The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (14:17): I also rise today to pay tribute to a predecessor of mine in the seat of Hartley, Terence Robert Groom, better known as Terry. I first met Terry while I did my GDLP placement at Camatta Lempens in about 2009. I acknowledge many of the lawyers who spent a fair bit of time at that particular firm where I certainly learnt a lot. I really enjoyed Terry's company during my time there.
Although on the opposite side to me, I always found Terry to be charming, charismatic, extremely hardworking and as sharp as a tack. Initially, as we have heard, he won the seat of Morphett in the western suburbs for a term ranging from 1977 to 1979, but he lost it when the Tonkin Liberal government came to power in 1979. He was then nominated for and won the seat of Hartley at the 1982 state election, as we have heard, which he then held for 11 years. I acknowledge in the gallery today former members for Hartley Grace Portolesi and Joe Scalzi, and also current Hartley resident former Labor MLC Mario Feleppa, who I know was a dear friend of his.
Terry remained the Labor member before moving to the crossbench as an Independent after losing his preselection attempt to switch seats. He served as primary industries minister and Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs in the early 1990s from the crossbench. I remember seeing Terry at many Italian events in the seat of Hartley, and many Italian people would refer to Terry and their long friendship with him over an extended period of time.
After politics, he continued with law firm Camatta Lempens and, after rejoining the Labor Party, assisted Grace in her campaigns in Hartley. He was certainly a great asset to the Australian Labor Party. Like everyone, I was very saddened to hear of his passing last week and I, too, would like to pass on my sincere condolences to Kay and his three adult children, as well to his extended family, and also to my predecessor, Grace Portolesi, who I know has lost a dear friend and mentor. He will be sorely missed.
