Darren Chester's tribute to Peta Murphy

The Canberra Times

The Nationals frontbencher, with his voice betraying his emotions, gave a two-minute statement that started in the topic of courage and quickly turned to Ms Murphy. Footage: Hansard

Transcript

00:00 We all know that courage comes in many forms. From my experience, you have seen courage

00:08 on a sporting field, you will see courage in our health and emergency service workers,

00:12 you will see courage amongst our Australian Defence Force personnel who can help people

00:16 who can't necessarily help themselves. But you can also see courage in the form of a

00:21 little blonde woman from Frankston, in the member for Dunkley. Before she came to this

00:26 place, the member for Dunkley was a champion squash player. If you actually believe that

00:31 squash is a sport. Now, Mr Speaker, can I remind you that interjections are disorderly

00:39 and you need to protect me from the member for Dunkley at all costs as I make my comments.

00:43 Now the member for Dunkley is a warrior for causes she is passionate about. She is a warrior

00:47 for fairness, for equality, for women's rights, breast cancer and a champion for battlers

00:51 in her own community. Along with several opposite, I attended a function in the members electorate

00:57 recently which was a celebration of 50 years. I'm not saying whose 50th birthday it was,

01:03 but I listened to some lovely tributes on that night about her sporting career, her

01:07 achievements and about her life in law and now in politics. But as the member for Dunkley

01:13 reminded me this morning, she was no saint. And I always remember the night when we overindulged

01:19 in espresso martinis in New York and she accosted actress Rose Byrne and her family and then

01:25 proudly told me she'd also been having a conversation with K Flip. I told the member for Dunkley

01:30 that her name is actually G Flip. To which the member for Dunkley replied, well actually

01:37 it's K Flip to all her friends. So right now my friend, the member for Dunkley is facing

01:44 some serious health challenges. We know that she's faced those challenges with courage,

01:47 with humility and with good humour and it is bloody hard to watch. But I know she has

01:51 earned the respect of all members in this place on both sides of the chamber. We wish

01:55 her great health and good happiness as she faces those challenges in the days ahead.

02:00 And in the words of Pippi Longstocking, please remember you are the strongest girl in the

02:06 world. I thank the house.

02:07 [applause]

02:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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