Fax from 8 February 1997 TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER
THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP
ADDRESS AT NATIONAL ANGLICAN CONFERENCE
Exploring out Future: Australia in the Family of Nadtis
ANU, CANBERRA
OE
To Archbishop Rayner, the Primate of the Anglican Church in Australia; Archbishop
Harry Goodhew, the Archbishop of Sydney; to Kim Beazley, the Leader of the
Opposition; ladies and gentlemen.
It's quite a privilege for me to be here this morning and I want first of all to
congratulate the Anglican Church in organising, what I understand to be, your first
national conference. it is, if I may say so, a very sensible and forward looking move to
focus the thoughts and the activities and the energies of the members of the Church on
the Church's role in Australian society in the late 1990s and also to throw forward to
the next millennium.
The coming of a new millennium is focusing the minds of many organisations and many
groups of people within Australia. I suspect that the year 2001 will be a catalyst in
many ways as Australians together look towards the next century and the next
millennium. And I emphasise that word together because it is important as the Primate
said in his introductory remarks, that we endeavour a5 far as possible as Australians to
focus on those things that unite us and bind us together rather than those things that
may push us apart, Powerfiil, legitimate, partisan debate is a necessary and healthy
part of the activity not only of a nation in its political dimension but also within the
Churches in their spiritual and other dimensions.
I also want, as Prime Minister of Australia -and I know speaking on behalf of a vast
cross-section of the Australian community to express my gratitude and the gratitude
of the nation for the contribution that the Anglican Church and indeed the other
Christian Churches make to the life and the times of our society. And that gratitude is
expressed not only in relation to the spiritual contribution that is made to the nation
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and to the lives and the families within the nation, but also to the massive social and
compassionate contribution that the Churches make to Australian society.
Too often I think in modem times that role is forgotten and overlooked. The flaws are
trivialised and emphasised. The massive ongoing compassionate contribution made by
the Churches and their various agencies is greatly overlooked.
Australia would be a Poorer, meaner, less hospitable, less compassionate society were
it not for organisations like Anglicare, the society of St Vincent de Paul, the Salvation
Army, the Wesley Mission, the Brotherhood of St Lawrence, and the list is very long
and very impressive. And the contribution that those organisations make and the
people within those organisations, many of whom I guess will be here or represented
here today, is something that ought not to go unrernarked. Because one of the
distinctive Australian traditions of which I am immensely proud, and of which all of us
should be immensely proud, is that great tradition of voluntarism. And that great
tradition of voluntarism is very powerfully expressed in the life and the work of the
various Christian Churches.
And I want to take the opportunity as the leader of the Government of Australia to
record my thanks. Too often on occasions such as this thanks are not recorded and
acknowledgment is not given and respect is not paid for the massive contribution that
is made quite selflessly to those in our community who are less fortunate.
I've been invited to share a few thoughts with you today about the role of Australia in
the family of nations. I don't want to particularly address that in a political or in an
economic dimension although those dimensions are immensely important and it is
simply not real life to address many of the challenges that face Australia without giving
pride of place to those two particular dimensions.
Hut when I think of Australia's role in the family of nations I think of what the rest of
the world sees of Australia and sees what Australia represents. And in trying to
project Australia forward as part of the family of nations I think not just of our
economic achievements, not just of our economic strengths and our political stances,
but I also think of the values for which Australia stands. I think of those values that
we have in common with many nations around the world.
I am reminded that Australia is one of only eight nations that has been continuously
democratic for the whole of the 20th century. Many nations of course lost their
democracy and their freedom in the 20th century through no fault of their own. But it
is no mean achievement that Australia is one of only eight nations that has retained
democracy throughout the entire 20th century.
Anid we share many values in common with other nations. The shared entitlement of
all people to self dignity and self fujlfilment. The relevance of a common humanity.
The common search for peace, and a liberal I don't mean that in a political sense but
in a generic sense commitment to the worth of all people as individuals.
When I think of Australia's projection to the world I think that we must see that the
strength of any nation or any community does not rest alone in the strength of its
Fax from economy or in the wealth of its individuals. But it does rest very much in the moral
strengths and the importance of values within the community.
I think also when we project to the rest of the world we ought to place emphasis on
those characteristics of our which are distinctively Australian are home grown and
have been imported from nowhere. The emphasis we place on rnateship, on
adaptability, on down to earth practicality, vitality, concern for the underdog, straight
forwardness, the spirit of constructive defiance against the odds so magnificently
demonstrated right at the moment in Queensland in the area in and around Charleville.
I think also of the importance that we give to promoting fairness and decency and a
quality of opportunity in our national life. I think sensibly we are a fuindamnentally quite
sceptical people when it comes to the operations and the limits of government.
Scepticism may of course present particular challenges to the evangelising and
theological role of the Church, but within a nation it can be a great strength because it
can protect the people against the inducements and the blandishments of charlatans and
can provide a very powerful barrier to protect against the excessive concentration of
power. Government should also be limited, have a limited but strategic role. Its goals ought to
be to facilitate unity, security, choice and opportunity and to give help to the
disadvantaged. I think also of the importance as a nation that we attach to the central role of family life
within our community and the importance that public policy makers should place upon
the role of the family within our society.
