2372 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Wednesday 27 September 2006 ______ ABSENCE OF MR SPEAKER The Clerk announced the absence of Mr Speaker. Mr Deputy-Speaker (The Hon. John Charles Price) took the chair at 10.00 a.m. Mr Deputy-Speaker offered the Prayer. Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I acknowledge the Gadigal clan of the Eora nation and its elders and thank them for their custodianship of this land. DEATH OF THE HONOURABLE ERIC LANCE BEDFORD, A FORMER MINISTER OF THE CROWN Mr GRANT McBRIDE (The Entrance—Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister for the Central Coast) [10.00 a.m.], by leave: I move: That this House extends to Mrs Bedford and her family the deep sympathy of the members of the Legislative Assembly in the loss sustained by the death on 8 July 2006 of the Hon. Eric Lance Bedford, a former Minister of the Crown. I acknowledge the presence in the visitors' gallery of Jo Bedford and other members of the Bedford family. Today I pay tribute to the late Hon. Eric Lance Bedford, who was born on 19 February 1928 at Concord and who sadly passed away on Saturday 8 July 2006, aged 78 years. Eric was born to Roy Oswald and Clara Rosalind Bedford and I understand his only sibling was a younger brother, Ross, who predeceased him. Eric lived a life of service to the people of New South Wales. He was a schoolteacher, in fact, the first schoolteacher to become a Labor Education Minister in this State. He subsequently served in the New South Wales Parliament from 24 February 1968 to 31 December 1985—17 years, 10 months and 8 days. Following his retirement from Parliament Eric continued to remain active. From 1986 to 1990 he chaired the Local Government Grants Commission, from 1988 to 1998 he was Chair of the Hastings Higher Education Association, and from 1996 to 2001 he was President of the Association of Former Members of the New South Wales Parliament. He also remained an active member of the New South Wales Geographical Society and the Australian Labor Party [ALP], to which in the year 2000 he was awarded life membership—the highest honour in the party. Such a life of service is not possible without family support, and I make special mention of Eric's wife, Jo Bedford. The two of them made a great team. Eric and Jo were married on 6 May 1950. They were fortunate to have three beautiful daughters, Robyn, Julie and Judy. Tragically, the Bedford family was struck by the sad and premature deaths of two daughters, leaving behind grandchildren on whom Eric and Jo have doted. For those who live on—wife Jo, daughter Judy, and the grandchildren, Dominique and Tamara, Nicole and James, Adam and Joel—the spirit of Eric continues to live on also. I first met Eric when I was a member of the Canley Vale branch of the ALP in Western Sydney. Eric was universally well liked and highly respected by all. He was a good-humoured, generous, open and engaging person. He was a talented politician and a worthy Minister holding the ministries of Education, Planning and Environment, Industry and Decentralisation, and Small Business and Technology in the Wran era. In fact, during the period when he was the Minister for Industry and Decentralisation, and Small Business and Technology, he gave me the tie I am wearing today. I found it quite moving when I put it on this morning. I have always kept the tie, and it has always been for me a memory of Eric. Eric was highly valued, well liked and respected by Premier Wran. Eric was someone I both admired and saw as a role model. Many others share my respect and admiration for Eric, and I invited some of those who attended Eric's funeral or provided tributes to have their words incorporated into today's condolence motion. The 27 September 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2373 claim is that Gough Whitlam recruited Eric back to the active list of the ALP and encouraged him to seek public office. In his letter to Jo, Gough Whitlam says in part: Our family and many thousands of families will remember Eric's contribution to their lives and grieve with you and your family at this time. From Neville Wran, I quote in part: Above all Eric Bedford's political life was characterised by his loyalty—his loyalty to the Labor Party, his loyalty to the Government in which he served, his loyalty to the leadership and his colleagues, to his family and most of all himself. Few men who have been elected to this chamber (the New South Wales Lower house) have left it with the respect and good will which Eric Bedford enjoyed. I repeat what Neville Wran said: Few men who have been elected to this chamber (the New South Wales Lower house) have