CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
AUSTRALIAA AY LUNCHEON
26 JANUARY 1984
I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO THE AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL
FOR NEW SOUTH WALES FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART IN
THE AUSTRALIA DAY CELEBRATIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME AS
PRIME INISTER OF AUSTRALIA AND TO SPEAK AT THIS INAUGURAL
AUSTRALIA DAY LUNCHEON. IN THIS GREAT CITY OF SYDNEY
WHERE THE STORY OF NODERN AUSTRALIA BEGAN.
I EMPHASISE THE WORD " MODERN" BECAUSE THERE
COULD BE NO GREATER DELUSION. THAN THAT THE HUMAN STORY OF
THIS CONTiNENT, AND INDEED, THE STORY OF HUMAN CULTURE AND
CIVILISATION ON THIS CONTINENT, BEGAN ONLY ON THE
26TH OF JANUARY 1788.
THE RECOGNITION OF THIS FACT, AND ITS PRACTICAL
EXPRESSION, WILL BE CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS AND SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE BICENTENARY YEAR NOW ONLY FOUR YEARS AWAY.
AND THE RECOGNITION OF THAT FACT IS QUITE
FUNDAMENTAL IN GIVING TRUE MEANING TO THE THEME WHICH THE
AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL FOR NEw SOUTH WALES HAS SET FOR THIS
OCCASION THE THEMIE " ONE NATION ONE FUTURE". / 2
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HERE, I AM SPEAKING NOT SIMPLY OF THE QUESTIONS
OF THE ROLE AND RIGHTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES,
FUNDAM4ENTAL AS THOSE QUESTIONS ARE.
I AM SPEAKING OF OUR OWN SENSE OF IDENTITY AS
MODERN AUSTRALIANS# FOR IF WE PLACE OUR PRESENCE HERE IN THE LONGER
PERSPECTIVE OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF THE HUMAN STORY AND
THE HUMAN STRUGGLE IN THIS CONTINENT, WE CAN SEE HOW
TRIVIAL AND IRRELEVANT BECOME CONSIDERATIONS OF ET-INIC
ORIGIN OR FAMILY DESCENT IN DEFINING THE TRUE AUSTRALIAN.
THAT IS A DEFINITION THAT DOES NOT DEPEND UPON
A PLACE OR A DATE ON A B1RTH CERTIFICATE, OR EVEN ON A
CERTIFICATE OF NATURALISATION.
ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY DEFINES AN
AUSTRALIAN TODAY.
AND THAT IS A COMMITMENT TO AUSTRAIA AND
ITS FUTURE2 AND GIVEN THAT COMMITMENT, THE FAMILY OFF THE
LAST PLANE IS AS AUSTRALIAN AS THE SEVENTH GENERATION
DESCENDANT OF THE FIRST FLEET. ,/ 3
-3-
IT IS A CLICHE, BUT NO LESS TRUE, THAT MODERN
AUSTRALIA IS A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS.
IN SUCH A NATION, THERE CAN BE NO HIERARCHY OF
AUSTRALIAN-NESS. THE COMMITMENT IS ALL.
AND IT IS SUCH A COMMITMENT, MADE BY INDIVIDUALS.:
AND BY THE GROUPS AND INTERESTS WHICH GO TO MAKE UP THE
FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY AND OUR NATION, WHICH LIES AT THE HEART
OF THE ENDEAVOURS MADE OVER THE PAST YEAR NOT JUST BY
MY GOVERNMENT, BUT THROUGHOUT THE COtMUNITY, TO BRING
AUSTRALIA TOGETHER, TO WOflRK TOGCTICR TO ACHIEVE RESOLUTION
lir' lHI T FhMiinnflls BenI BE T IN i ADIV nI CPICTO TliHE UIPnIliFFl', pl
DIFFICULTIES, WE HAVE FACED TOGETHER AND STILL DO FACE
TOGETHER. THE NEED FOR AN EFFORT TOWARDS NATIONAL
RECONCILIATION, THE NEED FOR AUSTRALIANS TO BE BROUGHT
TOGETHER AND TO WORK TOGETHER, IS SOMETHING I HAVE HELD AS
FUNDAMENTAL THROUGHOUT MY PUBLIC CAREER.
