Death of Honourable Joseph Henry Smith

DEATH OF HONOURABLE JOSEPH HENRY SMITH Tuesday, 20 April 1993 COUNCIL 239 Tuesday, 20 April 1993 member of the Labor Party, particularly in his local area of Seymour. 1 express the condolences of the coalition and the House, and 1 move this motion as a record of his The PRESIDENT (Hon. B. A. Chamberlain) took service. the chair at 2.32 p.m. and read the prayer. Hon. D. R. WHITE (Leader of the Opposition) - DEATH OF HONOURABLE JOSEPH 1 join with the Leader of the Government in HENRY SMITH supporting the condolence motion for the Honourable Joseph Henry Smith. Some years ago Hon. M. A. BIRRELL (Minister for Conservation Joseph Smith retired to Queensland, and for that and Environment) - I move: reason he was not known personally to current members of the Parliamentary Labor Party. That this House expresses its sincere sorrow at the However, 1 wish to place on record the fact that he death, on 2 April 1993, of the late Honourable Joseph served the Victorian party well as a member of Henry Smith, and places on record its acknowledgment Parliament between 1945 and 1947, when he lost his of the valuable services rendered by him to the seat in the bank nationalisation rift. He won the seat Parliament and the people of Victoria as member of the again in 1950; in 1952 he became Assistant Minister Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of of Lands and in 1953 he became Minister of Lands. Goulbum from 1945 to 1947 and from 1950 to 1955, Minister without Portfolio from 1952 to 1953 and Joseph Smith served Parliament well. From a Labor Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey, Minister of Party perspective it was no mean feat to win the seat Soldier Settlement and Minister for Conservation from of Goulbum in 1945, to win it again in 1950 and to 1953 to 1955. hold it in 1952. His political career was shortened by the split of 1955, the circumstances of which are well Joseph Smith was the honourable member for documented. It is important to place on record that Goulbum from 1945 to 1947 and had another period during the split Joseph Smith retained his allegiance of service from 1950 to 1955. He was also a Minister to the Australian Labor Party. Although he lost his of the Crown: first a Minister without Portfolio seat in 1955, he continued an active political career assisting the Minister of Lands, then Minister for in local organisations in the Seymour area as well as Conservation, and later Commissioner of Crown resuming his career as a farmer. Lands and Survey and Minister of Soldier Settlement through to 1955. On behalf of the oppOSition, and in conjunction with other members of the House, I express my Joseph Smith served in the capacity of Minister condolences to Joseph Smith's family and place on principally on issues of land management and land record our appreciation of his service to the people protection. The key issue at the time, which now of Victoria and to this Parliament. seems extremely dated but was of considerable significance then, was soldier settlement, established Honourable members - Hear, hear! for soldiers returning from war service. Hon. W. R. BAXTER (Minister for Roads and Before Joseph Smith became a member of Ports) -I want to associate my colleagues in the Parliament he was a farmer and engine driver; he National Party with the motion of condolence to worked on his family farm and as a part-time State mark the passing of the Honourable Joseph Smith. Electricity Commission employee. As Mr White explained, Mr Smith lived in Queensland in the latter years and was not known Mr Smith, like many others of his age and his time, personally to me or any of my colleagues. lost his main employment during the Depression. Nevertheless, it is clear from the inquiries 1 have Eventually he regained employment as a locomotive made that Joseph Smith had a somewhat interesting engine-driver and became Chairman of the Parliamentary career. He was elected to the new seat Australian Federated Union of Locomotive of Goulbum in 1945 in circumstances that are not Enginemen. After his Parliamentary service ended often remembered. The then sitting member for the he returned to being a farmer and served on a seat of Upper Goulbum, which was abolished by the number of State government authorities in his local 1945 redistribution, was E. J. Mackrell, a member of area. 1 understand that Mr Smith was an active the Country Party who was expelled for voting ADJOURNMENT 240 COUNCIL Tuesday. 