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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-04 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Groom, Mr T.R.

Condolence motion resumed.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (14:17): I also rise today to pay tribute to a predecessor of mine in the seat of Hartley, Terence Robert Groom, better known as Terry. I first met Terry while I did my GDLP placement at Camatta Lempens in about 2009. I acknowledge many of the lawyers who spent a fair bit of time at that particular firm where I certainly learnt a lot. I really enjoyed Terry's company during my time there.

Although on the opposite side to me, I always found Terry to be charming, charismatic, extremely hardworking and as sharp as a tack. Initially, as we have heard, he won the seat of Morphett in the western suburbs for a term ranging from 1977 to 1979, but he lost it when the Tonkin Liberal government came to power in 1979. He was then nominated for and won the seat of Hartley at the 1982 state election, as we have heard, which he then held for 11 years. I acknowledge in the gallery today former members for Hartley Grace Portolesi and Joe Scalzi, and also current Hartley resident former Labor MLC Mario Feleppa, who I know was a dear friend of his.

Terry remained the Labor member before moving to the crossbench as an Independent after losing his preselection attempt to switch seats. He served as primary industries minister and Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs in the early 1990s from the crossbench. I remember seeing Terry at many Italian events in the seat of Hartley, and many Italian people would refer to Terry and their long friendship with him over an extended period of time.

After politics, he continued with law firm Camatta Lempens and, after rejoining the Labor Party, assisted Grace in her campaigns in Hartley. He was certainly a great asset to the Australian Labor Party. Like everyone, I was very saddened to hear of his passing last week and I, too, would like to pass on my sincere condolences to Kay and his three adult children, as well to his extended family, and also to my predecessor, Grace Portolesi, who I know has lost a dear friend and mentor. He will be sorely missed.

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): I did not know Terry Groom very well, but I did know him, and I think that is a mark of the continued engagement Terry chose to have with my generation of Labor members of the party and, most particularly, Labor members of parliament. Having had a good career in politics, and having left well before I came in, he nonetheless was very much a present personality and intellect in our party. He was present, he was helpful and he was engaged.

As has been said, I know that he was of particular use and extended very strong friendship to Grace Portolesi and to Jay Weatherill. I also know that he was a very dear friend of Mario Feleppa, who was the first person I worked for in parliament back in 1995 and through whom I first met Terry Groom. All three of you have my very dear and great sympathy alongside Terry's family.

The fact that Terry chose to remain engaged I think is a mark of his motivations for being in politics in the first place and his motivation to do right by the labour movement and by his community, which very much came to be the Italian-Australian community. Both the labour movement and the Italian community are good people to work for and to represent, and he did that well and he did not stop doing that long after he left parliament. I am very sorry that he has passed away, and I extend all my sympathy to those who will miss him very greatly. Vale, Terry.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:21): I am going to deeply miss Terry Groom in the community in the eastern suburbs, which he served as the member for Hartley. The Premier, the Leader of the Opposition and the deputy leader have said he served it with distinction and particularly with a level of engagement long after the end of his parliamentary service, and I think that is testimony to the authenticity of that service. The member for Hartley, the Minister for Police, described him just then as 'charming, charismatic, extremely hardworking and sharp as a tack', and I thought that was an excellent way to summarise him.

I engaged with Terry on a number of occasions from 2008, when I became candidate for Morialta. Of course, the suburbs of Newton, Rostrevor and Athelstone are rich with the diverse Italian community particularly in its multicultural make-up as are the suburbs of Paradise, Campbelltown and Hectorville in particular, which have potentially up to 30 per cent of households where a language other than English is being spoken at home—certainly in the period when Terry was representing those areas and the first generation of Italians were bringing up their children.

The significant connection that was necessary for somebody to run for a seat like Hartley to have with that Italian community was tremendously important. Terry Groom, as was said, learnt how to speak fluent Italian. The former member for Hartley Joe Scalzi reflected to me that when he first met Terry (who he would then run against at the 1989 election), it was at Joe's uncle's house, not in Hectorville or Paradise but in Zoli in Campania, Italy, where Terry was visiting and Joe met him.

Subsequently, Joe ran against him at the 1989 election—it was no reflection on that meeting, I understand—and Joe of course was representing the Liberal Party. He described it as a robust campaign, one in which Terry was successful. But after the campaign Terry invited Joe and his family to Terry's house to share a pizza and a chat. Indeed, I understand that after the 1993 election, when Terry did not run for Hartley but Joe became the new member for Hartley, Terry continued to engage with his constituents and put many in touch with Joe as their new local MP to provide assistance.

The significant Italian community in the seat, and indeed the broader community in the seat of Hartley, continued to have Terry's interest. In support of Grace and the Labor Party, he continued to attend multicultural events, including the Montevergine Festa, the San Giorgio La Molara Festa, the San Pellegrino Festa and others. Members who regularly attend these festas, the processions and the masses—the Premier, the member for Hartley, myself and others—would regularly see Terry at these events. He was incredibly engaging and would always have interesting sage life advice—never political advice—because he was there in support usually of Grace or other Labor candidates or members. He would take the time to get to know us and give us advice.

It was only more recently I realised—and I think the Leader of the Opposition described his tremendous sense of mischief—that it was of course the natural thing for him to do at the lunch, after the San Giorgio La Molara Festa, to spend three-quarters of an hour talking to me as the new Liberal candidate while his friend Grace was off talking to everybody in the room and winning votes for her side. Thankfully, I caught on eventually!

