CONDOLENCES

Senator CAROL BROWN (Tasmania) (16:41): I wish to pay my tribute to Trish Crossin and to offer my condolences to her family and all those whose lives she touched. Trish served the people of the Northern Territory in this place for 15 years, from 1998 to 2013. She made history as the first woman to represent the Northern Territory in the Australian parliament, but Trish was never interested in history for its own sake.

What mattered was what she could do with the opportunity that she'd been given. She used her time in this place to stand up for people that too often went unheard. She was a strong voice, as we've heard here today, for First Nations communities, women workers, public education and people living in remote and regional Australia.

Before entering parliament, Trish was a teacher, and those years shaped her understanding of the Territory, her respect for Yolngu culture and language and her lifelong commitment to justice and reconciliation. In her first speech to the Senate, Trish thanked the Yolngu people in their own language. She made a public promise to work hard to represent them and to respect and acknowledge their rights, and she kept that promise.

She fought to protect bilingual education. She pushed for better health and education services. She supported early work for compensation for members of the Stolen Generations.

She spoke up for communities that were often a long way from Canberra but never far from her mind. Trish also brought to this place the values of the union movement. Before becoming a Senator, she worked as the industrial officer and as secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union in the Northern Territory.

She understood that secure work, fair pay and dignity at work can change lives. She never lost sight of why unions exist for the people they represent. Trish was a proud feminist.

She helped establish the Northern Territory Working Women's Centre and fought for reproductive rights, child care and greater equality for women. Indeed, Trish had pursued a relentless campaign on entering the Senate on the lack of childcare facilities in Parliament House and the barrier it presented to women's participation in politics. She said at the time: … it is unfortunate that there are no child-care facilities in this building … It may well be one of the reasons limiting the capacity of women to enter this arena.

She kept her promise, and 10 years later, when the childcare centre proposal was finally being approved, she reflected: From the moment I put those words down in Hansard, I decided that I would spend my time in this place developing a campaign and pushing for some recognition that a childcare centre would benefit … the many thousands of families, women and men, who work in this place— another successful Trish Crossin campaign.

Another proud moment, we've heard it here today, was when Trish co-sponsored the first marriage equality bill in the Senate, along with Gavin Marshall, Louise Pratt and myself. Working with Trish with on that bill and taking it through the Senate—unfortunately, unsuccessful at that time—was such an insight into the work of Senator Trish Crossin. She was just an amazing person with her support and her acknowledge.

She served as the deputy opposition whip and was a renowned chair of both the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Across those roles she brought discipline, courage and deep respect for the people affected by the decisions made there. I had the privilege of serving alongside Trish from the time I arrived in this place until the time she left the Senate in 2013.

To many Australians, Trish will rightly be remembered as a trailblazer, a fierce advocate for the Northern Territory and a proud champion of the causes she believed in. But those of us who worked with her will remember something else as well: her generosity, her friendship and her unwavering support for those around her. Trish was strong, determined, courageous and deeply intelligent.

She was never afraid to stand up for what she believed was right, and she approached every challenge with conviction and purpose. But she also brought warmth, humour and kindness to her work and her relationships. For many of us in the Labor family, Trish was someone you could always turn to.

She offered wise counsel, practical advice and steadfast support whenever it was needed. She understood that politics is ultimately about people, and she invested deeply in the people around her. She built lasting friendships throughout her parliamentary career, and I know that former senators Gavin Marshall, Claire Moore and Ruth Webber, among many others, will be mourning the loss of a dear friend.

The affection and respect they held for Trish reflects the esteem in which she was regarded by her colleagues. The Prime Minister described Trish as a 'trailblazer 'who served her community, the Labor Party and the parliament with 'strength, decency and pride', and that is a fitting tribute. As we heard, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy spoke about the wise counsel and support Trish offered after she entered this place.

That generosity was characteristic of Trish. She was always willing to share her experience, offer encouragement and help others find their way through what can often be a demanding and challenging environment. I also want to acknowledge in the chamber here today, Amanda Diprose.

Amanda was one of Trish's closest friends, and, in the days since her passing, she shared many stories around Trish's extraordinary generosity, loyalty and capacity to care for others. Through those stories and through my own experience of serving alongside Trish, I am reminded that her greatest legacy lies not only in what she achieved but in the lives she touched and the friendships she nurtured.

Amanda's presence here tonight, and the presence of so many others here and listening to this condolence motion, is a reminder that behind every parliamentary career is a life rich with friendship, shared experiences and cherished memories. Those personal connections are every bit as important as the public achievements. I also want to acknowledge the presence in the chamber of former senator Anne Urquhart, now the member for Braddon, who served alongside Trish from 2010 to 2013, and knew Trish as a colleague and a friend.

I know Anne has been feeling Trish's loss. After leaving the Senate, Trish continued to serve. She worked with the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and continued contributing to public and community life.

In 2023, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the Parliament of Australia and to the Northern Territory community. Her death was a terrible shock to all who knew her and loved her. To her husband, Mark; her children, Paul, Melinda, Amanda and Kate; her grandchildren; and her wider family, I offer my sincere condolences.

The Labor family has lost a cherished friend and comrade, and all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with Trish have lost someone whose wisdom, courage and generosity enriched our lives and made this parliament a better place. Vale, Trish Crossin.