Adjournment: Edwin Alfred Britt

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE (Parliamentary Secretary) [10.58 p.m.]: In May this year the New South Wales Branch of the Australian Labor Party gathered at Darling Harbour for the annual conference. Australian Labor Party conferences are legendary gatherings for party members, union members and the elected members of Parliament from New South Wales.

One of the great traditions of the annual Labor Party Conference is the awarding of life membership to party participants who have been members of the party for at least 40 years. Life members of the Labor Party have provided unwavering support that cannot be measured simply by the time they have given. Tonight I draw to the attention of the House to the lifetime contribution made by Eddie Britt. Eddie has been a member of the Labor Party for 52 years. I was pleased tonight to host Eddie and fellow branch members from Willoughby. I am sure all members welcome Eddie back to the Parliament in which he served from 1978 to 1981 as only the second ever Labor representative for the State electorate of Willoughby.

Edwin Alfred Britt was born in Narrandera in the Riverina district of New South Wales on 11 November 1926. He came to Sydney from the farming district of Corobimilla in 1942, joining the State public service in what was then the Department of Technical Education. In 1950 Eddie transferred to the Lotteries Office and settled in Willoughby, where he has resided ever since. It was Eddie's union involvement as a State public servant that led him to join the Australian Labor Party in 1956.

Within months of joining the party Eddie was made branch secretary of Willoughby. Soon after he was also a delegate to the Willoughby State Electorate Council, where he was secretary until his election to this Parliament in 1978. Eddie's first public representative role was on Willoughby council. Eddie served the people of Willoughby as a representative of Northbridge ward from 1965 to 1968, and again from 1975 until 1995. During his time at Willoughby council Eddie was a member of committees, including parks and gardens, finance, building, aged services, and seniors concert and the Willoughby Bicentenerary Committee.

During his second stint on council on 14 August 1976 Eddie married Miss Mary Hayes. Together Eddie and Mary Britt became a local team that dedicated their lives to the community of Willoughby. The couple served on the Willoughby Seniors Week Concert committee, and were involved in the Northbridge Friendship Club as well as the Salvation Army for more than 20 years. Eddie chaired the Willoughby appeal and he also chaired the local Austcare group. Mary and Eddie were avid supporters of the Northern Suburbs Netball Association and each Christmas they would help organise a street party for local residents.

The first Australian Labor Party member for Willoughby was Sergeant Edward Rennix Larkin, who was killed in action in Gallipoli. I believe Sergeant Larkin's picture still hangs in the Legislative Assembly. In 1978 Eddie was elected to this Parliament as the second Labor member for Willoughby. In 1977 Eddie's election had looked unlikely. Eddie had contested the seat of Willoughby many times, but in 1977 he had to undergo major chest surgery. The Australian Labor Party had endorsed another candidate; however, the endorsement was recontested and won by Eddie the following year. Eddie Britt was elected to the New South Wales Parliament as part of the Wranslide election of 1978. In his inaugural speech to Parliament on 14 August 1979 Eddie paid tribute to the former members for Willoughby, including, then Liberal Laurie McGinty, who had been very helpful in getting Eddie elected. Eddie and Laurie McGinty were political opponents, but they were also friends through their work together on the Willoughby council. When the Liberal Party dumped Laurie McGinty from preselection Laurie stood as an independent candidate, and gave his preferences to Eddie.

During his time as member for Willoughby Eddie counts serving his electorate as a Labor member in a Labor Government as his major success. In particular, Eddie worked to end the dredging of Middle Harbour. He was also committed to kids in his electorate getting the best education that could be provided. Eddie oversaw the refurbishment Willoughby Girls High School and worked to increase enrolments at Willoughby Primary School. After leaving Parliament Eddie worked for 14 years to establish and run the Willoughby Retirement Community Association. He was simultaneously the chairman, the secretary, the treasurer and the managing director. Eddie claims that he had a very cooperative board. Eddie was responsible for managing the village and for arranging finance and the construction of the Willoughby Hostel, which is still going strong today.

In 2000 Eddie and his late wife Mary received a Citizen of the Year Award from the Willoughby City Council for service to the community. And then in 2007 Willoughby City Council honoured Eddie and Mary Britt again for their ongoing and extensive contribution to the Willoughby community by naming the auditorium at the Dougherty Community Centre the Eddie and Mary Britt Auditorium. Tonight I congratulate Eddie on his lifetime membership of the Australian Labor Party. Like so many Labor Party members, Eddie Britt's contribution has been to the community in which he has lived and worked his entire life. It has been a contribution to local government, State government and the people of Willoughby. His contribution has been shaped by the values of the Labor Party. Our communities are the better as a result of the good works of people such as Eddie Britt.