ADDRESS Y THiE PRIME ' IllISTER
11 IEi1 O N. E. G. ' iiTLVI, 1l., P. " 1
TO T! E APIA CLU3, SYD'EY
SUNDAY 1 JUNE 1975
IT IS JUST OVER A YEAR SINCE I ATTENDED A GALA DINNER
IN SYDNEY OF THE APIA CLUB. IN AGAIN PAYING TRIBUTE TO APIA, I AGAIN PAY
TRIBUTE TO THE ENTIRE ITALIAN COMMUNITY, TO THE ENTIRE MIGRANT COMMUNITY,
TO ITALY HERSELF, TO EUROPE AND OUR EUROPEAN CONNECTION. NOT ONLY DOES
APIA PROVIDE A VITAL FOCUS FOR THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY THE LARGEST
SINGLE GROUP OF NON-BRITISH MIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA IT PROVIDES A
LIVING SYMBOL OF AUSTRALIA'S LINKS WITH EUROPE. MORE THAN ANY OTHER
SINGLE ORGANISATION YOUR CLUB HAS COME TO REFLECT THE STRENGTH, THE
IMPORTANCE, THE DURABILITY OF AUSTRALIA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ITALY, HER
MAINFOLD LINKS WITH THE OLD , CRLD AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO US
FROM THE OLD WORLD," I REJOICE ON THE PARTICULAR OCCASION THAT BRINGS US
TOGETHER TODAY. IT IS AN HONOUR TO BE WITH YOU TO OBSERVE THE 19TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC. 2 JUNE 19l6
SAW THE FINAL STEPS IN THE RESTORATION OF ITALIAN DEMOCRACY. ITALIANS
VOTED IN A REFERENDUM FOR A REPUBLIC; AT THE SAME TIME THEY HELD THE
FIRST ELECTIONS FOR A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, WITH THE OVERTHROW OF
FASCISM ITALY REBUILT HER DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS WITH SPEED AND VIGOUR.
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I FOR ALL THE DIFFICULTIES THE WESTERN NATIONS H/ VE
FACED SINCE THE SECOND W½ fORLD WAR FOR ALL THE GREAT ECONOMIC,
SOCIAL AND MILITARY CRISES THE CONTINENT HAS ENDURED THE
FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN ITALIAN DEIOCRACY HAVE SURVIVED. CN
THOSE FOUNDATIONS WAS BUILT THE GREAT POST-WAR MIGRATION PROGRAM
TO AUSTRALIA ONE OF THE BIGGEST PLANNED MOVEMENTS OF POPULATION
IN ALL HISTORY. THE HSTORY OF ITALIAN MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA IS FAMILIAR
TO ALL OF US, THERE ARE FEW COUNTRIES WITH WHICH AUSTRALIA HAS
HAD A LONGER CONTACT, THESE CONTACTS GO BACK MUCH FURTHER THAN
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MODERN REPUBLIC; FURTHER EVEN THAN THE
ESTABLISHMENrT OF APIA: WE KINOW THERE WAS AiJ ITALIAN ON THE
ENDEAVoL. V,-HEN CAPTAIN COOK CAME TO AUSTRALIA; WE KNOW THERE WAS
AN ITALIAN IN THE FIRST FLEET. DURING THE 19TH CENTURY MIGRANTS
ARRIVED IN AUSTPALIA IN SMALL BUT GROWING NUMBERS; PARTICULARLY
AFTER THE IMPETUS OF THE GOLD DISCOVERIES OF THE 1350' S.
RAFFAELLO CARBONI WAS ONE OF THE MINERS' LEADERS AT THE EUREKA
STOCKADE IN 1854. GiISEPPE GARIBALDI, THE GREAT FIGHTER FOR
ITALIAN UNIFICATION, ONE OF THE BUILDERS OF THE MODERN ITALIAN
DEMOCRACY WHOSE ANNIVERSARY WE OBSERVE TODAY, WEIGHED ANCHOR IN
THE BRIG CARMEN OFF TASMANIA IN 1352. SINCE THOSE EARLY BEGINNINGS
THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY HAS GROWN TO BE THE BIGGEST, THE MOST VIGOROUS,
THE MOST VALUABLE OF ALL NON-BRITISH NATIONAL GROUPS IN THIS COUNTRY.
