Tuesday, 2 June 2026

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (12:33): I move:

That this house expresses its sincere sorrow at the death of the Honourable Robert Ian Knowles AO and places on record its acknowledgement of the valuable services rendered by him to the Parliament and the people of Victoria as member of the Legislative Council for the province of Ballarat from 1976 to 1999, Minister for Aged Care from 1992 to 1999, Minister for Health from 1996 to 1999 and Minister for Housing from 1992 to 1996.

I never had the chance to serve with Robert in this place, but he being from Ballarat and I from Bendigo – in regional Victoria you often know who is who. You know what people stand for, you know what people care about, you know who does the work for their community and who holds the respect of others. Robert Knowles was one of those people. I knew his reputation as a thoroughly good, kind and decent man, someone who cared about his community, someone who cared about regional Victoria and someone who believed public service was about doing the work.

Robert began his working life as a farmer. He later worked with the Rural Finance and Settlement Commission, helping country communities farm, build homes and build their businesses and futures. When he first entered this Parliament he spoke with so much pride about Ballarat, its history, its industries, its culture and the strength of its people.

He spoke about a perspective and a state that could not be understood from just sitting in Melbourne. That was something he carried with him – a belief that regional communities deserve to be seen, listened to and served properly. That belief shaped his contribution to public life. For 23 years Robert represented Ballarat Province in the Legislative Council. He served on committees in opposition and in government, and across housing, aged care and health, he worked in areas of government that touched people in important moments and in vulnerable moments in their lives. A home, care for an older parent, a hospital when someone is sick and support when life becomes hard – Robert understood those responsibilities. As health minister he helped drive changes in hospital care and home-based recovery. As aged care minister he worked in a portfolio that demanded patience, respect and dignity.

After leaving Parliament Robert continued serving and continued that determination to provide service to the public. His work continued in boardrooms, hospitals, schools, mental health organisations and community institutions. He served as chair of Mental Health Australia and the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia. He served with Beyond Blue, the Royal Children’s Hospital campus council and Ballarat Grammar. Those contributions and the wideranging organisations he was involved in say something about the kind of contribution Robert wanted to continue to make to the Victorian community – steady, practical and useful, the sort of work that helps systems improve and helps people get better care and support. Our government too recognised that dedication with his appointment as chair of Grampians Health, and that role brought together his experience in health, his love for regional Victoria and the Grampians region and his belief that good services matter no matter where you live. When I spoke to Robert’s son Bob after his father’s passing, he told me that his dad was continuing to chair a board meeting from his hospital bed in the final weeks of his life, and that shows the kind of commitment he had to his community, his position and, again, that service to the public.

Robert Knowles will be remembered by many as a man who gave a great deal to his state. On behalf of the government and Victorian community I extend our deepest condolences to Robert’s wife Carmel, his children, grandchildren and extended family, who mourn his loss, and to his friends and his former colleagues and those in the Ballarat region and across Victoria who knew and respected him. Vale, Robert Knowles.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (12:38): It is with a heavy heart that I join in supporting this condolence motion for the late Rob Knowles, who passed away on Wednesday 29 April 2026. Rob was well known to many on our side of politics. Most who knew him well will tell you that he was truly one of the finest men to devote their life to our cause and to the people of Victoria. He had a kind heart, an impressive intellect and a formidable work ethic. A genuinely funny man, he was both delightful company and a genuine reformer in his work as a minister.

Robert Ian Knowles was born in 1947, the son of Robert Joseph Knowles and Dulcie. He was born in Ballarat and attended Ballarat technical school. On leaving school he worked on the family property and then joined the Rural Finance and Settlement Commission from 1972 to 1976 as a loans officer.

From an early age he joined and became an active member of the Liberal Party. He served as chairman of the Ballarat federal electorate council from 1972 to 1976, on the state executive with the Victorian Young Liberals and as a member of the party’s state executive from 1973 to 1976. In 1976, at age 29, Rob was elected to the Legislative Council as a member for Ballarat Province. I note he was unusually young to be elected at that time, and clearly his impressive intellect and energy were already evident to those all around him. He served on various committees until his elevation to the front bench as shadow minister for the aged and for housing in 1991.

