Mr Speaker, I take no pleasure today in rising to speak fondly in relation to the life and times of the late, great Michael Hodgman QC AM.

It is an honour.

It is a matter of great sadness for many people, not just in the Liberal Party, but indeed in all parliamentary circles from all parties, independents and people right across the community and indeed across the country, that we can in our own way today pay tribute to the life and times of Michael Hodgman.

I heard it said today by a previous speaker that the late Mr Hodgman was a bit like a cartoon character, and he was a character. He was a larger-than-life individual. I think that is really what evokes a lot of affection in the minds of many of us who came to know him, and I count myself as one of the very lucky ones, as does everybody here, who met him and knew him for the man he was. Unfortunately, as is all too often the case in this profession we are in as parliamentarians, many people know us as politicians and parliamentarians. I know that most if not all of us hope that people would get to know us not just as politicians and as the person who appears on the TV screen but as individual people.

Over those more than 40 years in public life, Michael Hodgman certainly became known as a person – for the person that he was to countless thousands, tens of thousands of Tasmanians and Australians. He had a very distinguished political career, one that could only be described as the envy of most of his contemporaries, and we honour his life for many reasons.

One is his contribution to public life, life as a parliamentarian, elected in 1966 to the Legislative Council representing the Huon electorate. He was elected in 1975 to the House of Representatives, representing the Denison electorate, and rising in that time to be a federal minister in the Fraser government. To have been a shadow minister, even at one point audaciously running as a candidate for deputy leader in the Liberal party room against none other than John Howard.

But like all good things, that came to an end, but he was elected to this House of Assembly in 1992 and, after his defeat in 1998, he returned in 2001 serving once more in the Liberal opposition.

When he retired in 2010, having served for that formidable period in public life, he had been the longest serving member of any Australian parliament. That really is something to be greatly admired and for many others, something that is the envy of other politicians.

There is a little known fact about Michael Hodgman and that is he dreamt of being prime minister. I say little known, but no doubt it is known to you Mr Speaker and many who read of his bodacious ambitions. Since the age of eight he dreamt of one day becoming prime minister of this great country.

When he was elected to the House of Representatives, he was famously quoted, ‘I went to Canberra to become prime minister and one day I will be prime minister. I did not go to Canberra to crawl on my belly for a junior ministry; it is not my style.’ I can hear him saying it right now with that audacious and loveable characteristic voice that he had, gravelly, strong, confident and brash. It was certainly a driving passion for him to be ambitious but, in so doing, he wanted to serve the community.

Needless to say, he did not make it to that position. I do not think that he ever expressed any disappointment, remorse or regret that he did not make it become prime minister and I like that. When he says, “that is not my style”, I like that style of him. But he had a goal and if I may, with licence today, say to the young people of Tasmania be more like that, claim an audacious goal and be ambitious for yourself and be proud of what your dream is. In the end, it matters little about whether you achieve that particular goal, but having that goal and that passion will drive you on and spur you on to achieve your journey and no question, if you act in that way and follow the model set for you by the late Michael Hodgman, you will achieve great things and you will inspire those around you, just as I, as a Liberal politician, have been inspired by Michael Hodgman. The goal drove him on to achieve what he did.

What we can confidently say today is that he did leave behind a better Huon, a better Denison, a better Tasmania and a better country. Because of what we know about many of the subjects for which he was famously outspoken, he even left behind a better world because he played his role. Others would run him down and not with a lot of kindness attribute that name, the mouth from the south. But that name followed him because of his outspokenness on subjects where he had a passionate conviction that something was wrong, an injustice needed to be righted and if no one else would speak up he would. For all those reasons, he leaves behind a better local community and a better global community. I am proud of that and I am sure we are all proud of that as Tasmanians. As a Liberal, I am proud of him because of the example he set and the pride we have for him in the Liberal Party.