20 April 1993 against his Premier in a no-confidence motion. Motion agreed to. Understandably that caused a deal of concern in the electorate. Mr Mackrell contested the new seat of House adjourned 2.42 p.m. Goulburn which was largely the same as the abolished seat of Upper Goulburn. The PRESIDENT took the chair at 3.32 p.m. It so happened that the other conservative contestant VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND was Mr Philip Sheppard Grimwade, who I TRAINING (COLLEGE EMPLOYMENT) understand was an uncle of our late President BILL Frederick Sheppard Grimwade. Mr Smith was able to secure election by the rather slim margin of Introduction and first reading 400 votes. Unfortunately in 1947 the result was reversed, with Mr Grimwade winning by 800 votes. Received from Assembly. However in 1950 Mr Smith was returned, again with a small margin of 500 votes and, as Mr White has Read first time on motion of Hon. HAD DON indicated, he consolidated that victory by winning STOREY (Minister for Tertiary Education and the next election with a margin of 3000 votes; Training). Mr Grimwade by then having given up and Mr Roberts contesting the election. Unfortunately the seat was abolished in 1955. I have QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE some sympathy for Mr Smith for winning the seat and then later seeing it abolished. Those of us who for one reason or another have had occasion to be in DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION and out of Parliament can feel for him in that AND NATURAL RESOURCES circumstance. Hon. B. T. PULLEN (Melbourne) - The Minister Mr Smith did not cease his service to the community for Conservation and Environment recently after he left Parliament in 1955: he served as a announced that the 1993-94 budget of the commissioner on the Seymour water trust; for some Department of Conservation and Natural Resources considerable time he was chairman of the Seymour would be $180 million, a reduction of about 10.5 per High School council; and he was also a member of cent. In view of the importance of the department the Seymour Hospital Board. providing a decentralised service in Victoria, will the Minister advise the House how many and at which It is commendable that, after leaving Parliament, locations regional offices will be closed as a result of Mr Smith, continued to make a significant the cuts? contribution to his community. Hon. M. A. BIRRELL (Minister for Conservation I wish, therefore, to associate the National Party and Environment) - No Minister on this side of the with this motion of condolence. House takes any pleasure from having to make Budget cuts, and the government regrets the Motion agreed to in silence, honourable members incompetence and dishonesty of its predecessors showing unanimous agreement by standing in that has forced it to do so. The cuts are unwelcome their places. and have not been sought by us. Nevertheless, a government that is attempting to do the right thing ADJOURNMENT must ensure that it can achieve the savings it is seeking to make. Hon. M. A. BIRRELL (Minister for Conservation and Environment) - I move: As to the issue of the regional offices, the Honourable Geoff Coleman, the Minister for Natural That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the Resources in the other place, and I inherited a late Honourable Joseph Henry Smith, the House do department with the majestic structure of 16 regions now adjourn until this day at 3.30 p.m. and 5 divisions. That structure was partially reviewed by the Land Conservation Council as part of the excellent work it carried out in giving advice on the establishment of a national parks service, something which the previous government had not QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Tuesday, 20 April 1993 COUNCIL 241 done but which this government is interested in Hon. R. M. HALLAM -Secondly, the doing, if it is achievable. government has ensured that rehabilitation providers will be made more accountable -- Under that review a number of people passed judgment on the need for such a massive structure. Hon. T. C. Theophanous interjected. The government believes there is no need for a structure comprising 16 regions and 5 divisions. In Hon. R. M. HALLAM - The government has the fullness of time the government hopes to reach a ensured that rehabilitation providers will be made conclusion on how many regions the department more accountable to those to whom they are needs to do what most people expect it to do: to providing services. I understand why those who deliver services at the mountain face and also in the have been involved in the process might be nervous. field. Some 90 applications for licences have been received. WORKCOVER Hon. T. C. Theophanous - How many? Hon. K. M. SMITH (South Eastern) - I ask the Hon. R. M. HALLAM - Some 90 applications for Minister for Local Government, who is the Minister licences have been received, so we are looking at responsible for WorkCover, to report to the House issuing something like four times the number of on the progress of the government's plans to licences tha t were issued under the previous improve the rehabilitation aspect of workers government.

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