Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 24 AUGUST 1988 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Motion of Condolence 24 August 1988 WEDNESDAY, 24 AUGUST 1988 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. L. W. Powell, Isis) read prayers and took the chair at 2.30 p.m. MOTION OF CONDOLENCE Death of Mr F. P. Bromley Hon. M. J. AHERN (Landsborough—Premier and Treasurer and Minister for the Arts) (2.31 p.m.), by leave, without notice: I move— "(1) That this House desires to place on record its appreciation of the services rendered to this State by the late Fred Phillip Bromley, a former member of the Parliament of Queensland. (2) That Mr Speaker be requested to convey to the family of the deceased gentleman the above resolution, together with an expression of the sympathy and sorrow of the members of the Parliament of Queensland in the loss they have sustained." Fred Phillip Bromley served the people of Queensland as a member of this House for more than 14 years. I knew him well. He entered Parliament in May 1960 as member for the then seat of Norman, and from 1972 represented the seat of South Brisbane until his defeat in the December 1974 election. Fred Bromley was bom in Nottingham, England, in May 1917 and arrived in Queensland with his family two years later. He was educated at Toowong State School and Brisbane Technical College, and became a dental technician. In World War II he served as a corporal in the 2/1st Australian Dental Unit. On return to civilian life, he played an outstanding role in trade union and community affairs. He served on the executive of the Federated Miscellaneous Workers Union, and was a State councillor and Federal delegate. He was a court advocate for the union, and delegate to the trade union congress. He was a life member of the Dental Technicians Association—in this place he made long speeches on the registration of dental technicians— and a member of the Group Apprenticeship Committee. As a member of the ALP, he was secretary of the Buranda branch from 1956 until 1974, and had extensive experience in directing State and Federal election campaigns. He was a delegate to both the Labor-in-Politics Convention and the Queensland Central Executive of the Labor Party. In addition to the significant contributions he made to his party and to the proceedings of this House, Fred Bromley will long be remembered for his selfless dedication to improving the lot of the less-fortunate members of our society. He was a founder member of the Subnormal Children's Association, and a tireless worker for the Narbethong Welfare Association. He was also patron of the South Brisbane RSL, and a subpatron of the totally and permanently incapacitated servicemen's movement; he was on the Queensland advisory board of the Salvation Army; he was an executive delegate to the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade, a trustee of the Woolloongabba Senior Citizens Association, an executive member of the Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School and a vice-president of the Equal Opportunity for Women Association. In the field of education, he was president of the Coorparoo State High School P. and C. Association, and he had many long and valuable associations with sporting groups and conservation movements, including the Eraser Island Defence Organisation. Fred Bromley was a man of high principle who believed passionately in service before self His record speaks for itself 8 24 August 1988 Motion of Condolence On behalf of the Queensland Government and all honourable members, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Hon. W. A. M. GUNN (Somerset—Deputy Premier, Minister for Public Works, Main Roads and Expo and Minister for Police) (2.35 p.m.): I second the motion moved by the Premier to express sympathy to the widow and family of the late Fred Phillip Bromley. Mr Bromley, who was born in Nottingham, England in 1917, came to Australia with his family as a four-year-old child. During World War II he enlisted in the army and saw service overseas. As a young man, he was keen on sport and played competition cricket and table tennis. After his marriage, he was encouraged by his brother-in-law to take an interest in boxing, and regularly attended the Friday night fights at the old Albert Street stadium, at times helping out with the boxers. Mr Bromley's involvement with the trade union movement and his interest in helping other people led to his nomination for the old electorate of Norman in 1959. His unbroken record as State member for Norman and later South Brisbane testified to the dedicated service he gave to the people of Queensland generally, and particularly to those in the electorates he represented. Mr Bromley was one of the early advocates of equal opportunities for women and was actively involved with the campaign for the removal of restrictions on the employ­ ment of married women in the Commonwealth public service. He also lobbied strongly on trade union matters, the need for preventive medicine, road safety, pre-school education and after-school care for children. He was honoured with life membership by the Dental Technicians Association, the Miscellaneous Workers Union, his local branch of the Australian Labor Party and the Narbethong Welfare Association, of which he was a past president. For his services to the community, particularly in the welfare of disabled people, Mr Bromley was awarded the Order of Australia in 1984. I had the pleasure of serving with Mr Bromley during his final term in Parliament and respected him as a straigfit-talking politician who was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in. Mr Bromley was strongly supported in his career by his loving and caring wife. Beryl. I join with the Premier in extending condolences to her and other members of his family. Mr GOSS (Logan—Leader of the Opposition) (2.37 p.m.): Fred Bromley's career of almost 15 years in State Parliament preceded my entry to this House by almost a decade, but my parliamentary colleagues who served with Fred say that he was the epitome of the local member. He was first elected, as we have been told, in 1960 as the Labor member for Norman. Of course, he was a worthy candidate for that seat, and he was very fortunate to be assisted by an outstanding campaign director by the name of Burns. Mr Bromley held that seat at subsequent elections and, as we have also been told, became the member for South Brisbane in the 1972 election. He represented that electorate until he was defeated in the 1974 election. Those who served and worked with Fred Bromley say that he had great pride in his association with local community groups and with local people. He was active in numerous service organisations, sporting clubs and conservation groups. As an ex- serviceman himself, Mr Bromley took a keen interest in his role as patron of the South Brisbane RSL and his involvement with the TPI Association. He was a founding member of the Queensland Subnormal Children's Association, an executive member, as the Premier said, of the Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School, vice president of the Equal Opportunity for Women Association, and a member of the Eraser Island Defence Organisation, to name just a few of the many community organisations in which he was involved. My colleagues also tell me that his interest in such groups was evidenced by and consistent with his true grassroots style of politics and the way in which he made his way around his electorate. He canvassed that electorate extremely well and was a keen advocate of knocking on doors. He had a genuine touch, which was entrenched and contmued by the way in which he served his electorate. I am told that his caUing- cards carried recipes on the back of them for some of Fred's favourite dishes. Motion of Condolence 24 August 1988 9 Fred trained as a dental technician and was active in the Miscellaneous Workers Union. He served in various elected positions at both the State and Federal level of the Miscellaneous Workers Union and was at one time an industrial advocate for the union. He had a long and active involvement in the Labor Party prior to his election in 1960. As I said, he was a politician who had, and also maintained, the common touch. On behalf of the parliamentary Labor Party, I join in this condolence motion and pass on to Fred's widow. Beryl, and his family our sympathy. Mr INNES (Sherwood—Leader of the Liberal Party) (2.40 p.m.): I wish to place on record the condolences of members of the Liberal Party with the family of Fred Bromley. I knew Fred Bromley only from the annual parliamentary lunches. Some of my colleagues, of course, remember him as a parliamentary colleague. I will not repeat the recitation of his achievements—they are on the record—and, of course, members of his party can speak best about his contribution. However, the members of my party remember him not just as a hail-fellow-well-met person but as good company. He certainly travelled with one of the members of my party as members of an overseas delegation. Fred Bromley was a trenchant and persistent person in his own electorate. It is obvious, from his record and from the contributions he made, that he was a very good member. No doubt his skill as an advocate placed him in a situation in which, it is recalled, he could give and take interjections in good humour; in the spirit of the joust.