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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-02 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Weatherill, Hon. G.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:19): By leave, I move:

That the Legislative Council expresses its deep regret at the death of the Hon. George Weatherill, former member of the Legislative Council, and places on record its appreciation of his distinguished public service, and that as a mark of respect to his memory the sitting of the council be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

In preparing some comments for my contribution to the condolence motion today I was well and truly reminded that it is about time I retired from this place, and I am sure there will be no disagreement from some opposite to that observation, because my office pulled out the comments I made as George was, I believe, about to retire from this chamber just over 20 years ago in July 2000.

George's version of events—and there may well be a conflicting view—was that in a complicated series of arrangements that went on within the Labor Party, which would only be understood by those within the Labor Party, his son Jay was about to be preselected for Cheltenham for the 2002 election. George was only three years into an eight-year term—and there are not too many people who, other than for health grounds, give up five years in the Legislative Council—voluntarily retired and, as I understand it, Bob Sneath from the AWU, who had particular power within the halls of power within the Labor Party at that particular time, took his position in the Legislative Council.

As I said, this was George's version of events, but I am sure it was pretty accurate, that he was very happy, as was his wont in many areas, to make a sacrifice for what he saw to be for the benefit of his family and Jay in particular, but also what he believed would be to the benefit of the Labor Party in terms of Jay's potential contribution to the future of the Labor Party. As it transpired, Mr Weatherill junior (Jay) went on to serve his party and South Australia as a minister and then as Premier for a good period of time.

As I said, I have been in this place way too long and it is about time I retired, but it does not seem 20 years ago that I was farewelling George from this particular chamber. In discussions with my current colleagues, none of them actually served in the Legislative Council with George. I think you, Mr President, would have served with him but I am not sure that anyone from the Labor Party benches would have served with George either.

As I said at the time, 20 years ago, I recall with fondness the period of time we all, as colleagues, spent in the chamber with George. He was well known for his fondness for a quiet ale and a cigarette or two. Botany Bay, as it then existed on the lower ground floor, was the refuge for smokers in Parliament House, that little enclave. Anyone who had an office in and around that particular area knew, as the doors opened and closed, that George and others had been there, in terms of allowing smoking in Botany Bay, as it was called, on the lower ground floor of Parliament House. As it transpired in later years, they were forced to go out onto the back steps of Parliament House to indulge in that filthy habit of smoking.

I think all former members who worked with George would recall their time working with him with fondness. He did not get wound up on too many issues in parliament, but the ones he did were clearly issues that were near and dear to him and to the broader union movement generally. Essentially, they were issues in relation to workers compensation. When he was first elected to the Legislative Council there had been a huge debate on workers compensation. Also, issues that related to what we now call work health and safety laws but what was occupational health and safety legislation in those early years, as well as any other general issues; in particular, if there was federal legislation from what he would see as an evil federal Liberal or Coalition government impinging on the rights of ordinary workers.

They were the sorts of issues that George would speak on, generally, in this particular chamber. He was fearless in terms of pursuing his views on behalf of working men and women broadly within the trade union movement. I recount that 20 years ago—and I put it on the record now because these sorts of occurrences do not happen these days—George was well known for his contribution to what was then the annual press versus parliament cricket game. Mr President, you would recall that.

I have to say that he was not noted for his ability on the cricket field. He was a toiler, if I can put it politely, in terms of his contribution. He was marginally better than former Premier Mike Rann, I might say, but not much, in terms of his contribution on the cricket field. However, he would inevitably be in charge of hospitality, in particular the cooking of the barbecue.

Perhaps the contribution and cricketing prowess of former members was much higher in those days when I first came to the parliament. We used to play the game on Adelaide Oval but were relegated to Adelaide Oval No. 2 as they noticed our abilities, and we were then relegated down to being opposite the police barracks or parklands or whatever it might be.

When we were relegated George would somehow borrow a mobile barbecue—from, I presume, the AWU, although I am not sure which particular union—hitch it up to the back of his car, bring it to wherever we were, whether the parkland ovals or opposite the police barracks, and set it up and be in charge of cooking the barbecue for the press and the parliament at that annual event, which used to occur just prior to Easter every year.

He was also associated with one of the tennis clubs in the western suburbs. Another social event we used to have—although not as frequently as the cricket game—was a press versus parliament tennis event, and George and Joy hosted us down at their local tennis club in the western suburbs for that social event between the media and the parliament. I am sure those within the Labor Party would be able to attest to George's hospitality, both within the Labor movement and personally. He was great company in relation to all those particular events.

As the only current member of the government who served with him and who enjoyed the time I served with him, I want to pass on my condolences to the family, friends and acquaintances of George and acknowledge his contribution to his party, his family, the parliament and the broader community. As I said, on behalf of government members, I acknowledge his contribution.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:28): I rise to support the motion and speak about the life and times of a previous member of this chamber, the Hon. George Weatherill, the father of a previous premier (as the Leader of the Government pointed out), a union stalwart and, I think, an all-round good bloke to all those who knew him.

George was born in northern England in 1936 in that time between the Great Depression and the Second World War. He knew hardship, growing up. I know George used to recount his memories of being ushered into bomb shelters during the Second World War. He was one of 10 kids, having had his father die at the age of 13. He told of his mother having to round up the kids into bomb shelters and George not always being compliant in going to the bomb shelter when it was time to go and the stress that caused his poor mother.

George decided to go on an adventure to Australia in 1960 in his mid-20s. On the way here, on the boat, he met Joy and that started a love of his life. He was still married at the time of his death. He worked three jobs to save money for a family home, where he and Joy could raise their three sons. Within two years he was elected a shop steward at what is now SA Water (the old E&WS) for the Australian Government Workers Association.

As it was told to me, it was a day in 1962 and George was in hospital having his appendix removed when they were electing a shop steward. As famously happens in all sorts of movements, he was elected in his absence as 'that Pommy guy from northern England—he'll know how to organise', so George started his union career while he was in hospital having his appendix removed. He climbed the ranks within the union movement over the next quarter of a century. He was instrumental in a lot of things that occurred in the union, going from shop steward right up to an elected organiser and then, of course, being elected from the union movement into parliament.

It was at a time, too, when there were real battles raging within the union movement around Australia but particularly within South Australia over the direction and the heart and soul of many unions, particularly blue-collar unions, and about the nature of their unions, whether they were acquiescent to getting along with what employers demanded or were much more confrontational. George was not the type to agree easily, and certainly from many of my contacts in the Labor Party today many of us are grateful for how actively and strongly George supported his values within the union movement.

He was elected in 1986 to the Legislative Council. I think he was appointed to fill a casual vacancy left by another hero of the left of the Labor Party. I think it was Frank Blevins' move to the lower house that was the vacancy that opened up that George filled at the time. Of course, he was re-elected twice after that.

I know the Hon. Rob Lucas talked about George retiring three years into an eight-year term, which is quite an extraordinary thing to do. At George Weatherill's funeral on Saturday, I was talking to one of the participants in the conversation at a pub when they went to see George Weatherill to lay out the plan about Bob Sneath going to parliament and then Jay eventually going to parliament. I think there were three people, including George, involved in this conversation. George went through in great detail about which members of the Legislative Council might give up their spot to allow this all to happen, until one of them had to say, 'Actually, George, it's you.' 'Oh, okay,' he said.

As the Hon. Rob Lucas pointed out, he was a man who believed in collectivism, in the greater good, and that is what he did. With five years to go, he saw that, in his estimation, this was for the greater good of his movement and made way for change and renewal in the Labor Party, which, again, many of us are grateful for, having his son come into parliament. His son, except for that final year in parliament, did not serve anywhere but around the cabinet table for his whole time in parliament. It was a wise and fortuitous move by George Weatherill to pave the way for that to happen.

He served on both sides of the chamber in government and opposition, serving in the esteemed position as whip for the parliamentary Labor Party in this chamber as well as on a number of committees. For his whole career he stuck to the principles for which he fought for all of his life: supporting workers, supporting those in society who need support and do not have a voice for themselves.

As the Hon. Rob Lucas pointed out, he was always good behind the barbecue. I know most big election afterparties that I have attended at the car parks of various unions would almost always have George Weatherill behind one, throwing sausages and chops around, ready to feed people who, probably like him, had one too many beers after commiserating an election loss or celebrating an election win.

Lynn Arnold spoke quite a lot at George's service on Saturday, and he talked about the exceptionally close friendship he had with George Weatherill. Lynn talked about the fact that, on the day that he retired from parliament, it was the Weatherill's house he went to to have a home-cooked meal and to celebrate. George had many, many friends from within the Labor movement and from without.

I am not nearly as experienced and have not been around as long as the Hon. Rob Lucas, but I remember, when I was starting out in the Labor Party, many nights at places like the Irish Club, with Pat Conlon, John Gazzola and George Weatherill. George was fond of having a beer or two, a couple of cigarettes and a bit of a punt on whatever was racing at the time on the TAB. It would be a highly unusual night if it did not end, near the end of the night, with George asking, 'Can you lend me 20 bucks so I can get a cab home?' after having spent every last cent buying other people beer and putting punts on.

George, if I had a spare 20 bucks for your final journey, I would lend it to you now. Farewell, George. My condolences go to his wife, Joy, and his three boys.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:35): I also rise to acknowledge the extraordinary life and service of George Weatherill, the boy from Hartlepool in England. I have known George for a very long time. Over the weekend, I was reflecting on what I could actually say about George and on some of the stories that I could tell, but I very quickly came to realise that none of them could go into print. Very, very few of them could actually be part of the public record.