When the coalition won office in 1992, he became Minister for Housing and Minister for Aged Care. After the 1996 election he became Minister for Health and Minister for Aged Care and remained so until 1999.

Rob was an exemplary minister in all three portfolios. He was highly respected around the cabinet table and a close confidant of the Premier of the day. He had the respect too of his opposition, especially those who sat with him in the Legislative Council, and he had the respect of many, if not most, of the key stakeholder and advocacy groups in his portfolios. At a national level he was the leading minister in the national debates around the COAG ministerial tables. He was widely respected by all other ministers: federal and state, Labor and coalition. As health minister he shared many of the goals of his New South Wales Labor counterpart Craig Knowles. The descriptions of the two were simple: ‘blue Knowles’ and ‘red Knowles’. During this time the then federal minister for health Michael Wooldridge displayed the greatest respect for Rob, even through some tough Medicare agreement negotiations where state and territory ministers banded together to pick on the feds. Rob fought for a better deal for Victorians and worked across party lines to do so.

Rob was a reforming minister in all portfolios. I asked some of the senior public servants who worked for Rob to give me their thoughts about Rob as their minister. Rosemary Calder, a former senior state and federal public servant, said of Rob:

[QUOTE AWAITING VERIFICATION]

He must be acknowledged as a pre-eminent health and aged care minister who led changes and investments in Victorian services that established world-leading palliative care, rehabilitation and subacute health services, as well as reforming and modernising public sector residential aged care and the retention and rebuilding of rural health and aged care services. Those substantial changes are still providing Victorians with an unparalleled range of health care services for older people and those with chronic health conditions.

Tony Carr, a former director of housing policy in Victoria and later director of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, said:

[QUOTE AWAITING VERIFICATION]

Rob Knowles brought to the housing portfolio some very straightforward but important philosophical starting points that were to shape his success as Minister for Housing. First, he fully believed that secure housing was the very basis of economic opportunity, social cohesion and successful family life. Second, within the housing systems that operate in Australia, there is a group of people whose only real chance at success rests in an effective, efficient and responsive government public housing system.

Outside his ministerial roles and post-Parliament, Rob chose to continue his support and advocacy for better policy outcomes, particularly in the areas of aged care and health. Soon after leaving Parliament, he was appointed by the Howard government as the aged care complaints commissioner. This was the first of many appointments by governments of both persuasions at the federal and state level. He also took on a number of directorships in the charity and not-for-profit sectors.

I feel it is important to put on the record Rob’s diligent service beyond his time as a minister and a member of Parliament. In no particular order, and the list is not exhaustive, Rob served as commissioner of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, appointed by Prime Minister Rudd; director and deputy chair of Beyond Blue; an inaugural national mental health commissioner; chair of the Royal Children’s Hospital; chair of the Victorian Health Reform and Innovation Council; chair of Ballarat Grammar; director of DrinkWise; director of the Penington Institute; director at St John of God Health Care; director at Great Ocean Road Health; director at Silverchain health and aged care services; chair of Mental Health Australia; director at the Brotherhood of St Laurence; and most recently, chair of Grampians Health. This list will give members an appreciation of the breadth and depth of Rob’s contribution to public life.

It is an extraordinary reflection upon a man who never gave up a life of service, particularly for those who needed extra support and care. Many of these organisations have paid special tributes to Rob since his passing, but I want to mark the words of the chair of Beyond Blue and former Governor, the Honourable Linda Dessau, who said Rob was:

… a passionate champion of mental health reform, and a man who led with integrity and humanity.

…

He met every moment with wisdom and expertise built over decades in political and public life, but also the quiet steadiness of his other life as a farmer, father and grandfather – patient, grounded, and unflappable.

In 2007 Rob was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service of a high degree.

Over and above his contribution to public life, which I have just detailed, Rob was first and foremost a family man. Rob married his beautiful wife Carmel O’Rorke, and they were at all stages inseparable. Their children Edwina, Bob and George were truly central to Rob and Carmel, who worked hard to establish a loving and supportive family home. Members will appreciate how proud Rob was of his eight wonderful grandchildren. Despite his very busy life both in Parliament and post politics, Rob’s main focus was Carmel, the children and, more recently, his grandchildren. As a family they will take a great deal of time to recover from this loss, and I extend my love to them all.

