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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-05 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Payne, Hon. R.G.

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

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of the Hon. Ron Payne MP, former member of the 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.

South Australia lost a good and humble man and an effective former minister with the sad passing of Ronald George Payne, on 9 April 2015, at the age of 89. He is remembered by friends and colleagues across the political spectrum as having been a steady, compassionate man in touch with ordinary people. His no-nonsense style was reflected in his dress. He never wore a tie in this place and favoured a working man's casual jacket. Still, former MP Greg Crafter remembers once seeing Ron wearing, slightly uncomfortably, a tuxedo for a regal or vice-regal event held in Adelaide.

Though he was quiet and did not much seek the limelight, Ron's actions in the Dunstan, Corcoran and Bannon ministries were substantial and far reaching. He represented the seat of Mitchell from 1970 to 1989 with energy and dedication. Indeed, he was seen as the type of person who everyone would want as their local member. In three different governments from 1975, he was minister in the following portfolios: prices and consumer affairs, 1975; community welfare, 1975 to 1979; planning, 1979; water resources, 1979; housing, 1979; and mines and energy, 1982 to 1988.

Ron Payne was born in Alberton in October 1925. Enlisting in the Navy as a gunner during World War II, he also served in Korea in the 1950s. Back in Adelaide, he became a senior electronics technician at the old South Australian Institute of Technology. The institute was previously the School of Mines and Industries, and it was in mines and energy that Ron was to make perhaps his biggest contribution to this state. After he won the new seat of Mitchell for the ALP in 1970, he used his first speech in this place to demonstrate, amongst other things, his modesty and sense of humour. He told the assembly:

Older members will know the vagaries and whims of electors better than I do as a new member, but I feel bound to report that at least one elector informed me that he was glad to be able to vote a Payne into Parliament as Parliament had given him many a pain in years gone by.

In that speech, Ron touched on topics that would remain at the front of his mind throughout his career and that were relevant to the day-to-day lives of South Australians. These included education, housing and caring for elderly citizens. A true son of the labour movement, Ron summarised his political beliefs in the following way:

I believe, as indeed the Labor Party believes, that the worker who produces the services and goods that create the wealth should get a fair go and that he is entitled to a proper share of what he produces.

Nowhere did Ron put this philosophy and his general concern for people's welfare into practice more than as the member for Mitchell. Throughout his time as an MP, and even as a busy minister, he made house calls on electors—something we probably do not see as much these days. He also opened up his office on South Road on a Saturday morning and by himself dealt directly with constituents. Another thing he regularly did on Saturday mornings was to go to the local TAB and not just to place a bet. He would use this as an opportunity to gauge the mood of voters and to find out what topics were on their minds. Ron made a point of sharing these perspectives at the following Monday morning cabinet meeting, making sure ministers kept their feet on the ground and did not get too far ahead of themselves.

He, of course, knew his electorate extremely well. He lived in a modest house in Clovelly Park, one with a shed full of radios, and he loved driving classic American cars made in the 1950s and 1960s. Although he was a dedicated member of the Labor Party, he was by no means an apparatchik or powerful backroom player. Instead, he was most often out there lending his support in a practical way such as by printing the local party newsletter on an old-fashioned Roneo machine. One of his most important tasks as local member was playing a constructive role in the redevelopment of the suburb of Mitchell Park. This was a big Housing Trust area and, according to his successor, Paul Holloway, Ron supported revitalisation while also protecting the interests of long-term residents.

Ron Payne's early cabinet career was dominated by his position as minister for community welfare. He was one of the first ministers to hold this title in our state—a portfolio central to the tone and achievements of the reforming government led by the great Don Dunstan. His work in this field reflected his concern for the lives of individuals and families and, as minister, he always sought to focus on people's vital needs. Indeed, he was reported in 1977 as gently chastising a conference of social workers for overthinking matters rather than actually helping people. He was quoted as saying:

It seems to me that all too often the well-meaning people I have been talking to have been trained to think about and analyse a problem till the cows come home.'

To most of us here, I suspect, Ron Payne is best remembered for his work as the minister of mines and energy in the Bannon government, and I will leave the current minister to speak more about these matters. What I will say is that Ron dealt with some difficult and sensitive issues, including uranium mining at Roxby Downs and land rights, with calmness and fairness. He diplomatically balanced the interests of often sharply opposing groups, but he always placed the overall interests of the state above all else. He was as comfortable sitting around a campfire discussing land rights with Aboriginal people as he was meeting a boardroom full of mining executives.

