EMBARGOED AGAINST DELIVERY
R SIi~ lib, RA 11A,
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER FOUNDATION STONE CEREMONY
NEW PARLIAMENT HOUSE, 4 OCTOBER 1983
I AM HONOURED TO BE TAKING PART IN THIS IMPORTANT
CEREMONY, SYMBOLISING AS IT DOES OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE
FUTURE OF PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY IN THIS GREAT NATION
OF OURS,
ALTHOUGH A RELATIVELY YOUNG NATION, WE HAVE INHERITED
A FINE TRADITION OF PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY,
THIS IS AN OCCASION TO REAFFIRM OUR BELIEF IN THE
PRIMACY OF PARLIAMENT IN THE AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRATIC
SYSTEM.
ALTHOUGH THE PARLIAMENT HAS COME UNDER CRITICISM OVER
THE YEARS SINCE FEDERATION, IT REMAINS OUR PRINCIPAL
VEHICLE FOR ENSURING THAT GOVERNMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE
AND RESPONSIVE TO THE WISHES OF THE ELECTORS,
THE ESSENCE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARLIAMENT IS THAT THE
WHOLE POLICY AND PERFORMANCE OF GOVERNMENT MUST BE OPEN
TO SCRUTINY, OPEN TO CRITICISM AND. FINALLY, OPEN TO THE
JUDGEMENT OF THE ELECTORS,
LIKE ALL NATIONS WHICH HAVE ADOPTED THE WEST'MINSTER
SYSTEM OF RESPONSIBLE'GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE EVOLVED OUR
OWN STYLE ONE ADAPTED TO OUR NEEDS AND NATIONAL
CHARACTER.
THERE ARE, AND SHOULD BE, OTHER AVENUES FOR KEEPING
GOVERNMENTS IN TOUCH WITH THE COMM1UNITY AND ENSURING
THEIR PARTICULAR ACTIONS ARE ACCOUNTABLE,
THIS GOVERNMENT IS ESPECIALLY KEEN TO DEVELOP A STRONG
SENSE OF COM1MUNICATION AND CONSULTATION WITH THE
COMMUNITY ON PARTICULAR ISSUES OF CONCERN. THE SUCCESS OF
THE NATIONAL ECON~ OMiIC SUMMIT, WHICH WAS HELD IN THE PRESENT
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, EMPHASISES THE VALUE OF FRESH CHANNELS OF
COMMAUNICATION. IN AN OPEN SOCIETY THE PARTICULAR ACTIONS OF GOVERNMENT,
AS THEY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS AND SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY,
HAVE TO BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE BY CRITICISM IN THE MEDIA
BY REDRESS IN THE COURTS, BY COMMUNITY GROUPS PURSUING THEIR
SPECIAL GRIEVANCES DIRECTLY WITH GOVERNMENT.
BUT NONE OF THIS DETRACTS FROM THE TRADITIONAL AND
CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE OF THE PARLIAMENT AS THE CENTRE OF
POLITICAL LIFE.
THE PARLIAMENT IS, AND I TRUST WILL ALWAYS BE, THE
HIGHEST PUBLIC FORUM IN THE LAND. ONLY IN THE
PARLIAMENT ARE BASIC POLITICAL ISSUES DEBATED AS A
MATTER OF COURSE.
THE
IT IS e PLACE WHERE GOVERNMENTS ARE PUBLICLY AND
CONTINUOUSLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR STE',' ARDSHIP. i~ i / 3
IT IS THE PLACE K'HERE THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES,
AFFECTING THE WHOLE PATTERN AND DIRECTION OF OUR
NATIONAL LIFE; ARE SUBJECTED TO THE CLOSEST SCRUTINY.
IT IS tHE PLACE WHERE MINI STERS ARE INDIVIDUALLY AND
COLLECTIVELY ANSWERABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONSi BOTH
CONSTITUTIONALLY AND POLITICALLY. ULTIMATELYj THE
GOVERNMENT nU5L1 FACE THE PARLIAMENT BECAUSE THE
PARLIAM-ENT ALONE HAS THE RIGHT TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE
LEGISLATION AND THE FUNDS WHICH ARE THE MEANS BY WHICH
A GOVERNMENT GOVERNS AT ALL. THROUGH THE PARLIAMENT.,
AND MOST PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE FINDS EXPRESSION.