He had a passion for his community, for politics, eventually again for the Australian Labor Party—although particularly I think for certain people in the Australian Labor Party—for business and the law, for the State of South Australia, for education and, can I say, as I understand it, most of all for his family by whom he will be dearly missed and frankly by everybody who knew him. Vale.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:25): On election night in 1993 there was a live cross to Frank Blevins in Whyalla and the ABC journalist at the time (I think David Bevan) might have said, 'Deputy Premier, Treasurer, this is a disaster.' He said, 'What are you talking about? We won 10 seats. This is a great victory,' because in 1993 the tide had gone out on Labor and we were looking at widespread devastation, Western Australian style devastation.

Terry Groom was right to contest the seat of Napier because people like Terry Groom needed to be in the parliament for the survival of Labor as a political force. We were also right to put up Annette Hurley, but such was the movement against Labor that we could not keep all the good people we needed to in the parliament and some just had to go. Terry Groom was never bitter—never. He could have been. He could rightly have been bitter, but he never was.

He put his shoulder to the wheel again, always keeping his values in place, working towards the cause that he had always believed in. He stuck true to himself. Labor might have moved left or right but Terry stayed true. When we needed him, he was there. When we had a Premier who needed his advice, he was there. When we had a candidate who needed his help, he was there. He was always there to help a movement, a movement that he believed in. Whether he was in it, alongside it, watching it or participating in it, he was in the contest and he was in the contest for the right reasons: because of the values he held.

I was part of that campaign in Napier, along with the member for Playford, trying to get Annette Hurley elected. I remember receiving the first polling back showing the Liberals coming first in Napier, Terry Groom coming second and the Labor Party coming last. I cannot tell you the shockwave that that sent through the SDA at the time when we only had two members of parliament in the house, one who was facing a loss in the seat of Mitchell (Paul Holloway) and Michael Atkinson in the seat of Spence. We desperately needed to keep representation in the parliament because we were looking at holding only three or four seats in 1993 and, as Frank Blevins said, we were able to hold 10, which was a great victory.

It would have been good for Terry to have continued on in the parliament after 1993, to be completely frank, because we needed his sage wisdom, his advice and his tactical brain, but unfortunately there were not enough places—there just were not—and we had to fight for survival. I do not want to talk about his career because his career speaks for itself and, quite frankly, winning the seat of Morphett is enough to enshrine him in Labor history forever because Morphett is, unfortunately, a safe Liberal seat and, despite the current member, will remain a safe Liberal seat.

An honourable member: Outrageous!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I know; it is outrageous. However, his greatest contribution to the movement has been his advice behind the scenes. I cannot tell you the value that elder statesmen have in our movement—the sage advice, the tapping on the shoulder, the corporate memory, the knowledge they pass on from generation to generation, not for a fee, not for influence, but for love, for love of the movement, to make sure that we continue, that we carry on, that the flame that was sparked so long ago never goes out.

Terry, along with the people who are in this room today to celebrate his life, wanted to see that movement continue ongoing for those who cannot speak for themselves, for those who rely on us and who do not realise the work that is done on their behalf to fight for better wages and conditions and for laws that protect equity and fairness. That is why he was in the labour movement. That is why he fought for Labor candidates. That is why he fought for Grace. That is why he supported Premier Weatherill. That is why he supported us for so long.

Even after we could not find a place for him in the parliament, he stuck by us. He remained true. You can tell his calibre by the people who are here today to honour his memory—political friends and political foes. I think that is a great tribute to the man and his career. God rest Terry Groom, comfort those who loved him and have comfort in the knowledge that he made this state a better place and cared for those who could not speak for themselves.

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON (Morphett—Minister for Trade and Investment) (14:30): I also take the opportunity to speak on the sad occasion of the passing of a former member for Morphett, Terry Groom; in fact, he was the first member for Morphett, holding the seat back in 1977 through to 1979. Of course, the seat then was quite similar to what it is now, taking in the suburbs of Camden Park, Glenelg North, Glenelg East, Glengowrie, part of Morphettville west of Sturt Creek and a small part of Oaklands Park.

Ultimately, as has been said, Terry lost that seat in 1979 to the Hon. John Oswald. He then went on to represent the electorate of Hartley from 1982 until 1993. During that time, he served as Minister Assisting the Premier on Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs as well as Minister for Primary Industries. Additionally, Terry served as Chairperson of the Economic and Finance Committee and also served on the Joint Committee on Subordinate Legislation and the Public Accounts Committee. He certainly was dedicated to his community both in Morphett and Hartley and, as we have heard, he taught himself Italian in order to better connect with the constituents of Hartley.

He was also a notable lawyer in Adelaide society and represented members on both sides of this house and, as a result, was respected for his intellectual acumen. He was also a member of a number of boards in South Australia, including the Repatriation General Hospital, the Motor Accident Commission, the Environment Protection Authority, the Parole Board and Renewal SA. Terry was also a close friend of the current Mayor of Holdfast Bay, Amanda Wilson, who is here today and who described Terry as 'fiercely intelligent, with an incredible memory, lighting up the room whenever he walked in, with a great sense of humour, sometimes a little bit Benny Hill but always professional'.

I would like to thank Terry for his life of service and note that he is survived by his partner, Kay, and his three children: Anthony, who is also a lawyer in Adelaide; Tristram, who is living in New Orleans in the US; and Zoe. I pass on my condolences to his family and friends. Vale.

The SPEAKER: Members, please rise so that the motion can be carried in the customary manner.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 14.34 to 14.44

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