A man of vision with an eye to the future, Ron showed an early interest in renewable energy, and South Australia is now reaping the rewards of that foresight. He told this house in 1986 that 'it could be that wind power might be an economic proposition in the not-too-distant future' which has certainly come to pass. He was remembered by colleagues as being a sound and supportive member of cabinet. He would read his cabinet papers thoroughly and, therefore, have a good understanding of other portfolios and the broad policy direction of government.

Ron would smoke cigarillos, or small cigars, in cabinet meetings, this being a time when metal cases containing cigarettes and lighters were always on the cabinet table. Ron would not comment in those meetings unless he could be constructive, but when he did his advice was invariably wise and sensible. During the Bannon era, Ron represented the premier at the ANZAC Day march because he was the only member of the then cabinet to have served in World War II.

Ron took people as they came and treated everyone in the same manner, whether you were a premier, a factory worker, a business leader or a voter. He also reached out to ethnic and religious groups. For example, he regularly visited the Adelaide Mosque in Little Gilbert Street and introduced the former member for Adelaide, Mike Duigan, to local Muslim leaders.

A man characterised by loyalty, empathy and common sense, Ron Payne made a positive and valuable contribution throughout his time in parliament. He served his constituents, state and nation with diligence and distinction. He treated all he met with respect and consideration. He was devoted to his wife, Betty, who passed away some years ago, to his daughters, Sandall and Tracy, and to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Today we are all beneficiaries of the attention he paid not just to economic expansion but to the betterment of the lives of South Australians. On behalf of the government, I extend my sympathies to the family and friends of Ron Payne and I express my condolences to this house.

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): I rise to second the Premier's motion and, in particular, I place on the record the sincere condolences of the South Australian Liberal Party on the passing of the Hon. Ronald George Payne. We extend our sympathies to his family. Ron Payne was the first member elected to the newly created seat of Mitchell in 1970 and he served the southern suburbs community proudly for 19 years in this place until his retirement at the 1989 election.

Prior to his service as a member of parliament, he served our country on the front line through two wars. Born in Alberton, Mr Payne was only 17 when he enlisted for the Royal Australian Navy. He served as a gunner in World War II for three years on HMAS Penguin. He then re-enlisted in the army in 1952 and saw active duty as part of the Korean War. He remained in the army for six years before returning to civilian life here in Adelaide.

He worked as a senior electronics technician at the South Australian Institute of Technology before being elected to the seat of Mitchell. He described himself as a technically minded person and stated his background put him in good stead to serve as the minister for mines and energy, a portfolio which he held for six years and which he described as a personal favourite.

Of his 19 years in parliament, Mr Payne spent 10 years as a cabinet minister. He held the portfolios of prices and consumer affairs, community welfare, housing, planning, water resources and, as I mentioned earlier, mines and energy. He also served as an active member of the parliamentary standing committee on public works. He was famous with his colleagues and journalists alike for never wearing a tie and was once listed in the parliamentary association journal for entering the chamber tieless and with his shirt sleeves rolled up above the elbow.

Throughout his many years in public life Mr Payne remained an approachable figure with a good sense of humour. In his maiden speech he also outlined that the core philosophy underlining his political beliefs was that of a fair go, the importance of which is something I believe we can all agree on. I thank Mr Payne for his service to his community, the parliament and, of course, our nation. Vale, Ronald George Payne.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:12): I rise today in great sadness to speak to today's condolence motion reflecting the life and service provided by the Hon. Ron Payne, the former member for Mitchell. Ron died on 9 April, aged 89, at Flinders Medical Centre. During his life, he was the embodiment of membership of our great party. Throughout his life, he sought to make a positive commitment to his nation, his state and our community.

Born in 1925, not only did Ron enlist as a gunner in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II but he also put up his hand again to serve our nation in 1952, joining the Army in the conflict in Korea. Ron was discharged in 1957 and began a new phase of his life as a senior electronics technician at the South Australian Institute of Technology which emerged from the former School of Mines and Industries. At age 49, he entered parliament in 1970 as the member for Mitchell and was part of the Dunstan decade. He took up his place in the cabinet five years later to replace Len King, no less, when the former attorney-general was elevated to chief justice.

An unassuming but effective minister, he initially held the portfolios of prices and consumer affairs, housing, community and welfare, planning and water resources until Labor lost government in 1979. Returning to cabinet after a brief stint in opposition as the shadow mines minister, Ron was appointed minister for mines and energy in the Bannon government, and it is here that I really want to take up the Ron Payne story.

