Tuesday, 4 February 2025

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:04): I move:

That this house expresses its sincere sorrow at the death on 23 November 2024 of the Honourable John Edward Delzoppo OAM and places on record its acknowledgement of the valuable services rendered by him to the Parliament and the people of Victoria as a member of the Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Narracan from 1982 to 1996 and as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1992 to 1996.

Just to make a few remarks to honour Mr Delzoppo on behalf of the government, of course we express our deepest condolences following his passing. He was a respected former member and Speaker in the other place, as foreshadowed in the motion. He served as shadow minister for several portfolios, including transport, local government, water resources and property and services, and he later extended his connection with the Parliament through his contribution to the Victorian Parliamentary Former Members Association, where he served as the president for over a decade. He also represented his community as a long-serving councillor and mayor for the Shire of Buln Buln. On behalf of government members we offer our sincerest condolences to his family, his friends and the broader community that do hold him in such high regard.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:06): I am honoured to rise on behalf of the Liberals and Nationals to support this condolence motion. John Delzoppo was somebody I knew. He was a very decent man, a very strong advocate I might say for Gippsland, a strong advocate for his local area and widely respected. He was very active in supporting bush nursing in his area and was a council member of the Victorian Bush Nursing Association. He was a councillor, as has been pointed out by the Leader of the Government, and was widely respected in that role. He was also a strong Anglican and actually had a lot to say about those matters as well. As the Leader of the Government has pointed out, his involvement with the Victorian Parliamentary Former Members Association is also very noteworthy, and he was Speaker, as has been outlined, between 1992 and 1996. He was a pharmacist by background. Liberals in particular, but Nationals I am sure too, have strong views about the passing of John Delzoppo. He was, as I said, a very strong advocate for his local area and respected widely throughout the party and in the Parliament.

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:07): I rise to add my voice to this motion about a wonderful life – a long life, a very long life, from 1931 to 2024 – with a rich history in Gippsland and a rich family history. To be married for 69 years is certainly an achievement in itself but also adds that layer of in-depth passion and concern for his family: Beth, their children Ian, Lindsay, Clare and Anne, their nine grandchildren and their seven great-grandchildren. I understand that he was called ‘Old Grandpa’. I think that is a wonderful term. I am a new grandma; I hope to be called ‘Old Grandma’ or ‘Old Nanna’ one day. I just want to put on record the Nationals’ respect for this gentleman. Being a pharmacist in Neerim South, a very small hamlet, these services are incredibly valuable to local people. Often when someone cannot get into a doctor, pharmacists become that very much valued information source and connection there as well. He was a councillor for the Shire of Buln Buln. I was there the other day, and they are beautiful hills, beautiful dairy-growing hills, beef-growing hills and of course potato-growing hills. Indeed there is the timber industry, which he was a strong advocate for. I also notice in his maiden speech, his inaugural speech, he criticised the government at the time for being city centric and noted the need for the freeway that we now call the Monash Freeway, which we use so much getting out to his electorate, which our current member Wayne Farnham now holds. Vale, John Delzoppo.

The PRESIDENT: I ask members to signify their assent to the motion by rising in their places for a minute’s silence.

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

The PRESIDENT: As a further mark of respect, the proceedings will be suspended for 1 hour.

Sitting suspended 12:11 pm until 1:14 pm.