Personally, I often think of Rob’s example when I reflect on the challenges of balancing the demands of a career in public life with the priorities of my own family. Rob’s family grounded him and were a guiding light and a moral compass throughout his career. It is a framework that served him well and one that I aim to emulate for as long as I serve in a public place. I also want to share with the house that I have a very personal connection to Rob. For seven years my father Ron Wilson was Rob’s chief of staff, first in the housing portfolio and then in health. Dad always describes those years as the best of his career and counted Rob amongst his closest friends. They went through so much together: the Longford gas disaster in 1998 and the impact that had on the energy supply for hospitals and other health services, the salmonella outbreak of 1997, the establishment of the metropolitan hospital networks and the implementation of new funding formulas. Particularly significant was the work Rob did to bring mental health into the mainstream of the health portfolio.

Dad’s view of Rob would be shared by so many. He was a man of great integrity. He was totally committed to making life better for every person, especially the vulnerable and the least advantaged. He was extraordinarily honest and transparent. Even those who did not support his side of politics had the greatest of respect for his abilities, his intelligence and his integrity. He was totally engaged in his portfolios and was determined to lead policy reform from the top down. He believed the role of the public service was to implement government policy, not to produce it. He would regularly return ministerial briefings from the department with a two-word annotation: ‘Try again.’

On a much lighter note, Rob had a great sense of humour. I can advise the house that on many Sundays when Dad went into the ministerial office to prepare with Rob for the week ahead, I would accompany him. I have a very vivid memory of playing one of my favourite games at the time with Rob. It was Blue Heelers, inspired by the TV show of that name, and probably the beginning of my deep respect for Victoria Police. I remember sitting in Rob’s ministerial office conducting a very serious interview with him, declaring him guilty and then duly arresting him at the end. Rob found the whole charade hilarious, and I can still remember the laugh lines on his face.

Vale, Rob Knowles, gentleman; devoted husband, father and grandfather; reformer; perennial advocate for those less fortunate; champion for Ballarat; Geelong Football Club tragic; and friend to so many. I am certain that great memories of this great man will endure here in Victoria.

 Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Leader of the House, Minister for Police, Minister for Community Safety, Minister for Victims, Minister for Racing) (12:48): I rise to join the condolence motion for the Honourable Robert Ian Knowles AO. In conversation with past colleagues of Rob’s, the recurring descriptions were ‘nice guy’, ‘decent’ and ‘honest’. A Ballarat local who retained lifelong friendships, his post-politics appointments were as a long-serving chair of the Royal Children’s Hospital between 2012 and 2022 and at Grampians Health as chair since 2024. There was recognition across different governments that he was a huge contributor who could be counted on to always put the health and wellbeing of patients, their families and staff first, come what may. Be under no illusions: to lead a place with the complexity and the need for deft handling of the RCH, loved by all Victorians, while managing myriad interests, aspirations, demands and expectations was something that Rob did with great respect, and his achievements there are very well recognised. His earlier work in the Rudd federal government’s health and hospitals commission in 2008 also speaks to his national influence on health, aged care and mental health policy.

Friends I spoke to also recalled his love for the family farm at Clarendon, where he continued his lifelong involvement. It is also a place that some said to me perhaps interrupted some of his aspirations as a younger person in his schooling and the like, but returning to the farm in Ballarat to work was fortunate for Victorians because it brought him to this place with the opportunity to be elected to Parliament, where he served for some 23½ years, from 1976 to 1999, and also as a minister across the health, housing and aged care portfolios from 1992 to 1999.

Personally, as Parliamentary Secretary for Health after the 2018 election, and during his time as the RCH chair, it was always good to come across Rob. He was generous with his time and his advice. There are some past members of this place that you are happy not to bump into, apparently, but Rob was never one of those people. Whether it was about health policy and the like or happenings at the Cattery, he was always happy to talk about them. Over the years he was someone you would always bump into at Kardinia Park, and he was always up for a conversation on September possibilities.

