Dr Moses ‘Moss’ Cass
Mr CARROLL (Niddrie—Minister for Public Transport, Minister for Roads and Road Safety) (09:39): A radical, bearded intellectual was the very first elected Labor representative to the House of Representatives for Maribyrnong in 1969, and he was re-elected in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977 and 1980 before retiring prior to the general election in 1983. The Honourable Dr Moses Henry Cass, better known as Moss, is a giant of the Labor movement. Before entering Parliament he was a medical practitioner and a scientist at the Royal Children’s Hospital. He built our first heart-lung machine. He was the inaugural director of the Trade Union Clinic and Research Centre in Footscray in 1964. He transformed the trade union clinic into what was known as Western Region Health Centre and then Cohealth—what a legacy. But politics beckoned. Fifty years ago this year he was the first Minister for Environment and Conservation in the Whitlam government. He arguably instituted the environment protection act—our most important legislation. He laid the groundwork for the protection of Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef. As Minister for Media he helped build the Special Broadcasting Service, community radio and Triple J. He laid the foundations of the Australian Press Council, and before he departed he wanted to do a print edition of the ABC.
I had the great pleasure of attending his memorial with the current federal member for Maribyrnong, the member for Footscray and the member for Essendon. Moss Cass, for those who serve now you are an inspiration. You were honest and unguarded. You were regarded as not a politician’s politician and for those of us who now serve, you are an inspiration. Vale, Moss Cass.