Background
Harradine was born in Quorn, South Australia before moving to Tasmania in 1959.
Harradine was born in Quorn, South Australia before moving to Tasmania in 1959.
Harradine was an official for the Federated Clerks" Union. In 1968 the Federal Executive of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) refused to let Harradine take his seat on the body. He was suspected of links with the Democratic Labor Party and had declared that "the friends of the Communists intend to try and silence me".
The Executive"s actions prompted ALP leader Gough Whitlam, who had supported Harradine, to resign and seek a renewed mandate from the caucus.
He was only re-elected by a narrow margin, 38 votes to 32, in a ballot against Jim Cairns. In 1975 the Federal Executive, by a majority of one vote, expelled Harradine.
They subsequently rejected, by the same margin, an attempt to convene a special conference to hear his appeal. The Executive"s action came after the Tasmanian State Executive declined to expel him.
He had been accused of involvement with the National Civic Council.
Harradine decided to contest the 1975 election as an independent for the Senate. Thereafter he remained a senator until deciding not to contest the 2004 election. His term expired on 30 June 2005.
From 1993 to 1999, Harradine and Mal Colston were joint Fathers of the Senate.
Between 1999 and 2005, Harradine alone held this title. Harradine was a particularly important figure in the Senate between 1994 and 1999.
(See Australian Senate for the Senate numbers) From December 1994 to March 1996, the makeup of the Senate meant that Harradine"s vote combined with that of Labor and the Australian Democrats was just enough to pass Labor government legislation, making his support extremely valuable to either side of politics. Then, after the March 1996 elections and the resignation from the Labor Party by the disgraced Colston, Harradine"s and Colston"s votes were sufficient to pass Coalition legislation, notably the Native Title Amendment Acting 1998 (also known as the "Wik ten-point plan") and the partial privatisation of Telstra.
He secured $350 million in communications and environmental funding for Tasmania in return for backing the Telstra legislation.
However, he refused to support the GST. After 1 July 1999, the Coalition needed four extra votes to pass Senate legislation, so Harradine"s vote became less important. Harradine was socially conservative, reflecting his Catholic values. He opposed abortion, embryonic stem cell research, same-sex marriage, and pornography.
He secured a ministerial veto on importation of the abortifacient RU486 and a prohibition on Australian overseas aid financing family planning that included abortion advice.
Harradine died on 14 April 2014 in his home in Tasmania. He suffered several strokes prior to his death.
He was 79 years old. Prime Minister Tony Abbott offered Harradine"s family a state funeral, which was accepted.
The funeral was held on 23 April 2014 at Street Mary"s Cathedral in Hobart.
He then served from 1964 to 1976 as Secretary-General of the Tasmanian Trades and Labour Council and a member of the executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
