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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-09-05 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Cornwall, Dr J.R.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:16): By leave, I move:

That the Legislative Council expresses its deep regret at the recent death of the Hon. John Robert Cornwall, former minister of the Crown and member of the Legislative Council, and places on record its appreciation of his distinguished public service.

Firstly, let me say that the public record of Dr Cornwall was a considerable one in terms of experience. My first recollection of Dr Cornwall was a time in Mount Gambier where he was a well-known veterinary surgeon and stories about him were legendary. He was, of course, at that time, a supporter of the Australian Labor Party. I think he ran in the federal seat of Barker on one or two occasions as a candidate before successfully becoming a member of the pre-eminent chamber in Australian politics, the South Australian Legislative Council.

His term in the South Australian Legislative Council extended from July 1975 through to January 1989, a 14-year career in the Legislative Council. He was first elected in the middle, almost, of the Dunstan decade, as it was known. We were having elections every two years or so in that particular decade: an election in 1973, 1975, 1977 and 1979. It was one of the reasons why, ultimately, this parliament finally decided to move to fixed four-year terms due to the experience of South Australian politics in the 1970s.

In the middle of all that, in 1975, which was in part the election mounted on the back of federal government and state government decisions in relation to the takeover of country railways, the Hon. Dr John Cornwall was elected to the Legislative Council. He had a lengthy career as a minister. He first was a minister for lands, and repatriation, and environment in the period May to September 1979.

In 1979, there was a brief three years of the Tonkin Liberal government, when he went into opposition, and then on the re-election in 1982 of a Labor government he became the minister for health for most of that period—from 1982 through to 1988—and from 1985 to 1988 he was also the minister for community welfare.

In speaking about the mercurial Dr Cornwall, and reading through the information that has been provided by the parliamentary library, I thought perhaps that lots of the descriptions were 'South Australia's most colourful 1980's MP dies', but the InDaily article, which summarised under the heading, 'Controversial crusading health minister John Cornwall dies', highlighted the fact that he reconciled in his very late years, with many of his former ministerial colleagues, longstanding burning differences that he had had with them about his leaving the cabinet and leaving politics. It is a nice yarn in terms of old political friends reuniting in Dr Cornwall's latter years.

But, in that particular article about former colleagues who had served with him in the cabinet, I was struck by the fact that at least two or three of them used one particular adjective to describe him. I have used the term mercurial; others have referred to him as colourful. It was interesting that both, for example, former cabinet colleagues Chris Sumner and Kym Mayes used the phrase 'irascible bugger' or 'irascible' and then went on to say why they had described him as irascible.

Chris Sumner, in lauding Dr Cornwall (and I think the InDaily article said that at times he had had a tempestuous relationship with Dr Cornwall), said:

He was a very effective minister in the Bannon government and a great supporter of public health. He had significant and ground-breaking achievements in the banning of tobacco advertising, assessment and remedying of the lead levels in Port Pirie that were affecting children's health, and in the decriminalisation of marijuana for personal use. His somewhat irascible nature led to some intemperate behaviour, which resulted in adverse findings in a defamation case that led to his resignation. There was also controversy about the funding of a Christies Beach women's shelter, but these matters should not in any way detract from his significant contributions to the South Australian health system and community.

Kym Mayes, former cabinet minister, also paid tribute to Dr Cornwall, saying:

He was a bloody good minister, a difficult but likable bloke, and someone I was better for knowing. He was an irascible bugger, but Jesus he was a good minister.

He tells an interesting yarn, which I think gives a fair indication of the approach John Cornwall took to politics and even political comrades within the Labor Party. Mayes is quoted in the InDaily article as follows:

Mayes told InDaily he was on a caucus committee helmed by Cornwall, when the former firebrand kicked him out for several weeks after an argument over services funding. 'He refused to let me enter the caucus committee. He was an irascible bugger, but Jesus he was a good minister', Mayes said.

Mayes recalls being bottom of the food chain in the cabinet as the 13th ranked minister, and said:

It was often hard to hear deliberations at the end of the cabinet table. On one occasion I asked Cornwall to repeat something he'd said. He looked down the table and said, 'You're so irrelevant it doesn't matter.'

Mayes laughs. So he told the story in a deprecating way against himself.

