SPEECH BY THE HON R. J, HAWKE, AC., mP,
PRIME MINISTER, AT THE
LABOR DAY DINNER
MELBOURNE 12 MARCH 1983
LET ME SAY FIRST OF ALL: THIS IS NOT
MY NIGHT TONIGHT BELONGS TO YOU, THE MEN AND WOMEN
OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR MOVEMENT, WHO WORKED SO HARD.,
SUFFERED SO MANY DISAPPOINTMENTS AND SETBACKS,
0 AND GIVEN THE LABOR MOVEMENT YOUR LOYALTY AND DEDICATION
TO BRING ABOUT THIS GREAT VICTORY,
AND FOR ME, IT IS A TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE
TO BE ABLE WITHIN A DAY OF BEING SWORN IN AS
PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA TO SPEAK TO YOU PERSONALLY,
AND TO SAY SIMPLY BUT MOST SINCERELY: " THANK YOU",
IT IS YOUR VICTORY, IT IS YOUR VINDICATION,
THE YEAR SINCE THE LAST LABOR DAY DINNER
HAS SEEN THE MOST REMARKABLE POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION IN
THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA.
AND IT HAS ALL HAPPENED FROM HERE FROM
MELBOURNE, FROM VICTORIA,
VICTORIA HAS LED THE WAY,
ArNr THAT TRANSFORMATION IS SYMBOLISED BY THE
FACT THAT, FOR IHE F IRSI TIME IN HISTORY, THI S DINNER
IS ATTENDED BY A LABOR LORD MAYOR OF MELBOURNE,
A LABOR PRENIER OF VICTORIA AND A LABOR PRIME MINISTER
OF AUSTRALIA, JOHN CAIN'S TREMENDOUS TRIUMPH LAST
APRIL SET THE PACE.
INOT ONLY BROUGHT TO AN END 27 YEARS OF*
CONSERVATIVE ASCENDANCY IN THIS STATE THE JEWEL
IN THE LIBERAL CROWN,
IT WAS THE KNELL SOUNDING FOR THE
FRASER GOVERNMENT. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA RETURNED
LABOR UNDER JOHN BANNON,
THEN THREE WEEKS AGO TONIGHT, BRIAN BURKE
LED LABOR TO A SIUNNING VICTORY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA,
AND LAST SATURDAY NIGHT, IT WAS THE
COUNTING IN VICTORIA WHICH RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING,
POINTED TO THE REALITY WHATEVER THE COMPUTERS AND THE
PUNDITS MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAYING THE REALITY OF A
MASSIVE LABOR VICTORY THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA,
-3-
AND NOW THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY IS IN THE
EXTRAORDINARY POSITION OF FORMING GOVERNMENTS IN
WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES
AND VICTORIA AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA,
NOT SINCE THE LATE FORTIES, WHEN
JOHN CAIN'S FATHER THAT GREAT LABOR LEADER, THAT
GREAT AUSTRALIAN FORMED HIS FIRST GOVERNMENT, HAS THERE
BEEN ANY PARALLEL. BUT IN REALITY, LABOR'S POSITION IS NOW
VERY DIFFERENT. WE CAN NOW SEE THAT BY THE LATE FORTIES,
LABOR WAS ABOUT TO ENTER A LONG PERIOD OF DECLINE AND
DIVISION. By CONTRAST IN .1983, THE LABOR GOVERNMIENTS
ARE FRESH AND VIGOROUS IN VICTORIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA OR, AS IN NEW SOUTH WALES,
ROCK SOLID, STABLE, AND SUCCESSFUL.
o AND INQUE ENSLAND, THERE IS EVERY SIGN
OF A GREAT LABOR RESURGENCE, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
OUR HOLDING EVERY MAINLAND STATE GOVERNMENT BY THE END
OF THIS YEAR. BUT ABOVE ALL, WE ARE I BELIEVE, UNITED
AS A PARTY AN4D AS A MOVEMENT AS NEVER BEFORE.
AND THAT WILL BEc THE BASIS FOR OUR WORK
TOWARDS NATIONAL RECONCILIATION, NATrIONAL RECOVERY,
AND NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION. 3
THIS IS NO TIME FOR GLOATING OVER THE
DISCOMFITURE OF OUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS, THAT HAS
NEVER BEEN MY WAY.
* BUT I DO BELIEVE WE ARE ENTITLED TO HAVE
FROM OUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF
SOMETHING THAT THEIR POLITICAL LEADERS AND THE
POWERFUL FORCES OF THE CONSERVATIVE ESTABLISHMENT
BEHIND THEM HAVE FOR TOO LONG TRIED TO DENY. US,
AND THAT IS THE LEGITIMACY OF LABOR AS
A NORMAL AND NATURAL GOVERNMENT IN THIS STATE AND IN
THIS NATIONS. IT WAS THE ATTEMPT TO DENY OUR LEGITIMACYTHE
ASSUMPTION BY MEN WHO BELIEVED THEY WERE BORN TO RULE
THAT THE LABOR VICTORIES OF 1972 AN4D .19714 WERE MERE
ABERRATIONS ON THE PART OF THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA
WHICH LED TO THE EVENTS OF NOVEMBER 1975,
Now, WHENEVER THEY HAVE HAD THE CHANCE AT THE
BALLOT BOX, THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA HAVE DECLARED
OVERWHELMINGLY, NOT ONLY THEIR SUPPORT FOR LABOR,, BUT
THEIR DEEP BELIEF IN THE LEGITIMACY OF THE LABOR PARTY
AND THE LABOR MOVEEMENT THIS GREAT AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTION
WHICH HAS A PROUD RECORD OF A CENTURY'IS SERVICE TO THIS
NATION IN WAR AND PEACE.-
AND ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS ALONG THE PATH
OF NATIONAL RECONCILIATION TO WHICH WE ARE COMMITTED
WOULD BE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE NEW CONSERVATIVE
LEADERSHIPj THAT THEY AT LAST RECOGNISE AND ACCEPT
THE LEGITIMACY OF LABOR AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS OF MILLIONS OF OUR FELLOW
AUSTRALIANS, THERE CAN BE NO UNDERESTIMATING THE
DIFFICULTIES OF THE TASK ENTRUSTED TO US BY THE
AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE. AND BY I MEAN NOT ONLY THOSE OF US
IN GOVERNMENT, I MEAN ALL OF US THE WHOLE LABOR
PARTY, THE WHOLE LABOR MOVEMENT.
