Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service
What better way to engage with our Constitution and our democracy than here in our nation's capital? And, in particular, down the hill at the Museum of Australian Democracy.
It is astonishing to think that Old Parliament House was only ever meant to be temporary.It has formed the political backdrop of Australia's biggest moments and most consequential debates. World War Two, post-war reconstruction, Vietnam. Debates on conscription, Australian heritage and reconciliation. Ending the White Australia Policy, grappling with the Cold War, the creation of Medicare.
That famous photograph - now sculpture - of Australia's first female parliamentarians, Dame Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney. Striding through the front doors together in 1943. And that immortal footage of Gough Whitlam, addressing the media on the front steps after the dismissal in 1975.
One of your predecessors, a former delegate from my hometown of Perth, said:
"… I could almost feel the ghosts of Billy Hughes, John Curtin, Robert Menzies ... giants of Australian political history lurking in the shadows and watching our deliberations."
I don't believe in ghosts. But I do believe in the power of history.
Old Parliament House is the 'building in which democracy matured in Australia.' And the building we stand in now is where Australian democracy strengthens and endures.
I was a bit older than you the first time I came here. I was 19. And, 20 years later, I am still in awe.
It is one of the largest buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. On sitting days like today, I am one of about 5,000 people working here. Each playing a role to support democracy. Drawn here out of a desire to make a contribution. To participate in discussion and debate. Because we hope that doing so will improve the lives of Australians. And you are here because you have that same itch to contribute.
Maybe you are considering a career in politics. Or the media. Or the law. Or the public service. Maybe you are not sure yet - and that's ok! Wherever you are headed, I hope this experience leaves you feeling inspired. To make your own contribution, in your own way.
The Constitution and the states
Your focus this week has been learning from Australia's best legal experts on the intersections of state and federal law. Untangling the implications of Section 96 of our Constitution. Understanding what it means for the federal government to grant money to the states based on certain terms. And debating who pays for what and under what conditions.
I am a proud West Australian, so you know whenever someone says "Section 51" or "Section 52" or "Section 96", they've got my attention. And while I have your attention, I want to tell you a story about our Constitution, and a man who is known as the 'Father of Federation.' I have argued in Parliament that the case for federal cooperation remains as strong today as it was when the Constitution was drafted. And its history is inextricably linked to the history of a poor Englishman. One who arrived in a dusty, blustery, early colonial Sydney with his young family and a passion for turning ideas into action.
Sir Henry Parkes
One of the first major proponents of a Federated Australia was Sir Henry Parkes. He arrived in Sydney in 1839 with his young family. He and his family had been living a life of significant poverty in England. When he arrived in the colony of New South Wales, he was determined to change his family's lives for the better.
Many of Henry Parkes' ideas were deeply troubling by today's standards. Yet his idea to bring the colonies together was visionary. To federate.
He was neither the first nor the last person to have this idea. Nor was he the richest or the most educated. But today we know his name for a simple reason - he was incredibly passionate and devoted to his cause.
Parkes began to be active in politics and in communicating the ideas of federation soon after he stepped off that boat in Sydney. He joined the Constitution Association in 1848. This dull name was home to a society of radicals. Free thinkers who wanted a united Australia to have a Constitution of its own. Parkes then started a newspaper, Empire, in 1850. This became the place where all advocates for a federalism or an Australian republic would publish their ideas.
Gradually, Parkes was building up a community of people interested in politics and interested in how to change the country for the better. A group very much like the one in front of me!
Parkes successfully ran for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1856. He went on to serve five terms as Premier of New South Wales. This brought him face to face with leaders and senior figures of other Australian colonies.
Negotiating with the other colonies
In 1867 at an inter-colonial conference in Melbourne, Parkes said to all of those gathered from different colonies of Australia;
'I think the time has arrived when these colonies should be united by some federal bond of connection.'
Parkes' vision of a federated Australia was being listened to by some of the most important people in the country. Men, yes all men, in top hats, bushy moustaches and beards were meeting at conferences to discuss the possibility of a federated Australia.
Politicians were trading terms and conditions in discussions that were dragging out for years at a time. In a classic case of inter-colonial rivalry - Victoria and New South Wales were particularly locked in a disagreement about trade laws. These discussions that Henry Parkes had cared so much about, seemed at risk of ending up in the 'too hard' basket.
Parkes had a conversation with the New South Wales Governor Lord Carrington in 1889. In that conversation, Parkes boasted that he could federate the colonies in 12 months. The Governor dared him to do it. So Henry, known for being stubborn and competitive, doubled his efforts. He telegraphed the premiers of the other colonies suggesting a conference in Brisbane to discuss a new constitution.