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PAST YEAR NOT MINE MERELY,
BUT AUSTRALIA'S EXPERIENCE CONFIRMS ME ABSOLUTELY IN THAT
BELIEF. BUT MUCH MORE THAN THAT, IT UTTERLY CONFIRMS MY
BELIEF THAT THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA ARE CAPABLE OF A GENUINE
RESPONSE TO THE CALL FOR CO-OPERATION AND RESTRAINT 10 MLET
A CRISIS, AS MUCH IN PEACE AS IN WAR. 1 / 4
WE HAVE BY NO MEANS OVERCOME ALL THE DIFFICULTIES.
THE RECOVERY WHCH IS NOW CLEARLY UNDERWAYs WILL BE ALL BUT
WORTHLESS UNLESS THERE IS A CONTINUATION OF THAT CO-OPERATION
AND RESTRAINT, AND UNLESS THE SPIRIT EPITOMISED BY THE
NATIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE OF LAST APRIL CAN BE
MADE A REAL PART OF THE AUSTRALIAN WAY OF DOING THINGS.
BUT I DO BELIEVE WE CAN NOW SEE THE EVENTS AND
" VELOPMENTS OF .983 IN THE WJDER PERSPECTIVE OF THEIR TRUE
MEANING IN AUSTRALIA'S HISTORY,
WE AS A GOVERNMENTo AND AS A COMMUNITY, HAVE
NOT BEEN WORKING TOGETHER MERELY FOR A TEMPORARY Cr AD HOC
SOLUTION OR DIMINUTION OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS FACING
MODERN AUSTRALIA IN THE LAST FEW YEARS OF ITS SECOND
CENTURY. I RELIEVE OUR HISTORIC TASK HAS BEEN, AND OUR
HISTORIC MISSION TOGETHER IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD,
IS TO PREPARE AUSTRALIA FOR THE FUTURE IN ITS THIRD CENTURY
AND INDEED, ITS FUTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
UNLESS WE CAN TAKE THAT LONGER PERSPECTIVE, THE
EFFORTS AND HARD WORK OF THE PAST YEAR WILL HAVE LITTLE
ENDURING MEANING OR SIGNIFICANCE.
LET ME VERY BRIEFLY IDENTIFY WHAT I SEE AS THE
FOUR GREAT CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES FOR AUSTRALIA, FOR ITS
GOVERNMENTS, ITS REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANISATIOINS
AND THME PEOPLE AS A WHOLEo
FIRST, THE QUESTION OF EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT,
LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT ANYTHING LIKE THOSE OF THE PAST COUPLE
OF YEARS, PARTICULARLY AMONG OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, CANNOT AND
SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATEDø ALL OF US MUST GIVE THE HIGHEST
PRIORITY TO TACKLING THIS PROBLEM. ALREADY IN THE EIGHT
MONTHS FROM APRIL TO DECEMBER 1983 PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE
WITH EMPLOYMENT RISING DY OVER 158,000 JOBS A SHARP
REVERSAL FROM THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING EIGHT MONTHS, WHEN
OVER 146,000 JOBS WERE LOST. BUT EVEN WITH
EXTRAORDINARILY RAPID AND SUSTAINED EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, ANY
RETURN TO THE FULL EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS OF THE POST-WAR
GENERATION WILL BE A LONG, SLOW AND DIFFICULT PROCESS.
THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATE FRA, IEWORK
AND SENSE OF DIRECTION, THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE MUST BE
INVOLVED IN MAKING THEM WORK. THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, NOT
JUST GOVERNMENTS, MUST FACE UP TO AND TACKLE THE UNEMPLOYMEN', T
PROBLEM. ALL OF US MUST RECOGNISE AND ACCEPT OUR
RESPONSIBILITIES IN THIS CRUCIAL AREA. p ,/ 6
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SECONDLY, JUST AS WE HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF
THE ECONOMIC REALITIES IMPOSED ON THE YOUNGER PEOPLE,
SO WE HAVE TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE ECONOMIC
REALITIES FACING THE OLDER GENERATION. WE HAVE TO FACE
THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING TO LIVE IN A SOCIETY WITH AN
AGEING POPULATION, PUT BLUNTLY, AN INCREASINGLY
SMALLER PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION WILL BE IN
EMPLOYMENT AND ABLE TO SUSTAIN THOSE IN RETIREMENT AFTER
THEIR PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT OR THOSE WITHOUT ANY
EMPLOYMENT AT ALL. IT IS IMPERATIVE, THEREFORE, THAT
WE CREATE CONCEPTS AND MECHANISMS GOVERNING OUR SOCIAL
SECURITY SYSTEM WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT EXPENDITURES
ARE MORE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE REAL NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.