We have also of course a very strong commitment as a society to an effective social
security safety net. Many elements of that safety net have enjoyed bi-partisan support
across the political divide within Australia for many years.
I think also of our capacity to project to the rest of the world an impression of
tolerance and acceptance of diversity of culture, diversity of ethnicity and of diversity
of view. It remains the fact that Australia, particularly in the last 20 or 30 years, has
had a profoundly honoured place amongst the nations in its willingness to accept
people from the four corners of the earth. It'ought to be a matter of immense pride
that this country in the late 1970s received on a per capita basis more refiugees from
war torn LIdo-China than any other nation in the world.
There is strong bi-pai-tisan support for a non-discriminatory immigration policy. There
remains legitimate room for vigorous debate on the level of the migrant intake. But
that that intake will occur on grounds that are completely oblivious to race ethnicity
and country of origin remains a hi-partisan constant in Australian politics.
We would also, in projecting to the world, be a nation that is willing to face both the
benefits and the burdens of our history. To recognise that we as a nation have
achieved many things together. To recognise that there have been blemishes and stains
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Fax from Our attempts to achieve genuine forward looking reconciliation between all Australians
and most particularly between Australians of a non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander descent and the original inhabitants of this country remains a major challenge
for the Australian community. But I say that optimistically, I say that positively, I say
that deliberately using the expression forward looking. In my view the true path to
reconciliation lies in removing current disadvantage and working together for a
brighter shared future.
The Primate mentioned the discussions that are now going on between my
Government and various sections of the community regarding the appropriate response
to the decision of the High Court in the Wik case, It is a profoundly difficult issue and
a effective resolution of it will require of all those involved an understanding and a
willingness to appreciate the others point of view. There is no monopoly of
righteousness, there is no monopoly of wisdom on this particular issue enjoyed by one
particular section of the Australian community.
I have made it clear that in my own handling of the matter only two things are, as it
were, untouchable. The first of those are the basic principles which underlaid the
decision of the High Court of Australia in the original Mabo case. In other words the
concept of Native Title which was a new concept to Australian law created by the
decision of the High Court in the Mabo case. And the other, of course, is the belief
that absolutely nothing need be done in the wake of the High Court's decision in the
Wik case because that decision did alter quite fiindamentally the original basis on
which the Native Title Act had been framed.
I am approaching that issue with complete openness and good will towards those
involved. I am already well into consultations. Further consultations I hope involve all
of the interested parties at a national level will take place within the next couple of
weeks. And out of that we will be able to see whether any common ground can be
achieved.
But it is important on issues such as that as the Primate said, that time be taken to
reach a just decision and a decision and an outcome that gives to all Australians a sense
of predicability, a sense of fairness and a sense of security. So when I think of the
projection of my country and our country to the rest of the world I think of the
projection of its values and its belief. I think of the projection of its capacity to solve
in a compassionate, fair and descent manner the internal challenges that it faces. I
think the willingness of people to put aside their partisan differences and unite to
achieve such things as national gun laws sent a very powerful message to the rest of
the world that here was a group of people faced with a particular challenge that were
prepared to put aside their differences and they were prepared quite determinately to
move away from going down one path that would, in my view, have led to greater
sadness and greater destruction within our community and quite determinately go
down another path wihich I believe over time will produce a more positive and a more
benign outcome.
When we project to the rest of the world we should never be reluctant to project those
particular characteristics of us as Australians which have always marked us out from
the rest of the world. In an age of globalisation and internationalisation a delicate
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I Fax from balance must always be struck between universal fraternity amongst the nations but
also retaining those features and those characteristics which enable those from other
countries to instantly recognise that we come from a country called Australia. And
those traditional characteristics and values which we have nurtured and developed and
added to and moulded and changed over the years are part of the enduring and very
endearing Australian story.
Ladies and gentlemen I thank you again for the privilege of addressing you this
morning. I congratulate the Anglican Church on its sense of vision and perspective in
putting together this national conference. I have a sense of great optimism and hope
about the future of Australia. I have a sense of optimism and hope about the capacity
for those forces within our community working towards positive outcomes in the
defence and the promotion of values within our society. I have a positive and very
optimistic view about their capacity to influence the affairs of the nation.
I respect and value the views of the Churches expressed on so many issues. I don't
always agree with them. I don't always quite know who is speaking on occasions for
the Church or for some. But can I assure all of you as representatives of the Anglican
Church as I did recently in a discussion with Cardinal Clancy speaking on behalf of the
Catholic Church to me about certain matters, as I would to the leaders and the
representatives of any of the Christian Churches or other religious communities in
Australia, that my Government will always listen carefully to what you have to say.
We won't as I said, always be able to agree with it. We will expect that on occasions
you will be critical of us as you will be critical of other political movements. But the
important thing is that you have a valued role iitihe wider activities of the Australian
community, a role that I respect and a role that I will always deal with very openly and
very forthrightly.
Thank you for having me and I hope you have an immensely successful and rewarding
conference. ends Farxom 08/ 02/ 97 11: 53 Pg: