CONDOLENCES
Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (15:43): I rise today as Leader of the Nationals in the Senate to pay tribute to the late Stanley James Collard OAM, former senator for Queensland, stalwart of the National Party of Australia and an unwavering advocate for rural and regional Australians. Born on 25 March 1936 in the hinterland town of Maleny—a beautiful town; I've been to Maleny—Stan Collard was the eldest of three sons to William and Edina Collard, dairy farmers whose deep Country Party loyalties shaped his political compass.
The values of hard work, humility and service to community that he learned on the family farm would remain the bedrock of his life's work. Before entering parliament, Stan built a career with Queensland Railways, beginning as a trainee engineman and rising to become a locomotive driver. He hauled massive six-header coal trains, two kilometres long, from the Bowen Basin to the coast, a feat that mirrored his later political journey—steady, powerful and built on grit.
A man of faith, he served as a lay preacher with the Methodist Church and, later, the Uniting Church, always guided by a sense of moral purpose and a duty to others. His political career began at the grassroots, as secretary of local railway unions and campaign director for Bob Katter Sr in the federal seat of Kennedy. And I'm sure Bob would have been delighted when, as a senator for Queensland, Stanley advocated a very catchy tourism campaign entitled Never Smile at a Crocodile in order to combat a spate of deaths from crocodile attacks.
When the opportunity came to represent Queensland in the Senate, he brought with him not privilege or pedigree but lived experience, the perspective of a railwayman, a farmer's son and a Queenslander deeply connected to his local community. Elected in 1975 under the banner of the National Country Party—later the National Party of Australia—Senator Collard served the people of Queensland until 1987.
During his parliamentary career he held numerous positions: Temporary Chairman of Committees, party whip, deputy leader and ultimately Leader of the National Party in the Senate. In opposition he served as shadow minister for veterans' affairs and later as shadow minister for arts, heritage and the environment. In his maiden speech, Senator Collard spoke passionately of the tyranny of distance, the communications and service gaps that plagued rural Australia—and still do today.
He championed equitable representation, arguing that the principle of 'one vote, one value' ignored the barriers faced by remote communities in accessing their elected representatives. His was a voice that reminded this parliament that prosperity built in the regions must be matched by investment in the regions. It could be said that Stanley Collard was ahead of his time.
He advocated the use of sugar based ethanol in cars and was sympathetic to the development of nuclear energy. These are two policies that the modern National Party champions today. He was methodical, fact driven and deeply conscientious.
Colleagues remember that his speeches were meticulously researched, grounded in data but elevated by conviction. He believed above all that government had a moral duty to ensure rural Australians were never treated as second-class citizens. Senator Collard's leadership came during turbulent times in the conservative movement.
Amid internal debates over the future of the coalition, he remained principled and loyal, convinced that unity of purpose was essential to national progress. Even after his political career ended, he continued his lifelong service through Lifeline, Life Education and the Uniting Church, embodying the community spirit that he'd always championed. In 2014, his contributions were fittingly recognised when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to politics and to the community.
As we reflect on his passing, on 13 August 2025, we remember a man of quiet strength, deep integrity and steadfast commitment to his fellow Australians. He gave voice to those in the bush, stood firm in the face of political upheaval and never forgot the values that shaped him. To his family, we extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt gratitude.
I acknowledge his daughter Sue and her husband, Steve, who are here today with us in the chamber. Stan Collard's life reminds us that service is about not the titles one holds but the people one serves. His legacy endures in the bridges he built between city and country, between the parliament and the paddock and between words and deeds.
May he rest in peace knowing his life enriched this parliament, our party and this nation. Vale, Stan Collard.