Last week we said goodbye to local Labor stalwart, Clive Claus.

Clive Claus joined the Australian Labor Party in January 1957. There are just three longer-serving members of the Labor Party in the electorate of Blair ahead of him.  I had the great privilege of presenting Clive with Life Membership of the Labor Party in May 2016.

He was one of the region’s “True Believers.” In fact he was part of a group called the True Believers, mostly made up of older Party members in the Ipswich region who want to remain involved in politics but are unable to attend branch meetings. They meet once a month for lively discussion and lunch.

Like so many of our local True Believers, Clive joined the Party and remained active when it was at its lowest ebb. The Labor Party and the Union movement were a natural fit for Clive. He was a working-class man. He believed passionately in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and the importance of having sage working conditions, particularly in the mining industry.

He was a great friend of former federal member for Oxley, Bill Hayden and former state member for Ipswich West, Don Livingstone. Clive held executive positions in the Party locally at all levels.

Clive was a source of wise advice to me. I always listened attentively to Clive's words, particularly as he shared his insights on the issues facing rural areas.  While Clive’s great loves in life were his wife Dos, his family and his chooks, he was rather fond of holding court, having a yarn and reminiscing.

Clive was deeply loved and appreciated, particularly in his home township of Rosewood and by the ALP locally.

Vale Clive Claus, a great man.