Today's condolence motion is an opportunity to belatedly give Ron the credit he deserves for having a key role in the transformation of our state's economy. I think it is fair to say that Ron is the father of wind energy in this state. South Australia has now about 50 per cent of the nation's installed wind power capacity. Ron embraced renewable energy as the future for this state and early in his tenure as minister he pushed the Electricity Trust of South Australia to investigate our potential in what was an emerging technology. The result was something like 25 wind testing stations across the state that sought to establish whether our prevailing winds were consistent enough to provide the necessary capacity to support power generation through wind turbines. He was mapping—a forerunner to PACE.

We take it for granted that much of our state's energy is generated through wind power, but the foundations for this transformation were laid by the late Ron Payne. As a former electronics technician, I have no doubt he revelled in the technology that allowed turbines to capture the power of the wind. A further reform which I think we owe Ron some credit for is the push to link South Australia's electricity grids with New South Wales and Victoria. The establishment of the Heywood connector back in the 1980s became the basis for the national electricity market. Appropriately, this connector is now being upgraded to allow the renewable energy generated by our wind power capacity to be exported to Victoria and the national grid. Again, we see the foresight of Ron's legacy at work.

He was also a champion of our gas assets, of course, specifically, but not just limited to, the Cooper Basin. Early in his years as mines and energy minister, he was informed by the department that the basin could supply gas until at least 1992. He strongly advocated for expanded exploration to improve our knowledge of the basin and, as we know now, new techniques and continued drilling programs have shown that there is a vastly greater reserve than was ever envisaged in Ron's day.

During his time as minister, exploratory drilling began in the Otway Basin that led to the Katnook gas fields and processing plant that since 1991 has provided a cheaper source of energy for industries in the South-East of our state. Ron was also minister for mines during the first production out of Olympic Dam and helped ensure that that project continued to advance, despite Labor's initial opposition. As Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy in a Labor government, that is quite clearly a legacy to aspire to.

Ron retired in 1989 and his seat was retained by the Hon. Paul Holloway at the subsequent state election, who himself became a long-serving minister for mineral resources development. On behalf of myself and my family, I would like to convey our deepest condolences to Ron's family at this time of great sadness. Ron joins his late wife, Betty, and lives in the memory of his children Sandall and Tracy; grandchildren Jeremy, Natasha, Gavin, Emma, Suzanne, Elise and Liam; as well as his great-grandchildren Isabelle, Savannah and Jaxon.

He will be rightly remembered as a tireless contributor to the defence of his country, the advancement of his state, and of course our great movement.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:17): It is with great sadness that I speak to this condolence motion. Ron Payne was known to me through my work at the Working Women's Centre when he was a very early supporter of what was a very unpopular campaign to start off with, that of recognising repetition strain injury as an injury for workers and particularly women workers.

He understood and supported our campaign and was always helpful at trying to make sure that people did not assume that this was an imaginary illness that workers had and that it was a real problem. He also was very supportive with regard to an investigation that was set up by then deputy premier Jack Wright. This inquiry was later known as the Mathews inquiry. I had the honour of being the only woman on that inquiry. That inquiry looked into the industrial health, safety and welfare of South Australian workers and eventually became the act that was adopted in 1986 through its recommendations.

Ron was very keen to make sure that the industries that he represented through his ministerial portfolios would be included in the inquiry. Some of the issues that were associated, and are still associated, with mining and quarrying were ones that he made sure the Mathews inquiry took up.

I later got to know him when I was at the United Trades and Labor Council and he was very supportive of the work that I had been asked to do as industrial officer with the Electricity Trust of South Australia unions. The ETSA unions were some 21 unions in those days. The work that we were particularly looking at was the inequities with regard to retirement entitlements—by that, I mean that the blue-collar workers at ETSA were on a poor retirement gratuity scheme and the white-collar workers were on a superannuation scheme that certainty needed some improvements but was far superior to that of blue-collar workers.

As minister, Ron made it clear to the ETSA board of management, and also the unions that he expected a more equitable system. I acknowledge progress in having the minister behind you in this area. Certainly, minister Jack Wright, who was the industrial relations minister, wanted to make sure that we tried to iron out those inequities too.

I would like to pass on my condolences to Ron's family and recognise the great work he has done for the labour movement and also the state.

