Page 1857 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 17 June 2008
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Overall, my experience with Trevor has always been good. I never regarded myself as a close personal friend, but certainly I regarded him as a respected acquaintance, somebody who I could always get along with and somebody who, for all of the time that I was in touch with him and had conversations with him, was always most courteous. He was a respected member of this place.
I did regret his becoming ill, because I knew that would be a battle for him. From what I have heard, he coped with that as best you could. When someone passes, of course, you always reflect on the contributions that people have made and you also reflect on the trials that led up to the passing and how that affects the family.
I would like to conclude by offering my condolences to his broad family, because he had many family connections. I met many of his friends after the church service, and they had a great deal of respect for him too. It is always sad to see somebody like Trevor pass; a person who has made a contribution to public life in this place that ought never be forgotten. I trust that it will not be, because it was a worthwhile contribution which affects the lifestyle of people in this place and will continue to do so for many long years ahead. Vale, Trevor Kaine.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (11.21): I would like first and foremost to thank the Chief Minister for bringing on this motion today. I know that the Chief Minister and Trevor, as the years passed, had a great friendship. I also note that the words of the Deputy Chief Minister, delivered at the funeral, were well received by all.
I also congratulate those that organised the state funeral. It is a shame that in the last couple of years we have had a number of these, but it is a sign of the length of time that the Assembly has been in place. Well done in particular to whoever selected Highland Cathedral as the opening bagpipe piece. I think Trevor would have smiled quite warmly.
I also think Trevor would have been quite amused at who turned up and sat there and gave honour to his life by their presence. I think at heart Trevor always had a wry grin, whether he showed a straight face or a broad laugh. He had an interesting view on life and was not afraid to express it.
I start by extending my condolences to the three families that he had and cared for, all in his own special way. Like Mr Corbell, I learned a lot from Mr Kaine. At one stage, as the new urban services minister, I sat in front of him. It was a case of the old urban services minister looking over the shoulder of the new urban services minister. I got tips and support—I think it was support. I remember making a comment one day about sitting at the feet of the master and he chuckled. I never worked out what that chuckle was about. Wayne has commented about Trevor’s humour. Having been the butt of that humour, I can confirm that Trevor certainly had humour. It really was one of the defining things about Trevor.
I have spoken to Trevor’s family, his friends and his colleagues and prepared a distillation of their thoughts. On their behalf I will now say that Trevor’s life was as wide and as deep as it was long. It started in the picturesque folding landscape of rural Tasmania on his parents’ farm, crossed Bass Strait to rural Victoria and later moved to Melbourne.
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