and access to public transport. I quote:

My philosophy is to give credit where credit is due and to give the stick where I believe the government has not delivered or has been unfair to the people in my district. I expect the government to give the south a fair go.

Having previously worked as a teacher and a lecturer, Dr Such entered politics with an intricate knowledge of South Australia's education system. During his first term in parliament, he was appointed the shadow minister for further education, employment and youth affairs—portfolios that he believed passionately in and worked tirelessly for.

In 1993, when the Liberal Party won the state election under his great friend Dean Brown, Dr Such held these portfolios in the cabinet. His appointment was welcomed by the state's three universities, all of whom were familiar with Dr Such. He had completed studies in each of the universities, including a Bachelor of Arts with honours, a PhD in environmental group politics and diplomas in teaching and education.

After the first 100 days of the new Liberal government, Dr Such highlighted the progress that he had already made in each of his portfolios. He had streamlined the delivery of vocational training throughout the state and brought about efficiencies to the department of employment, training and further education by cutting down the number of divisions, from seven to three. He oversaw the establishment of the Helpmann Academy, providing advanced training for creative artists at TAFE and South Australia's three universities. The government gave a commitment to a multimillion dollar expansion of TAFE institutes at Port Adelaide, Noarlunga and Mount Gambier.

Dr Such also prompted a report on the effectiveness and appropriateness of TAFE courses for women. Dr Such led the way in establishing an adult community education unit that embraced policy and funding issues for both government and non-government providers of adult community education. As minister for youth affairs, Dr Such ensured that the needs of young people were fully considered around the cabinet table and that high priority was given to youth issues.

Dr Such certainly did not stop work at the end of his first 100 days of being in government. He continued to drive innovative projects and reforms in his portfolios for the following three years. He decreased the inherited unemployment rate of 11.2 per cent to 9.4 per cent and lowered the inherited youth unemployment rate from 42.7 per cent down to 32.8 per cent. There was a 35 per cent increase in the number of overseas students at TAFE, and construction of the Centre for Performing Arts in Light Square was completed under his guidance.

In October 2000, Dr Such announced his resignation from the Liberal Party, but he continued to represent the electorate of Fisher as an Independent member of parliament. It was a sad time for many party members not just because they were losing a great colleague but also because they were no longer working side by side with a great friend. Dr Such's decision to break away as an Independent did not threaten his chances of re-election in Fisher; in fact, he won the seat in four subsequent elections. Over the years, he had built a remarkable level of trust, loyalty and respect with his constituents and was highly regarded in the community.

As the local member for Fisher, Dr Such achieved a lot in his nearly 25 years of public service. He worked tirelessly to improve transport infrastructure across the Fisher electorate. He campaigned for road safety improvements to the main arterial roads. Dr Such was always willing to help young people, and his office never turned anyone away. He wanted to make a positive difference in people's life in the community he lived in, and he certainly achieved this. The local Messenger's Letters to the Editor will not be the same without Dr Such's commentary. His regular contributions reflected his passion for issues facing the residents of Fisher as well as the wider South Australian community.

In 2005, Dr Such was appointed as the Speaker of the House of Assembly. It is not always an easy task maintaining order in this chamber, but Dr Such executed the job with integrity, fairness and excellent judgement. Dr Such was also a member of several parliamentary standing committees, namely, the Economic and Finance Committee, the Social Development Committee and the Environment, Resources and Development Committee. He also chaired select committees on youth, education and cemeteries.

Dr Such had a great ability to stimulate debate on social issues and on public policy. He pursued legislation for voluntary euthanasia for a good decade, initially with former Australian Democrat's member of parliament, Sandra Kanck, before continuing this fight alone. Dr Such had a strong view that people who were terminally ill and suffering unbearable pain should have the right to end their life with dignity. He was never nervous to discuss the big issues, and I thank him for that.

Dr Such also became synonymous with road traffic bills. He fought a very public battle over a speeding fine which had been issued to him which he claimed was incorrect. His lawyers were critical of regulations that did not require police to prove the accuracy of the device or to show that it met Australian standards. It became much more than just a simple dispute over a speeding fine; it was a matter of principle for Bob. With legal costs spiralling beyond $30,000, it was undoubtedly the most expensive speeding fine he ever had, but the ordeal was symbolic of his bulldog determination to fight for what he truly believed in. Other significant bills include antihoon driving laws, spent convictions legislation, tighter laws on graffiti and vandalism, and increased penalties for perpetrators of animal cruelty.

On a personal note, I will always remember Bob for his kindness to me and to other new members of parliament entering this parliament. I see Rachel Sanderson nodding. I can remember on many occasions catching up with Bob in the members' bar, with a non-alcoholic beverage of course, and discussing a range of issues. He was extraordinarily generous with his time and shared his experience, not in a dogmatic way but in a caring way, sharing that experience he had gleaned over his almost quarter of a century in this place. We shared a common interest in the area of reform, an area he was passionate about. Whether it be parliamentary reform, committee reform or electorate reform, these were things which Bob held dear, and he spoke at length about these things, and I hope that some of these areas which were of real interest to him we can pursue in this parliament going forward.

The other area where we had a great deal of interest was in the da Vinci machine. As has been mentioned by the Premier, Dr Such had suffered from prostate cancer in a similar way that my father had. Both my father and Bob Such shared a very strong feeling that we needed to maintain a da Vinci machine in South Australia. I know that was a cause that was very dear to his heart.

Age never got in the way of Dr Such and it certainly did not get in the way of his work. While most people count down the days until their retirement, Bob Such was most likely counting down the days until his next bill would be introduced in this parliament, and he never had very long to wait. His role as a member of parliament shaped him in so many ways, and I know it gave him a great sense of fulfilment and joy, but it was the state of South Australia that was truly shaped by Bob Such.

As the Premier said, tributes have been pouring in from right across the state, but nowhere more so than the electorate he served so honourably for almost 25 years. Dr Such will be greatly missed by his dedicated, loyal and hardworking staff and by everyone in this parliament. Bob, thank you for your service. The whole state is forever in your debt. On behalf of not just the Liberals in this chamber at the moment but the broader Liberal Party, I extend our sincere condolences to Lyn, his sons and the entire Such family.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:26): As a newly elected member of this house in 2002, I found Bob to be an experienced MP who reached out with his wise counsel and encouragement. We spoke often and shared many views in common. I particularly recall him talking to me at great length during my first CPA trip, one which incidentally you, Mr Speaker, nominated me for at my first caucus meeting, and I thank you for that. This was an extraordinary CPA trip, because Bob was another delegate on that trip, and I was sent to a CPA conference in Adelaide, South Australia. I think Lyn recalls that trip. We spent a great deal of time talking on the bus and at various other places, including places selected by the former Baron of the Barossa, the then member for Schubert, who I believe might even be here. From a personal level, Bob was always happy to share his thoughts and, even on an exciting CPA trip to Adelaide, he had time for me.

He was also a powerful advocate on behalf of his constituents. Bob wrote to me over 300 times, generally on behalf of his constituents, representing his constituents no matter how big or small the issue might be. If he considered the matter required investigation or an explanation, he would pursue it doggedly. He was a great local member.

Bob also wrote to me on many occasions suggesting a diverse range of legislative changes. A number of those suggestions have resulted in reforms and directly as a result of Bob's passion, drive and sheer determination. A couple come to mind immediately because they have been matters with which I have been directly associated. Graffiti vandalism has been mentioned; it was a particular concern within his electorate and he fiercely advocated reform. Often on the radio one would hear Bob advocating that. I think FIVEaa was the Bob Such program for many years. Often I would be called in as second fiddle to support Bob on this and I am pleased to say, after a period of time, we were able to introduce a series of changes, many of which were championed by Bob in the area of graffiti vandalism. I think those have been quite effective measures and greatly appreciated by the broader community.

He also proposed amendments for people who might have had a conviction, perhaps a trivial one earlier in their lives, and Bob believed it was unfair that these convictions should carry along with this person for the rest of their life. I particularly remember he brought people to visit me, people who had come to him, people who were constituents, and he would sit down with me and they would tell their story about how this relatively trivial matter decades ago had made their lives more complicated. That is the sort of commitment he had to those things.

I am happy to say that the bill that was introduced here as a private member's bill, based on a model national bill, was supported by the government—and, indeed, South Australia was the first state to legislate the model, and that is entirely thanks to Bob's efforts. Regarding his work on committees, I am not going to go through it all, but there is the work he has done in relation to the complete revamping of the burial and cremation arrangements and the bill that we put through with his help recently and local government issues. There are just so many issues that Bob had an enduring interest in and fantastic commitment to.

I know there are many other members who want to speak, so I will be very brief now. On a personal level, can I say that I found Bob to be practical, passionate and a man of conviction, a man who was always cheerful and would have, as the Premier remarked, little ways of addressing individuals which were quite personal and endearing. I held Bob in the highest regard. To his wife, Lyn, family and friends, may I extend my condolences. He will be greatly missed.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): I rise to support the motion and thank both the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition for leading the contributions on behalf of both the government and the opposition. If I were to add one word of description to Bob Such, it would be 'courtesy'. Certainly, in my time in the parliament I have not seen anyone extend the level of courtesy that Bob gave to all of us. It was irrespective of our political alliance, and it was always extended.

It is true—and many of the matters have been canvassed in previous contributions—that he was, however, passionate about the opportunities that were provided by education, and he ensured that everyone had access to that as best he could. He also valued work, paid and unpaid, and his policies and the projects which he endorsed followed those principles.

Of course, he was cheerful in disposition, even when he had written countless letters to all of us, of which I am sure we all have a cabinetful. Even if we did not respond affirmatively to his proposal, he was never rude about the rejection of that, or even the consideration of it. Many times he came to the parliament to his present private member's bills or motions, all of which had great good sentiment and intention. Some of them we did not all support, but he took that in the aspect of good public policy and debate.

I thank him for his dedication to public office and the development of public policy, and the pursuit of parliamentary endorsement of that where possible. I thank him in his capacity as a member and contributor to this house for decades, as a minister and as Speaker of the house. Of course, he remained a strong voice for those he represented, whether it was in his electorate or as a minister, and he presented with passion, undeterred and unrepentant, in the matters that were dearest to his heart.

One such matter just this week, I note, has now been adopted by the government, and I am pleased to see that. Bob had chaired, along with myself and the Hon. Rob Lawson, as representatives of the opposition, a committee into the code of conduct of members of parliament. It is about the 10-year anniversary since the recommendations were presented, and I am very pleased that the government has this week presented that for the endorsement of this parliament. I think that Bob would have been very pleased as well to see not only that but what I hope will be a resounding endorsement of that motion.

