Tuesday, 11 August 2026

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Premier) (12:05): I move:

That this house expresses its sincere sorrow at the death of the Honourable John Dyson Harrowfield 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 Assembly for the district of Mitcham from 1982 to 1992, Minister for Small Business from 1991 to 1992 and Minister for Finance from January to October 1992.

John Harrowfield served this Parliament for more than a decade, and when you read back through his first speech in this place you get a very sincere sense of the kind of person he was. John believed in the best of Labor values: fairness, dignity, opportunity and the simple idea that government should make people’s lives better. He was just 29 when he arrived here as the new member for Mitcham, the first Labor member to represent that community in almost three decades. From the beginning he was clear about why he was here. John said the election to Parliament was not an end in itself, it was a means to achieve something much more important: a better deal for people. And he meant it. In that first speech he talked about three groups he thought government needed to pay particular attention to: older Victorians, young people and families, people who could too easily be overlooked. John understood that dignity in old age was about more than money. It was about being able to see a doctor when you needed one, having decent public transport, having somewhere secure to live and knowing that after a lifetime of contributing your community would be there to look after you. As a local member John fought for better services for older people in Melbourne’s east, including the Eastern Suburbs Geriatric Centre. A few years later he was announcing major funding to get that centre staffed and operated, along with advocating and getting more support for the Maroondah Hospital. When John saw a problem, he fought for something better. More than that, he helped deliver something better. That was his approach to public life.

John brought the same outlook to economics. He certainly knew the numbers. He was an accountant and an economics tutor, served on Parliament’s economics committees and ultimately became Minister for Small Business and Minister for Finance. But he never forgot what those numbers actually represented. In his first speech John warned about economists who could be so absorbed in facts and figures that they forgot about the ordinary lives of the men and women of Victoria. That tells you a lot about the person John was. He understood the numbers, but he understood people mattered more. For John, a strong economy meant jobs. It meant small businesses being able to grow. It meant families having some security and young people having a bright future. John understood that public service was a privilege. He once described election to Parliament as the greatest honour a community could bestow upon one of its members. For more than 10 years John worked hard every day to repay that honour.

To John’s family, his brothers Ian and Barry, their wives Gillian and Jane, and John’s niece Emma, who are in the gallery today: know that John’s work mattered. His values mattered. John’s contribution will be remembered. On behalf of the government and this Parliament I extend our deepest condolences. Vale, John Harrowfield.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (12:09): I rise on behalf of the Liberal and Nationals coalition to pay our respects and add our condolences to this motion through which we mark the passing of John Dyson Harrowfield. John Harrowfield served in this chamber for a decade, between 1982 and 1992, as the member for Mitcham. He started his parliamentary career at the beginning of the Cain years and served as the Minister for Finance and Minister for Small Business under Premier Kirner. He was the youngest of three brothers. The Harrowfields lived in Balwyn, and John attended Deepdene Primary School – a terrific school, if I might say – before the family moved to Nunawading, attending Nunawading Primary School and then Mitcham High. He studied a bachelor of commerce at the University of Melbourne and went on to work at Price Waterhouse.

He was a devoted Labor man who served his party and his cause with distinction. He was a longstanding member of the Blackburn North Labor Party branch and its president from 1974 to 1979. He entered the Parliament alongside a number of other MPs who were swept into office at the start of John Cain’s premiership, including his close friend Neil Pope, the member for Monbulk. Speaking at his funeral last month, Neil said that John had four great loves: his family, the Richmond Tigers, the Labor Party and politics in general, and his beloved dog Ned, who was the brother of Neil’s own dog. Neil had this to say of his friend:

… John was a very serious politician. If John made a speech, you listened – no theatrics, lots of research. You’d know why the bill was being put forward. You’d know what it meant to the Labor government, because he did it so well. No-one researched better than John and spoke so well …

If any of those in the chamber find themselves with a moment to spare, I really do recommend watching the webcast of John’s funeral, which is available online, because Neil’s eulogy is deeply moving and paints a picture of a remarkable man truly committed to his Labor cause, beloved by his friends and family, with a dry wit and a gift for the written word. There is a rather hilarious retelling of the two of them making it back from a camping trip to be sworn in as ministers at Government House with only 2 minutes to spare, having only just managed to get changed out of their T-shirts and shorts and into their suits and ties. Sadly, I think these days none of us would get away with heading off to a remote camping trip just a few days before being sworn in. There is also quite a funny anecdote about an occasion when the two of them managed to meet Princess Margaret on the Isle of Man.

John had a great love for music and also became the family historian later in life. He self-published a family history entitled High Hopes and Hard Times: The Story of the Harrowfield Clan since James and Sarah Harrowfield Settled in South Australia in 1837. John loved his Labor Party, but he also loved politics generally and followed elections across the world with a very keen interest. He was a man who remained interested throughout his life in public policy and in politics and in how governments can make things better for the people they govern. It is fitting for us to pause and reflect today on the seriousness of purpose that John brought to his role as a parliamentarian. Neil had this to say of his dear friend:

At times shy and introverted but strong in his beliefs about things that really mattered. That’s why he was in politics.

Those of us who serve in this place could hope for no better than these words – to be remembered as strong in our beliefs about the things that matter, as having the privilege to serve our community in line with our sincerely held values. Political tides ebb and flow, but the friendships we forge in the fires of a political career endure, as do the legacies of parliamentary service. May John’s words and deeds be remembered in this place, and I pass on my condolences on behalf of the Liberal and Nationals to his family here today. Vale, John Harrowfield.

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

The SPEAKER: As a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Honourable John Dyson Harrowfield, the house will now adjourn for 1 hour.

House adjourned 12:15 pm.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER took the chair at 1:19 pm.