Not everyone seemed pleased by Don Randall's maiden speech to the House of Representatives.

After the Liberal MP finished addressing Parliament for the first time in May 1996, deputy speaker Harry Jenkins had to bellow at the gathered pollies to be quiet.

"Order!" he yelled.

"I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech and I ask the House to extend him the usual courtesies."

It was Mr Randall's dig at the opposition that had probably sparked the kerfuffle. His speech had ignored bipartisan niceties, with references to the "welfare state mentality", government waste, unions and Labor's record in government.

But it would not be the last time the polarising figure would case a stir.

Following Mr Randall's death from an apparent heart attack on Tuesday afternoon, fellow Liberal MP Dennis Jensen said his colleague was "always someone who stood up for what he believed".

Many also praised the 62-year-old's dedication to the people in his electorate of Canning, in which he was serving a fifth term.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, a fellow West Australian and close friend of the MP, said Mr Randall "worked hard for the people of his electorate and was dedicated to promoting the interests of Western Australians".

But for voters outside his electorate, the name Don Randall probably mostly stirs vague memories of controversies and gaffes. And there were plenty in a parliamentary career that spanned nearly two decades.

Most recently he hit the headlines for seconding the February spill motion against Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

"I can't go to a shop without them saying to me `you guys have got to do something about your leader'," Mr Randall said at the time.

He was also front-page news over entitlements. In 2013 it was alleged he had spent $10,000 of taxpayer's money on questionable expenses, including a trip to Cairns to look at a investment property.

In 2008 he was one of a handful of Coalition MPs that boycotted Kevin Rudd's apology to the stolen generations. And in 1997 he refused to take part in a minute's silence to commemorate the suffering of Aboriginal children taken from their families.

In 2011 he accused the mining industry of allowing itself to be "pussy whipped" by Julia Gillard, attracting accusations of sexism.

More than a decade before he was forced to apologise to former Democrat's leader Cheryl Kernot for saying she had "the morals of an alley cat on heat".

Mr Randall was first elected to Parliament as the Member for Swan in 1996 but lost the seat in 1998. In 2001 he became the Member for Canning, the electorate he has represented since.

It is understood he was going about his job as a local member when he was found dead in his car in Boddington, a small town in his electorate..

Gary Gray, a Labor MP who holds the neighbouring seat of Brand, said over five terms Mr Randall had built the electorate of Canning from a marginal seat to one with a strong margin.

"I shared the City of Mandurah with Don and have seen first-hand how hard he worked for that community. He worked tirelessly for his local community groups, veterans and aged care services, and for improved local infrastructure," Mr Gray said.

Mr Randall held several junior shadow ministerial positions after the defeat of the Howard government in 2007, including parliamentary secretary for energy and resources, roads and transport and local government between 2007 and 2013.

Born in rural Merredin in 1953, he worked as a teacher, local councillor, horse trainer and consultant before entering Parliament. He had also held various offices in the WA Liberal Party.

Mr Randall is survived by his wife Julie and their two children.

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