Bowman MP Andrew Laming has paid tribute to Gough Whitlam, remembering the day he treated the former Labor Prime Minister in hospital.
Doctor Laming was working as an Ophthalmologist at St Luke’s Hospital in Sydney in 1997 when he had the chance meeting with the famous Labor politician.
"In 1997, I was fortunate enough to care for Mr Whitlam in hospital where I was a staff doctor in Sydney," Mr Laming said.
"What was meant to be a cursory checkup to complete some paperwork became a two-hour discussion as he led me through a fascinating expose of Australian politics.
"This included banking reform, his role in initiating the South Bank development in Brisbane and in-depth, frank and robust assessments of all subsequent prime ministers.
"It was a chance encounter that I will never forget.," Mr Laming said.
The Bowman MP said Mr Whitlam was a controversial figure but in death the nation would remember him as a respected former prime minister.
Mr Whitlam was a "towering figure" in Australian politics, leading the Labor party to victory after more than two decades in Opposition.