Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to make a brief statement to add to Senator Minchin’s words. I also concur with the sympathies that were conveyed to Mary, Simon and David. I want to acknowledge that Mr Crean was a founding member of the federal Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, which is something that I think should be noted for the record. I also want to acknowledge the fact that he was an accountant. Being someone who is also an accountant, I thought it was worthwhile coming down here to acknowledge someone who was widely respected.

The Crean family are widely respected in country areas, although we take them on as political foes at times. They are seen as people who have their heads screwed on, especially, as Senator Minchin pointed out, at the tumultuous times of the dying days of the Whitlam Labor government. It is always peculiar in the extreme how Dr Jim Cairns managed to take Mr Crean’s position. I concur with Senator Minchin and Senator Faulkner and convey on behalf of country people our sympathies to the Crean family.