Condolences
Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (12:52): I rise on behalf of the Nationals to also pay tribute and extend our condolences on the passing of Robert Ian Knowles AO, a man who dedicated his life to public service in this state. In an article in the Herald Sun in 1999 Rob Knowles was asked to describe himself in a few words, and he chose ‘ordinary, committed and honest’. I think that speaks volumes in itself. On his passing, his Ballarat contemporary – part of the Ballarat mafia perhaps – Steve Bracks actually acknowledged Mr Knowles as ‘one of the good guys’. Indeed he said:
He was a great contributor to many governments over a long period of time and he’ll be sorely missed.
That says a lot about how Rob Knowles was seen across the parliamentary chamber.
Born on 4 July 1947, Rob Knowles leaves behind a legacy defined by service, leadership and an enduring commitment to both his local community and the people of Victoria, and as the Leader of the Opposition said, the underprivileged and vulnerable. He began his working life as a farmer at Clarendon in 1964 and also worked as a loans officer with the Rural Finance and Settlement Commission before entering public life in the Legislative Council as the member for Ballarat in 1976. Like the Premier, who did not serve with Rob, and I certainly did not either, I remember as a young WIN TV reporter in Ballarat in the 1990s coming across Rob. It does make us all feel a little bit older when we are acknowledging the passing of someone who we were working with in those days.
Throughout his time in Parliament Rob served in a range of senior roles, including as Minister for Housing, Minister for Health and Minister for Aged Care, portfolios that placed him at the centre of some of the most important social policy reforms and challenges of the time. As Minister for Health and Minister for Aged Care he was responsible for major reforms and decisions affecting hospitals, aged care services and broader health systems across Victoria, a role that he continued well after he finished in politics. To that extent, I was interested to note in the Ballarat Courier’s reporting of Mr Knowles’s death that former Premier Jeff Kennett said the following:
It is true to say that he probably had more influence on me, or I respected his advice more than any … of my very talented colleagues in government … and that was because he was firstly a listener, he was not excitable, and as a result of that, he was able to give very frank and thoughtful comment, suggestions, and, when necessary, criticism …
I think anyone who could give criticism, who could ensure that his view was listened to by Jeff Kennett, must have been a very special person indeed. As the Leader of the House indicated, and as Mr Kennett also acknowledged in the same article, Mr Knowles was his preferred successor and was set to join this place. We all know what happened, though, in 1999.
After leaving politics Mr Knowles continued his public life, as I said, and had a number of positions, including appointments by Labor governments. Most recently he had been chair of Grampians Health since 2024, but previous positions included commissioner of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission and the National Mental Health Commission and chair of the Victorian Health Innovation and Reform Council and the Royal Children’s Hospital board. He also served as a director on and chair of Ballarat Grammar school board and was made a life governor of the school in 2019 as acknowledgement of his contribution.
Across all of the roles that Rob Knowles worked in, he was recognised for his integrity, his calm judgement and his willingness to work constructively across sectors, across perspectives and across the aisles of politics. He understood that strong communities rely on strong institutions, and he dedicated his post-parliamentary life to strengthening those institutions. Those who worked with him described him as a man of decency, intellect and quiet determination – someone who led with principle rather than ego. His contribution to Victoria was not limited to one sector or one period of time but spanned all of those areas I mentioned: health, education, mental health, aged care and community services. On behalf of the Nationals, I extend my condolences to Carmel and his family – his children Edwina, Bob and George and eight grandchildren. Vale, Rob Knowles.