Death of trailblazer Newman

JOCELYN MARGARET NEWMAN: JULY 1937 — APRIL 2018

FORMER Tasmanian senator Jocelyn Newman has been lauded for her “vision and energy” after dying at age 80.

The respected ex-Tasmanian senator succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease at an aged care facility at Berry, NSW.

The mother of former Queensland premier Campbell Newman and widow of former Bass MP Kevin Newman, Mrs Newman was legendary in her contribution to the state and country, say political peers.

AT the height of her political career, Jocelyn Newman was described as the most powerful woman in Australia and the “Minister for Courage”.

She overcame two major cancer operations and the death of her husband, Kevin, to preside over the federal government’s biggest spending department, Family and Community Services, and major changes to the welfare system.

Jocelyn Margaret Newman, who died on Easter Sunday following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, was born in Melbourne on July 8, 1937. She graduated in law from the University of Melbourne.

At the age of 24 she married Kevin Newman, a young army officer she met on a blind date at an army dance. They had two children, Campbell and Kate.

Kevin Newman entered federal politics in 1975 when he won the Bass by-election with a 17 per cent swing, a watershed result that presaged the Liberals’ return to power under Malcolm Fraser.

During her life as an army and politician wife, Jocelyn was largely a stay-at-home mother who still, at various times, worked as a lawyer, farmer and boutique hotelier.

Kevin Newman left politics in 1984 and two years later Jocelyn became a senator. Within two years she was in the shadow ministry as defence science and personnel spokesperson, a position she used to champion better conditions for service men and women.

In 1993, she went into shadow Cabinet as spokesman for family and health.

That year she had an operation for uterine cancer.

A year later she found she had breast cancer.

She was the social security minister from 1996 to 1998 and then from 1998 to 2001 she was the Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the status of women.

She resigned from Parliament in February 2002.

It was the massive, sprawling $55 billion a year Family and Community Services portfolio that consumed Newman’s attention.

She oversaw the establishment of a corporatised Centrelink, which took over responsibility for paying all federal government pensions, benefits and allowances and affected the lives of more than 6 million Australians, with its myriad teething problems.

Liberal senator Eric Abetz said he was saddened by the loss of Mrs Newman.

“The Newman team of Jocelyn and Kevin was legendary in their contribution for Tasmania and between both of them serving in the Federal Parliament for a quarter of the century,” he said.

“Jocelyn was an army wife, a mother, a women’s shelter pioneer, a farmer, a tourism operator, a senator and a Cabinet minister. She was renowned for her strength, resilience, vision and energy — along with a sense of humour.

Senator Abetz said Senator Newman had championed the Bass Strait passenger vehicle equalisation scheme as well as several world-leading welfare reforms.

“Indeed, she is still regarded as one of the most competent and capable social services ministers in Australian history, having continuously served in the role for five years,” he said.

“Her leadership of the Tasmanian Liberal Senate team over a number of years displayed her competence from which many of us learned,” Senator Abetz said.

Premier Will Hodgman said Mrs Newman was “a trailblazer for women in the Liberal Party and our nation’s Parliament”.

“Strong, smart and so committed to making a positive difference in our community. My thoughts are with the Newman family,” he said.

Liberal president Geoff Page said the Tasmanian Liberal family was saddened by the news of her death.

“First becoming known to many Tasmanians as the wife of Kevin Newman, the then-member for Bass, Jocelyn forged her own highly successful career,” he said.

“Jocelyn served in the Australian Senate for 16 years in numerous roles, including as a senior minister in the Howard government and was always a fierce advocate for Tasmania.

“As a Cabinet minister, she championed the Bass Strait passenger equalisation scheme, in addition to world-leading welfare reforms. In her five years as social services minister, she built a reputation as a very competent member of the Howard Cabinet.

“Our thoughts are with Campbell, Kate Roff (nee Newman) and the whole Newman family at this time.”

Senator Abetz said her 16 years of dedicated service in Parliament served as an enduring inspiration to all Tasmanians.

“In particular, she will go down in history alongside Dame Enid Lyons as one of the great female trailblazers in our democracy,” he said.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman characterised his mother as not only a “true feminist” but also as an army wife, mother, grandmother, lawyer, farmer, hotelier, community volunteer, women’s advocate, senator and Cabinet minister.

Early in 2001 she stepped down from the ministry, finally quitting politics the following year.

She had had more health problems in the preceding year. But the biggest blow was her husband’s sudden death in 1999.

Their marriage, she’d said, was “a terrific love affair which endured for almost 40 years”.

She is still regarded as one of the most competent and capable social services ministers in Australian history

SENATOR ERIC ABETZ