E&OE.................
Michael and Toni and Mr and Mrs Schneider, Commissioner Halligan,
Andrew Peacock the Australian Ambassador to the United States, ladies
and gentlemen.
Not long after he became Consul-General I got a phone call late one
night and Michael said, John, he says, I can save the Government an
enormous amount of money and he then proceeded to explain to me this
plan of his to shift the Consulate-General from the Rockefeller Centre
to here. But he said the only problem is the Department of Finance
reckons it's going to cost us more money. So there followed a bit
of a debate and in the end Michael persuaded us that it would indeed
be an extremely good deal and the Minister John Fahey was persuaded
that it would be an extremely good deal and as a consequence the Consulate-General
has come here.
And Michael has been telling me for some time that when I am next
in New York I should come along to a little gathering like this and
as I am about to do to honour a very famous American, that is to honour
Douglas MacArthur who is to a generation of Australians probably the
most formidable, famous and emphatic figure in American military history
and somebody who during the course of his life played a major role
in the military salvation of Australia during World War II. And I
think it is appropriate that this room which brings together so many
Australians in the United States and so many Australians in New York
in particular it is appropriate that it should be named after a man
who, of course, established his headquarters in Brisbane in Australia
during the worst time of World War II, who uttered those famous words
"we will return" after he left the Philippines and he, of
course, led the allies during those very, very difficult times and
I think it is therefore incredibly appropriate that we should do this.
Can I just say before I perform that little ceremony, can I say on
behalf of the Australian Government how much it appreciates the work
done by not only the Consul-General himself and Toni but all of the
other members of the staff who work out of this Consulate-General's
office.
It is a very important post. It has as character and it has a responsibility
because it is in the centre of the greatest financial capital in the
world, because it is here in New York it does have a special responsibility
above and beyond the responsibility of consulate generals in other
parts of the world.
New York, of course, has a special appeal, a special character and
a special place not only in the United States but indeed in the entire
world. And it is a real experience to represent ones country in this
very dynamic and remarkable city.
So I want to say on this occasion how much the Government appreciates
the work being done by the staff of the Consulate. And could I also
say how delighted I am that this gathering is, in a sense, jointly
sponsored by the Australian American Association. An organisation
that has worked very hard to work out.work very, very hard to bring
our two countries and our two peoples together over a very long period
of time.
I think it was Dr Johnson said that we should keep our friendships
in good repair and although the friendship between the United States
and Australia is a very longstanding one, it's a very deep one and
it's one that is constantly renewed and reinforced it's very important
that we always work on it. And I remember when former President, George
Bush, came to Australia in 1991 he reminded us that he would be the
last significant figure in the - and he is a pretty significant figure
in his administration - he was the last.he'd be the last significant
figure in any administration in either country who was part of the
World War II generation and therefore experienced the particularly
close links on the battlefield against the odds between our two nations
and our two societies. And that as successive generations have come
it is important that we not just assume that the friendship will always
go on, we should work on it and we should nurture it. And gatherings
like tonight are an opportunity to honour it.
It's an opportunity for me, on behalf of the Australian Government,
to say, despite our differences to which Michael referred to one,
we remain very firmly committed to an alliance that has meant a great
deal to us. To a security association that remains the very cornerstone
of our continuing security and to a cultural relationship between
two people who share so much and most importantly they share a common
commitment to the values of human individuality of human freedom and
of human dignity. And in the end it is the values that mean most in
the unity of peoples and in the unity of nations.
Douglas MacArthur did an enormous amount to preserve that through
his leadership during World War II with one of those Baume flourishes
for which he is famous. Baume, of course, represented the seat of
MacArthur in the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia between
1975 and 1983 before the electors of MacArthur had the ill-grace,
the ill-wisdom, the ill-manners and all of those other things to vote
him out. And one of his former constituents, Stanham-MacArthur, Clinton
Stanham-MacArthur, who incidentally is not related to Douglas MacArthur
but with another, sort of, 'Baumeism' he is the great, great, great
grandson of John McArthur who founded the wool industry in Australia.
So whenever you have a function organised by Michael Baume you can
always expect the odd whimsy and the odd Baume flourish and we have
another one.
