I rise to pay tribute to a great friend, the late Kevin James Andrews AM. Kevin was also a valued colleague. He was the former federal member for Menzies and a minister in both the Howard and Abbott governments. Kevin was principled and he was compassionate. I join my colleagues in conveying my deepest condolences to Margie, his five children and his family following Kevin’s very sad passing late last year. Kevin’s death is difficult to fathom. He was so full of life—a very young 69-year-old, super fit and able to ride a bike faster than men half his age, so his death did come as an enormous shock. Kevin was born in the country Victorian town of Sale in 1955 and, on completing his schooling, moved to Melbourne to pursue his law studies. His advocacy skills were first honed as an associate to Sir James Gobbo in the Supreme Court of Victoria and as a barrister at the Victorian Bar. He was always said to go far. From an early age, he also became known for his skills as a race caller, which, of course, entertained many people over many, many years.
Kevin served his community, the Liberal Party and his country for 31 years—a truly remarkable period of service. Bound by his love of family and his Catholic faith, he was a person of true conviction, who lived a life of service, dedicated to the best interests of Australia and Australians. I greatly admired and respected Kevin for his work as an MP, as a minister and, of course, as the highly respected Father of the House. Kevin’s ministerial appointments reflected the trust and faith which John Howard and Tony Abbott had in Kevin. His appointments included Minister for Ageing, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Minister for Social Services and Minister for Defence. He made a real difference, increasing access to aged-care beds, restoring the rule of law with the establishment of a construction industry watchdog, improving the character test in the Migration Act, reforming access to welfare payments and committing trips to fight the ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
As a backbencher, I worked closely with Kevin as Minister for Defence, when he drove such significant investment into Australia’s defence industry. I also worked closely with him as Chair of the joint select committee on the NDIS, which he undertook with such dignity and compassion. In February 2015, I vividly remember joining Kevin in Puckapunyal, where he announced a LAND 400 phase 2 tender. I was hoping he might have just cut to the chase and announced Geelong as the winning location, but that might have circumvented a few of the rules! But I did don a helmet and [inaudible] a gun and thought that, perhaps if I stayed close to Kevin, someday it would happen. He held a press conference, and I was just reflecting on his words. He said: ‘The first priority of a national government is the safety and security of its citizens, and the first responsibility, therefore, as defence minister is to ensure that our military forces have the capability to be able to maintain the safety and security of this nation and the people of Australia. Where it is consistent with that, we also wish to encourage Australian industry to participate in the requisite capability that we need as a nation.’ I am proud to say that Geelong eventually secured the LAND 400 phase 3 project along with the howitzer project which we committed to in 2019. Throughout that long journey, Kevin provided me with much support and encouragement.
Kevin’s leadership on opposing euthanasia and providing greater support for palliative care inspired so many Australians, including me. Kevin was a conviction politician. Agree or disagree, but you always knew where you stood with Kevin. He was no fence-sitter, and, in politics and public service, that is a trait to be much admired. In everything he did—the fiercest of political battles, the most difficult of decisions—Kevin undertook his work with dignity, decency and the strongest sense of duty. In paying tribute to Kevin, his former senior adviser, Anthony Moate, was moved to say, ‘I witnessed firsthand his commitment to serving the most vulnerable in the Australian community. Whether it was supporting the aged, the terminally ill or refugees escaping persecution, Kevin’s work was always marked by genuine compassion and an unwavering sense of justice. He also worked tirelessly to promote social cohesion, recognising the value of Australia’s multicultural society. He always treated his staff and those he encountered, on both sides of politics, with the utmost respect and dignity. ‘For Kevin, being a public servant was very much a vocation not as a member of the Public Service but as a servant of the public.’ They were the words of one of Kevin’s former senior advisers, Anthony Mote.
Kevin was a leading light of the Victorian Liberal Party, and his passing has left a very big hole in our lives. Kevin and I enjoyed many wonderful conversations. He was a man of great wisdom, calm reflection and quiet determination. A state funeral was held for Kevin at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne on 23 December 2024. Former Prime Minister of Australia the Hon. Tony Abbott AC shared words of remembrance on behalf of the Andrews family, noting most importantly Kevin’s love of his family. Tony Abbott said:
… for all his achievements on the national stage, it’s the family that Kevin and Margaret have built, inside their home – with five wonderful children and their spouses, and seven adored grandchildren – that will stand as his legacy, as much as anything he did in Canberra.
In the 2025 Australia Day honours, Kevin Andrews was posthumously appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to the Catholic Church and to the community. This was so well deserved. Kevin provided an example for us all. Vale, Kevin Andrews.