CONDOLENCES
Senator POLLEY (Tasmania) (16:12): I too rise to pay tribute to the life and service of Father Michael Tate AO. I do that today on behalf of the Tasmanian Labor Senate team and, I'm sure, on behalf of those who serve in the other place, who I'm sure have reflected on the loss felt not only by Michael's family and friends—Richard and those who are here in the gallery today—but the length and breadth of Tasmania and beyond.
As a Catholic, I also want to extend my condolences not only to his family but to his fellow priests, to his parishioners and to the many, many Tasmanians whose lives he touched, whether that was as a priest or as a senator representing our great state of Tasmania. What an extraordinary life—he led a very full life, something that we commit to do, but very few of us really reach the pinnacle of what Michael Tate did.
His life was shaped by faith, intellect, public duty and a steadfast commitment to the dignity of every person. His passing is a profound loss to our state, our nation, the Australian labour movement and the Catholic Church. Michael first served the community through the law and public life.
After graduating from the University of Tasmania with first-class honours in law, he lectured at the university and became the dean of the faculty of law. Elected as a Labor Senator for Tasmania in 1977, he served in the Senate from 1978 until 1993. He brought to the parliament a formidable legal mind and a strong social conscience, something that is missing in this place at this time, I believe.
He had such a strong conviction that public office must always be directed towards the common good. In government, Michael held a succession of significant responsibilities. He served as Special Minister of State, Parliamentary Secretary for Justice, Minister for Justice, Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs.
Across the great years of the Hawke and Keating governments, he helped advance important national reforms. He played a key role in establishing the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and initiated a national review of gun control laws, work reflecting his concerns for justice, safety and accountability of government. Michael's service continued beyond parliament.
In 1994 he was appointed the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See and to the Netherlands, representing our country with intelligence, judgement and dignity. In 1996 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service. Later, in 2010, he became Tasmania's first Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
In each role, he understood that institutions earn public trust only when those within them act with honesty, humility and respect. Yet Michael's public career was only one expression of a deeper vocation. After completing his diplomatic service, he answered the call to the priesthood.
As we've heard, that was something that was with him from childhood. I, at one time, wanted to be a nun and join the silent order. I think my colleagues would say that I was totally unsuited for that role!
He was ordained by the Archbishop, Adrian Doyle, at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Hobart on 19 May 2000. Over the following 26 years, he served faithfully as a parish priest at Bridgewater-Brighton, Sandy Bay, the Huon Valley and South Hobart. Within the Archdiocese of Hobart, he also served as a consultor, a member of the council of priests and, for a time, as Vicar General.
Father Michael was a very generous and very faithful pastor. He listened carefully, he spoke plainly and he never lost sight of the person before him. His ministry reached beyond church walls into homes, hospitals and moments of grief, uncertainty and celebration.
He founded the Way to St James Cygnet pilgrimage, creating a tradition of faith, reflection and fellowship in the Huon Valley. Whether offering spiritual guidance, encouraging a parishioner or contributing to public debate, he combined moral clarity with genuine, honest compassion. I was privileged to consider Michael a friend, and I valued his counsel, his warmth and his willingness to engage seriously with the difficult questions of our time.
He was a person of great integrity and principled character. His convictions were deeply held, never shallow or performative. They were tested through study, prayer and service.
He could be direct, and he could be challenging, but he was also generous in spirit. You always knew that Michael's words came from conscience and from a sincere desire to serve others. Father Michael Tate lived many lives in one: scholar, senator, minister, diplomat, priest, mentor and friend.
And of course he was a brother and a son. Yet a single thread ran through them all, and that was service. He believed that faith required action, that justice demanded courage and that leadership carried an obligation to others.
I know Tasmania is richer for his contribution and poorer for his passing. I only hope that his example continues to inspire all who serve in public life and in the church, and I once again offer my heartfelt condolences to all of those who loved him. But I also want to remind people that he was still very much a human being.
I was invited down to my very first lunch with Archbishop Doyle in Hobart, and Michael was there, and I think it was probably to help build that bridge between another very young, inexperienced senator and the archbishop. It was a very enjoyable lunch until Michael said to me, 'Now, Helen, don't you love the power?' and I said, 'I'm sorry?' He said, 'Helen, the thing I miss most is the power that I had,' and I said, 'But, Father, you have more power now than any senator or minister will ever have.
He never, ever forgot where he came from. He always was there to give advice, and the thing that has continued to impress me is the time that he spent with many young Labor Catholics who at times may have lost their way and were having difficulties. He was there.
He was also there to challenge them and to ensure that their beliefs were their core values that we as Catholics live by each and every day. I will miss him. I know many people who relied on his counsel will miss him.
May he rest in peace. I thank him again for his service.