Overview
- The former Queensland senator died overnight at his Brisbane home with family, according to colleagues sharing condolences on Tuesday.
- He served in the Senate from 1983 to 2014, led the Nationals in the chamber for nearly two decades, and became Father of the Senate in 2008.
- In his valedictory, he described the 2001 campaign against Pauline Hanson and One Nation as “the fight of my life” and his greatest political achievement.
- An advocate for rural and small‑business interests, he cited improvements in bush telecommunications as a career highlight when he retired.
- Tributes from figures including Matt Canavan and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley praised his conviction and service, with Canavan noting his devotion to daughter Cathy and his reunion in death with his late wife Leita and son Stephen.