It was with deep sadness that I heard the news of the passing of my friend, Bill Hayden.
Bill Hayden was a Labor Party giant who epitomised, espoused, and lived by true Labor morals and values.
First as a police officer, then Member of Parliament, he dedicated his life to community, public service, and the electorate of Oxley he served for 27 years.
Bill rose from humble beginnings to become Treasurer and Minister for Social Security, in the Whitlam Cabinet, overseeing some of the nation’s biggest social reforms.
Introducing the single mother’s pension and Australia’s first universal health insurance scheme, Medibank.
He was Opposition Leader, then Foreign Affairs Minister under Prime Minister Hawke, and later, Governor-General from 1989-95.
Bill Hayden was revered in the Labor movement and Queensland generally.
I extend our government’s sympathy and support to wife, Dallas, and the Hayden family.