I will say that George was always very supportive of me. I remember when I ran for Young Labor president, back in I think 1985 or 1986, George discovered that there was a plan afoot, hatched by the now Hon. Mr Michael Atkinson, to do me in by proxy. George felt so affronted by such an outrageous attack on the democracy of Young Labor that he offered me his services. I was a little bit dubious about what George could do for me in terms of assistance, but we sat down one afternoon at one of his favourite meeting places, I should say, and went through the Young Labor membership list. We were going through it and he said, 'Oh, I know her dad. I know his dad. I'll go and see them.' I said, 'Okay. Where are you going to see them?' and he said, 'Down at the pub. We'll go down and have a chat.'

I am not sure how many votes George swung for me by seeing those Young Labor people's dads—I am not sure that Young Labor voters like being told by their dad how to vote—nonetheless, I smashed Michael Atkinson's candidate to the point. But he came up to me afterwards and said that he even voted for me as well. That is the sort of power that George had; he was a very persuasive individual.

The Hon. Mr Lucas said that George was handy with the tongs, and that is true. George was always responsible for running the barbecue at the Hindmarsh FEC annual barbecue. We relied on George to take the money at the barbecue and give us a big profit for the day, selling his famous meat patties and his lamb forequarter chops that were just slightly too greasy for most people. Of course, his favourite was snags on bread.

The problem, as I quickly worked out after two or three years, was that in those days we also got in kegs and the kegs were down by the barbecue. Whilst George was doing great business for us selling the snags, the patties and the greasy chops, he was also hoeing into the kegs. We would go through two or three kegs, and I think George probably put away one and a half of them himself and would not pay for them at the time. The profit margins at the Hindmarsh FEC took a big dive when I gave George responsibility for the kegs and the barbecue, but when I separated them and moved them to opposite ends of the grounds we were back in the black again.

George ran the barbecue for all our fundraisers: he did it for Young Labour, he did it for the Hindmarsh FEC, he did it for the union movements, he did it for non-political organisations and for the community as well. It is where he really liked to be. I asked him why he liked to do the barbecue so much and he said, 'Mate, that's where you hear all the gossip. As they're lining up in the queue, waiting for their snag, they tell you all sorts of things and you just stash that away to use on a later day.'

George had a lot of skills. One of them was his ability to persuade, and usually that was done over a schooner. I can remember George coming into my office occasionally and saying, 'Mate, I've got to see you.' I said, 'Alright, let's have a chat.' He said, 'No, not now; 4 o'clock this afternoon.' The meeting place would inevitably be at the Hilton Hotel, the Mile End or the Wheatsheaf, or down at Henley Beach, West Lakes or Challa Gardens, or up at Tonsley. Wherever George was going to be that afternoon, you would find him in the gaming room and you would have a chat.

When you got to the bottom of what he wanted to talk to you about, it was not much at all; he just wanted to have company for the afternoon. His excuse was to get you out of the office. You would end up being there for quite a while. I can remember ringing Jay occasionally, running off and getting some coins for the phone, and saying, 'You've got to get me out of here. Come by and pick us all up because none of us can actually drive home ourselves.'

He was great company. He was a great storyteller. I can remember, as I said, quite a few stories that he told me, probably mostly libellous, some of them about people in this place still. He warned me very early about the Hon. Mr Lucas. I think he said in one of his speeches on the occupational health and safety bill that he was very impressed by the Hon. Mr Lucas and how much he knew about working people. He was very polite, as I say, in his public discourse, but later on in private he would have given you a perfectly different view about the amount of experience the Hon. Mr Lucas would have with the plight of working people, particularly in relation to occupational health and safety.

George was true to his passions right up until the very end. Depending on who you were and the relationship you had with him, you saw a slightly different version of George, and that is probably natural for everybody. But I think at the end of it service to working people was George's driving force in his life. As much as anything else, it was his defining characteristic and it is something for which we all owe him a debt of gratitude.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:41): I rise very briefly to support this motion. I do enjoy reading honourable members' first and last speeches made in this place. They provide an insight into the hopes of the new member for what they seek to achieve and their reflections on the pride and honour in serving this great state. Perhaps their hopes may change along the way, but they do hopefully stick true to the values that they bring to this place. The respect from both sides of the chamber indicates that George did just that. While members may have had differing views and beliefs, holding true to your values is always important.

George was a union man who backed the rights of working South Australians throughout his whole working life. During honourable members' speeches to George on the last sitting day a common theme outside of his values was repeated across the chamber: his sense of humour, the love of a good catch up and sport, even if that was the sport of cooking the barbecue. It was also made clear he was a proud family man. Before entering Jay Weatherill's office, I will be honest, I did not know much about the special people in his life, but that quickly changed.

