Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise on indulgence to speak from this side of the chamber in support of the remarks of the Prime Minister regarding the canonisation of Mary MacKillop. It is certainly humbling for a simple bloke to follow in the trailblazing wake of a wonderful, inspirational woman. I started in grade 1 in 1971 and went through to 1977 at a Josephite school, and I think that every day we would have said a prayer for the canonisation of Mary MacKillop. St Mary of the Cross is a true Australian hero for people who attended Josephite schools, for Catholics and, it seems—from the celebrations on the weekend—for all Australians, even the atheists. She is a hero not just for people of Catholic faith or even the broader Christian community but for every Australian.

St Mary’s story captures something at the core of the Australian spirit particularly because she had a heart for the bush, which is such an important part of the Australian identity, because she hated poverty and inequality, and perhaps also—with all respect to you, Mr Deputy Speaker—because she had a healthy disrespect for authority. That is an Australian trait that is usually an endearing trait. I think that even the Pope was tolerant of Australians not necessarily respecting all of the rules put down by the Vatican when it came to announcing the canonisation.

St Mary of the Cross chose to live a life of poverty in order to bring hope and opportunity to thousands of Australians, and her legacy continues to do so today. St Mary founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, an order dedicated to educating the poor, particularly in the bush, where I am from. Because of that commitment to the bush, she had a particular influence on many Indigenous Australians. The Sisters of St Joseph was the first religious order to be founded by an Australian, and they committed themselves to poverty, to divine provision, to no ownership of personal belongings, and to go wherever they were needed. And let us look at some of the places where they were needed. I will speak particularly about Queensland, although I know there are other states that have their claim. I speak about places like Allora, Clermont, Mackay and Pittsworth, and the school I attended, St Patrick’s in St George.

Today we live in an age when so much of life is about looking out for No. 1; but St Mary MacKillop was different. Her life was about putting others first. She put aside the usual prejudices and became poor to serve the poor—a truly great commitment. In doing so, she gave hope to the forgotten peoples of her generation and she continues to inspire and guide a new generation today. Mary MacKillop opened the first Josephite school in South Australia in 1867, and by 1871 there were 130 sisters serving in more than 40 schools and welfare centres in South Australia and Queensland. As a kid growing up in St George in rural Queensland, I attended St Patrick’s Convent, a school founded by the Josephites. As I mentioned, every day we prayed to Mary MacKillop. St Patrick’s Convent was established after her death, but her legacy was strong then and continues in St Patrick’s to this day.

Mary MacKillop gave country kids like me a chance at education. Just a few years ago I attended the 75th reunion of St Patrick’s—I was the MC, with Sister Mary—and the school community is still going strong. Not only did Mary MacKillop understand the value in educating the poor; the Josephites also ran an orphanage, they rescued neglected children and girls at risk, and they cared for the aged, the poor and the terminally ill.

St Mary was a true pioneer for social justice and welfare in Australia. I lightly touch on the fact that some of these things are Labor values in terms of valuing education, valuing social justice. The Australian political system has a healthy separation of church and state, but that does not mean that the church does not have a vital role to play. Obviously we do not want a ballot box sitting in the shadow of a pulpit; nevertheless, it is the church’s role to stand in the margins and advocate on behalf of the voiceless and the oppressed, to stand up for those who cannot stand on their own. That is what a good church does.

I know that there are some who flinch when the church enters the political debate. Whilst people of faith should be guided by their religion rather than controlled by their religion—that is certainly my position—I do recognise that we need the church to continue to shine a light on injustice and inequity in our society and around the world: like the plight of refugees, like advancing the Millennium Development Goals, like child safety, like recognising the poor treatment of our own Indigenous people. This is the role of a strong church, just as St Mary of the Cross shone a light on poverty, education and care for the sick nearly 150 years ago. When people talk about our Judeo-Christian heritage, this is what they mean.

St Mary MacKillop understood what it is to loose the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free. She pioneered social justice and she did so with no motive other than compassion. When she came up against the male church hierarchy, she stood her ground at a time when that was not often done, and she did so on behalf of those she served: the poor, the people in the bush and the Indigenous. When called on to compromise the values of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, as she was expected to, like a good nun, she refused and she was excommunicated for her trouble. It was not long, though, before she was welcomed back to the fold and continued her good work. Travelling to Rome, she received Papal approval for the Sisters of St Joseph and travelled throughout Europe, where she studied educational methods, collected resources and recruited nuns and priests.

The Josephites continued to thrive, opening more schools in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand. All the while Mary MacKillop faced opposition from priests and bishops, and poor health of her own, but nothing would stop her good work. Today her faith in good works has stood the test of time. The Sisters of Saint Joseph continue their work and bring hope to many in Australia, New Zealand, East Timor, Ireland, Peru and Brazil. And they bring hope to many schools in my electorate of Moreton: St Brendan’s at Moorooka, with principal Stephen Johnson; Our Lady of Fatima at Acacia Ridge, with principal Martyn Savage; St Pius X at Salisbury, with principal Allison Malouf; Our Lady’s College at Annerley, with principal Claire McLaren; St Sebastian’s at Yeronga, with principal Kerry Weber; our Lady of Lourdes at Sunnybank, with principal Gerry de Ruyter; and Clairvaux MacKillop College, which was formerly MacKillop College for girls, at Upper Mount Gravatt, with principal Laura Keating.

As Mary MacKillop’s extraordinary life and legacy are recognised through her canonisation, we are all challenged to reflect on how we respond to the needs of those around us. As Mary MacKillop used to say, ‘Never see a need without doing something about it.’

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