THE GREAT WORK OF NATIONAL RECONCILIATION,
NATIONAL RECOVERY AND NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION, WILL CALL
FOR UNITED, CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT BY ALL OF US, IF WE ARE
TO FULFIL THE GREAT TRUST REPOSED IN US BY THE PEOPLE
OF AUSTRALIA, AS A GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE ALREADY SET IN TRAIN
THE FIRST MOVE TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PROGRAM,
WE HAVE ALREADY HONOURED THE FIRST COMMITMENT WE
MADE DURING THE CAMPAIGN, ./ 6
You-WILL RECALL THAT IN THE POLICY SPEECH
FROM THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE I SAID:
" WE UNDERTAKE, IMMEDIATELY ON ASSUMING OFFICE,
TO CONVENE A NATIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE,
FULLY REPRESENTATIV'E OF AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY,
THE AUSTRALIAN WORKFORCE AND THE AUSTRALIAN
PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR ELECTED GOVERNMENTS,
ITS PURPOSE IS TO CREATE A CLIMATE FOR COMMON
UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF
AUSTRALIA'S PRESEN4T CRISIS, TO EXPLORE THE POLICY
OPTIONS, AND TO ENSURE THAT THE RELEVANT PARTIESGOVERNMENTS,
BUSINESS AND THE UNIONS -CLEARLY
APPRECIATE THE ROLE THAT EACH OF THEM WILL HAVE
TO PLAY IN PULLING THE COUNTRY OUT OF THE
PRESENT ECONOMIC CRISIS.
2 YESTERDAY, IMMEDIATELY UPON BEING SWORN IN,
ISENT THE LETTERS OF IN4VITATION4 TO THE PREMIERS AND TO
OVER SEVENTY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNION MOVEMENT
AND THE INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, PROFESSIONAL AND FARMING
COMMUNITIES OF THIS NATION. THE CONFERENCE WILL BEGIN
ON THE 11TH OF APRIL AND WILL BE HELD lN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE NATION ' S CAPITAL. 17
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AND IN MY LETTER OF INVITATION, I SAID THIS:
" IITE NATIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE PRESENTS
US WITH A RARE, AND I BELIEVE, AN HISTORIC
OPPORTUNITY TO SET A NEW COURSE FOR AuSTRALIA.
I AM CON4FIDENT THAT YOU WILL WELCOME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO
WHAT, I DEEPLY BELIEVE, CAN BE MADE A NEW
BEGINNING. IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR ME AT THIS
63 STAGE TO STRESS THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS NOVI FACING AUSTRALIA.
THE EMPHASIS OF THE CONFERENCE WILL BE ON PRACTICAL,
SPECIFIC AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO MEET THOSE
PROBLEMS AND TO DEVELOP PROCESSES FOR CONTINUING
CONSULTATION AND CO-OPERATION. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE
THE CONFERENCE WILL ALSO HAVE AN IMPORTANT
SYMBOLIC PURPOSE, AS A DEMONSTRATION, To AUSTRALIA
AND THE WORLD, OF OUR ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER
TO SURMOUNT OUR PRESENT PROBLEMS AND LAY FIRM
FOUNDATIONS FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE'.*
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS, NOT ONLY FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE CONFERE1NCE, BUT
FOR ALL OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS RECOVERY WHICH WILL FLOW FROM
AND FOLLOW THE CONFERENCE, WILL BE THE CAPACITY OF THE
LABOR MOVEMENT ITSELF -POLITICAL LABOR, INDUSTRIAL LABOR
TO WORK TOGETHER, IN CO-OPERATION WITH ALL THE OTHER SECTORS
OF THE COMMUNITY,, UNTIL WE HAVE RESTORED PROSPERITY TO THIS
NATION AND HEALTH TO ITS ECONOMY.
HERE HOME AT LAST I SPEAK TO THE MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT WHO HAVE GIVEN ME THE
HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO ACHIEVE IN MY PUBLIC LIFE. YOU HAVE NEVER
LET ME DOWN, BUT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING OF ALL I KNOW YOU WILL NOT LET THE
0, PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA DOWN,
AND I END AS I BEGAN THANK YOU FOR
ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR OUR GREAT PARTY, OUR GREAT
MOVEMENT, OUR GREAT NATION; AND THANK YOU FOR ALL
THE HELP THAT I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH WILL BE FORTHCOMING
IN THE FUTURE SERVICE OF OUR CAUSE AND OUR PEOPLE.
C