Speeding offences and traffic laws in particular became an issue which would have to be described as a zealotry passion in more recent years. Like the Attorney, we had a number of submissions presented to us on reform in this area, in particular the necessity for production of equipment and devices used for the detection of speeding. He, I am sure, would be very pleased if we continued to ensure that that passion does not die and that the sentiments, while a little in conflict with some of the judgements that he expressed though, are pursued in trying to have a just and equitable outcome. I, for one, would work with the Attorney-General to ensure that we do provide that.

Bob was a senior member of the Liberal Party for many years, a long time before coming into the parliament. He was successful in 1989. In 1993, as president of the party, I was elated at the fact that the Brown government was elected. One mention of courtesy—and I suppose I need to recognise the Hon. Dean Brown, former premier and member of this parliament—on that night: mobile phones were not well distributed or available (if they were they were about the size of a brick) and I can remember the Hon. Bob Such coming into the headquarters on that night, which was a rather victorious night for our side of politics, and asked to use the phone to telephone a relative.

I said, 'That's fine, Bob, no problem, you can use that. It will be 38¢,' or whatever at the time, but he was quickly followed by the premier. It just shows the era, I suppose. Dean Brown came in and he said, 'Look, I'd like to ring my brother in the United States,' because we were very much on the way up at that point, in the sense of numbers, and I said, 'Look, in a few hours you're going to be sworn in as the premier, you can ring the moon if you like,' but it did indicate the courtesy of that era.

Dean was, amongst many Liberals, including the former member for Schubert who is here today, a good friend of Bob and they served for a long time. Like a number of other members, Bob provided valuable advice to me, having taken up the shadow portfolio of education after first coming here in 2002. He was immediately on the phone to offer his advice and support and, of course, to present an array of policy reforms that he thought were important. I thank him for that. I have an enduring memory of working with Bob on select committees, including juvenile justice reform and the code of conduct of members of parliament, which would be uppermost in my mind. His advice and guidance on the operation of committee work was a valuable lesson to me and I thank him for that.

There are many other areas of policy which will be discussed and for which Bob will be applauded and I hope that he will have an enduring legacy. One should be his initiative, as the Speaker of the house, to have a country parliament, which then followed into Mount Gambier and I and other members of the house, including the member for Heysen, were members of that parliament. We were new in the parliament at the time and it was a great event. I was not convinced. I was not a strong convert to start with, but Bob's passion for that came to fruition and he certainly convinced me of the value of that.

I conclude by saying that he will be missed by many in this parliament, whatever their political persuasion. I particularly wish to thank Lyn and members of his staff, Barbara and others, who just this week have distributed a letter to the people of Fisher, because the Fisher family was very important to Bob. I read those words. They were powerful and I think the people of Fisher will greatly appreciate that letter. It is very personal and it is also something that they will appreciate and which will maintain the respect they already have for Bob and will continue to work as part of his legacy. Vale, Bob.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:38): I would like to thank the family for taking the time to come to parliament today and listen to us talk about Bob and his life and his interaction with us. I think everyone in the parliament agrees that he deserved more. He deserved a longer life. He deserved longer as a minister. He deserved longer as an MP. He deserved longer to spend time with his family and friends. Life at the end was a little bit unfair on Bob, but I do not think he would have complained.

In my experience, Bob was one of the best local MPs I ever met. There are very good members of parliament in the chamber, on both sides of the parliament, who are very good at keeping in touch with their local communities, but Bob was very, very good indeed. He was good because he was earnest, he was sincere, and it was not an act; people knew that he cared. Bob really listened to local people, and when he wrote to you or rang you, or sent you a note across the chamber about a constituent's issue, he talked quite personally about the problem of his constituent or even the problem of someone who lived outside of Fisher but who had come to him about it. He took it quite personally, and I always found that very moving.

He came to me when I was made transport minister in the last parliament. He would often write to me and speak to me in the chamber or in the coffee lounge, or in and around the corridors, about certain issues, and when he offered a problem he always offered the solution with it, because he understood the difficulty of being in government. He understood the difficulty of being a minister, he understood how hard it was to please everyone. You could tell with Bob that he would be the first person to tell a constituent, 'What you are asking is too difficult and I can't achieve it.' He was completely honest with the people he represented, which is a very fine attribute indeed.

I have never met a member of parliament, Mr Speaker (and without trying to embarrass you), who understood families in his electorate more than Bob and the current Speaker. You really had a sense that he knew and understood what the suburbs were thinking, and he could often bring that and articulate it in a very quick and easy way to the minister—who was often very time poor—so that they could understand the issue. For that I thank him.

For the entire time, he was what I like to call a teaching MP; he was teaching all of us. He took on unpopular causes. He took on popular causes too, but he also took on unpopular causes, which is brave. I think that is missing from our political life a lot more now, both federally and on a state level, politicians who are prepared to take on unpopular issues. Bob had no such fear. In that sense he pushed us all to be better members of parliament.

I like to think that in his own way he did make the parliament better. There are not many members of parliament we can say that about, for a member of parliament to actually change the way we considered things. Bob would often get up and talk about his private member's motions. He would giggle about it before he did it, but he would speak to you afterwards about it, about the importance of it. I disagreed with him on some causes that he brought up in the parliament, euthanasia being one of them, but we always had a civil discussion about it and we always had conversations about it. He always, always understood the opposing argument. He was never the type of person to come in and completely disregard an opposing view, and that takes intellect, it takes compassion and it takes understanding. It is often easier to brush away opposing views if you have a core belief. Bob never did that.

I think what I will miss most about Bob is his attention to detail in keeping us on track and making sure that we understood the issues that his local community, and indeed the broader community, were interested in. Whether it was on radio or on the floor of the house or in correspondence, he really did try to make a difference—and in many respects he has.

As I said, when I think of Bob the one word that comes to mind, when describing him to people who have asked me what he was like, is 'decent'. He was a decent man. We often throw words around when someone passes away, but I do not think that even in the heat of a political election campaign anyone in the Liberal Party or Labor Party would not have said that he was a decent man—and he was.

I wish the family all the very best, because our words are no comfort. They are the ones who have suffered the greatest loss, who do not have him anymore. We just worked with him. He was a husband, a father, a family man and he is gone.

What Bob deserved, in my opinion, for what it is worth, is to have been able to retire at the time of his own choosing, he deserved to enjoy his retirement, he deserved time to travel, to see his family grow. He deserved so much more, but he gave it up to serve the people of South Australia. He exemplifies to me the greatest qualities of public service: someone who has given up his time or her time from their family for others. He is an example that we should all follow. My deepest condolences to Lyn and all your family on the loss of Bob. I doubt very much that there will be another like him.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (14:45): I remember Bob Such as a courteous and, as others have said, a decent man, a dignified man, and a consistent advocate for the things in which he believed. He was a fine member of parliament, he was a fine minister, he was a fine speaker, he was a fine legislator, and he was a fine community leader. He was a dignified man in public and a warm and generous and dignified man in private.

People across South Australia knew Bob from being in the community with him, through listening to him on Leon Byner's show, through hearing him on talkback radio, or seeing him on TV, and those who knew him only through that public persona would not be surprised, I suspect, to find out that the Bob Such we knew in private, in the parliament, in his workplace, was the same man. He was consistent and true.

I read Bob's maiden speech in the last week or so, and one thing that struck me—and other members have identified this—is that time, that 'Bob time' before question time, when we would hear his private member's motions, private member's bills or about the causes which were particularly concerning to him at any moment and which he was championing. In reading his maiden speech, given on 13 February 1990, the thing that struck me was that it was like a greatest hits of 'Bob time'.

Consistently, throughout 24 years of service in this chamber, he continued to argue for the same issues and he continued to bring those same issues to the fore, to the attention of the house, to the attention of ministers. For the consideration of the house, every one of them has their own paragraph in his maiden speech:

…an inadequate arterial roads system [in Fisher]…an inadequate public transport system…demand for child-care services…ever rising cost of electricity, gas and water—

I am quoting each of these—

…concessions for superannuants and pensioners, for electricity, water and so on…employment rate…interest-rate relief…respect for the aged in our society…violence via the media…the lack of filtered water in many of the suburbs—

Hopefully, that was remedied over his time—

…the needs of the southern area is first grade sporting facilities…Housing Trust…the perception of the lack of police presence [in Fisher]…the southern suburbs do not have enough hospital beds…concern for the devaluing of teaching and the whole education process…electoral fairness.

When Bob was elected, there were 27,500 electors in Fisher, and it was Bob's core cause to ensure electoral reform, one that he maintained through to his passing. He spoke about:

…equal opportunities…traditional Aboriginal culture…economic development that is compatible with the environment…a decline in organised religion—

and a commitment to values that must therefore follow. He concluded his maiden speech by saying:

…I trust that through our behaviour the status of members of Parliament will be somewhat more elevated than it is now. If our status or stature in the community is diminished, we have only ourselves to blame, and I hope that my behaviour does not in any way contribute to a denigration of the important place of the member of Parliament in our society.

And so he concluded his maiden speech 24 years ago. I think it is a testament to his memory that there would not be a person here, there would not be a person in South Australia, whatever they thought of members of parliament, who would suggest that Bob was in any way responsible for any denigration in that way. For that, I commend his memory. He set an example for us all.

Some of the speakers so far, and I am sure others to come will do the same, have identified the time that Bob gave to new members of parliament and also to young people. It was as a young person and not as a member of parliament that I first encountered Bob. Bob was the first member of parliament whom I met in person, whose hand I shook and with whom I was able to discuss issues. In 1994, The MessengerNewspapers group decided to set up a newspaper for high schools. I was in year 11 at the time and volunteered, along with another 12 or young people around South Australia, to contribute to this youth newspaper.

Bob was the minister for youth, and he thought it was a great initiative of the Messenger newspapers, so he asked the editor—who, at the time, was a young journalist by the name of Penny Chalke—and the young people who were involved to come into Parliament House to share a sandwich and have a talk about what it was we were concerned about; what was driving our interests in getting involved in writing for other young people.

I remember coming in, and he had this dignity about him and a real compassion and concern. We thought we were coming in for a cup of coffee and a biscuit for half an hour, but he made an hour and a half for us because he was interested in the discussion; he was interested in what we had to say; and he was inspiring. He encouraged us all because he cared about what we were going to produce. He expressed to us his concerns about the way that, in his view, investigative journalism was not what it used to be. He was concerned that too much in the newspapers was colour, or columns, or analysis posing as journalism, that what had been lost was that true sense of investigative journalism—getting to the meat of the story and digging away at something for months.

To Lyn and the family, I am sure that Bob's memory could be honoured by the fine press gallery we have here in South Australia, as that trend obviously was reversed many years ago because they do such a fine job now. Frankly, I think that some of the journalism we have seen on display this week would have really chuffed Bob. I think that investigative journalism is important; it was important to him then, and it was something that he wanted to inspire in all of us. In me, he inspired something else.