left it with the respect and good will which Eric Bedford enjoyed. Terry Sheahan, a Wran Minister and mate of Eric's, delivered the official eulogy, in which he captured the virtues and the spirit of the man. Commenting on Eric's first speech—what used to be known as a maiden speech—on 21 August 1968, Terry says: A genuine inner spirituality also comes through in his sensitive account of the varying needs which his multicultural constituency faced in regard to places of worship and community support services. At one point in his speech he said, simply but emphatically: I consider it my duty to press relentlessly for the alleviation of the problem. And for the next 18 years on the back or on the front bench in Fairfield (1968-81) or Cabramatta (1981-85) he did just that. Janice Crosio, a former Wran Minister, Federal member and Mayor of Fairfield City, was Eric's next-door neighbour, so to speak, in the adjoining electorate. Janice was also part of the strong western Sydney Labor representation in the Wran era, many of whom came from a local government background, like George Pacullio, John Aquilina, Janice Crosio and Pam Allan. Janice says of Eric, simply but powerfully: Eric was a wonderful human being and a genuine Man of the People. Nick Lalich, the current Mayor of Fairfield City, a long-time friend and colleague of Eric's and a former pupil when Eric was a teacher at Liverpool Boys High, says in part: As far as a teacher goes, I remember Eric as a fairly hard teacher, but I felt he was very fair. I copped a lot of canning from Eric and probably deservedly so. Nick goes on: As a State Member he did a lot of work for Cabramatta and for the Fairfield community which we are indebted for. Greg Friedewald, Press Secretary to Eric from June 1980 to December 1985, says of Eric: First and foremost he was a wonderful person. As his Premier, Neville Wran said at his funeral he was probably too nice a bloke for the cut throat world of politics. Greg refers to Eric's achievements that are not well documented since his passing, namely his involvement in the Wran Government's environmental achievements: … saving of the forests, the move to lead free petrol, waste management and the management of critical national parks like Kosciusko and Lake Mungo. Eric's staff are acknowledged in Terry Sheahan's eulogy. I would like to conclude with an Eric story provided by his former press secretary Michael Ross, who worked for Eric between 1976 and 1980: Eric had two major dislikes: He hated queuing for food, and he hated dinner suits. He promised all of us when he retired, he would have a party we would all be invited to at Zanzibar, his retirement property at Logans Crossing, near Kendall (where he 2374 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 27 September 2006 proudly flew the State flag from a flag pole.) And, he would run his dinner suit up the flag pole, and salute it, and then bring it down and burn it in the open fire. And that he duly did! I am told that story is true. It says something of the character of Eric Bedford. I lay on the table for the information of members, as part of my comments today, the correspondence from Gough Whitlam and Neville Wran, the eulogy delivered by Terry Sheahan, which covers the life of Eric Bedford better than I could ever do, and the correspondence from Greg Friedewald, Eric's press secretary. Mr IAN ARMSTRONG (Lachlan) [10.13 a.m.]: I join the Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister for the Central Coast in extending my appreciation for the life of Eric Bedford, particularly in this place, and my sympathy to his wife, Muriel, and family. I think Mr Speaker, John Aquilina, and I are the only members of the current Parliament to have served with Eric Bedford. I came to this place in 1981, at which time Eric Bedford was Minister for Planning, and he then went on to become the Minister for Education after the next election. The Minister has outlined Eric Bedford's history in this place well, including some of the lighter side of Eric. He was a most pleasant man. He was one of the old school; there is no doubt about that. He played politics hard, but very professionally and with great sophistication. There was none of the pedestrian chitter-chatter nonsense, and so forth, that sometimes goes on in parliaments these days. Eric Bedford and his colleagues were tough debaters, they were good researchers, they were good thinkers, and they had a mission to be in this place because they respected very much their responsibilities in having been elected to the Parliament to achieve something on behalf of the people of New South Wales, and particularly those in their electorates.