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f'bRE THAN 3WXW AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS WERE BORN IN ITALY,
ACCORDING TO THE BEST ESTIMATES, THERE ARE VORE THAN A MILLION
AUSTRALIANS OF ITALIAN DESCENT. IT IS EASILY FORGOTTEN THAT
AUSTRALIA IS ONE OF THE WO) RLD S GREAT MULTI-NATIONAL COMM~ UNITIES,
' PE HAVE HAD ENORMOUS BENEFITS FROM THE INFLOW OF
EUROPEAN MIGRANTS. THE LEAST OF THOSE BENEFITS IS THE
REMINDER OF OUR LINKS WITH OTHER NATIONS AND THE INTERDEPENDENCE
. OF ALL NATIONS IN SOLVING OUR CO~ tAN PROBLEMS. AUSTRALIA'S
GEOGRAPHIC ISOLATION HAS PLACED US FAR FROM THE ANCIENT CENTRES
OF POWER AND IDEAS. IT WAS NEVER MORE ESSENTIAL THAN IT IS
TODAY FOR AUSTRALIANS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR CONTACTS WITH OTHER
COUNTRIES AND DEVELOP CLOSER RELATIONS WITH THE NATIONS OF THE
OLD WORLD THE NATIONS OF EUROPE. TH-AT WAS THE ESSENTIAL
PURPOSE OF MY VISIT To EUROPE LAST DECEMIBER AND JANUARY. YOU
WILL REMEMBER THERE WAS SOME MILD CRITICISM OF THAT MISSION IN
AUSTRALIA AT THE TIME. THIS IS NOT THE OCCASION FOR POLITICAL
SELF-JUSTIFICATION, BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT NO ONE IN THIS ROOM,
NO ONE WITH ANY AWARENESS OF AUSTRALIA'S PROPER ROLE IN TH-E WORLD,
NO ONE WITH ANY FEELING FOR THE DE. PTH AN4D RANGE OF OUR CONTACTS WITH
THE NATIONS OF PEOPLES OF EUROPE, COULD DOUBT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT
MISSION, AND, IF I MAY SAY SO, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT IT ACHIEVED.
I HAD THE VERY GREAT PLEASURE OF VISITING ITALY,
NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME AS PRIME MINISTER, BUT THE SECOND.
LIAM PROUD TO SAY THAT ROME IS THE ONLY CAPITAL ON THE EUROPEAN
CONTINENT WHICH I HAVE VISITED TWICE SINCE MY GOVERNMENT WAS
ELECTED. IN JANUARY I MET PRESIDENT LEONE AND HAD TALKS WITH
, SENIOR MINISTERS INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER i'bRO AND FOREIGN MINISTER
'* RUMOR. WE REVIEWED THE BUOYANT TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN ITALY
SAND AUSTRALIA. ITALY IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS
OUR TWELFTH MOST IMPORTANT EXPORT MARKET AND OUR EIGHTH MOST IMPORTANT
SOURCE OF IMPORTS. MY GOVERNMENT HAS MOVED TO ENSURE THAT THERE
IS A CONTINUING AND HEALTHY TRADE 3SETWEEN US. LAST YEAR THE
THEN MINISTER FOR OVERSEAS TRADE ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF THE
ITALO-AUSTRALIAN TRADE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT
OF COMtERCIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN ITALY AND AUSTRALIA, THE COMMITTEE
WAS FORMED BY A GROUP OF ITALIAN AND AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMEN TO
PROMOTE COOPERATION AND STREAMLINE PROCESSES BETWEEN THE BUSINESS
COiMUNITIES OF BOTH COUNTRIES, J'
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AGAIN, WHILE IN ROME, I SIGNED A CULTURAL AGREEMENT
BETWiEEN ITALY AND AUSTRALIA AS A TANGIBLE EXPRESSION OF THE
CULTURAL AND HUMAN CONTACTS BUILT UP OVER A GUARTER OF A CENTURY.
THE AGREEMENT SPECIFICALLY RECOGNISES THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH THE
ITALIAN COMMIUNITY HAS MADE TO THE QUALITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE IN
AUSTRALIA. AND SEEKS TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF-BILATERAL
RELATIONS IN THE SOCIAL, CULTUJRAL, ARTISTIC, SCIENTIFIC AND
SPORTING FIELDS. IGIVE ONE EXAMPLE OF THE SORT OF COOPERATI. ON
WE CAN EXPECT. THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES THAT AUSTRALIA AND ITALY
WILL EXCHANGE TEACHERS TO FACILITATE THE INTEGRATION OF ITALIAN
CHILDREN INTO THE AUSTRALIAN CO IMUNITY, WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR
CULTURAL TIES WITH THEIR BIRTHPLACE.
