CONDOLENCES

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (14:06): I move: That the House record its deep regret at the death, on 26 April 2026, of the Honourable Peter Frederick Morris OAM, a former Minister and Member of this House for the Division of Shortland from 1972 to 1998, place on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service, and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.

Since the passing of Peter Morris, it has been touching to read some of the tributes from those who were children in Shortland when he was their local member—memories of Peter helping them out with booklets explaining the workings of parliament, memories of Peter pinning badges onto freshly appointed school captains and, tellingly, memories of how their own parents spoke of him: a gentleman, always engaged and ready to talk with anyone.

For a quarter of a century, from the moment he was swept into parliament in the Whitlam victory of 1972, Peter represented the people of Shortland with dedication, decency, integrity and respect. Above all, he worked to make a difference. During his time in the powerhouse that was the Hawke ministry, he held the portfolios of Aviation, Resources, Transport and Communications Support, Industrial Relations and, most significantly for him, I think, Transport.

In this role, he oversaw the upgrade of some 16,000 kilometres of national highway. He reduced the Australian National Railways operating expenses by 50 per cent. He reformed the road freight industry.

He brought the then Commonwealth owned shipping line into profit for the first time in over a decade. And, when he eventually headed to the backbench, he showed how an elected member could keep making a real difference. As Chair of the House Standing Committee on Transport, Communications and Infrastructure, he delivered Ships of shame, the committee's seminal report into dangerous shipping practices.

Peter's preface to the report opens with a masterclass in how to get straight to the heart of a matter: This report is about a minority of ships, bad ships, ships that endanger the lives of those who serve on them. Ships that are the source of major risks to the marine environment and marine facilities of the nations they visit. Ships on which seafarers are abused and exploited by officers and management alike.

Ships that well deserve to be known as 'ships of shame'. Years later, when I had the privilege of serving as transport minister, I was blessed to have Peter as a source of sound and constructive advice, on shipping, aviation, regulatory reform and regional economic development. He was generous with his time and with his wisdom.

It's also worth noting, in a country with such a significant and celebrated Greek presence, that Peter was the first Australian of Greek heritage to become a government minister. His father, Jimmy Morris, was a migrant from the island of Symi, anglicising his name from Agapitos Montiadis and running a cafe in Newcastle. It was a heritage that Peter proudly carried, along with the spirit of hard work and aspiration with which his father had put down roots in his chosen land.

Peter's life was long and full, seized in all its opportunity and possibility by a man of compassion, empathy and humanity, a man guided at every step of the way by his Labor values, a man who wanted to make a difference for Shortland, for the Hunter and for Australians right across the continent and on the seas beyond. He was a great Novocastrian who gave our movement heart.

Now our hearts go out to his family, to all who loved him and to all whose lives were touched by his. May Peter Morris rest in peace.