Julia Melland (National President)
| Dated: 02 October 2009
Portfolio: General
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Vale Jack Evans, former Senator and Founding Father of the Australian Democrats
| It is with great sadness that the Australian Democrats announce the passing of former Senator and Founding Father of the Australian Democrats, John Gordon (Jack) Evans.
Jack Evans was instrumental to the founding of the Australian Democrats. It was Jack who, after becoming active in politics as a response to the sacking of the Whitlam Government, invited Don Chipp to come to a public meeting in Perth on April 29, 1977 to discuss forming a centre-line party. This meeting was the first of a series of public meetings around the country that resulted in the formation of the Australian Democrats.
Evans was elected to the Senate in the Double Dissolution election in 1983, losing the seat just two short years later to Jo Vallentine of the Nuclear Disarmament Party. During those two years he was a tireless worker in the federal parliament, including introducing the ‘Cherry Pickers Bill’ - the first private members bill to be passed by the parliament in many years.
Behind the scenes Jack Evans was instrumental in the running of the Australian Democrats, taking many senior roles including as National Campaign Director and National President from 1981-1983, and 1987-88. To the Australian Democrats he is as much a founding father figure as Don Chipp, with the image of Jack Evans and Don Chipp rafting the Franklin River one of the most iconic in the history of the party.
Personally Jack Evans was the consummate Democrat, fervently committed to ensuring there was a people’s voice in the parliament, balancing the conflicting extremes of powerful unions and wealthy big business. He always held the party’s interest deep at heart while motivating and inspiring its members through great visions and ideas.
National President of the Australian Democrats, Julia Melland, said she is grateful that in his last days Jack saw his beloved party rebuilding, not in decline. "It meant an enormous amount to Jack to see the party rebuilding. He even took bedside meetings to stay abreast of our rebuilding activity and lend his enormous knowledge to the process."
"We will miss him terribly. We must do right by the memory of Jack and deliver on our promise to rebuild the Australian Democrats in to the kind of party he envisaged and ensure integrity and ‘the people’s voice’ is returned to federal parliament."
Jack passed away early this morning in Perth. He is survived by his wife Margaret, his children Suzanne and John, and his six adored grandchildren.
Contact:
Julia Melland
President, Australian Democrats
Julia.melland@democrats.org.au
Tel 0431 357 585
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