It has been remarked upon that there were – I think it is reasonable to touch on it – aspirations perhaps, but certainly plans in different ways, for Rob to join this place around 1999. I think it is still fair to say that there was significant regard from the leader of his party and others in his party for him, that there were perhaps considerations and musings on that. I know that the former Premier touched on that in some of his public commentary on the passing of Rob. But perhaps Parliament’s loss at that time was the broader community’s gain, given the significant contributions that he was able to make for so many decades – an acknowledgement of and testament to those achievements being his Order of Australia. He was a nice guy: decent, honest, and if I could add, selfless, jovial and good natured, and certainly generous with his time and his contributions to Victorians. My condolences to his family. Vale, Rob Knowles.

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (12:52): I rise on behalf of the Nationals to also pay tribute and extend our condolences on the passing of Robert Ian Knowles AO, a man who dedicated his life to public service in this state. In an article in the Herald Sun in 1999 Rob Knowles was asked to describe himself in a few words and he chose ‘ordinary, committed and honest’. I think that speaks volumes in itself. On his passing his Ballarat contemporary – part of the Ballarat mafia perhaps – Steve Bracks actually acknowledged Mr Knowles as ‘one of the good guys’. Indeed he said:

He was a great contributor to many governments over a long period of time and he’ll be sorely missed.

That says a lot about how Rob Knowles was seen across the parliamentary chamber.

Born on 4 July 1947, Rob Knowles leaves behind a legacy defined by service, leadership and an enduring commitment to both his local community and the people of Victoria, and as the Leader of the Opposition said, the underprivileged and vulnerable. He began his working life as a farmer at Clarendon in 1964 and also worked as a loans officer with the Rural Finance and Settlement Commission before entering public life in the Legislative Council as the member for Ballarat in 1976. Like the Premier, who did not serve with Rob, and I certainly did not either, I remember as a young WIN TV reporter in Ballarat in the 1990s coming across Rob. It does make us all feel a little bit older when we are acknowledging the passing of someone who we were working with in those days.

Throughout his time in Parliament Rob served in a range of senior roles, including as Minister for Housing, Minister for Health and Minister for Aged Care, portfolios that placed him at the centre of some of the most important social policy reforms and challenges of the time. As Minister for Health and Minister for Aged Care he was responsible for major reforms and decisions affecting hospitals, aged care services and broader health systems across Victoria, a role that he continued well after he finished in politics. To that extent, I was interested to note in the Ballarat Courier’s reporting of Mr Knowles’s death that former Premier Jeff Kennett said the following:

It is true to say that he probably had more influence on me, or I respected his advice more than any … of my very talented colleagues in government … and that was because he was firstly a listener, he was not excitable, and as a result of that, he was able to give very frank and thoughtful comment, suggestions, and, when necessary, criticism …

I think anyone who could give criticism, who could ensure that his view was listened to by Jeff Kennett, must have been a very special person indeed. As the Leader of the House indicated, and as Mr Kennett also acknowledged in the same article, Mr Knowles was his preferred successor and was set to join this place. We all know what happened, though, in 1999.

After leaving politics Mr Knowles continued his public life, as I said, and had a number of positions, including appointments by Labor governments. Most recently he had been chair of Grampians Health since 2024, but previous positions included commissioner of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission and the National Mental Health Commission and chair of the Victorian Health Innovation and Reform Council and the Royal Children’s Hospital board. He also served as a director on and chair of Ballarat Grammar school board and was made a life governor of the school in 2019 as acknowledgement of his contribution.

Across all of the roles that Rob Knowles worked in, he was recognised for his integrity, his calm judgement and his willingness to work constructively across sectors, across perspectives and across the aisles of politics. He understood that strong communities rely on strong institutions, and he dedicated his post-parliamentary life to strengthening those institutions. Those who worked with him described him as a man of decency, intellect and quiet determination – someone who led with principle rather than ego. His contribution to Victoria was not limited to one sector or one period of time but spanned all of those areas I mentioned: health, education, mental health, aged care and community services. On behalf of the Nationals, I extend my condolences to Carmel and his family – his children Edwina, Bob and George and eight grandchildren. Vale, Rob Knowles.

