People of the ilk of a Gavin Jones come along very rarely in this life. People who make our lives better, our world better, purely through the largesse of their love, compassion, warmth and kindness, their burning and endless passion that pushes and reshapes the limits of what we once thought was possible, or once consigned ourselves to believe. It takes a truly special soul to change the way we view ourselves, and the world around us. I was blessed to have met a man like Gavin Jones, to have him in my life, as a mentor, a brother and most importantly, as a dear friend.

What has happened to this wonderful man is a crime against the beauty of the human soul, and the capabilities and potential we all possess, as one great family of people.

What Gavin built and achieved, his vision – those intangible qualities that exist within the hearts of people, the potential in all of us to care for each other, to help someone who is struggling or less fortunate, purely because something inside pushes you to do so, and speaks to you when you feel intuitively, in your heart, that something is not right – these are the verities, the higher truths that truly matter, and this is the realm in which the spirit of Gavin Jones lived, and will continue to live.

After 20 years of tireless work to bring joy, pride, confidence and self-worth to the lives of his people, improving the lives of so many, contributing to his nation in immeasurable ways – the actions of the Federal Government can be viewed as nothing more than an attack on the potential for Aboriginal empowerment in this country.

A man who gave so much, deserved far more. Rest in peace my brother. I look forward to the day I see your smiling face again, and until then, we will carry your spirit and your vision into the future.