Our great friend the Honourable John Kerin AO, aged 85, passed away on Wednesday 29 March 2023.

To many Australians, John was known as a humble chicken farmer who became Australia’s longest-serving Minister for Primary Industry (1983-91), treasurer, and long-time Labor frontbencher. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called him “Australia’s best ever primary industries minister”. John was also associated with Western Sydney University where I worked for the last 15 years. He served as a Deputy Chancellor (2000-03) and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

But the purpose of this note is not to record John’s significant contribution to our nation and his distinguished public service. Rather I aim to record John’s humanity, our friendship over the last 30 years or so, and his great warmth, decency, wit, and him as a man with the biggest of hearts.

I first met John in the late 1980s when I worked with his partner Dr June Verrier in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet during the Hawke government era. It was a humbling privilege for a relatively junior public servant to be invited to the home of the Cabinet minister in Canberra. Lively conversations followed – John was very interested in my home country Poland, in the communist and Soviet systems, and in European history and politics. We also talked about our family’s experience of migrating to Australia and the years spent as refugees in West Germany. John was a highly knowledgeable person always able to engage with wit and humor about his early days as a farmer and about Canberra politics. What I particularly valued is that he treated me with respect despite that my point of view not always reflected Labor orthodoxy and, on occasions, may have embraced Liberal viewpoints. We discussed as equals with a view to learning and gaining new information and opinions. There was also plenty of fun and jokes.

Then, June and John invited Hanna and me on several occasions for weekends to their home in Vincentia on the South Cost. In fact, they introduced us to beautiful Jervis Bay and convinced us to buy a holiday home there. Our close neighbouring resulted in our friendship flourishing – many BBQs, diners and other gatherings together, including the great Kevin 07 party. Plenty of great discussions in front of our fireplaces with many VIP friends invited by John and June. Cultured discussions over quality red wine, and sometimes lively arguments, about the state of our changing world, imponderabilia, and highflyers.

The last time we hosted John and June in our Vincentia home was in mid-February 2023. Although John was unwell, we never thought that we see him for the last time.

Vale John Kerin. We loved you very much and you will be greatly missed.

We extend our sincere condolences to June, family and friends.