SIGNIFICANT AND SYMBOLIC AS THESE THINGS ARE,
THE REAL IMPORTANCE OF MY VISIT TO ITALY AND OTHER NATIONS OF
EUROPE WAS IN THE OPPORT-UNITY WE HAD TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON
COMMON PROBLEMS, ON WORLD PROBLEMS. IN A SPEECH I GAVE IN
ROME ON 8 JANUARY .1975 1 SAID THIS:
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j " I DOUBT IF THERE HAS EVER BEEN A TIME
WHEN CONSULTATION AID CO-OPERATION BETW! EEN
NATIONAL LEADERS WAS URGENT OR
IMPORTANT. AUSTRALIA AND ITALY HAVE GREAT
CULTURAL AND SOCIAL TRADITIONS IN COPON:
MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, WE SHARE WITH ALL
COUNTRIES OF THE WESTERN WORLD GREAT SOCIAL
AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. INFLATION AND
UNEMPLOYMENT POSE A GRAV/ E AND GROWING
THREAT TO DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND SOCIAL
ORDER AND COHESION. IF WESTERN NATIONS
ARE TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS WITHOUT A
RECOURSE TO AUTHORITARIANISM OR A
RELAPSE INTO ANARCHY, THEY WILL DO SO
ONLY BY RESTORING FAITH IN THE DEMOCRATIC
SYSTEM. IT IS TIME FOR GOVERNMENTS, FOR
POLITICIANS, FOR ALL FREE POLITICAL PARTIES
TO RENEW THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE FORMS AND
VALUES OF A DEMOCRATIC SOCIECTY. THERE IS NO
MORE URGENT TASK FOR MODERN STATESMEN THAN
TO LEAD, TO INSPIRE, TO NOURISH THIS COVMITNENT.
THE BREAKDOWN OF DEMOCRlACY IN ONE COUNTRY,
ATTACKS ON DEMOCRACY IN ONE COUNTRY, MUST BE
RECOGNISED AS AN ATTACH ON DEMCRACY EVERYWHERE.
I BELIEVE THE LEADERS AND PEOPLES
OF ITALY AND AUSTRALIA. ThID NATIONS WITH
DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS, CAN PLAY A PART IN
REBUILDING THE WORLD'IS FAITH IN THE FLEXIBILITY
AND STRENGTH OF DEMO1CRACY." i as118~
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/ 7-THAT IS OUR URGENT TASK, THAT WAS THE RELED/ ANCE
OF MY MISSION TO EUROPE. THAT IS THE LESSON TO B13KEE PT IN
MIND WHEN WE CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF POST-WAR DEMOCRACY IN
ITALY. DEMOCRACY IS STRONGEST WHEN IT PROVIDES ITS
. CITIZENS WITH THE MEANS TO A FULL LIFE AND A MEASURE OF
MATERIAL SECURITY AND SPIRITUAL FULFILMENT. FOR TOO LONG
IN AUSTRALIA MIGRANTS LACKED THESE ESSENTIAL THINGS, THE
SLABOR PARTY WAS THE FIRST TO IDENTIFY MIGRANTS AS ONE OF THE
PRIME DISADVANTAGED GROUPS IN AUST. RALIAN SOCIETY, CUR
POLICY SINCE WE CAME TO GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TO RECTIFY A LONG
TRADITIONr OF INJUSTICE AND DEPRIVATION, TO GIVE MIGRANTS THE
SAME REWARDS AND OPPORTUNITIES AS OTHER AUSTRALIANS.
