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‘Father’ Fraser farewelled in state funeral

Mar 27, 2015
Members of the Vietnamese community in front of Scots' Church ahead of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser's funeral in Melbourne. Photo: AAP

Members of the Vietnamese community in front of Scots' Church ahead of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser's funeral in Melbourne. Photo: AAP

Mourners at a Melbourne state funeral for former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser have heard he was always thoughtful, resilient and passionate.

Fraser’s son Hugh said his father was a global man, who cared deeply about current events.

“Somewhere during his formative years, he developed an unwavering certitude, a resilience, a belief in the power of one,” he said.

“There were no days in his life where he woke and ceased to care about current affairs.

“His sense of responsibility endured to the end.”

Hugh Fraser observed that only last week his father had shared his views on successful leaders and governments.

“Good governance comes from good judgment, good judgment comes from experience,” he said.

Family friend Peter Nixon said in his eulogy it was clear from the beginning the Liberal patrician was bound up in his work.

Nixon, a former leader of the Nationals and a minister under Fraser, started working with him in 1961 when they were both federal backbenchers.

“From the start it was apparent to me that Malcolm was sure to succeed,” he told mourners assembled in Scots’ Church today.

“His contributions were always thoughtful.”

Fraser’s granddaughter, Hester, played a song of her own composition, singing: “May the legacy of all your sacrifices be carried on by those you have left behind.”

Members of Australia’s Vietnamese community turned out to farewell their “father” Fraser.

General secretary of the Vietnamese community in Victoria Phong Nguyen said it was like losing their own parent.

“We call him our father and our saviour,” Nguyen said.

“He means everything to us but mostly freedom for saving us from the refugee camp. It’s a very deep loss for our community.”

Mr Nguyen met Fraser several times and had an appointment with the former prime minister this week.

“His ongoing support of the community was unwavering,” Nguyen said.

He was one of about a 100 people waiting outside St Michael’s Uniting Church, where a screen is showing the state service.

Fraser died on March 20, aged 84, after a brief illness.

He served as Australia’s 22nd prime minister from November 1975 to March 1983, recording a landslide election win after being appointed caretaker leader following the dismissal of the Whitlam government on November 11, 1975.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, former prime ministers Paul Keating and Julia Gillard, Premier Jay Weatherill, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Education Minister Christopher Pyne, Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull, Treasurer Joe Hockey, and former Governor-General Quentin Bryce are among the dignitaries at the funeral.

Seating was also reserved up to 1000 members of the public in St Michael’s.

A private burial will follow the state funeral service.

 

 

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