There was always time in the diary for Jay's family, and George was a very special part of that time. George was respected in this place and outside of these walls but, most importantly, by his family. I would like to pass on my condolences to George's wife, Joy, whom, as I read in the materials provided, he would always refer to as 'the governor', and to his sons Dana and Lea. As many people in this chamber would know, your staff become your extended family, and working in Jay's office when he was Premier we did feel like Jay's extended family. So on behalf of all of Jay's previous staff I would like to send our condolences to not only Jay but also Mel, Lucinda and Alice, and you never know, the legacy of the Weatherill family may just very well continue.

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (14:43): Like many of us in the Labor Party, George became involved in politics because of his passion for workers' rights and involvement in the union movement throughout his working life in South Australia. He was initially involved in the Australian Government Workers Association and then in the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union (the Missos) when the two unions amalgamated. The FMWU was the precursor to today's United Workers Union.

I met George while he was working as an organiser when I commenced working at the Missos. George and I shared a good working relationship during the time that we worked at the Missos. He was a great advocate for workers' health and safety and workers compensation rights. I send my condolences to his family—Joy, Jay, Dana and Lea—as well as family and friends.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:44): On behalf of the Greens, my honourable colleague and I extend our condolences to the Hon. George Weatherill's family, his wife Joy and, of course, known to us, Jay and Mel. I did not serve in this place with the Hon. George Weatherill, now 20 years retired, but I certainly saw him in the members' bar more than once. He was incredibly proud as Jay, obviously, rose to the highest position in this place, of Premier.

Indeed, he was a true believer. In my first speech in this place I noted that some of us Greens call ourselves the 'new believers', but a true believer and a working-class hero is something to be, and George was indeed that. Being loyal to the cause and willing to sacrifice his own career for the betterment of his party is something that certainly is admired across the aisles.

As a whip, he was not one much for words in this place, but I did notice that one thing he did was table petitions on prostitution. When he gave his final speech, which the Hon. John Dawkins and the Treasurer featured in, they had to wait around until a prostitution bill came to this place from the other place in the early hours of the morning to finalise that. The more things change in this place the more they stay the same. I hope, though, that workers' rights, as championed by the Hon. George Weatherill, will continue to progress. I offer my condolences.

The PRESIDENT (14:46): I wish to make a few remarks about the Hon. George Weatherill, whom I had the privilege of serving with in this place for almost three years. When I came here, George was the opposition whip, and soon after the change of government, when that position fell to me—and the Hon. Mr Hunter will agree with this—he was very quick to remind me about what an important role the opposition whip has in running the place.

George did not serve with my father, but they got to know each other on parliamentary bowls club trips. When George was retiring, I relayed the story of a trip in January on the train back from the annual bowls carnival in Perth, when many songs were sung around a piano. There are very few people here, probably, other than the Treasurer, who knew my father. My father enjoyed singing, but also enjoyed singing and drowning everybody else out. I think George reminded me very much of the great songs that were sung, many of which originated from his homeland.

The Treasurer and others have talked about George's attributes at the barbecue, and that was a feature, as the Treasurer said, of the annual cricket match between members of parliament and the media, which, sadly, has disappeared from our radar. That was something that many of us really enjoyed on Maundy Thursday.

In recent years, George and I remembered some of the other highlights of those games. One of those was in either my first or second year, when the now Treasurer, the Hon. Rob Lucas, was batting with the shadow treasurer, Kevin Foley. A number of people, including George, had great mirth in working out who was going to run the other out first. I think on that occasion they actually batted for quite a long time together.

It was a privilege to attend George's funeral at Queenstown on Saturday afternoon. There was a wide array of members of parliament and former members of parliament but also other members of the community and the former Clerk of this chamber, Jan Davis. I think George was probably up there smiling and I could just see him saying, 'There are not too many people who get two former premiers to speak at their funeral,' being Lynn Arnold, who conducted the service, and George's son Jay.

Jay told us a story, which I relayed on Saturday night because my wife Sheila and I were privileged to go to the Greyhound of the Year event. Jay told the story that he and his father had gone to the Gawler dogs one evening and George won the trifecta on the first three events, which meant that he had about $1,000 in his pocket. We are talking a few years ago, so $1,000 was a lot of money. Jay pleaded with his father to leave when he was up in good order and to go home. No, not George. George stayed and I do not think a lot was left of the $1,000 at the end of the evening.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Could be. I have great memories of George. It is remarkable, as the Treasurer said, that it is over 20 years ago since we farewelled him from this place. He was a character and a great believer in leaving your grievances, your arguments in this place, behind in this chamber but also in having great friendships across the aisle.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 14:51 to 15:04.

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