LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Wednesday, 13 April 1994 ______ Mr Speaker (The Hon. Kevin Richard Rozzoli) took the chair at 2.15 p.m. Mr Speaker offered the Prayer. ELECTORAL DISTRICT OF PARRAMATTA Death of Andrew Charles Frederick Ziolkowski Mr Speaker reported the death on 12 April 1994 of Andrew Charles Frederick Ziolkowski, lately serving in this House as member for the electoral district of Parramatta. Vacant Seat Motion by Mr Fahey agreed to: That the seat of Andrew Charles Frederick Ziolkowski, member for the electoral district of Parramatta has become, and is now vacant, by reason of the death of the said Andrew Charles Frederick Ziolkowski. DEATH OF ANDREW CHARLES FREDERICK ZIOLKOWSKI, MEMBER FOR PARRAMATTA Mr FAHEY (Southern Highlands - Premier, and Minister for Economic Development) [2.15]: I move: (1) That this House desires to place on record its sense of the loss this State has sustained by the death of Andrew Charles Frederick Ziolkowski, Member for Parramatta. (2) That Mr Speaker convey to the family the deep sympathy of Members of the Legislative Assembly in the loss sustained. (3) That, as a mark of respect, this House do now adjourn until tomorrow at 9.00 a.m. It is with regret that I move this condolence motion to mark the passing of Andrew Ziolkowski, the honourable member for Parramatta, and to offer the deepest sympathy of the House to his family. The loss of the honourable member for Parramatta is a sad tragedy for Andrew Ziolkowski's wife, Gabrielle, his young son, Tristan, and his family. It comes at a very difficult time for Gabrielle and her brother, Steve Harrison, who is well known in the union movement, who also have suffered the loss of their grandparents this week. All members of the Parliament were deeply shocked when they heard of Andrew's death last night. The loss of someone so young from such a horrible disease always leaves an impact. From the time of the diagnosis of his illness right to the end, Andrew displayed fighting qualities against the odds. He was one of three children born to his Polish father and Australian mother. Andrew had such a bright future ahead of him as the newly elected member for Parramatta in 1991. He was always a Parramatta boy, growing up in the district and attending Parramatta Marist High, where he delighted in debating, rugby, rowing and athletics. Andrew's devotion to the area even saw him down at the local church hall calling housie-housie. He continued his involvement in the Parramatta area as a research officer for the former Federal member for Parramatta, John Brown, and at the Parramatta office of the Transport Workers Union. Andrew was always dedicated to his electorate. He worked hard for community groups and showed great commitment. He had the respect of the young and the old. In his maiden speech Andrew recognised the city of Parramatta as Sydney's second central business district and as the economic heart of Australia's third largest and fastest growing market. He observed both its proud history and its promising future. Andrew came to this Parliament after fighting a tough battle to regain the seat of Parramatta for the Labor Party after it was won by the Government in 1988. It was claimed in the media at the time that he won the seat against all expectations, and this was reflected in Andrew's maiden speech in this Chamber when he expressed strong feelings of pride, awe and an overwhelming sense of history at becoming a member of this Parliament. People such as Andrew are the lifeblood of politics. They represent the future of the parliamentary process - bringing fresh, young ideas to this place, which is often seen by outsiders as lacking in new thoughts, unable to react to a changing world and changed community expectations. He struggled to gain a place in the world, working his way towards a career in politics through the Australian Labor Party organisation in Parramatta and in the union movement. He graduated from Macquarie University, where he met his wife, Gabrielle. Andrew was a person of moderation who rejected communism and the politics of the hard Left. Both he and his wife were involved in the Young Labor movement and it was through his role as an organiser with the TWU that he became a fully-fledged member of the Labor Party. As Minister for Industrial Relations I was aware of Andrew's ongoing commitment to occupational health and safety issues developed during his period as safety officer for the TWU. For example, the honourable member for Parramatta was concerned with the safety of his members in the area, especially drivers working on asbestos disposal and their to fumigation gases from cargo containers. In Andrew's maiden speech he chose to make reference to the Government's major rewrite of the State's industrial relations laws. At the time of Andrew's election I was the person whose task it was to steer industrial relations reforms through the Parliament. I listened to his view that the measures would destroy the stability of the system in New South Wales and throw industry into Page 1109 chaos. Although his prediction has not eventuated, the passion and commitment with which Andrew held his beliefs was an indication of his strong background as a process worker and as a labourer, both at Alcan and BHP, and later as a research officer for the TWU. His youthful commitment and support for the causes he believed in are the mark of a politician with strength and dignity. As the Liberal Party and National Party have benefited, and always will benefit, from the contribution and ideals of our younger members of Parliament, so too has the Australian Labor Party benefited from the contribution of Andrew Ziolkowski. Elected at the age of 27 as one of the youngest members of the New South Wales Parliament, Andrew will be remembered by his parliamentary colleagues on all sides of this House. I express the condolences of the House, as well as my personal sympathy, to his wife, Gabrielle, his son, Tristan, his parents and his family. Mr CARR (Maroubra - Leader of the Opposition) [2.21]: All members of the Parliament today honour Andrew Ziolkowski while they grapple with the thoughts prompted by his death - the unfairness of this fate for a young man, his young wife and their seven-year-old son. We contemplate his potential, which will now never be fully known, his bravery and his optimism in the face of an unrelenting disease, and we say goodbye to one of Parramatta's finest. In July last year I took a phone call from a then 29-year-old Andrew telling me he had cancer. The diagnosis was a very rare form of cancer of the oesophagus. He spoke without a trace of self pity. He spoke in the voice of a young man puzzled by the fate that had overtaken him. His one priority, faced with the diagnosis, was to secure the financial future of Gabrielle and Tristan. Up till then I had known him as a colleague, the big, modest, rather quiet young bloke with the unpronounceable name that the party had endorsed in Parramatta five weeks before the 1991 election. He quickly proved a conscientious team player, always co-operative, always keen to do his best and, above all, totally dedicated to the people who elected him. Andrew was born in Forbes in 1963, the son of a Polish immigrant father. Before entering Parliament his working life represented a very traditional working-class background. He knew the struggles of ordinary workers from his time as a process worker at Alcan, Granville, and as a tradesman's assistant at the BHP steelworks, Wollongong. His time on the factory floor cemented a strong Labor consciousness. All these experiences led to his appointment as an occupational health and safety worker with the Transport Workers Union. Those who knew him then remember his devotion to the cause of workers' rights. This work, of course, was involved with the sometimes dangerous life of transport workers. A Transport Workers Union organiser had a hard and tough life. Andrew himself told the story of threats from employers. He said he carried a baseball bat in the boot of his car. Fortunately, he never had to use it; sometimes he had to refer to its presence. While at university he was heavily involved in student politics. He was a member of Macquarie University's Students' Council and a member of the council executive. He met Gabrielle, who was chairperson of the Students' Union, through their political involvement at university. Andrew was editor of the Macquarie University student newspaper Arena, while Gabrielle continued as the president of the Students' Union. I understand that his wife got a lot of coverage in the student paper. They were both very keenly involved in debates with the Left on the university campus. He was a committed athlete, concentrating on rowing. It is said that in 1986 members of a Nazi organisation, National Action, entered the Macquarie University campus. He believed they had no right to express their odious philosophy on campus. He organised and led a demonstration against the Nazis and he drove them off. One can only picture the fear that this giant of a young man would have inspired leading a group of student protesters chasing National Action from the campus. The Premier has referred to Andrew's maiden speech, which evinced his pride in becoming a member of Parliament and his strong sense of history.