,/ 7
THIRDLY, WE WILL HAVE TO MEET THE CHALLENGE
AND RISE TO THE OPPORTUNITIES -OFFERED BY THE INEVITABLE
INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY0 CLEARLY, OUR
EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE CRUCIAL To AUSTRALIA'S
A1DILITY TO BENEFIT FROM THE P3ROFOUND IREVOLUTION OF
TECHNOLOGY, AND IT IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO M~' AXMISE
OUR GROWTH PERFORMANCE, AND OUR LONGER TERM EMPLOYMENT
PtKOSPECTS, THAT WE DO NOT TURN OUR FACE ON THE OPPORTUNITIES
ASSOCIATED WITH T1ECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT. A COMMON
THREAD RUNNING THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE COUNTRIES
MOST SUCCESSFUL IN HANDLING TH-E INTRODUCTION OF MODERN
TiECHNOLOGIESi HAS BEEN THE WILLINGNESS OF THE SOCIAL PARTNERSOF
GOVERNMENT, UNIONS AND EMPLOYERS TO CONSULT WITH
EACH OTHER AT THE'NATIONAL, INDUSTRY AND ENTERPRISE LEVELS.
AS IN SO MANY OTHER VITAL AREAS, CO-OPERATION AND
CONSULTATION ARE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT THE INTRODUCTION
OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN A MANNER
WHICH ENSURES THAT ALL AUSTRALIANS PARTICIPATE IN THE
LONG TERM BENEFITS# I 1s8
AND FOURTHLY AND THIS IS A CHALLENGE CLOSELY
RELATED TO THE NEW TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION MUST FP. r-
THE CRIfICALLY IMPORTANT TASK OF GIVING GREATER SUBSTANCE
TO OUR LINKS WITH THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION, PARTICULARLY IN
THE FIELD OF TRADE, AS THIS IS THE FASTEST-GROWING REGION
OF THE WORLD ECONOMY, AND THE REGION IN WHICH AUSTRAL! A'S
DESTINY HAS PLACED US FOREVER,
I REFERRED EARLIER TO OUR QUEST FOR A NATIONAL
IDENTITY. AT LEAST PART OF THAT QUEST LIES IN THE
REALISATION OF WHERE WE ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE WIORLD, A
REALISATION OF WHO ARE OUR NEIGHBOURS, A REALISATION OF OUR
COMMON AND MUTUAL INTERESTS AND A REALISATION OF THE
CONTRIBUTION WE HAVE TO MAKE TO THE PEACE AND PROSPERITY
OF THIS REGION# You CAN BE ASSURED THAT THIS GREAT QUESTION WILL BE
AT THE FOREFRONT OF MY CONCERNS IN THE MISSION I AM ABOUT
TO UNDERTAKE TO HONG KONG, JAPAN, KOREA, CHINA., SINGAPORE
AND MALAYSIAN AND INDEED, THE THEME OF " LIVING TOGETHER" i WHICH
SOME YEARS AGO, WAS ORIGINALLY DECIDED UPON AS THE THEME FOR
THE BICENTENARY YEAR, IS AS APPROPRIATE A STATEMENT OF OUR
GOALS ABROAD AS OF OUR PURPOSE AT HOME. / 9
t q.
o: " 9-
iHE " LIVING TOGETHER" THEME WAS LATER REPLACED,
OFFICIALLY, BY THE THEME: " THE AUSTRALIAN ACHIEVEMENT".
I PERSONALLY RATHER REGRET THE OFFICIAL CHANGE.
I BOW TO NONE IN MY PRIDE IN ALL THAT IS TRUE AND GOOD
IN THE AUSTRALIAN ACHIEVEMENT.
BUT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, IT WILL BE OUR ABILITY
TO LIVE TOGETHER, TO WORK TOGETHER IN A GENUINELY
MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY, AND A GENUINELY FREE AND OPEN
SOCIETY, THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE CAN ACHIEVE DIVERSITY
VW1THIN UNITY, THAT WILL SHAPE OUR FUTURE AND WHICH WILL
INDEED BE THE FINEST AND TRUEST AUSTRALIAN ACHIEVEMENT
OF ALL,