The next time I encountered Bob was in 2003 or 2004—I think it was 2004 when he was the Deputy Speaker, and I was President of the Young Liberals. The Liberal parliamentary team was on a retreat, on a parliamentary seminar at the time discussing policy, and a representative of Bob as an Independent, a member of the government, and a member of the opposition had been sought to come to talk to students in the parliament about parliamentary matters and parliamentary reform. Because the Liberal parliamentarians were on retreat, I was the next best thing, apparently. So, they offered me, and I went along and spoke to the students, as well as Bob.

For 20 minutes, and without a note, Bob was able to talk about the issues confronting members of parliament, Independent members of parliament—basically, members of the non-executive wing. He talked about the position and status of the committee system in the parliament and the opportunity for private members' time and private members' bills and motions—which he had a personal interest in, of course, because most of them were his—to be debated and passed. He talked about civility in the parliament back then. It must have been 2004 because I believe the code of conduct in committee investigation had concluded because he spoke about that too.

These passions he had were consistent and continued. When I was elected to the parliament, one of the first constituents who came into my office was concerned about a conviction for an offence that we would no longer consider an offence from the 1960s, and he was asking where Bob Such's spent convictions legislation was and what that meant for him: it had passed in 2009. That is what caused me to sit down with Bob and find out how that process worked—the process of proclamation—and he assisted me to help my constituent.

As others have said, he was always willing to have a coffee in the bar or come and sit in your office and chat about an issue. He was a mentor—a generous mentor—and he added a lot to the parliament. He added a lot to us as MPs, and I think it is a testament to his memory that in the chamber, in the gallery, we have former members of parliament from across the political divide and across the state who have made the time to come and share in this condolence motion today: Mr Venning, Ms Geraghty, Ms Thompson and Ms Breuer.

I know that when those former members of parliament gather they will sorely miss the opportunity to have spent some time with Bob after service in this place. To his family, his staff, his friends, I offer my condolences. We have all lost a friend.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (14:53): Bob Such was a great communicator and as someone who shared a neighbouring seat—because the electorate of Mawson abuts the electorate of Fisher—I come in contact with a lot of people who over 25 years had a lot to do with Bob Such. He went in to bat for them time after time after time, often against what the government of the day wanted. He was always there to stick up for his electorate, but he had a much broader approach than that.

He was probably one of the first MPs to get a regular spot on radio, and he would take on all sorts of concerns that people would ring up about, and Leon Byner would say, even if Bob was not in the studio, 'Bob Such will fix that for you,' and so often he did. He reached out beyond his own electorate to help people wherever they were in the state and whatever their issue was.

Everyone in this place would be familiar with the SUCH AND SUCH newsletter that not only was distributed widely throughout the electorate of Fisher but was put in all of our pigeonholes as well so we knew what Bob was up to. Yesterday, the people of Fisher received a very special edition of the SUCH AND SUCH put together by Lyn and the Fisher electorate office staff—Barbara, Linda, Margaret and Sandra—as a way of saying thank you to the people of Fisher and to invite them to a service that will celebrate Bob's life at a date to be announced which will give people an opportunity to share their memories of Bob.

Details regarding the memorial service will be available from the Fisher electorate office. The message says, 'We have been overwhelmed by the number of emails, cards, flowers and messages of support and we wish to say a sincere thank you for your kindness.'

Everyone in this place knows that we cannot run efficiently without really good staff behind us, and Bob knew that probably as well as anyone. He was backed up by a fantastic electorate office staff. Barbara had been with him for the whole 25 years that he was in parliament. I asked Barbara and Sandra if they could give me some words of their memories of Bob to read into Hansard today. Barbara Rogers says:

I worked for Bob for 25 years. He was a great boss and a great local Member. Nothing was ever too much trouble and he listened to everyone who approached him. He did everything he could to assist his constituents. He was certainly a people's politician.

Bob was never short of ideas. I'll never forget the morning when the phone rang hot with journalists and the public asking for clarification of an idea Bob had raised in Parliament the night before. He had suggested that Australia should produce its own royal family. The idea didn't take off, but Bob got a great deal of publicity. It was a serious suggestion on his part but it wasn't taken seriously and the media had a field day.

Bob was elected the Member for Fisher at seven consecutive elections…However, one week after the March 2014 election our world fell apart. The current staff members: Linda; Margaret; Sandra; and myself, have worked together as a team and supported each other, and the electorate, during the difficult months that followed.

Bob is greatly missed and will never be forgotten.

Sandra Szondi has written:

Bob was such a kind boss, considerate and caring, wanting his staff to learn and develop and giving young people a chance by believing in them. He was an honest, sincere and passionate politician—truly a 'one of a kind'. His constituents loved him!

The overwhelming kind wishes and condolences we have received in the past few months have brought tears to our eyes. It was beautiful to see how much the locals cared about him.

Bob also had many 'Bobisms' and there is one typical everyday thing I miss about Bob. When he left the office to go to parliament he would say, with a broad smile, 'All right Groovers, see ya later!' while walking out the door.

We will all miss Bob and I think it was tremendous that, despite all the treatment that he was going through, on the opening day of parliament he turned up here and took his seat over there and we all got to go and say hello to him. He was upset that he was upset. He said the treatment that he was undergoing made him very emotional but I am sure it was not all the treatment. I am sure that he knew in his heart that he had a massive fight on his hands, and he did it so courageously. It was tremendous to see him turn up here.

There have been a lot of words to describe Bob so far in this condolence motion, and I am sure there will be many more. He has been described as courteous, civil, dignified, compassionate and a decent man. As someone who shares an electorate boundary with Bob, I ran into him a lot during the election campaign because he picked up Woodcroft, with 4,000 voters, that had been in the seat of Mawson for the preceding 12 years. As I say, Bob was very hurt by a campaign run against him by certain individuals.

I think all those words that describe Bob—courteous, civil, dignified, compassionate and decent—were the very things not used by others. They showed none of those. It hurt him to the core and it distracted him from his campaign. He was terribly upset by it. I think the lesson that we should all remember from that man who came in here for 25 years and worked so hard, who had the courage to come back in here from his sick bed, is that when you go out and attack someone, at the end of that attack is a human being, and we should all respect each other.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:59): I rise today to support the condolence motion in honour of Bob Such. Too many times in this place we rise for condolence motions, but you do not expect to speak about someone you have served with, and such a nice bloke, as Bob Such was. When I first entered this place he was one of the first people to welcome me here. Over the years I heard many stories of when he visited my electorate—because he had family (a sister) up there—and how many times he had been out there shooting a few rabbits, having a look around and seeing what was going on.

Having said that, Bob had a bigger view of the world, obviously, than just the seat of Fisher, which he served so admirably for those 24 or 25 years. He had a view right across the state, across the country and across the world. He would always want to know how the farmers were going and spoke of what he had seen out there when he was out and about. I remember one thing he did when he travelled about. He had been up to the Broken Hill Agfair one day and he always grabbed a lot of brochures when he was about so that he could remind himself of what he had seen. It was obviously a great record of where he had been.

I sat on a couple of select committees with Bob. One was the antisocial and criminal behaviour select committee, which Bob chaired. It only went for a short time before the rising of the last parliament. There was also the inquiry into dogs and cats as companion animals. I do not know which was more controversial, quite frankly, but the amount of correspondence we get on dogs and cats—I think I probably speak for everyone in this house—is quite large. I am not trying to make the issue of antisocial and criminal behaviour a small one, but it goes to show the breadth of issues that can be brought to this house, and obviously the interest that Bob had to be involved in issues, no matter where he thought they were in the spectrum.

Bob was always passionate about issues. I note the Treasurer spoke about Bob and his campaign about euthanasia. It is something I do not agree with, but I had a lot of respect for the way Bob used his passion and brought people in to talk to anyone who was interested on either side of the argument. Even though he had his view, he always made sure that everyone could get their view—and a balanced one at that—on the situation with any issue.

There was 'Bob time' (the notices of motion). We all miss that loud voice coming from over on our crossbenches, popping up for his notices of motion, and sometimes several notices of motion. He would fill up the pages with lots of legislation to discuss. I remember opening day of parliament. I had a thought that day that I may never see Bob again—sadly, I was right. Coming into the chamber that day, Bob was in his seat back here on the crossbenches and I leaned down and was talking to him. One of the attendants (I think it was Kane) had to come and grab me and say, 'Look, the Speaker is about to come in, you're holding up the show.' I said, 'I'm having a lovely time,' and I was. I was having a great discussion with Bob. I am glad I made that time and I do not apologise for a minute if I held up proceedings for a few seconds or even a minute or two.

This is a very sad time. For anyone to serve their community for that long and to serve right up to the end of their life is a fantastic thing. I offer my condolences to Lyn, the staff and the family.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:03): It is not very often that we get to say goodbye to a serving colleague. We often rise to say goodbye to colleagues who have died after a period of enjoying their retirement, but this is unique. In my 17 years here, it is the first occasion on which it has occurred. It is a reminder to us all that we are not here for a long time, we are here to make use of the time we have, and it is a sobering lesson to us all. We just do not know what the future holds.

I will be missing Bob extraordinarily. I will miss him and I know the people of my electorate in Waite will miss him. He was a councillor at Mitcham. He is well known to us in the Mitcham community. He made a wonderful contribution to the people I represent and I want to thank him and his family, on their behalf, for his service.

I remember my first meaningful engagement with Bob was at the very first party meeting of the parliamentary Liberal Party after the awful election outcome of 1996. I was a new member, and I remember walking into the room and thinking that I was back in a war zone. Of the contributions that day, the most meaningful had come from Bob, both during the meeting and after the meeting.

His wise counsel and advice to me over the many years I served with him, I really valued. He was particularly helpful to me with advice in regard to Mitcham and Waite, about which he knew a lot, but he was also very sage counsel on issues of conscience and other matters of principle in parliament, and I certainly will miss having him here. In particular, although I had no idea of it at the time, I will miss him as a fellow Independent, having followed now a similar journey to the one Bob took. For that reason, in particular, I am going to miss him, because it would have been wonderful to serve with him, with the member for Frome, the three of us, and to share our ideas, our hopes for the future and our reflections on the past.

Bob always occurred to me to be a man who was there to see what he could to do to help rather than to help himself. He certainly knew that his first loyalty was to the people he had been elected to represent rather than to any other organisation. On every decision I worked with him on, his causes were local, his principles were pure, his conscience was very clear and his determination absolutely resolute. I think that South Australia is a much better place for Bob Such. I share my condolences with Lyn, the family and the staff, who he would have loved, because you do after that period of time, and to say to the people of Fisher that they have been very lucky to have such a decent fellow representing them for so long.

Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:07): Coming into parliament in 2006, it was very lonely on this side of the chamber. There were 15 members of the Liberal Party and a very friendly member for Fisher, Bob Such. I had a little bit to do with Bob Such as a lay member of the Liberal Party. We shared many of our social views as moderate liberals, if you like, when it came to what is important to our values. I got to know Bob more after taking on the education portfolio and even more so again after taking on the TAFE portfolio because he was very keen to meet with me and discuss his views.

I knew Bob was passionate about TAFE because, when he was the minister responsible for TAFE, it was the first time that I had been invited as an employer in the furniture industry to meet with TAFE staff and to meet with the minister responsible, even though I had been employing staff for nearly 10 years. There was a round of round tables, if you like, that were established by Bob, as the minister. I can remember that, when the event was launched, the small conference room at Marleston TAFE was full, and Bob walked in to a round of applause as he came in to announce that there were going to be some reforms in TAFE that would get better outcomes. He was dedicated to TAFE.

I asked the library to find some Hansard where Bob referred to TAFE, and it goes back many years, and there are tens and tens of pages of Hansard where Bob, particularly as an Independent member of parliament, continued his interest in TAFE. Back in March 2008, he said:

I do not think that, even today, many people in South Australia appreciate the great TAFE system we have…

As an Independent member of parliament, he was always keen to talk about TAFE. I know that whenever I was debating an issue on the radio, Bob would be there talking about his experience and his passion for TAFE. In the same section of Hansard, Bob went on:

One problem we still have in relation to training and higher education is an obsession that people have in our community about everyone having to go to university. That is not in any way to put down universities.

What Bob was saying there, of course, is that it is all about options, and he believed the TAFE system was a great way of giving students options. Being a former technical high school student himself going through the TAFE system, he went on to university and then got a PhD. Bob was a very committed person to access for education. He went on to say:

That is crazy, because not only do we need those skilled people, but in the not too distant future, if not right now, people such as plumbers and those other skilled tradespeople will be earning a lot more than many of the people who went to university anyway.

That is what he was telling the parliament in 2008, and I think if we look at the situation now—has anyone called a plumber lately?—we can see how much it costs to get a drain fixed when those who have law degrees struggle to find a salary of $45,000 a year when they leave university.

I think it is fair to say that Bob was a very practical man. If we are looking at words to describe Bob, he was a very practical man, he believed in personal responsibility and he believed in a fair go. After a quick refresher of the private members' motions and the private members' bills that he continually brought into this place, I think it is fair to say that they reflected those values. He did not think it was right that people got something for nothing, but he thought that people should have an opportunity. His attitude as the minister responsible for TAFE and further education reflected those values.

He certainly will be sorely missed from my point of view. I enjoyed being on the Social Development Committee with him last year. It just so happened that the committee finished before lunch and we would often sit and share lunch together in the Blue Room and discuss the issues of the day, and discuss education issues. One thing that was consistent with that lunch was that Bob always had the roast. Bob, we will miss you. Lyn and family, we offer you our condolences. I know how Bob was cherished by his staff and his electorate, and I know that we will all miss him.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government) (15:13): I too rise to pay my respects and support to the dedication of the late Hon. Bob Such. I thank the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition for their great words and also other members in this chamber. I would like to speak on his dedication and the great friendship that I had with Bob over a short period of time.

When I came into this place here, it was a lonely place. It is a very lonely place. You may come in from a political party and have some support, but as an Independent you come into this place and you are absolutely left on your own. You are in here, you do not know where to go, you do not know what to do, and the first person who came to me when sitting on the crossbench on the other side was Bob Such. My partner, Lyn, was in the gallery watching my very first day here. I did not know what was to transpire. As everybody knows, I was elected in 2009, then sworn in and then two days later I was sitting in this house. It is lonely. The first person who came to me was Bob Such. He said, 'Do you know what you do in this house?' I said, 'No, I don't.' He took me under his wing and guided me over the next 18 months or two years. I had great respect for his dedication.

One day, we were sitting in the chamber; I was sitting over on the other side, and Kris Hanna and Bob Such were in the corner. He whispered to me, 'Would you like a cup of tea?' I said, 'Yes, I'd love a cup of tea.' I was sitting here as if I was the mayor of the city of Port Pirie, and when you are in the process of a council you do not leave the chamber. I was sitting here and 20 minutes later, Bob said, 'Do you want that cup of tea or not?' I said, 'Yes, I do, but the point is we're all—', and he said, 'No, no.' He then explained the process, and we went out and had a cup of tea in the lounge.

Little things like that made me realise the person Bob Such was. I have heard other members, from both sides, say that when they came in here—the member for Adelaide and the Leader of the Opposition referred to this—Bob took them aside, explained to them, showed them the direction and welcomed them into the house. I think that was absolutely fantastic.

Certainly, he guided me on lots of things. Again, as you come into this house, unless you have come through the process you do not know the system correctly and you do not know how the process works. Bob Such explained it to me without me having to embarrass myself (which we all do at times) by asking too many questions. He did it nice and quietly so that I understood a bit more of the process I had to understand as an Independent coming into this chamber.

Whenever I wanted any advice, Bob was always there. He would whisper—well, he was not always whispering—he would give you some advice across the seats on the crossbench and give you a little bit of guidance so that you understood the whole thing far better. One of the great points I noticed about Bob over the many years was that not once did I hear a negative comment from the Hon. Bob Such. I never once saw a negative media release. His attitude was that a negative comment or release does nothing for the state, nothing for the parliament, and nothing for the electorate of Fisher. If you have a shot at another member, it does not do you any good either. It is about working together. He was a passionate man, a considerate man, and I will miss him tremendously.

I met Lyn about three years ago, when Bob came to Port Pirie with Lyn. He just popped into my office unannounced, and I thought, 'What's he doing here?' But, as other members know and have indicated, he was out not only in the electorate of Fisher but also across all the regions. It would be nothing for him to go down to Mount Gambier, nothing to come to Port Augusta, Port Broughton or wherever it was. He would go out there and everybody knew who Bob Such was. He would be sitting in a café or somewhere like that, and somebody would come up and say, 'You're Bob Such.' He was so well respected across the whole state that everybody knew who the man was—for his dedication, his compassion and his exposure.

I never thought that I would be sitting in this place. Other members on the other side had the privilege and the pleasure of working with Bob when he was a Liberal member and a minister; you had that opportunity. Members on this side had a far better opportunity to work with Bob for many years. I have been here for 4½ or five years—five minutes, but in that five minutes I learnt a lot about a sincere man, not only for his electorate but also for his dedication to the state.

He brought forward notices of motion. He would be the first to stand up, and the Speaker would always call on the member for Fisher first but, if he tried to get two across, the Speaker would pick him up and say, 'There are others to share the opportunity,' otherwise you would be down one, two, three, four, five. The member for Stuart knows how it works because he was kicked out a few times by Bob.

Bob was a member of parliament I consider, in my short stay here so far, as a unique member of parliament, a very unique member of parliament, a state member. He represented everybody in the state. He did not care where you came from, what political aspirations you had, what race, creed or religion you were; he took everybody's concern at the front. He did take a lot of those issues personally. I know from my experience with Bob on a couple of occasions that he would be talking about an issue and he would actually take a real personal interest in it, as if it was part of his own family. The electorate office of Fisher needs to be congratulated on their dedication.

Bob was a great advocate of men's health. I know he had prostate cancer. I do not think he had the da Vinci machine.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: He did have the da Vinci machine. When I had prostate cancer and I was telling Bob that I had to have the treatment, etc., he said, 'You're okay. You've got nothing to worry about.' That did not put me at rest at all, or my partner. However, when I came out—I had the prostate out and I have had a clean bill of health ever since—I showed Bob the little cuts and he was astounded at the small amounts from the da Vinci machine. So, I congratulate the Hon. Bob Such for his dedication to that. He would go out to various organisations across the state and talk about prostate cancer. He would talk about it openly, 'Don't be ashamed of it.' So, he brought it to the fore.

I would also pay tribute to the loyal staff of the electorate of Fisher. Bob spoke very highly of his staff, they were like family, and Barbara was there for that whole period of time. I understand, from discussion, that after question time if you said, 'Where's Bob gone?' he had gone back to get some work done. So, he would be back in the electorate doing the work which he felt very passionate about.

It is a shame, as members have indicated today, that Bob could not pick his time when he could retire, when he could have enjoyed his remaining days. I have been through the same issue with my late wife; we had this great vision of retiring. You never know what is around the corner. We have to take each day as it is. To Lyn, on behalf of my Lyn and the electorate of Frome, we pay our greatest respect to you, to John and to the rest of the family.

It is unique that we have a person who dedicated his life to the state. He could quite easily have not contested the 2014 state election. He elected to do that and that was his commitment. His dedication has always been to the state and his greatest love was to serve the people. So, on behalf of myself, Lyn and my family, my condolences to Lyn, family, friends and the electorate of Fisher. I wish you the best going forward. We will never ever forget Bob Such.

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (15:22): I rise today to speak on the motion and the work of the late Dr Bob Such. While I did not have the pleasure, like many people in this house, to get to know Dr Such personally, I would like to make a few brief comments. I do feel some kinship with Dr Such given that the electorates of Fisher and Mitchell are neighbours. His name was raised with me often as I stood outside shops while I was campaigning ahead of the last election. Many of his constituents would use the supermarkets in my electorate and they would often tell me that they liked what I was doing and wished me well but they were from Fisher and they were 'Bob people'.

I learnt very quickly that the secret of Bob's success was his care for the local community. People spoke very highly of Bob and the hard work he did in the electorate of Fisher. I truly hope that when I leave this place the people of Mitchell will say the same kind words about me. Sharing communities, Bob and I had a lot of issues in common. I know he was passionate about roads and safety. Scouring Hansard, I know if you mention speed cameras you have to mention Bob's name. Bob was a great supporter of the local CFS volunteers, he loathed graffiti and he backed small business. In fact, he saw small business as the engine room of our economy and he fought to reduce taxes and charges that 'acted as a dead weight around the neck of those who put their financial life on the line when servicing our community'. He was also passionate about animal welfare and the recent puppy farms legislation would have put a smile on his face.

As all members know, a good member is only as successful as his or her staff. When I was first elected I was lucky enough to have the services of one of Bob's electorate staff, Linda Germain, for three months. Linda was of great value to my office and to me personally. She had wonderful energy and excellent insight into the local communities. At any meeting we had, Linda would always give reference to what Bob would do and how Bob would deal with issues. It was invaluable to me as a new member and I thank her and I thank Bob.

I was interested to learn of Bob's frustrations with freedom of information requests, of FOIs as they are known. Bob once suggested it was, 'Freedom from information not freedom of information.' I have been a member of this house for a relatively short period of time, but it has not taken me long to also experience Bob's FOI frustration.

