Leaders pay tribute to Sir John Carrick

Parliament has paused to pay tribute to the late Sir John Carrick, a former NSW senator and education minister, who died last week aged 99.

Federal Parliament has paid tribute to former NSW Senator Sir John Carrick (c) who died last week. (AAP)

Sir John Carrick walked alongside the political giants of Australia but never in their shadows.

That's how Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull paid tribute to Sir John, a World War II soldier, a former education minister and a senator for NSW between 1971 and 1987.

Sir John died last week aged 99.

"He was a humble man, who lived simply, wore second-hand clothes and gave much of his money away," Mr Turnbull told the lower house.

Before his death, he told his family he didn't want a state funeral.

He was a survivor of Singapore's notorious Changi prison camp.

In solidarity to his soldier mates, whose funerals lacked fanfare, Sir John wanted to be farewelled with minimal fuss.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten described Sir John as an elder statesman who returned from the trauma of war determined to build a peace worth winning.