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (12:57): I rise to pay my condolences to the Honourable Robert Ian Knowles AO. A lot can be said about somebody that dedicates their whole life to service, to community, and we know as members of Parliament it is what we strive to do every day albeit in public office. We all get to attend a number of different funerals, and certainly attending Rob’s funeral and seeing how packed out it was, I saw people from all walks of life – former members of Parliament, former members of the various organisations that Rob worked with and certainly locals from Ballarat and throughout the region – all paying huge respect to a man that was really larger than life. But I think for me, leaving aside all of the accolades and the work that Rob did both in this place and beyond this place, the thing that really sticks with me is his family, because of the way that his family revered him and spoke of him. With all the life that he endured and the dedication he had to his political life, he always had time for his family, and he made that the centre in everything in his life. He married Carmel in 1982, almost in – well, it was in – the middle of an election period. He got married, and a lot of people said, ‘Well, what about the honeymoon?’ And Rob said, ‘No, look, I’m dedicated to this campaign,’ and he went off campaigning and said, ‘We’ll have our honeymoon at the end of the election period,’ which I am sure they did. The children – Edwina, Rob and George – just spoke so wonderfully about Rob; the grandchildren just sat there so attentively looking at those that spoke about their grandfather in their dedication to him.

The fact that Rob served in the portfolios of aged care, health and housing I think was absolutely true of him. If you are going to put somebody in certain portfolios that reflect you, I think they were absolutely perfect for Rob in that he was the person that had the biggest heart and had the biggest care in the world for others. Those portfolios suited him absolutely, and you can totally understand why at the end of Rob’s political life he decided to continue his work in those areas. Premier Jeff Kennett at the time said, and repeated in the service, that people contribute so much. And as much as Rob did for him – as the Leader of the Nationals said, as one of the most trusted individuals and most hardworking members of Parliament and as such a huge, huge achiever and contributor – it was said that his work after Parliament and the contributions he made were sometimes even more than those he made in the Parliament itself. I think that is something for us all to reflect on in terms of what we do in how we leave this place.

There were talks that 23 years is a long time as a member of Parliament. Both Jeff Kennett and Rob started at the Parliament and finished at the Parliament at the same time, but Rob was not intending to finish at that particular time.

Jacinta Allan interjected.

David SOUTHWICK: Let us stick with Rob, shall we, Premier? There were always bigger plans because of the great capacity that Rob had and the great leadership qualities that Rob had for him to take over afterwards. There was the idea of Rob to move from the upper house to the lower house, and unfortunately he did not retain his seat. As Jeff Kennett said at the funeral, he was not necessarily revered shortly after for the fact that he had encouraged him to move down to the lower house and he did not continue on his life in Parliament, but reflecting on what Jeff did for Rob, it was probably the best present he could have given him, because he got to continue on his life and contribute and change so many other people’s lives, particularly in health – what he did with the Royal Children’s Hospital, what he did with men’s health, what he did with Beyond Blue and in so many different areas, including working on reform in aged care. He was a Ballarat Grammar boy that left school at 15 to help work on the family farm but still went on in a leadership role serving at Ballarat Grammar.

Rob, there is no doubt, left this place in a much better place than he found it. His legacy will go on for generations and generations. We all thank Rob for his contribution. Vale, Rob Knowles.

 Matthew GUY (Bulleen) (13:02): I thank the house for its indulgence to say a few words on Rob Knowles. As a young 20-something Liberal Party member, I was lucky enough to work in the office of the Premier at the latter period of the first term of the Kennett government right until the end of the second term at the 1999 election, with a brief interlude to the federal scene. In that time I came to know many of the ministers in the government and of course get to know some better than others. Rob Knowles was a gentleman. He was self-effacing, he was kind and he was thoughtful. The character of someone is not defined by how they act when they win, it is defined by how they act when they do not. He was a gentleman the first time I met him, he was a gentleman as a minister to his staff and to those around him and he was a gentleman when he was unexpectedly defeated in 1999.

Since Rob’s passing I have spoken to a few people from that period of Liberal politics, and it is fair to say the consensus is that in the chaos of what was a reformist government, Rob was the voice of wisdom and restraint. I understand even Jeffrey admitted this in his eulogy. Premier Kennett never argued with Rob, as he would say, but Rob would make his feelings known directly and respectfully. When he spoke sternly it was like a principal or a parent giving you advice you knew had to be taken. For Jeffrey to know this vocal tone of Rob’s was not to be ignored said something. When Rob spoke it was with purpose and intent, and it was more often than not wise and considered.

