BRIAN Harradine was laid to rest on April 23 after a State funeral was held in honour of Australia’s longest-serving independent senator.
Archbishop Julian Porteous told a crowd of more than 600 people gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral in Hobart that Mr Harradine was a man of high principle and great integrity.
“He is seen by allies and by those who opposed him as a man who would not go down paths of expediency or compromise in order to achieve his ends,” Archbishop Porteous said in his homily.
“His beliefs were oriented to the good of others. Holding to these beliefs, he would negotiate a way forward whereby the truth of his views was preserved.
“Brian worked tirelessly for the common good, seeking to promote the conditions necessary for the advancement of individuals; he sought to protect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.”
Mr Harradine was inspired by his strong Catholic faith, which motivated and informed his actions, Archbishop Porteous said.
“Brian leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of good,” he said.
“His life witnesses to the fact that truth and principle are what makes things ultimately fruitful.”
The former Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney referred to Mr Harradine as exemplifying the characteristics of the “just man” referred to in the Bible, making particular note of his humility and desire to serve others.
“Brian never sought personal advancement. He shunned personality politics. He was always content to be in the background. He never claimed the limelight or sought to gain credit for what he achieved,” he said.
“He sought to assist the needs of the poor and struggling. He defended the sacredness of human life, speaking out for those who could not speak for themselves – the children in the womb. He dedicated his work as an independent senator to the advancement of the State of Tasmania.”
Mr Harradine’s sense of justice and compassion were exemplified in his life-saving assistance to a 23-year-old pregnant woman fleeing a life of horrendous sexual abuse and degradation 15 years ago.
Carrie Bailee was just nine years old when her father began to sell her to other men in an organised paedophile ring in Canada. She fled her home country in the hope of starting a new life in Australia, but it was only through Mr Harradine’s intervention that she was spared deportation back to Canada.
Ms Bailee told The Record she reported the extreme abuse she suffered to Australian authorities on her arrival in the country, and then spent the next two years hiding in shelters and women’s refuges.
She applied for refugee status in Australia, but was rejected and told she would have to return home – a frightful prospect for someone who feared for her life.
“I was pregnant at the time and the Department [of Immigration] was saying to get rid of both me and my baby before I was seven months pregnant,” she explained.
“Or I could have the baby. The baby could stay because her father was Australian, but I would be deported after giving birth. It was incredibly stressful.”
With time running out and hope fast disappearing, Senator Harradine came to Ms Bailee’s rescue.
“Senator Harradine was my last hope. My doctor Helen Driscoll thought maybe he would be sympathetic to my plight,” she said.
“She wrote him a letter and he felt compelled to act.”
Mr Harradine then wrote to Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, asking the Minister to “act in the best interest of this young woman and her unborn baby”.
“The minister was thankfully persuaded by Mr Harradine’s letter and decided to intervene in my case,” Ms Bailee said.
“Senator Harradine saved my life. He gave me a second chance at living.”
Now a mother to two young daughters, Ms Bailee has courageously decided to make her story public, in the hope of raising awareness that such extreme abuse occurs even in developed countries, and that it is possible for victims of such abuse to overcome the hurt and trauma caused and to live a fulfilling life.
Her memoir, Flying on Broken Wings, will be published in October.
She remains grateful for Mr Harradine’s intervention in her quest for asylum, despite the fact that she never got to meet or thank him.
“I am so grateful to Senator Harradine for getting behind me and convincing Australia to allow me to stay,” Ms Bailee said. “Because of what he did, my daughter and I are here today.”