THE PARLIAMENT IS THE PLACE WHERE THE PEOPLE OF
AUSTRALIA CAN SEE THEIR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, THEIR
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS AND SENATORS WORKING. ON. THEIR BEHALF.
IT IS THE PLACE WHERE ALL AUSTRALIANS FEEL FREE TO
VISIT, WHETHER FOR A SPECIFIC MATTER OF BUSINESS OR
SIMPLY TO SEE THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AT FIRST HAND.
THE DESIGN OF THIS NEW PARLIAMENT HOUSE AND ITS SITING
IN THIS PROMINENT LOCATION IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
MUST ENHANCE THE TRADITIONAL PLACE OF THE PARLIAMENT
IN OUR SOCIETY. v / 14
THE PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE OF THE DESIGN CANNOT BY ITSELF:
ENSURE THAT PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY WILL FLOURISH. BUT
THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THE FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED
BY IT FOR POLITICIANS AND THE PUBLIC GENERALLY, MUST
CONTRIBUTE TO THE QUALITY OF THE ENDEAVOURS OF ' IEMBERS
AND THE QUALITY OF THE ACCESS TO MENSERS BY THE PEOPLE
THEY REPRESENT.
THE NEW PARLIAMENT HOUSE WILL,. WITH ITS GREAT PUBLIC
AREAS WHICH WILL ALLOW VISITORS TO SEE AND FEEL THE
PARLIAMENTARY PROCESSi MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR
STYLE OF PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY,
IT REFLECTS THE INFORMALITY OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHARACTER
WHILE MAINTAINING THE DIGNITY WHICH THE INSTITUTION
ITSELF DESERVES.
THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IS AT THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM
OF PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY.
[ ly GOVERNMENT CAME TO OFFICE COMMITTED TO A PROGRAM OF
ELECTORAL REFORM AND CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE. NOT CHANGE
FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGE, BUT CHANGE IN THE BELIEF THAT
OUR NEEDS COULD BETTER BE CATERED FOR.
RECENTLY THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON' ELECTORAL
REFORM TABLED ITS REPORT. v i
THAT COMMITTEE HAS MADE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE
AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND HAS, I BELIEVE, MADE A SIGNIFICANT
CONTRIBUTION TO INFORMED DISCUSSION ON4 THESE MATTERS,
SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO PROPOSALS FOR
A LONGER PARLIAMENTARY TERM, SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS AND
AN INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE PARLIAMENT HAVE ALREADY
BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION.
MANY OF THEIR PROPOSALS HAVE MERIT AND WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY IMPROVE
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR PARLIAMENT,
THERE MUST BE DEBATE ABOUT THE MERITS OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS0 I HOPE THAT A CONSENSUS CAN BE FORGED UNITING
MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL POLITICAL PERSUASIONS AROUND A
PACKAGE OF MEASURES WHICH WILL MAKE THE PARLIAMENT NOT
ONLY MORE TRULY REPRESENTATIVE BUT MORE EFFICIENT IN
REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE,
MR CHAIRMAN, IT IS A SINGULAR PERSONAL HONOUR TO BE
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS IMPORTANT CEREMONY. BUT THE
SYMBOLISM IN THE LAYING OF A FOUNDATION STONE OVERSHADOWS
ANY PERSONAL FEELINGS,
THIS STONE SYMBOLISES OUR CONCEPTS OF PARLIAMENTARY
DEMOCRACY; IT REPRESENTS THE BASE ON WHICH WE MAY
CONTINUE TO BUILD AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRACY, ,/ 6
I WANT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO ALL THOSIE ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS MAGNIFICENT ENTERPRISE, WE ARE NOW SEEING THE
REWARDS OF THEIR LABOURS,
I AM ADVISED THAT THE BUILDING PROGRAM IS PROCEEDING
VERY SATISFACTORILY INDEED, THAT IT IS NOW AHEAD
OF SCHEDULE, THIS IS DUE IN PART TO THE HARD WORK
AND DEDICATED EFFORT OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED I COMMEND
TH I S,
WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMPLETION OF WHAT WILL
UNDOUBTEDLY BE AUSTRALIA'S PREMIER BUILDING,