That was John Cornwall. John Cornwall was my first significant political foe in this Legislative Council. I was elected in 1982, when he first become minister for health, and we had many a good spar over health-related issues. He was a mercurial character. He had significant mood changes. He could go from being almost uncontrollably intemperate in terms of his behaviour, and then within an hour or so he would be the smooth, charming John Cornwall that he could be if he chose to be. That mood swing could be almost instantaneous.

I remember one exchange in the early days, which was one of the early hits against John Cornwall. He had funded some health commission-related market research, but had done it through Rod Cameron. Of course, Rod Cameron, being the Labor Party's pollster, had managed to put in some political party-related polling in relation to the popularity of the minister, voting intentions, etc., which was obviously of assistance to the state Labor secretary at the time in the early eighties.

This became a very significant political issue. Dr Cornwall denied that it was the case; I had had information that it was. Ultimately, it was TheAdvertiser that was of great value at the time. I remember placing a classified ad in The Advertiser, stating, 'Have you been polled recently and asked questions about voting intentions in the following manner?' Believe it or not, a woman from Fleurieu Peninsula rang in to Parliament House and said, 'Yes, I got asked all these questions', and that led to a very significant series of motions of no confidence against John Cornwall at the time because, in essence, he had misled the Legislative Council by denying that the taxpayers had funded political market research through the South Australian health commission.

I remember that he had a wonderful command of the language. He was able to abuse and use it very effectively. At one stage, he railed across the chamber—I suspect I was sitting possibly where the Hon. Mr Hanson is sitting now—and said something about the Hon. Mr Lucas, namely, 'He is just a pain in the perineum.' I was only a young fellow from Mount Gambier, and I thought it did not sound too good, but I did not know where my perineum was actually. I took a point of order, but I did have to go off and check the dictionary and find out where my perineum was. Eventually, when I found out, I knew that I should have been offended that he could have abused me in such a clever way in the Legislative Council.

He had a wonderful command of the language. He was a wonderful debater, a combative opponent, a fierce intellect and passionate about the causes that he believed in. As the Hon. Chris Sumner comments in relation to health issues and lead poisoning at Port Pirie, and tobacco sponsorship of sporting events in particular—was it the grand prix at that stage?—he was a passionate opponent of those issues and took up the battle against the major tobacco companies at the time. He was a passionate supporter of the causes that he and his party believed in.

In some cases, the party was not always 100 per cent behind him. There were some wily old foxes in the then Labor cabinet who did not always agree. I think the InDaily article refers to the at times tempestuous relationship between him and the former leader of the government in the Legislative Council, Chris Sumner, who was also a fierce intellect and a wonderful debater. Their challenges were considerable, sometimes quietly in the chamber, but also behind the President's chair. One could sometimes hear interesting, fierce debates going on between the two ministers in relation to what the priorities might be and what the position might be.

There are many other stories one could tell about Dr Cornwall, but now is not the appropriate time to be recounting those particular stories on the public record. All I can say is that I pass on my condolences to his family on behalf of Liberal members. I knew his daughter Deborah relatively well, who I think is still a working journalist in Sydney. She remains one of the few journalists who I can recall ringing me on Christmas Day for a comment on a particular issue. She is still a prominent journalist in the Sydney and New South Wales media. On behalf of Liberal members, I pass on our condolences to his remaining family, his friends and his acquaintances.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): I rise today to second the motion and to speak on behalf of the Labor opposition to the condolence motion in relation to the Hon. Dr John Cornwall, member of the Legislative Council from 2 July 1975 until 31 January 1989. The Hon. Ron Roberts, I think, took his spot for the Labor Party in the Legislative Council. I would like to join with the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council and say that our thoughts and, for those who pray, our prayers are with the Hon. Dr John Cornwall's family and friends in what is a difficult time.

Dr Cornwall was briefly the minister for lands, the minister for repatriation and the minister for the environment. He lost these portfolios when the Labor Party lost the 1979 election. He later became minister for health, a portfolio that he was very well known for, and held that for approximately six years. He was also minister for community welfare, a portfolio he held for about half that time, a period of approximately three years.

While he held those portfolios, he commenced reforms in many important areas. At the time of Dr Cornwall's retirement, premier Bannon singled out a few of these areas. He singled out domestic violence, child sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, tobacco-related illnesses, mental health, unemployment, homeless youth and aged care as some of the areas that Dr Cornwall concentrated on and had significant achievements in.