The Tenterfield speech
On his way back to Sydney from the conference, Henry did something quite different. He took his idea to the people and to the streets of a tiny town in New South Wales. A dusty, rural town close to the Queensland border, called Tenterfield. He gave a speech there which would not only go down in Australian history, but would also be a large part of the reason that we even have an 'Australia.'
Henry Parkes spoke, as he had done many times with other leaders of the colony, of the need to federate the colonies. But this time he was speaking directly to the people. He asked them whether they thought the time had come for an Australian Parliament. He famously said:
'Surely what the Americans have done by war, Australians can bring about in peace.'
The Tenterfield speech is significant because politicians had been discussing federation for some time. But this was the first direct appeal to the public. To the ordinary Australians.
While Sir Henry Parkes lost his bet about federating within 12 months, he won over the Australian people. And politicians knew it was time to get on with the job.
The very first Federal Constitutional Convention in 1891 spent weeks discussing and writing a draft. And there continued to be debates and referendums... for another 9 years! Giving us the Constitution we still use 123 years later.
Federation
Australia finally federated in 1901. Peacefully, just as Sir Henry Parkes had envisioned. He had passed away five years earlier in 1896, at the age of 80. Having spent his whole life in Australia working for a federation he never got to see.
For generations since, the Australian Parliament has sought to honour that vision. To see the Commonwealth, states and territories working together to improve the lives of Australians.
Federalism through the years
Of course, the nature and focus of this collaboration has shifted with the times. During the First World War, state premiers agreed on government support for soldiers returning from Europe. They wanted to make sure support was equal and fair, no matter where soldiers were from. Then during World War Two - and in its aftermath - the Commonwealth and the states worked together on housing.
Forming the basis of the modern social housing system we still have today. The 1970s gave us the idea of 'New Federalism', passionately argued by the then opposition leader, Gough Whitlam. As you have been learning this week, Commonwealth grants to the states increased significantly during this time. Come 1990, and micro-economic reform was top of the agenda. Prime Minister Hawke held a number of special premiers' conferences, and these conferences resulted in COAG. COAG had some staying power but, eventually, reached its use-by-date.
When COVID hit, the Commonwealth and states and territories had to work more closely than ever before. This resulted in the federalism mechanism we have today: National Cabinet. The point of this potted history is to show that while the way we have collaborated has changed over the decades. The broader intent of collaborative federalism has stayed the same. Australia federated for a better future for our people. I believe that argument still stands.
Federalism today
Today, National Cabinet, as well as the Council on Federal Financial Relations and other Ministerial Councils, play a critical role. Across everything from social policy to national security and economic prosperity. They help our state and territory governments deliver consistent public health, education, infrastructure and community services. And we have five national agreements that keep that funding flowing.
These agreements pave the way for lasting policy reform on the issues Australians care most about:
Schools.
Health.
Mental health and suicide prevention.
Skills.
And housing and homelessness.
National Cabinet helps to make sure we have a national approach to national issues. We are making real headway with the states on strengthening Medicare, better access to health services, and reforming the NDIS. And we are brokering bespoke arrangements, too. Like the schools agreement signed by the Australian and WA governments at the end of January. Meaning no child in a WA public school is held back or left behind. The Prime Minister struck similar deals with the Northern Territory government last week. Seeing the Commonwealth double investment in NT public schools, and boost funding for much-needed housing.
Conclusion
Last week, I launched some new research into trust in Australia's democratic institutions. The results were reassuring. 95 per cent of respondents said democracy is important to them. And four in five want to strengthen our democracy even further.
Collaborative Federalism does just that. It strengthens our democracy.
You are doing the same. This week, you have discussed, debated, dissected and disputed. Maybe along the lines of a centuries old rivalry (particularly if you are from New South Wales and Victoria).
You have turned Section 96 of our Constitution inside out. Learned more about its virtues and limitations. Appreciated the vision that Sir Henry Parkes had for Australia. And discovered that we can make a better country for all of us, when we work together. That is the value that Sir Henry Parkes worked so hard to achieve.
You have spent the week at Old Parliament House and on the lawns and Lake Burley Griffin beyond. This is a very special part of Canberra. It is a suburb called Parkes. A recognition of the lasting impact that an English immigrant, escaping poverty, had. A lasting impact that brought a nation to life, and brought Australians together.
And, hopefully, the connections you have made will leave a lasting impression on you too. Whatever your future holds, know this: there are truly no limits to what you can achieve. No matter what you do or where you go, there will always be a place for your intellect and your curiosity. For the ideas that you believe have the power to change our country for the better. And maybe I will see you back here one day. Congratulations again for grabbing this opportunity.
Enjoy Question Time!