WE NO LONGER CONCENTRATE ON BRINGING VAST NUMIBERS
OF NEW SETTLERS TO AUSTRALIA. ARE NOT INTERESTED IN NUMBERS
FOR THEIR OWN SAKE. THE BEST INVESTMENT WE CAN MAKE IN OUR
FUTURE IS TO ENSURE THAT MIGRANTS ALREADY IN AUSTRALIA LEAD
SECURE AND HAPPY LIVES. AUSTRALIA'S MIGRANT INTAKE IS NOW LARGELY
DETERMINED BY MIGRANTS THEMSELVES, THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE
GIVEN PRIORITY IN THE SELECTION OF MIGRANTS TO THE REUNION OF
FAMILIES, NO TESTS OF ACCEPTABILITY BEYOND THOSE OF SOUND
HEALTH AND GOOD CHARACTER ARE APPLIED TO THOSE ,' vHO WISH TO
JOIN THEIR FAMILIES IN AUSTRALIA. 1,/ 8
WE BELIEVE THE PEOPLE ' MOST LIKELY TO SETTLE HAPPILY IN
AUSTRALIA ARE THOSE WHO COME HERE TO JOIN MEMBERS OF
THEIR OWN FAMILY. CUR SOCIAL SECURITY AND WELFARE
PROGRAMS HAVE VASTLY IMPROVED THE LIVING STANDARDS OF
MIGRANT PEOPLE, AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, HAVE HELPED TO
INVOLVE THEM MORE CLOSELY IN COMMUNITY DECISIONS AND
PLANNING, PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE
! PLAN, COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRES AND REDS IMPORTANT AS
i THEY ARE FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS ARE OF PARTICULAR BENEFIT TO
MIGRANTS BECAUSE OF THE ENCOURAGEMENT THEY GIVE FOR
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT
ACTION. IT IS TIME GOVERNMENTS GAVE MORE TANGIBLE
RECOGNITION TO THOSE WHO HAVE DONE MUCH TO BUILD) AUSTRALIAN
SOCIETY, THE ITALIANS WHO CAME TO AUSTRALIA CONTRIBUTED
GREATLY TO OUR WAY OF LIFE. AUSTRALIANS OWE A LASTING DEBT
TO THE ITALIAN CANEGROWERS IN [ ORTH QUEENSLAND, THE ITALIAN
GOLDMINERS IN W'ESTERN AUSTRALIA, THE ITALIAN TOBACCO GROWERS
IN VICTORIA AND W'ESTERN AUSTRALIA, THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE
GROWERS OF VICTORIA AND iEW SOUTH !" I'ALES, THE SNOWY ' MOUNTAINS
SCHEME WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE WORK OF ITALIAN
RIGGERS AND ENGINEERS, THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY HAS HAD A
REAL INFLUENCE IN THE SMALL BUSINESS FIELD AS WELL AS
IN LARGER ENTERPRISES SUCH AS THE TRANSFIELD CORPORATION.
[ RY GOVERNMENT HAS SOUGHT TO RECOGNISE THIS CONTRIBUTION
TO AUSTRALIAN LIFE AND PROSPERITY BY THE APPOINTMEiNT-OF / 9
DR. EVASIO COSTANZO TO THE AUSTRALIA COUNCIL, CLAUDE PLCORSO
TO THE UNIVERSITIES COMMlISSION, AND NOT LEAST, YOUR CLUB PRESIDENTd
e fj 3BAYUTTI, TO THE BOARD OF QANTAS.
ONE OF THE GREAT REWARDS OF MY 23 YEARS IN PUBLIC
LIFE HAS BEEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND MIX WITH MEMBERS OF THE
AusTRALIAN ITALIAN COMMUNITY. IHAVE MADE MANY DEEP AND LASTING
FRIENDSHIPS; I HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS IN HOSPITABLE SURROUNDINGS
AMONG ITALIAN PEOPLE. I HOPE THE TIME WILL COME WHEN OUR GREAT
MIGRANT COInlNITIES WILL NO LONGER SEEM SEPARATE OR DISTINCT GROUPS
BUT INTEGRAL PARTS OF SOCIETY; WHEN HAVING AN ITALIAN NAME WILL
SEEM NO MORE REMARKABLE THAN HAVING AN ENGLISH OR AN IRISH NAME. WE
HAVE OF COURSE MOVED A LONG WAY IN GENERAL SOCIAL ATTITUDES
IN THE SPIRIT OF TOLEANCE AND ACCEPTANCE SINCE THAT GREAT MASS
MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE BEGAN WITH THE PROCLN ATION OF AN ITALIAN
REPUBLIC 29 YEARS AGO. WE STILL HAVE FURTHER TO MOVE. FOR MY
PART I NEVER FORGET AND I SAID AS MUCH IN ROME THAT ALMOST
EVERYTHING THAT IS BASIC TO AUSTRALIAN LIFE THE ORIGINS OF OUR
CULTURE AND CIVILISATION, OUR ART, OUR SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES,
MUCH OF OUR LANGUAGE CAME-TO US FROM ITALY. IT IS A LONG HISTORIC
PROCESS. IT IS STILL CONTINUING. IT IS NOURISHED BY ORGANISATIONS
SUCH AS APIA AND BY THE VIGOUR, THE CHARM, THE INDUSTRIOUS SPIRIT,
THE GREATNESS OF THE ITALIAN PEOPLE,