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:20): I too wish to express my condolences to Ron Payne's family and to speak briefly about my experience of meeting Ron Payne for the first time, as a 21 or 22 year old just starting my own business. Although I was living in Salisbury, I had a factory at St Marys, and my business partner's father at the time was actually the driver for Ron Payne. He was, of course, telling Ron what his son was up to, and Ron was very keen to see how a couple of working-class boys were having a go at making their own business and the sort of work they were doing. Ron was very respectful and he was very understanding of the work we were doing.

I think it is fair to say that the experience I had when I met Ron, and the conversations I had with him, probably helped me to decide that I was keen to get involved further in the political debate. A couple of years later, I joined the Liberal Party, and the rest is history. I would like to place on the record that Ron was, in fact, the very first member of parliament I met and had a conversation with. He was extremely impressive and conveyed a sense of compassion and care that certainly left a lasting impression on me as a young 21 or 22-year-old man. Vale Ron Payne.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): I rise to support the motion presented by the Premier in recognition of the late Hon. Ronald George Payne, who gave distinguished service to this house through a parliamentary career (in particular, as others have outlined, in the area of mines and energy in the 1980s) and also through his service and sacrifice as a soldier for our country.

May I first say that I would be chastised by the former member for Stuart if I were not to recognise the contribution of Mr Payne in saving the Purnie Bore, which was a bore in the electorate of Stuart now admirably served by the current member. This was a free-flowing bore until the minister intervened. He decided it was to be capped, but after pleas from the local residents to make it available for stock, and also to secure a water supply for the surrounding greenery and native fauna, it was allowed to flow continuously at a very low rate, and that continues today.

May I also recognise the Hon. Ron Payne's contribution as a former minister for community welfare, and the Premier touched on this. At the time that he was minister, I was a law student and then a young parent. As the minister for community welfare, he was the architect of formalising the regulations for childcare centres. Indeed, I sat on a committee with Mrs Barbara Adams, who was a pioneer of child care and the mother of the member for Waite, advising the minister's successor (the late Hon. John Burdett) who took over that ministerial role. This ultimately formalised the regulations for family day care—an area in which I had a particular interest at the time.

The second thing I particularly remember about the Hon. Ron Payne is that it was an era in which there was enforcement in relation to those who were recalcitrant non-payers of child maintenance, as it was known, or family maintenance, prior to that national scheme of the child support agency. More's the pity that we moved to a national scheme because I thought we had a very good one in South Australia; nevertheless, we moved to the lowest common denominator model regime, as is usually the case when we lose our state area of responsibility.

In those days, the Hon. Ron Payne's signature frequently appeared on certificates of title, when a non-payment could be registered on a person's title by way of a caveat that could only be removed by a Supreme Court order or the minister's signature, and he applied it. I would have to say it was a very effective way of ensuring that when people did want extra money, or to change the securities over their title, the defaulting amount of payment for their obligation to children soon came up. More's the pity that it no longer is there, but I saw his signature on a number of occasions and I am sure that social good was a result.

To his family, I wish to thank you for your patience and sacrifice in having someone give service to this house for some 20 years. Thank you for the sacrifice you made in doing so. Vale, the Hon. Ron Payne.

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (14:26): I also rise to speak to the condolence motion for Ronald George Payne, the former member for Mitchell. As noted, he was elected on 30 May 1970 and re-elected six more times, which is an outstanding achievement. He was minister for prices and consumer affairs, community welfare, planning, water resources, housing, and mines and energy. Due to his age, he could not renominate and so retired at the 25 November 1989 election.

I read some of Ron's maiden speech and noted that we had some similarities as members for Mitchell, and they hinged around the communication with constituents and realising how important that is, as listening to their concerns and issues is part of the great fabric of this job. I found this quote from Ron's maiden speech, and I believe that it really identifies that similarity:

Before the recent election I spent many weekends and the last month knocking on doors and meeting the people of my district. I was tutored in this activity by a master, the member for Unley.

I too knocked on many doors and was mentored by the current member for Unley, the only difference being that the current member for Unley had me knocking on doors 12 months out. I think Ron got it a little bit easy, but he did have that great understanding of being a part of the people and being about the people.

The electorate of Mitchell looked a lot different in 1970, when it took in the suburbs of Clarence Gardens, Cumberland Park, Daw Park, Pasadena and Mitchell Park. The electorate has since moved further south, picking up a few more hills, and it no longer includes any of Mitchell Park. Like Ron, I am fully aware that we are here to represent the people of our electorate, and I will continue to doorknock, hills and all, and engage with my community as Ron did before me. My condolences to Ron's family.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 14:29 to 14:39.

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