He took on the health portfolio at a difficult time and settled it down. He was innovative. The first policy for carers in Australia was launched and enacted under his direction and watch as health minister. Telehealth came about in Victoria first and under Rob Knowles as its minister. At the time our opponents said it would ruin the fabric of the health system. Now it is considered fundamental to it, but Rob saw that about telehealth and knew it. He pressed on and introduced it, to latter national adoption from all sides.

The Kennett government is often referred to and judged as uber conservative in every way, and that is just not true. It was on social policy certainly not – in fact far from it. Rob Knowles was a key part of that direction, and in fact had Premier Kennett in lockstep with him on almost all of these reforms. It is why when he was out of politics he became the chair of the Brotherhood of St Laurence – not the likely step for a former Liberal minister. He was active with Beyond Blue and the Penington Institute, amongst others. He was committed to helping disadvantaged Victorians, whether in or out of politics, and was a fierce advocate for them. No wonder he was held in such high esteem in the community sector.

Premiers and their private officers can sometimes have wild ideas that the rest of the ministry holds their breath on when they find out about them. In the Kennett era those sent in to convey reality to us were usually Mark Birrell, Petro Georgiou or Rob Knowles. It is fair to say we never argued or debated any of them, particularly Petro Georgiou, when the reality checks came. But Rob, as opposed to Petro, had a calming and reassuring way of making the enthusiasm in level 1, 1 Treasury Place, see reason.

As I said earlier, Rob was a gentleman. His staff loved him, those around him respected him and the Liberal Party admired him. He was happy as the government’s deputy leader in the Legislative Council but was convinced to stand for the lower house at the 1999 election, a plan that did not pay off. Victoria then lost someone that would have been a magnificent premier, and had those circumstances gone differently, he would have been one. However, as I said, while he was defeated, so many other organisations then benefited from his wise counsel, his advice and his humble intelligence. Vale, Rob Knowles.

 Michael O’BRIEN (Malvern) (13:06): I rise to pay tribute to the Honourable Robert Ian Knowles AO, universally known as Rob. Rob Knowles’s background was not necessarily that of a typical Liberal, but in many ways he exemplified the very best of what the Liberal Party stands for. Rob’s dad Robert died while Rob was young, so he stepped up and helped to run the family farm. He attended Ballarat North Tech. He left school at year 10 but went on to complete matriculation himself.

Nothing was handed to Rob Knowles. He worked, and he worked to create opportunity. He farmed in Clarendon, south-east of Ballarat. It was, as one of his former colleagues described it, the less fashionable end of the Western District. Rob Knowles was certainly no landed grazier. He was a hard worker who threw himself into making the farming business a success. He had an appetite for learning and for discussing farming and the issues of the day, so he became very involved with the young farmers organisation and also the Young Liberals. He became known as a very strong debater and a strong advocate for agriculture. This brought him to the attention of some of the movers and shakers in the Wannon and Corangamite Liberals, and Rob went on to become chair of the Ballarat federal electorate council and was marked as a rising star. In his late 20s he was preselected and then elected to the Legislative Council to represent Ballarat province. There was another bright young MP who came into the Parliament at that election, a fellow by the name of Jeffrey Gibb Kennett. The two were to become very good friends and colleagues over their 23 years serving in this place together, and Jeff would play an important role in Rob’s ministerial career.

Rob was a great debater and a clear thinker. His Liberal colleague Haddon Storey always said that Rob would have made a very fine lawyer; I think it was meant as a compliment. While it took some 15 years for Rob to be elevated to the front bench, he was widely liked by colleagues across the Parliament. He took on the role of whip in the Council, where he was respected and praised for his organisational skills but also for the personal connection that he built with members across the chamber. In fact, being a country Liberal, Rob Knowles arguably did more than anyone to see the creation of the coalition between the Liberal Party and the Nationals. He was described by colleagues at the time as being the glue that kept the coalition together, because he was so well regarded by Nationals MPs. I think this was reflected by the number of Nationals who attended Rob’s state funeral. Rob was also highly respected by Labor MPs, as exemplified by Caroline Hogg’s attendance at Rob’s service.

