Former crossbencher Billy Gordon has been tearfully remembered for his short but historic contribution to Queensland politics.
Mr Gordon, who suffered a fatal heart attack aged 49 on November 25, was commemorated in a condolence motion in state parliament on Thursday.
A Barbarrum man from the western tablelands of far north Queensland, Mr Gordon was one of the first three Indigenous MPs ever elected in the state when he won the seat of Cook for Labor in 2015.
Before entering politics as a Labor MP, he had worked as a cane cutter, a bartender, a construction labourer, a social worker, a cleaner, as a public servant, in the airline industry and had served in the Australian Army.
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Transport Minister Mark Bailey is certain Mr Gordon had lived a far more varied life than any current MP in the state.
"We need people like that in this house, democracy needs people like that in this house," he told parliament.
"In an educated era, people who have been to the school of hard knocks don't get through as much, but Billy did."
However, two months after being elected Mr Gordon was sacked from the party by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk over his undisclosed criminal history.
He moved to the crossbench where he held the balance of power in what became a hung parliament until the 2017 election.
Mr Gordon had an instrumental role in passing laws to end sand mining on North Stradbroke Island, or Minjerribah, despite being heavily lobbied, and being a fierce advocate for Indigenous Queenslanders and people working in the sugar industry.
Labor backbencher Don Brown said back when he had asked Mr Gordon to support a bill to wind up sand mining on the island, the Cook MP told him not to worry because he would "always back the Traditional Owners".
"And I feel guilty to this day even asking because he stood rock solid," Mr Brown sobbed.
Katter's Australian Party MP Shane Knuth praised Mr Gordon for backing a private member's bill to allow cane growers to choose which market to sell their product to.
"He said that 'my father cut cane', he said 'I cut cane', this is a good bill, it looks after the farmers and the workers, I will back the bill," Mr Knuth said.
"And that became the eighth private member's bill that ever was passed in Queensland's history and I really believe that many Queenslanders are better off after the three years that Billy had served here."
A mild heart attack in February 2016 required Mr Gordon to undergo surgery and spend time away from parliament.
In July of that year, he was fined $750 and banned from getting behind the wheel for four months after he was caught driving almost twice the legal alcohol limit.
Mr Gordon dropped out of the 2017 election race and endorsed Labor candidate Cynthia Lui, a Lamalaig woman of the Kulkalgal nation in the Torres Strait.
Mr Brown and fellow Labor backbencher Peter Russo were moved to tears recalling their former colleague's loyalty to the party long after he had moved to the crossbench.
Mr Bailey also remembered how Mr Gordon was always up for a chat and a drink, and how he would say: "see ya comrade" long after he joined the crossbench.
"He made a real difference here in the short time that he was here, I hope he knew that. Obviously, I know many people will miss him," Mr Bailey trembled.
"He was a trailblazer, a great friend, and a great comrade."
Australian Associated Press