I, too, have been reading with interest some of the articles, obituaries and commentary that have been written following Dr Cornwall's passing. He achieved a great deal in his time, in addition to the areas that John Bannon singled out. He was a champion of the federal Medicare program. Under Dr Cornwall's stewardship, South Australia led the nation in reducing cigarette advertising. He had a significant influence on Aboriginal health and moved towards Aboriginal health services being provided and run by Aboriginal people.

He helped bring to the fore and to the public's attention the ill-effects of lead poisoning from the Port Pirie smelters. He brought in new organ transplant laws, which have probably saved the lives of countless people in South Australia by now. He agitated for the general public to be better educated and aware of the emerging HIV and AIDS epidemic that would sweep not just Australia but the world. There are many other areas where he made reforms or made South Australians and Australians much more aware.

As the Hon. Rob Lucas pointed out, he was well known for never letting anything or anyone stand in the way of achieving his goals if he thought he had to try to achieve something. As a minister, I am informed that he was once admitted to hospital suffering from what was described as exhaustion. I must admit that I enjoyed reading the description of him in the paper in 1983, as he was described as 'snapping with the force of a giant clam when criticised'.

Dr Cornwall also published two books, After Work, After Play, After All: a political memoir, and Just for the Record: the political recollections of John Cornwall. These books, and Just for the Record in particular, I think are good reading for those of us who are new to this side of the chamber in opposition. It contains some fantastic advice about quickly learning the jargon. In Just for the Record, Dr Cornwall wrote:

Two telephone calls to your office on any subject are translated as 'My office has been deluged with complaints about the Government's latest folly'. 'Doctors who cannot be named for ethical reasons' are always available for comment.

For that one, the influence of Dr John Cornwall has obviously rubbed off on the now Leader of the Government. I think we all remember in opposition the anonymous faxes to Liberal Party headquarters. It is a tactic that is well tried. They are good lessons for opposition. If you hear us on this side talking about being deluged with complaints about the government's latest folly, we know where that advice has come from.

I think one of the better descriptions comes from a tribute a former member of this place, the Hon. Ian Gilfillan, gave when Dr Cornwall retired from parliament. It gives a strong sense of the person that John Cornwall was. Ian Gilfillan said:

Although he was a personality which from time to time stirred up reactions of aggravation and frustration, in the mainstream he was a man who was larger than life in his aims and goals. He achieved more than many of us will achieve in our lifetime in politics.

Once again, I extend our thoughts and best wishes to Dr Cornwall's loved ones and commend the motion to the chamber.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:34): I rise to speak on the condolence motion of John Cornwall, in solidarity as a member of a select and privileged class. John Cornwall and I have both had the privilege of serving this state as Minister for Health. John Cornwall was Minister for Health for six years from 1982 to 1988, shortly before his retirement. Dr Cornwall's tenure as minister included notable achievements in public health services in South Australia. He had a vision for the delivery of health services and worked tenaciously to make that vision a reality.

In this 140th year of the Children's Hospital, it is appropriate to acknowledge Dr Cornwall's role in bringing together the former Children's Hospital with the hospital devoted to women, the Queen Victoria Hospital, to make what today is now known as the Women's and Children's Hospital. While Dr Cornwall seemed to lack diplomacy generally, in this project he managed to win around the Friends of the Queen Vic who had mounted a campaign against any closure of the Queen Victoria Hospital.

Another significant area of focus for the former minister was strict regulation of advertising by tobacco companies. In particular, Dr Cornwall acted to remove tobacco company sponsorship at sporting events and to restrict tobacco advertising in cinemas. Dr Cornwall did not take a narrow view of health. He recognised that improved service delivery in the community and improved preventative health services drive better outcomes for health consumers.

The last area of focus which I would like to highlight is Aboriginal health. Dr Cornwall worked to devolve health services to local Aboriginal communities, recognising that Indigenous community input into the health services they use is vital. Dr Cornwall established programs to encourage the training of health workers specifically in the area of Aboriginal health, contributing to the process of greater cultural sensitivity in the delivery of health services, which is still a work in progress. Today, I pay my respects to Dr Cornwall and express my condolences to his family on their loss. Vale Dr Cornwall.

The PRESIDENT (14:36): I add my own condolences to the Hon. Dr Cornwall's family. I ask honourable members to stand in their places and carry the motion in silence.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

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