Rob served as deputy leader in the other place and was shadow minister for the aged and housing in the lead-up to the 1992 election. After the election Rob was sworn in as Minister for Housing and Minister for Aged Care in his good friend Jeff Kennett’s government. After the 1996 election Rob relinquished the housing ministry for the health portfolio. Rob was an activist minister, a reforming minister, not just a manager. He stepped up because he cared deeply about the impact that better health and aged care policy would deliver for millions of Victorians. Strengthening palliative care, helping Victorians at their most vulnerable, was a landmark of Rob’s tenure in the health ministry, and everything he did was underlined by his decency and humanity. Former Treasurer Alan Stockdale regarded Rob as being one of the strength points of the whole coalition government over its seven-year term.

Just as Jeff Kennett entered Parliament with Rob, he may have had a hand in his departure from it. Jeff was very keen for Rob to move to the Legislative Assembly at the 1999 election and to run for the seat of Gisborne. But as history shows, that move was not a success, and so Rob Knowles’s parliamentary career came to an end after 23 years.

For many MPs that would have been a full stop on a significant career of service, but for Rob Knowles it was just the beginning. Rob took his experience and his passion for health and mental health to a large number of post-parliamentary roles, including, as we have heard, chairing the Royal Children’s Hospital board for a decade, serving as a board member and then deputy chair of Beyond Blue and serving in a myriad of other roles. For this lifetime of service Rob was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia in 2007.

My leader obviously has a keen eye for very good quotes, because she stole my thunder, but it does bear repeating. The current chair of Beyond Blue, the former Governor the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, said that Rob:

… met every moment with wisdom and expertise built over decades in political and public life, but also the quiet steadiness of his other life as a farmer, father and grandfather – patient, grounded, and unflappable.

The CEO of Beyond Blue Georgie Harman added:

Rob was a gentleman, in every sense of the word. How lucky we are to have known him.

From every personal dealing that I have been fortunate enough to have had with Rob, I can only agree – what a life, what a legacy, what a good and decent man. To Rob’s wife Carmel and to his children, grandchildren and many, many friends, we offer our heartfelt condolences. Vale, Rob Knowles.

 Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (13:11): I rise today to acknowledge the passing of the Honourable Rob Knowles AO and to recognise the lasting contribution he made to regional Victoria and communities through education and health, most recently with organisations in my own electorate such as Great Ocean Road Health and the nearby Grampians Health.

Rob represented a large part of Polwarth when first elected in 1976 up until boundary changes in 1984. In his maiden speech he spoke of one of the biggest local issues at the time in Polwarth, which was the need for a sustainable timber industry in the Otways region. I first came to know Rob Knowles as an aspiring political apparatchik, when I met with him before he appointed me to the then Colac District Hospital board in 1999. It was a wonderful opportunity for a 26-year-old, but it also reflected Rob’s reputation for supporting new ideas and thinking in an area entrenched by old ideas and practices. I lowered the average age by about 50, I think, at the time.

Rob was someone who understood country communities not just in theory but through lived experience. He knew that in places like Apollo Bay, Lorne, Colac and across the south-west, access to health care was not just about policy but about people, distance and trust in the local services. After his time in Parliament Rob did not step away from the commitment; instead he leaned into it through his work on regional health boards, including Great Ocean Road Health. He played a practical and hands-on role, ensuring that small coastal communities could continue to access high-quality local care.

It was interesting for me as the local state MP to watch him lead an amalgamation of two competing health services in Lorne and Apollo Bay, where he helped work a magic that few thought was possible, with the bringing together of Lorne Community Hospital and Otway Health. This amalgamation highlighted the respect on all sides of the debate that was held for Rob. Rob recognised that long-term sustainability required more than goodwill – it required strong governance, integration and planning. His contribution to the bringing together of services along the coast helped secure a future where health care could be delivered more effectively without losing the identity and connection that was so important to the local communities.

Those who worked with Rob often speak not just of his experience but of his approach. He listened, he mentored, he respected local knowledge and he made people feel that their voice mattered. Rob’s legacy is not just in reforms or structures but in the confidence that he helped build in the idea that people living outside metropolitan areas deserve the same quality of care and that it can be delivered in ways that reflect the character of those communities. On behalf of my Polwarth community I offer sincere condolences to Rob’s family. His contributions will not be forgotten. Vale, Rob Knowles.

Motion agreed to in silence, members showing unanimous agreement by standing in their places.