As a former colleague and close friend of the late Dr Vanessa Goodwin, I would like to congratulate her family on Dr Goodwin being inducted onto the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women.
I was proud to nominate and draft the submission for Dr Goodwin to be inducted onto the Honour Roll, and delighted when I found out she had been accepted by the judging panel.
No issue was too big or too small for Vanessa to take on, if it was an issue affecting the lives of others. During her time as Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Corrections and Minister for the Arts she commenced or put in place some key reforms across a range of areas, and the lives of all Tasmanians are significantly better for her work.
At all times Vanessa conducted herself with passion, integrity, kindness and fierce intellect, managing a significant workload and at the same time commanding the respect of all her colleagues, regardless of their political persuasion. She was known for her strong relationships with the legal community and a strong advocate for independent, evidence-based law reform.
It is not often that we see people in public life who are as humble, kind, passionate and genuine as Vanessa was. It was all of these attributes, as well as an unwavering work ethic that mean the reforms she made and the way she conducted herself is the benchmark for all of us who follow.