So, ladies and gentlemen, this room I name the MacArthur Room. This
room will be a reminder to all who come here of the enormous contribution
made by Douglas MacArthur particularly will Australians remember him
when he was the source of leadership and encouragement and hope. The
very strong working relationship that he forged with one of my distinguished
predecessors, John Curtin, who was Prime Minister of Australia during
the days of World War II. In Brisbane he established his headquarters
and there's a very special association therefore with the city of
Brisbane. I think it is an entirely and eminently appropriate name
to give this room and it will continue to be a reminder to all Australians
who use it of the enormous contribution that that great man gave to
the defence of Australia and to the saving of Australia and to the
security of Australia during the darkest days of World War II.
I declare this formally named The MacArthur Room and I hope it will
be a very, very effective reminder of the contribution of that great
man, to the freedom Australians now enjoy. Thank you.
Prime Minister formally names the multi-function room the MacArthur
Room and bestows AO on Consul-General Baume and AM on cartoonist Mr
Paul Rigby.
This is typical of any show Baume puts on. This is a marvellously
deregulated evening. Paul's just responded to my speech of congratulations
but can I very briefly say how privileged I feel to have not only
conferred the honour on my long and dear friend Michael Baume but
also on undoubtedly one of Australia's greatest cartoonist so when
he says, you know, don't look behind me, I might end up being drawn
by him yet.
Politicians and cartoonists have a, how should I describe it, a particular
association. It's different from the association you have with virtually
anybody else and given the lot of all politicians you, how can I best
describe it, you think you've seen the worst until you see the next
one. But they are a special part of the, I suppose, the daily routine
and the daily life of a politician and Australian cartoonists, Paul,
is absolutely right. They have a larrikin spirit, they have an enterprise,
they have a certain flair about them that I don't think the cartoonists
of any other country can remotely touch.
Now, I know that's a pretty boastful thing to say but I think judging
the character of the audience here I can probably get away with saying
it and it does indeed happen to be true. And I am delighted that Paul
has been able to be here today and that I've had the privilege of
formally conferring his award on him.
I've said a lot about Michael in his time and in his career. I think
everyone knows that Michael and I have a passing regard for each other.
He really has been, without doubt, one of my very best and closest
friends certainly but not only in the political arena.
He's been a great mate and that, of course, is about the nicest thing
that an Australian can say about anybody. He really has through thick
and thin but he's also contributed more than friendship to me. He's
also added great value to everything that he's done. He was a very
colourful and capable journalist. He had a very interesting career
in the financial community. He won a marginal seat in the great Fraser
flood of 1975. He lost it in the, sort of, the Hawke hurricane of
1983. He reincarnated himself as a Senator in 1984 and I remember
one of the great ironies of politics is that in 1983 Michael was quite
devastated at having lost his seat and he came to work for me on my
staff when I became Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Then he was invited
by the then Leader of the Opposition in NSW, Nick Greiner, to run
for what had become quite a winnable seat in the NSW Parliament. I
think it was the seat of Camden wasn't it Michael? It was the seat
of Camden. And he worked very, very hard for the preselection and
the phones worked overtime as they normally do in these preselection
battles and he was absolutely devastated and distraught when he lost
the preselection to a fellow, I think he spells his name - F-A-H-E-Y
- John Fahey who then went on to become Premier of NSW and is now
the Finance Minister in my Government.
Michael was terribly upset and distraught and disappointed and the
then government in its, I think ill-wisdom although Michael didn't
think so at the time, decided with the support of the National Party
to increase the size of the Parliament and that created new Senate
opportunities. I said to Michael, why don't you run for the Senate
and he took my advice and we made a better job of the preselection
on that occasion and we managed to get him preselected and he was
reincarnated as Senator Michael Baume from the State of NSW. He continued
to represent NSW in the Senate from then on but he has been a very
close friend but he's added great value to the Parliament and everybody
tells me who passes through New York what a terrific job he does as
the Consul General here and it's been very evident.
Can I finish by saying to you, Andrew, what a tremendously nice thought
it was to sub-delegate your delegation. I think there's a delightful
symmetry Governor General to Ambassador to Prime Minister. I think
it's absolutely marvellous that you thought to do that and I really
am tickled pink that I've had the opportunity, not only of extending
this award to Michael but also to you Paul. It adds a very special
dimension to this delightful occasion here in New York and one that
I know you both will, and I and Janette will, remember for a very
long time.
Congratulations to you both. The awards are eminently deserved. You
have contributed greatly to the spirit and the life of Australia and
you are precisely the sort of people who should be honoured in the
Order of Australia. Thank you.
[ends]