Finally, I must also say that I enjoyed reading Bob's newsletters, which, as we know, were titled SUCH AND SUCH. The colourful sheets were dropped into letterboxes seasonally, and were effective and informative, and, like Bob, to the point. While I have tried to move into the cyber age a bit more myself, I noticed that Bob also had a Facebook page. I would guess that Bob never knew, nor probably cared, how many Facebook friends he had, but I know that Bob had more friends in his electorate than he could count. To Bob's wife, Lyn, his family and his friends, my sincere condolences.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for the Public Sector) (15:25): The loss of Bob Such is an institutional loss for us and, of course, he is a great loss to his community, but above all the loss of Bob Such is a personal loss. My parents lived just down the road and on the other side from Lyn and Bob for a number of years, and I take this opportunity again to pass on their very sincere condolences.

I feel that I followed Bob around a little in my life. We both shared a love of Flinders University and gratitude to Flinders for the education it gave us, not only the institution of Flinders but more specifically doing a PhD with Dean Jaensch. I have the honour of being the second person supervised by Dean Jaensch to enter South Australian politics; Bob preceded me by some years. When I would go in to debate with Dean about my thesis (I get on very well with Dean but we agree on very little in politics), the volumes of Bob's thesis would loom at me from Dean's shelf. I do not know if this is apocryphal but we understood, we students then, that there was a limit to the number of words you could use in a PhD at Flinders that was inspired by the length of Bob's PhD. If that is true, I am truly grateful to him for having done that.

Similarly, we shared a passion for the environment. I worked in the environment department for a number of years and not only followed his care but also was occasionally the person who had to respond to the ministerial letters that came. There was his passion for recycling, for the CDL scheme, for the protection of our natural environment—but not protection to the preclusion of its use. We shared the view that you can use and enjoy and protect environment the simultaneously. Of course, as we have discussed, there was his passion for animal welfare and the organisations that promote animal welfare.

Of course, I then followed him still further in coming to parliament. The member for Ramsay and I had the unusual—although not unique—experience of coming in in a by-election. We had each other, which was a start, and we were very much welcomed by many people on both sides of this house just over two years ago, but by no one more than by Bob Such. As members have referred to previously, he was extremely welcoming and very helpful in educating us on how to manage this strange institution in which we find ourselves.

I am extremely grateful that I was able to be part of, and indeed chair, the committee on, essentially, the eradication of puppy farms (it had a fancier title). That committee was initiated because Bob Such had a motion on the Thursday morning, and he and the member for Mawson and I had a conversation and felt that we could turn this into a committee that could do some good work. Bob was extremely productive on that.

When I think about Bob I think about the qualities he demonstrated every day that I interacted with him. He showed extraordinary perseverance, he was an extremely principled person, and he was, above all, a decent person. I hope, personally, to continue to follow him, and that many of us will see him as an exemplar, as one of the finest we have produced in South Australia.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:29): I rise to support the motion put up by the Premier. It is a unique occasion, as many others have said, when we have the opportunity to have a few words to say about a member of this house. For mine, I think he is still here. I can still see Bob sitting just over there, right in front of Lyn actually, and on a Thursday morning I can see Bob's coat hanging over the rail and I can hear him speak. As I put to Lyn recently, from time to time he could be a bit long winded; however, Bob was a good man. To Lyn and the family, and the extended family, I extend my wife's and my condolences, and to Bob's staff, who have been loyal to the utmost, I extend my condolences as well.

Many members have talked today about Bob coming in prior to question time and going through his list of notices of motions and bills. Then, on the odd occasion when Bob did not have one, which was not all that regularly, he would say that he would be taking an RDO. Well, I think he is taking a few RDOs currently, because he will be here in spirit for a long, long time. He was the consummate local member for Fisher. Many could learn from him, and many probably have learnt from him. He endeared himself to his members, and he was loyal to his electorate and staff, and he was very well known in his electorate.

Others have mentioned his relationship with the Hon. Dean Brown; he was very close to Dean. I first met Bob through a relationship with Dean Brown. I have known Bob for 25-odd years. He was always the same: he was always Bob. He was always warm and friendly. The member for West Torrens made some analogies which I agree with. I think some of the most interesting times I spent with Bob were also with the Hon. Graham Gunn. If you were ever stuck for someone to have lunch with, you went into the dining room. Gunnie and Bob were there, and if you sat at their table you did not get a word in for an hour, but you learnt a lot. They both had a unique knowledge of the way the Westminster system works and the way this parliament works. They never had a bad word to say about anybody, and I think that was quite remarkable.

As other members have said, opening day was highly emotional when Bob came in, walked up and sat down, and we all spoke to him. He was clearly really struggling, but Bob's character came through and he got through the day, and he went off. Knowing Bob, he probably went back to the office, but I am not sure whether Lyn just took him home. It was great that he was here and sworn in as the member for Fisher; that is what he was. There was absolutely no hesitation from this house when the Premier moved, on a number of occasions, that the Hon. R.B. Such have another extension of leave. There was no issue with that whatsoever from anybody in this place.

Others have also spoken about his battle with prostate cancer and the fact that he won; quite clearly, he won. However, he was also at pains to point out to members of the male sex that they should get their act into gear if they had not been checked and go and do it. I suspect that we all may need reminding from time to time to do that, those of us who are male.

You never knew where Bob was going to pop up. The Port Elliot Show is a big show. There are around 6,000 people on the Saturday of the show. You walked around, and the next minute up popped Bob and Lyn at the Port Elliot Show, or he would tell you that he had been up to Alawoona or somewhere else. He got around everywhere, and he took a great interest in South Australia and wanted to see it go forward.

There are a couple of other things that we will miss. I think the member for Mawson talked about SUCH AND SUCH. Regularly, during the year, we got SUCH AND SUCH put in our pigeonhole and I always read it. I have to tell you that I do not read every member's contribution that gets put in my pigeonhole, but I always read Bob's. Bob's never had photos all over it. Even after Bob took sick leave, you still saw Bob Such letters in The Advertiser in Letters to the Editor. I am half expecting that one day shortly another one will pop up; in fact, I am just about sure it will.

In closing, Bob was a unique South Australian. He served this parliament exceptionally well in a number of roles. He never changed his attitude. As other members have mentioned, he was very friendly and welcoming. I did not agree with him on everything—euthanasia being one matter—however, you could have the discussion and at the end of the day Bob Such did it his way, and I will miss him. Vale, Bob.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (15:34): I do not think I will be able to add too much, but I feel compelled to stand up and offer my most sincere condolences to Lyn and the boys, the extended family, and the office staff.

Like everyone else, Bob was one of the first to come and say hello when I came in 2002, and I remember my first term sitting over here right next to Bob while he was the Deputy Speaker and until he became the Speaker in 2005. He was very good company, and I was pleased for him when he became the Speaker but displeased that he was leaving his seat because the person I then had to sit next to—without naming that person—was not anywhere near as good company as Bob.

What I found with Bob—and a lot has been said—was that he understood politics, he understood making connections, and he was very good, if not the best of anyone in here, in respect of representation of one's electorate, and I learnt a lot from him. In relation to my electorate, I like to think that I implemented much of what Bob taught me over that period of time.

We sat on the cemeteries committee together, which was an excellent committee, and I learnt more about dying and burials than I ever thought I would learn. Bob took it with a passion. I also hope that one day we actually adopt one of those recommendations that Bob was passionate about; that is, the public space burials in natural burial grounds which was something that he was very passionate about.

I think it was either the member for Cheltenham or the member for Enfield who talked about the little names he gave people. Bob called me a lot of names during the time when I had portfolio responsibilities, whether they were related to the portfolio of further education, training and employment—which he had a great passion for, because he had had responsibility as well for those over the years—or the environment. They were nice little names: 'The so and so'—and I am not going to repeat them—but I used to have one for him as well. It was 'Robert the Such' and he liked that as well, and I will certainly miss him terribly.

Everyone has said the same thing, but I am going to say it again. Bob was a decent bloke, a decent human being. He was extremely smart, pragmatic when he had to be, and he was not so much forceful but the views he put forward were put forward in such a way that they demanded to be listened to. Unlike some of the others in the house here today who have said that they did not always agree with what he said, I agreed with a lot of what he said, and one of those, of course, is my support for voluntary euthanasia. He often provided advice; it was sound advice, good advice. If you did not listen to it, it was often at your own peril. As I said, he was a decent human being, he was very smart, and he was a man of great integrity.

I want to reinforce something that the member for Mawson said. It was heartening and also very sad, in a way, to see Bob here on that opening day, but it gave us all a great thrill that he was here, and he demonstrated great courage. But one of the things that did hurt him was what occurred during the last election campaign, and he did mention it to me on numerous occasions. As so many people have said today, Bob was a man of great integrity. He did not play politics. He understood that politics is a tough game and a hard game, but he played it with a straight bat. He played it the way politics should be played, and he was held in the highest of esteem because he did exactly that. It did hurt him. In that last campaign he deserved better than that, and I think that he wished more than anything else that politics would be played with a straight bat and that the argument be about the issues—not playing the man but playing the ball.

This place and, indeed, the South Australian community, was a better place for Bob being here and the participation that he had in public life. Again, I extend my most sincere condolences to Lyn, Adrian, Darren, the family, and the staff. I feel very much for their loss.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:39): I want to add my very genuine words to this condolence motion, which is bipartisan. Mr Speaker, we speak through you, of course, directly to Lyn and Bob's family and friends and staff. I only shared one term with Bob so I do not know him nearly as well as many here. My one word for Bob would be 'generous'. He was very, very generous to me, and everybody else, with regard to the advice, support and knowledge that he shared, and it did not matter whether you were Liberal or Labor, young or old, man or woman, or whatever, he was happy to help you because he wanted everybody here to be as good a member of parliament as they possibly could because that was going to contribute to the best results.

He did work very hard for his electorate, as the vast majority of us do. We know that the foundation of our work here is our electorate work. But he did, also, work very hard on important issues to him with regard to social responsibilities as he saw them. He did have an understanding of commerce and he did have an understanding of the realities that you cannot avoid when trying to make change but he worked very hard for his electorate and very hard on social issues.

When he did that, he wanted everybody to be fully informed. One of the most striking things for me was that he wanted to make sure everybody knew all sides of the argument, not just the side of the argument that he was hoping would be successful. He wanted everybody to be fully informed. Through that process, he never once tried to twist my arm, and I am sure the same would be true of others. He wanted to sit down and talk and he wanted me to know the pros and the cons but he never once tried to twist my arm or change my mind or get me to do something that I was not comfortable with, and I think that is a very generous spirit.

That is an example of a person who really does want the best results. He did not want a political victory. He did not want a concocted victory. He did not want a result that he had to manufacture. He wanted everybody, or the vast majority, of people to be on board with the issues that he wanted to work for. I think it is a tribute to him that four former members of parliament have come to listen to this condolence motion today. It is a genuinely bipartisan couple of hours that we are having today and that is a pleasure in itself, and Bob gets credit for that.

One of the generous things that he did early on in my first term was send out a list of South Australian firsts to all members of parliament. A lot of MPs would have sent it just to their friends or just their political colleagues or just to people they thought might be of influence. He sent it to everybody. I printed off this list and carry it in my satchel everywhere I go, and I have had it for about four years now. I thought I would just touch on a few things on that list, because it is a long list, that I think would have been pretty important to Bob. They are:

First colony to adopt the legal provision that evidence from Aboriginals can be accepted in court.

No property qualification for members of the House of Assembly.

First state secondary school for girls in Australia in Adelaide.

First juvenile court in Australia set up in Adelaide.

South Australia becomes the first colony in Australia and the fourth place in the world to grant adult women the right to vote and the first in the world to grant them the right to stand as members of parliament.

Family Relationships Act abolishes the legal consequences of illegitimacy.

Rape in marriage is made a criminal offence.

SA becomes the first state to make discrimination based on age unlawful.

It is just a short selection out of six full pages of the things that I think would have been particularly important to Bob but, if Bob had been here in parliament at the time that those things were being debated, he would have been at the front of the charge to discuss those issues.

We will have further reforms that come through this parliament that, unfortunately, he will not be here for but Bob, Lyn, family and staff will be able to share in the credit for some of those things that do still come ahead of us. He would have fought for those things. He did fight for things when he was here, and some things will change and you all can share in the credit because, as we know, no member of parliament works in isolation. We all rely on our family, our friends and our staff to help us do the very best work that we can do, so you share the credit of everything that has been said about Bob here today. I offer you my very genuine condolences and warmth for you moving forward without him.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:45): I got to know Dr Such when I was the Chair of the ministerial youth committee—it seems amazing these days—when Mr Rann was the youth minister. Within days of being appointed, Dr Such wanted to talk to me about issues for young people. This connection on youth matters continued right up to when I was elected into parliament, becoming shadow minister for youth and then minister.

One of the activists of the time was Mr Kym Davey, who was also the Executive Director of the Youth Affairs Council of South Australia (YACSA). He held that role from 1988 to 2000. Sadly, a letter that he wanted published in The Advertiser was not published, but he has given it to me because it summarises particularly Bob's role with regard to youth affairs. His letter, if it had been published, said:

Bob Such was a good man. Many nice things have been said about Bob since we heard the news of his untimely death on Saturday. I mourn his passing and extend my condolences to his wife Lyn and his three sons and three grandchildren.

I met Bob when he was Opposition spokesperson for Youth Affairs in 1991. He used to come to the events we held at the Youth Affairs Council and stay for a chat to give us feedback on what we were saying about young people's needs at that time. I remember him chiding me that YACSA wasn't paying enough attention to the needs of young men from working class families. He said 'it's fine you're interested in minority groups—but don't overlook the young men who are struggling to finish their education and find work'. He cared about those who were being pilloried at the time as a juvenile justice problem. We listened to him and we worked well together.

Later, as Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs Bob was in a position to do something himself. He did many good things in his portfolio of Youth Affairs and Employment, but none more significant to me than boosting the numbers of traineeships being offered by the state government from 500 to 1500. There are a lot of Generation X South Australians who got their first start in the workforce because Bob saw a practical opportunity to help them and to help the community.

Helping other people get ahead was his aim in public life. He did it with a commitment and good grace and I have rarely seen this in other politicians. Vale Bob Such. I will miss your voice.

Kym Davey

In 2002, under the Rann Labor government, I became the social justice minister, and this included the youth and status of women portfolios. Dr Such continued to advocate for young people and was very supportive of me in this role, even though I was a Labor youth minister. As a youth minister himself, he had left this portfolio in good condition, certainly for the next Liberal minister who took over from him and eventually for me.

I found that on most issues I was on the same page as Bob Such. Like the member for Colton, there were many things that we shared. Like the member for Port Adelaide, I found that we had a love and commitment for Flinders University—our university. Also, Bob and I were both educated in technical colleges, so we had a lot to talk about with regard to not only the gaps in our education but also the good things that came from having a technical high school education.

One of the issues that we shared was our concern about people getting honorary PhDs. He was very concerned about that, having earned his PhD. Living with a graduate of a PhD, I am very much reminded of the sacrifice of not only the person doing the PhD but the people supporting the person doing the PhD. I know that the member for Port Adelaide understands what I am talking about here.

One of the areas Bob and I agreed about was the lowering of the voting age to 16, something I do not think everybody was in agreement with. I think that people just need to look at the recent Scottish election to see whether or not perhaps that is a good thing, but it is certainly something I support and, as a former youth minister, something I, like Bob, advocated for.

In relation to the preservation and promotion of the use of native and indigenous plants, there would be many a native plant show at the Royal Adelaide Showground that he would attend, and I know that he was a member of that association for many years. Certainly, the people who work at State Flora would be very aware of his passion for native and indigenous plants.

I have already spoken about traineeships, but certainly traineeships and apprenticeships were very close to his heart, and his dedication to higher and further education was something that was at the top of his agenda, which the member for Unley has talked about.

I must say that I am a more recent convert, but Bob Such was a pioneer for the need for the spent convictions legislation to be amended. Our Deputy Premier, the Attorney-General, also talked about the need for spent convictions legislation, and I am hoping that the spent convictions legislation will be further amended in the near future.

I think he talked to all of us about natural burials, as he was a real advocate for reform in the whole burial and cremation area. We all know of his ongoing campaigning with regard to the choice of voluntary euthanasia, advance care directives and, as the member for Stuart said, recognising South Australia first. An interesting article on this matter was taken up, I think, by Penny Debelle recently in The Advertiser, and it has provided a number of stories in this place and something we really should be proud of.

I was on a committee with him for a brief period of time when he was Speaker, looking at possible additions to South Australian artwork for Parliament House, and he held a number of meetings with the Art School to see whether we could progress that area. As people would know, he spent a lot of time in private members' time pursuing the things he believed in by putting them into action, either by motion or by draft bills. I think that he would have had a record number of draft bills that those of us who are in private members' time would be very aware of.

I want to mention the former members in this house because they do not have the opportunity to speak today. I know that Bob worked on many campaigns, certainly as a Liberal member and then as an Independent, with the former member for Schubert, Ivan Venning, who is here today. He was very important in the campaigns in the south that the former member for Reynell, Gay Thompson, was involved in. I know that there were many issues they worked together on, particularly a love of doing a demographic and social analysis of people who lived in their various electorates and knowing what sort of education level and what sort of aspirations people had in that electorate. That was certainly something that Gay, having a statistician background, was really passionate about, and I know that she worked a lot with Bob Such on that issue with regard to the southern area.

Lyn Breuer reminded me today that Bob, having taught in Whyalla for a while, forever maintained a connection with the Whyalla area and the electorate of Giles. She wanted to acknowledge the work that he did with her in that area, even though he was the member for Fisher and she was the member for Giles. She also acknowledged his interest when she served as our Speaker and the support and sometimes interesting discussions that she had with him on what one did as Speaker.

Robyn Geraghty, former member for Torrens, and Bob Such, as I understand it, were radio stars together. I had to fill in for Robyn a couple of times and it was a pretty heavy-duty responsibility because not only did you get to hear of issues on talkback radio but you got the workload that was associated with it because Leon Byner, in particular, and other radio hosts would say, 'You just need to ring up the Fisher electorate office or the Torrens electorate office and this will be sorted by them.' Although Robyn and Bob did a very good job, I am not sure their electorate staff were quite as enthusiastic about this stardom as others were.

I know that Robyn worked very closely with him and was one of the members, along with Ivan Venning, who was in this house up until the last election with Bob Such, so they would have served for many years. I know there are a couple of other members here who would have that length of service, too. Robyn as the Government Whip also had to negotiate with Bob Such, particularly in private members' time because there needed to be some re-timetabling made possible so that other people could get to speak in private members' time.

I would like to finish on one little story, and the member for Colton and I just had a quick word about this. I did not know this because the men in this place operate separately from the women in this place and they have their own little club. Apparently a while ago, I think—so I do not blame any of the new members or even those from the last parliament, and I do not know whether you were involved, minister—there was a view to have a Black Skivvy Day.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.W. KEY: Yes, so a few people. It is obviously more recent than I thought it was because a few newer members are nodding. I think in the end, though, Bob was the only one who actually wore his black skivvy under his—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. S.W. KEY: Sorry, the member for Enfield—I missed that—and also the member for Newland. Well, there was a bit of solidarity! I remember looking at Bob in private members' time and thinking that he looked very good in that black skivvy. It was certainly a change from the usual male members of this place wearing their shirt and tie. As the member for Colton said, Bob had a few nicknames in here—and few go around the place, again mainly amongst the men. One of the nicknames was that Bob Such was renamed The Black Wiggle.

I think people would have seen the ABC program that talks about, 'What would Putin do?' There was a change to say, 'What would Bob do?' We were basically talking about Bob Such. Maybe that is a good guiding principle when people have some concerns, particularly about how one should behave, perhaps not so much on the dress code—what would Bob do?

My condolences to Bob's wife, Lyn, his three sons and three grandchildren. Also, as other members have said, I acknowledge and give my condolences to the Fisher electorate staff—Barbara, Linda, Margaret and Sandra. Thank you very much for your ongoing work because, coming from an electorate office myself, I know that the Ashford staff appreciate your help and cooperation, and to Bob's many friends. Thank you, Bob.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:59): I feel quite honoured to be part of this condolence motion. It is such a sad occasion. Dr Bob Such was a great institution here. He was one of a kind. My condolences go to Lyn, the family and particularly to his team. His team was his family; his team was his staff; his team was anyone whom he spoke to, because he always consulted with people. He did not actually talk at people; he just consulted with them. He would talk with them. He took in their views, as well as giving them his views.

In his contribution as a shadow minister, as a cabinet minister, as a deputy speaker, as the Speaker in the House of Assembly, and I think more importantly as the member for Fisher, he was quite a complete politician. He was a politician whom many respected. I would almost go as far as to say that all respected him. He was someone who people knew. They viewed him and knew that that was 'Dr Bob'. He was someone who made a great contribution to South Australian politics. It was always his intention to make a difference, and he did that with a passion, and also that dedication.

Having not been a parliamentarian for an extended period of time, during my early days as a member I always heard about Dr Bob Such, the Independent. I took quite an interest in listening and reading about the way he went about his business. It was quite unique. I think others aspire to be very much like him, or have that flair or flavour that he had. I think he has rubbed off on many of us here in this place.

What I can say is that he was a regular visitor to my electorate office. I do not say once a year; he was a regular visitor. He had family in the Riverland; he had many friends in the Riverland; he had many acquaintances in the Riverland. He was always up for a cup of tea, always up for a chat. Every time he would come to the electorate office, I would say, 'Yes, Bob, I've had my prostate checked,' and we would get on with the conversation.

Obviously we have talked about many of his great attributes today. They are attributes that we have shared. We talked about speeding tickets. We have talked about the injustice that he was dealt over those tickets. He had a real affiliation with the Riverland, with the horticulture, the river and the people. He had real deep roots. As I said, he had relatives in the Riverland. One of his favourite lines was to say that he was related to the Ricciuto family. He was always very proud to mention Mark. I think Mark is a favourite son to many South Australians, but Bob had one over everyone because he was related.

On reflection, Bob always had time for a chat, always had a story to tell or always had a story that led on from a conversation or an issue that you raised with Bob. With that, I think today has been almost a day of celebration. Bob was a great South Australian. He was a great husband and a great family man. He was a great MP. He was a great politician and made a great contribution to the South Australian parliament.

I was deeply saddened to hear of Bob's illness. I was saddened to see him when he attended the opening of parliament this year, not because he was here, but I was just saddened to see that a great man had been struck with illness. I was particularly sad to hear him say that he was now in God's hands. I must say he is now in God's care. Again, the South Australian parliament has lost a great contributor; he was a good man. My thoughts are with you, Bob, and you will be ever remembered as 'Dr Bob'.

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (16:04): I rise briefly to also add my condolences on this motion. I did not have the pleasure of serving in this house with Bob, although I did have the pleasure of working with him from time to time when I used to work in the state government five or six years ago for the previous health minister, John Hill. I know John, along with all the other former members of the house here today—Lyn, Gay, Robyn and Ivan—sends his condolences to Bob's family.

Bob was a tremendous advocate for the southern suburbs community, for the policy issues he felt passionate about and for the many creative ideas which he would come up with almost daily, and these had two manifestations. Firstly, private members' business in the house became more vibrant and creative. Parties were pushed to debating issues that would otherwise not necessarily have seen the light of day. I think one of his legacies to this day is that the Labor Party's caucus agenda has had to be changed to accommodate all the motions that Bob would put up for debate.

Secondly, he had a constant stream of letters to ministers, as the Minister for Manufacturing mentioned, many of which were sometimes one or two-line ideas that no doubt were written or put into a dictaphone late at night, but they would send departments and ministerial officers into a flurry of activity to respond to. I think it was a very good thing for the Public Service to consider new ideas and also to defend their positions on policy matters and push the boundaries of their thinking.

In the health portfolio there were two specific examples of policy issues that I can think of where Bob's drive and persistence led to changes that we see today. First, his advocacy for men's health and his involvement in the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health has been mentioned. He pushed the government to develop the first men's health policy for the state, which is now in place, and also to achieving public patient access to the da Vinci machine for prostate cancer treatment, which is something he was obviously very passionate about.

His other legacy in this area was in terms of scores on doors, to give consumers greater information on the public health performance of restaurants and other food establishments. I know the current Minister for Health, in recent days, has taken further steps in that regard which will be seen as another great legacy of Bob's work. So, I would like to add my condolences to Lyn and his family on their loss. I assure you that Bob has left a tremendous legacy for this state that will long be remembered.

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (16:06): Robert Bruce Such was a good mate of mine. We went back 30 years to the Aberfoyle Park High School governing council. My veterinary practice at Aberfoyle Park/Chandlers Hill, was basically the same area as Fisher and Bob and I would bump into each other, not only at the high school governing council but at many other places. We got to know each other quite well before I became politically motivated and came into this place and he was an influence in my life. Back then, his thoughts, his ambitions, his drive were quite evident, and to listen to members today it has been an absolute pleasure for me, personally, to realise the extent of the goodwill in this place. As the member for Mawson said, we are all people after all. The extent of goodwill that has been shown in this place, not just to Bob but to his family, his staff, to all of us in this place, is a credit to us all and I know that Bob would be very proud of this place and the way it is today.

There are other former members of this place who I know would have liked to have contributed to this motion: the former members for Giles, Schubert, Torrens and Reynell, good mates of all of us in this place on both sides and very decent people. They knew Bob and they knew Bob well. I also mention the former clerk of the house, Mr David Bridges, who is here today. David gave not only Bob advice, and I am sure Bob gave David a lot of advice, but he was a terrific stalwart for all of us. He knows the history, he knows the whole background of this place.

As I say, Bob and I go back a long way. When I did become an active member of the Liberal Party I was still practising at Chandlers Hill Road and next door was the Post Office Restaurant. It was early 2002, from memory, and the Fisher branch of the Liberal Party had its annual dinner and they invited me along, as they knew I had become a member of the Liberal Party. I was there with Bob and I looked around and there was Susan Jeanes and her family and extended family. I thought, 'Well, the first thing you learn in politics is how to count and you're in strife, Bob,' but as we have just seen recently Bob never gave up. Bob did what Bob wanted to do. He kept on doing the right thing for the people of Fisher and the right thing for the people of South Australia, not for Bob, and we saw that time and time again, election after election, where Bob kept on coming up trumps.

He was a terrific bloke. I had a lot of advice from him in here, and I was more than happy to do what Bob did, and that was to stick your head up on issues. I have been called Dr Mengele in this place on particular issues and my wife has been sent letters telling her to pray for me because I am going to hellfire and damnation because of particular issues, particularly voluntary euthanasia, but I am happy to work with the member for Ashford in supporting Bob's continuing campaign. It is not compulsory: it is voluntary.

Bob always did what he thought was right, no matter what the consequences were, and I can say that I do know a lot about metrology now, the science of determining the accuracy of speed measurement. I also know a lot about the cosine rule in the use of lasers in speed guns. It is interesting to become involved in Bob's passions, because when he is locked on he is like a missile; he just does not let go until the job is done.

I suppose one of the greatest compliments that could have been given to Bob in this place was given by the late Greg Kelton in September 2006. Greg was writing, in The Advertiser, about the Thinkers in Residence program, and said:

While we may never know the names of all those nominated for the Thinkers role, there is a school of thought that perhaps one of them should have been Independent MP Dr Bob Such. Outspoken, colourful and thought-provoking, Dr Such could well be considered State Parliament's present Thinker in Residence.

Bob was always thinking. We had Bob's time at the start of question time, we had Bob's time Wednesday mornings and Thursday mornings, and at any other time that Bob wanted to speak. When he got up in this place you knew he was going to contribute in a way that would be constructive, informed and intelligent, and you went away having something to think about. It was not just filibustering and it was certainly not just filling in time.

Behind every member in this place is their family, and Lyn and the boys and Bob's extended family are here today; but their staff are there as well. Barbara, the office manager, takes the cake. She has been there since 1989, 25 years. Linda has been doing research and liaison work there for 12 years, and Margaret has been doing research and policy work for six years. Sandra has been doing media liaison for over two years (wouldn't that be a busy job with Bob), and prior to that Alana had worked for Bob for seven years. She is now working as a solicitor. Your staff are completely invaluable to you and I know, like everyone's staff in here, that they go above and beyond, they go that extra mile, to make all of us look good. I thank Bob's staff for their hard work, and I know Lyn and the family would also be thanking Bob's staff very much.

Bob was very close to his constituents, and I have a couple of anecdotes here from some people who wrote in to his office. One lady said:

I am terribly saddened to hear the news of Dr Bob Such passing over the weekend. My part-time job during secondary school was at the Woolworths at Aberfoyle Park shopping centre. Whenever Dr Such would come through, he would eagerly ask me how my studies were going and what my plans were for the future. I often think that he would be quite proud of what I have achieved to date.

This interest and concern he showed the people in his electorate, and the South Australian public more broadly, is a credit to the dedication and passion he had to his work. He will be greatly missed among the South Australian community. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and colleagues during this time.

Another lady told a story, during the 2014 election, about how she always voted for Bob because once, back in the nineties, she had broken down on the side of the road on Old Belair Road on a cold and stormy night. She said she had a big black raincoat on and was inspecting her car, anticipating the walk up Old Belair Road to the service station so that she could call the RAA, when someone pulled up—Bob. She said numerous cars had passed and no-one had stopped. She said he introduced himself plainly as Bob Such (no mention of this title as an MP) and, being Bob, he had a towrope in his car and offered to tow her car to the service station. She said he never even knew she was a local Fisher resident and lived at Happy Valley. She said she had voted for him ever since.

Another lady once said that she voted for Bob because he used to come to the kindergarten her children attended, and he would hand out awards to the little ones. Her words were, 'How many politicians take the time to do this for little kids?' I hope we all do, but Bob was particular in doing that. The most important thing that all of us can do is to do what we are doing today, and that is, remember Bob. You are never dead until people stop talking about you, and I know Bob will be spoken about; he will be remembered.

His legacy, with the various pieces of legislation, the code of conduct (even yesterday), is something that we need to keep in the front of our mind in this place, and I know we will with Bob. The late Terry Roberts was another person who died in office. I had great regard for Terry and I had enormous regard for the late Bob Such. Lyn, Johanna and I treasure that opening day. We will miss Bob. We will miss the trip, when you were going to come down to the farm; and, boys, if you are half the man your dad was, you are terrific blokes.

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (16:15): Dr Bob Such: passionate, approachable, caring, down to earth, always visible and available, interested, humble, humanitarian, fair, tenacious, a gentle man. These are just some of the many words I heard used by people to describe Bob while I walked the electorate of Fisher contained within the federal seat of Boothby. I found Bob to be very generous with his time. Both times when I ran as a candidate for the federal seat of Boothby, first in 2010 and then in 2013, Bob spent as much time as I required, giving me the benefit of his years of wisdom and commitment to the people in the electorate of Fisher and, indeed, the state. He would run through all the issues from those of the strategic big picture, filtering right through to the really minute issues that would bother people in their day-to-day lives. His advice to me was: always be present, always be seen, always be accessible, be interested, and stick to the facts.

He knew his electorate in great depth, and he knew the people. He knew what lay at the heart of all things in his area. While he focused locally, he was also astutely aware and active on issues that impacted further afield. When Bob ran as an Independent, the constituents of Fisher made their voice heard loud and clear, as the vote for Bob was solid. The electorate, by doing this, recognised him as their man. They recognised him as their member of parliament, always ready to serve, a man of the people acting for them, a compassionate man, a listener, a doer, an advocate.

While I worked with him only as a candidate and then later in my role as a ministerial adviser, I am so sorry that I never got to sit next to him as a member of parliament. Dr Bob Such, you will be sadly missed; however, your legacy, enthusiasm and energy will endure. You were a wonderful man of presence and achievements. My deepest sympathies to you, Lyn, and your family, your friends, and the electorate staff, who would be friends as well. May you hold his memory dear and be proud.

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (16:18): It is obviously with sadness that I join this debate and support the motion moved by the Premier. I concur in and support the words that have been said by many of my colleagues here today celebrating the memory of Bob. This is a strange workplace. It is not necessarily conducive to making friendships, with the adversarial nature of what we do in this place, but I do not think I ever walked into a room where Bob was when he did not welcome me with some comment.

Bob had that happy knack of recognising some feature of each of us outside this place. In my case, being a farmer, he always made some comment about the latest weather pattern or the seasonal conditions. He knew that my farm consisted of producing prime lamb, so we would often discuss the price of lambs in the marketplace, and I noticed that he did that with every one of us. He knew something about all of us outside this place. He was interested in us as people and not just for what we do in this place.

Anyone who has been returned to this place, particularly on a number of occasions, knows how important the relationship is that you develop with your electorate, but Bob made an art form of it; there is no doubt about that. He regularly surveyed his electorate—he was obviously very close to what was going on in his patch—and he had the ability to turn what he was being told, and the aspirations of his constituents, into a motion or a bill and he regularly—as it has been commented by many—brought to the house, as I say, a motion or a bill. Then he would promulgate the public debate—not just in here, but on the radio, or in the daily paper—on issues which he thought were important; and there were many of them.

As we all know, the matters that Bob raised, canvassed and fought for were wide and varied and the one consistent thing was that he always believed in what he was doing and always believed in doing the best that he possibly could for his constituents, and that is why they continued to return him. It was a pleasure to have known Bob. I extend my sincerest condolences to his wife, Lyn, his extended family, friends and loved ones.

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (16:20): I rise to make a very brief contribution as I did not know Bob Such as well as many others here, as much as I would have liked to. I simply echo some of the observations that Bob was a kind and a welcoming mentor to new and inexperienced members. He was always available for advice and encouragement, particularly in the minefield of private members' business where Bob, of course, used the parliament to great effect to explore and canvass his many ideas. Thursday mornings were always the most lively and most interesting sessions, and I still look forward to them, and that was largely due to both Bob—and the member for Ashford, I have to say.

The Hon. S.W. Key interjecting:

Mr ODENWALDER: But largely due to Bob. That is a compliment, member for Ashford. Bob took a particular interest in the fact that I was formerly a police officer before I came into this place, and he would often collar me in the corridor to talk about many aspects of law and order, and police operations—not only around the regulations and the general orders around speed camera calibration but also about the issue of dealing with antisocial behaviour, which was an issue which we shared an interest in. I had to remind him on occasion that I was not, in fact, the police minister, nor the A-G, but I was always happy to debate these issues with him.

Bob was an ideas man and he was a true 'liberal' in the sense that I understand it, in fine tradition. He was a good man; he was a kind, generous and big-hearted man, and I will miss him, and I want to express my sincere condolences to his family.

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (16:22): I rise to support the motion and, in doing so, express my sincere condolences to Bob's wife, Lyn, and his sons and family. Bob Such was a highly-respected politician, both in this parliament and in the wider community, and while I did not have the opportunity to serve with him in this place, I know from many of our colleagues—especially those who served on committees with Bob—that he was noted for his integrity, his hard work and his dedication to his electorate, the parliament, and the state of South Australia. I must add that the common theme of those remarks was the absolute decency he embodied and demonstrated at all times.

As a newly-elected member, I last spoke to Bob Such on the opening day of the parliament and it was a day of considerable emotion for Bob and, I have to say, for all of us here. Bob congratulated me on my election and proceeded to offer me some advice which I assured him I would accept. He smiled and nodded. That was the measure of the man—still caring about the wellbeing of others even though he felt the way he did. Vale, Dr Bob Such MP.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (16:23): I rise, very sad to be contributing to this debate given the circumstances of Bob's passing. The Such family and the Evans family go back to 1856. The Wescombe family, relatives of Bob Such, were the first to move to Upper Sturt, and my family were the second. Through generations, the families have worked side by side in a whole range of events. In fact, Bob's brother, John, was going to the Upper Sturt church annual working bee, which has been happening for over 100 years at the Upper Sturt church, on the morning of Bob's passing to work at a working bee where my family were. I want to speak today in this condolence motion to put my thoughts about Bob Such on the record and to clarify, from my perspective, the relationship between Bob and me that had been written in a misinformed way by the media since the 2014 election.

When Bob stood in 1989, my father backed Bob Such. He was a councillor in Mitcham and dad was one of the local MPs. There was another guy called Geoff Arnold running and dad decided to back Bob Such. So, when dad decided to back Bob, the whole family tended to lock in. That is the way it worked. We helped support Bob not only through the preselection and the party process but also in the general election.

It was good to get Bob elected because he was a man of the community. He was a bloke who was genuinely interested in helping people, whether that be in in his private life or in his public role as a local Mitcham councillor and, as people have spoken about here, through his role on parliamentary committees or as a minister and member of parliament generally.

It was unfortunate for Bob and, indeed, I think the parliament and state, that Bob was on the wrong side of the vote when John Olsen took over from Dean Brown which ultimately saw Bob not retain his ministry. Bob lost his ministry not because of a lack of talent or a lack of work ethic or a lack of performance. It was simply stupid politics, that he happened to be on the wrong side of that vote. That, I think, was regrettable. But, to Bob's great credit, he did not spit the dummy and leave the party at that point. He stayed within the party and worked within the system trying to promote his Liberal philosophy and his own causes. He left the Liberal Party, of course, when his preselection was under threat from the left wing of the party—which, in my view, was a mistake.

I went to see Bob at his home in Diosma Drive the night before he announced he was going out as an Independent. I went and spoke to him about the role of Independents. My father had been an Independent, and I spoke to him about what you could and could not achieve as an Independent, the benefits of staying within the party, what it would mean for the state long term, about stability of government and the possibility of more or less Liberal governments. But Bob had made his mind up. He had his own view and I respect that—I very much respect that. To his credit, what he achieved as an Independent member of parliament, which is always a difficult role to play—what Bob Such achieved as an Independent member of parliament—was quite outstanding.

He did not leave the Liberal Party, as some of the press has written at times, because of the sale of the power assets or, indeed, because he lost his ministry. That was years before he left the party. He left the party because the reality was, as the member for Morphett alluded to, his preselection was under threat and he decided he would stand as an Independent, which was his democratic right.

My relationship with Bob has always been, in my view, until this election, very good. We had neighbouring electorates: Davenport and Fisher are side by side. Half of Davenport was once in Fisher, and Bob represented that over a long period of time. He wrote a letter of endorsement for me at the 1993 election to help me get elected in the seat of Davenport. I always used to smile when Bob used to lobby me about euthanasia and I used to say, 'Bob, my view about euthanasia is exactly the same as when you wrote my endorsement letter to get me elected in 1993. It has not changed.'

Bob and I kept to our territory. We basically did not have any boundary fights or issue fights. We were side by side. The issues around the 2014 election I will deal with in a debate another day. Suffice to say, from my point of view, it was political and not personal, and I just want to make that clear to the house and to the family.

My view is that Bob Such was a great man of compassion. That was my observation. The reason he was so successful was that he had a genuine interest in people, and I think that is what carried him right through his time in politics. He was a very good local member and, most importantly, he was a good and decent bloke. My condolences to Lyn and the family.

The SPEAKER (16:29): I joined the house with Bob in November 1989, and the people from that year were Michael Armitage, Mark Brindal, Colin McKee, Vic Heron, John Quirke, Colleen Hutchison, Wayne Matthew, Paul Holloway, Dorothy Kotz and then, shortly afterwards, Ivan Venning at a by-election.

Bob won his seat from Labor. He held it for almost 25 years and, from the 2002 election, he held it as an Independent. Indeed, in his first election as an Independent he got 33½ per cent of the primary vote and 62.1 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, and went on to increase that primary.

Bob had the knack of giving journalists and broadcasters the ideas and the lines they needed. FIVEaa was, as I think someone said, 'radio Bob', especially in the morning. I am glad someone mentioned his advocacy of a bunyip monarchy—a royal family from Australia. I was one of the few members of parliament who was quite sympathetic to that.

Ms Chapman: Sir Michael!

The SPEAKER: The member for Bragg is exactly right because Bob from that time forth would greet me, when he saw me, as Sir Michael, and he would chuckle as though we were together in a conspiracy. When I became a minister, I received Bob's renowned letters. Just as cricketer W.G. Grace was celebrated for after-dinner speeches of one sentence, Bob was celebrated for one paragraph letters to ministers. I will exaggerate a bit here, but a Bob letter to me would run:

Dear Attorney

My constituent Jane Smith of Happy Valley says there is no justice in South Australia. This has implications for your portfolio.

Yours sincerely

Bob Such

Member for Fisher

Then some ministerial assistant would go away, sometimes for days, and prepare a reply. Bob valued parliament as a forum. He respected the institution and tried to use it to its full. When he became Speaker, he was an excellent Speaker, and he was also a good Deputy Speaker. When I became Speaker, he would sometimes send me a note during question time proposing a question he wanted to ask. I would give him the call and he would take parliament and the agenda in a direction neither the opposition nor the government wanted question time to go, which was quite refreshing.

When I was attorney-general, I wanted to bring in legislation on hoon driving and spent convictions, but the member for Fisher beat me to it. I decided to use private members' time and Bob to put the bill through, so both those bills were Bob Such bills rather than government bills; obviously, we had some input. I had a lot to do with Bob on youth justice, on graffiti and on the Statutes Amendment (Disposal of Human Remains) Bill.

Later on, I was on 'backbenchers corner' with Bob and Rob Lucas, with Leon Byner on radio FIVEaa. I took over from Robyn Geraghty. What would normally happen was that, in the opening five  minutes, Rob Lucas and I would lay into one another about the political issues of the day, Leon would open the line and none of the callers would be interested in what Lucas and I had to say: they would simply be ringing Bob for advice on traffic fines—and that was the entire program. Bob and I did a segment together in 1997 on the ABC's election telecast. He was a cautious fellow. He did not jump into coalition in 2002, nor in 2014. He left it to others to make the running.

Private members' time, as we have all said, was Bob's time. My most vivid memory of Bob in private members' time is that he was the only MP to go within one vote of winning a second reading vote on a private member's bill—a highly contentious private member's bill (dignity in dying)—without any other member speaking. Bob moved the bill, gave his second reading speech, left it on the Notice Paper and then hit us with a speech in reply to himself some months later and almost won the vote.

I thank the staff of the Fisher electorate office for keeping looking after the state district during Bob's long illness. Bob's return to this house on opening day 2014 was heroic. It is probably the loftiest and most memorable scene in parliament in my 25 years. Vale, Bob Such.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 16:36 to 16:46.

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