Mr ALISTER HENSKENS (Wahroonga) (11:55): I acknowledge the passing of, and pay tribute to, Stuart Clark, AM, AFSM—a remarkable member of our community. As will become apparent, the five minutes allotted to the delivery of a private member's statement is entirely inadequate to properly go into the detail of the many respects in which Stuart Clark contributed to our community. Many would best know Stuart's contribution to the law. He was a practising solicitor for almost 45 years, spending the majority of that time as a partner at Clayton Utz, one of Australia's largest law firms. Widely regarded as one of Australia's finest litigators, Stuart played a key role in establishing the Legal Profession Uniform Law in New South Wales and Victoria, and he served as President of the Law Council of Australia in 2016. He was a director of the Law Council of Australia from 2012 and served as an executive member from 2014. He also led the Law Council's Legal Aid Matters campaign.

Stuart was particularly passionate about access to justice for everyone, improving diversity and equality within the legal profession, and addressing injustice, including the over‑representation of First Nations people in our justice system. From 2012 to 2015, Stuart was chair of the Large Law Firm Group. Throughout his career, he also served on the boards of the Legal Aid Commission of NSW, the Australian Legal Sector Alliance, the Australian Law Reform Commission and the Legal Services Council's National Admissions Commission. In 1974 he was among the first group of law students at Macquarie Law School, and in 2010 he was appointed an adjunct professor of law at Macquarie University. He was also a founder of Macquarie University Law Society. His early student days saw him involved in the restructuring of university student unions throughout the nation as part of the Centre Unity group, which would be an early indicator of the amazing national contributions that lay ahead.

Stuart's contributions to Australia were formally recognised on three separate occasions. In 1994 he received the National Medal as a volunteer firefighter with the RFS. In 2015 he was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the law through senior roles with professional legal bodies, to strategic reform, and to the Rural Fire Service." Most recently, he was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal in the 2025 Australia Day Honours. Stuart served in the RFS for more than 50 years, having first joined the Elouera Rural Fire Brigade in 1973 at just 16 years of age. Over the years, he served in multiple brigades across the State. He was known as the architect of the RFS organisational restructure, working with successive commissioners to implement key legislative and corporate changes. His contributions included the development of the RFS Code of Conduct and Ethics, disciplinary processes, brigade constitutional reform and the brigade management handbook.

Locally he was passionately involved for many years in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai RFS brigade and was the driving force behind the recent establishment of the Killara RFS brigade. Stuart and I discussed on many occasions the use of the redundant scout hall site near Killara High School to meet the demands for our area to establish another brigade. I cherish very much the memories of our discussions over a whole range of issues. Incredibly, Stuart also served as deputy chair of the Families of Veterans Guild and chair of the Volunteer Rescue Association of New South Wales. In addition to that, Stuart was a great contributor to the New South Wales division of Liberal Party of Australia. He served many years as chair of the disputes panel and he was a local member of the Pymble branch.

His contribution to the Liberal Party was incredible. Stuart's funeral was held two weeks ago on 19 June at St James' Kings Street Anglican church. It was the largest funeral I have attended at that church, which has held the funerals of former Wallabies, mayors and a Chief Justice of the High Court. Stuart would have been so proud of the wonderful tributes given by his wife, Narelle, his sons, Andrew and Richard—both lawyers, who I know he was incredibly proud of—and his sister, Gillian, and friends, Steven Lewis and Larissa Cook. Vale, Stuart Clark, AM, AFSM. We will not see a person like you again any time soon.