I want to make a comment about his role as a Liberal. Michael Hodgman was one of those people who understood the Liberal Party of Australia that was created by Robert Gordon Menzies and furthered by the leadership of John Winston Howard. The Liberal Party is a centre right party, which is the product of a unique blend in the western world of social conservatism, small government, patriotism, states’ rights, federalism, constitutional monarchy, and for individuals to be accorded the dignity, freedom and responsibility that is mankind’s inheritance. He got that, he understood it and lived it; he boasted it and was proud of it.

There has been mention today, which I do not say is in any way unreasonable, of a number of areas where he was particularly outspoken where it differed from what the Liberal Party at that time had as official sanctioned policy. I believe it is right and proper that attention be drawn to those. While they were all fairly iconic, nonetheless we should not allow that fact to obscure the greater fact that he regarded himself, lived his life and served his parliament as a committed Liberal and a self-styled campaigner against socialism and the policies of his great political opponents in the Labor Party. I say that in friendship today because we all know the colourful expressions he would use, with all their various adjectives, to his great opponents who were always on the other side. In that spirit I want to say thank you to the Premier, the other ministers, Mr Best, and the Leader of the Greens, for their generous and thoughtful remarks for a former colleague and somebody who is a loved figure in my side of politics. I thank those members for doing that on behalf of their parties and, as we do collectively, on behalf of the people of Tasmania.

Michael Hodgman was more than a politician. As is the case for each one of us here and for those reading and listening to this, we are all much more than just the vocation we are serving in daily life to give expression to our values and to earn an income. It was certainly the same for Michael Hodgman. His political life was just a part; life for him was much more than his party. I love the fact that he loved the parliamentary debates. He loved this chamber and the old Parliament House in Canberra. He did not just love the theatre of parliament, he was part of it; he was one of the lead characters in the great stage play of parliamentary debates. He relished speech making. He was entertaining and colourful in his media conferences. He was the people’s man. He came from the community and returned to the community as often as he could, attending races, shows, regattas, and street walking. I have been doorknocking with Michael Hodgman and saw how he loved to speak with people of his own generation and how he had that wonderful warm bond of humanity with people, irrespective of their political persuasion.

On 30 March 1986 the Sunday Tasmanian wrote a story, ‘The Great Survivor’:

Michael Hodgman’s new nickname in Canberra might be the ‘survivor’ after a call for his resignation from Federal Liberal President, Mr John Valder.

May I just briefly say this was in a situation where Mr Hodgman had refused to vote with the Opposition on a matter to do with trade practices legislation:

Mr Hodgman said, ‘I will put it quite bluntly. Some bastards tried to silence me. I am putting the whole issue behind me. It has been a fascinating chapter in my political life of 20 years.’

This is the bit I love the most – and I hear his voice as I say this:

I had support from people all over Australia; people as diverse as a knight of the realm in New South Wales, a former Liberal Prime Minister of Australia and a pensioner in North Hobart.

Such was his appeal to men and women and children from all walks of life. It was something I know he enjoyed about his own role.

I just want to acknowledge his great support for me throughout all of my political activities. He has been a permanent encourager in all my ups and the downs. His concern for me at times was fatherly. When I last had the opportunity to meet with Michael, in this building earlier this year, he gripped me by the shoulder and reminded me, in case I had forgotten, that his support of me had been ever since the beginning of my career. It is true; on polling day the first phone call I had from anyone was from Michael Hodgman.

I close with some remarks which have nothing at all to do with politics and I think that is appropriate. Michael Hodgman was a loved son. He was a loved husband to Marian for 36 years; a loved and loving father to Will, Tori and Angie; a loved and loving grandad to his grandchildren William, James, Lilly, Jemima and Jock; and loved husband of Lindy. I want to add my voice and send through this motion of condolence our sincere sympathies to all members of the Hodgman extended family. We know that they have much to be grateful for and proud of in the life of this loved family member. We want them to know that while our loss is nowhere near as great as their own as family members, as Tasmanians we are also immensely proud for the life and service of the late Michael Hodgman.

May he rest in peace.