Sharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in reply to the Governor-General’s address at the opening of the 43rd Parliament of Australia just a few weeks ago. Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, in her opening remarks, acknowledged ‘the remarkable circumstances of our nation having its first female Governor-General and first female Prime Minister’. It is indeed a remarkable event in our political history and worthy of celebration, particularly, as the Governor-General mentioned, for the inspiration it provides for women and girls of our nation and to all Australians. We are indeed the land of opportunity—something we should never take for granted.

The Governor-General will visit Newcastle on Friday and I extend to her a warm welcome. As soon as the city learnt of her visit, demands began for her to expand her program. I am grateful that Her Excellency graciously agreed to lend her support to additional community events.

I also congratulate our Prime Minister Julia Gillard on her successful negotiations with the Independent members of parliament to form a minority government and allow the 43rd Parliament to open and operate. That she achieved the Independents’ support was not only a tribute to her ability to negotiate but also a reflection of the Prime Minister’s determination to operate fairly and to protect the status and integrity of this parliament, an important institution in its own right and deserving of our respect.

The August election results reflected the diverse views of Australians, with inconsistent and varying voting patterns across the nation linked to specific issues, demographics, state political environments and the power and persuasion of political campaigns and the media. But no messages from any political party managed to attract a clear majority of voters. From what was largely a campaign of negatives, no particular vision galvanised sufficient belief or inspired the people of Australia to overwhelmingly commit to the policies of any political party. That should be a matter on which we all reflect.

Whilst diverse views are part of our democracy, finding the courses of action that unite our nation can be elusive. At best they galvanise and inspire. At worst they minimise what we are capable of as a people. But that is a challenge we need always to tackle. In most of the complex issues that face Australia and the world doing nothing is not an option.

I believe that the Australian public absolutely crave bipartisanship and combined leadership on the most challenging issues that confront us—issues like climate change and the energy economy; responding to the mass movement of people around the world seeking asylum and opportunity; sustaining the wealth from our commodities and resources boom; providing a national high speed broadband network to better link communities and deliver health and education services more equitably; the challenges of securing the nation’s water supply fairly; prospering Indigenous Australians; balancing social and personal wellbeing; diminishing the scourge of international terrorism; and building a world-class health system.

Strengthening and achieving these goals remains central to what we do here. Australians are tired of spin and weary of the politics of division. By their vote, they have almost dictated to us their requirement that we work more positively together across the political party divide for the interests of all Australians and our nation’s future. That sounds fair to me. The use of language that derides by gender, I notice, creeps into debates here too frequently. Apparently women are always shrill but men are strident. And too many attempts are made to diminish the contribution of women to public life. The test we need to bring to our deliberations is always the test of what best reflects the needs and aspirations, the beliefs and interests of the Australian people—both men and women. Approaches that diminish the substance of the debate or that dwell on the personal and the political divides are a waste of the energies, talents and abilities of every member of this parliament.

As the federal member for Newcastle it is an understatement to say that I was relieved that the ALP under Julia Gillard’s leadership gained government—not just for my own interests but for the interests of the people of Newcastle. Over the past three years under a Labor government Newcastle has done very well, benefiting from over $1½ billion of investments from the federal Rudd and Gillard governments. For Newcastle, this has meant that our unemployment has remained below both the state and national levels, that workforce participation has set new record highs and that our quality of life has not been diminished by the global financial crisis.

For the nine years that I have been the member for Newcastle I have worked successfully with our community, business and education and research leaders to develop the knowledge base to our economy, to make us resilient and sustainable. My government in its first term funded two potentially world-class institutes at the University of Newcastle—the Hunter Medical Research Institute, now under construction, and the Energy and Resources Institute. Health and education are now our largest employment sectors, and in fact in my electorate of Newcastle the largest group are professionals. In addition, our university gained over $100 million in research grants and programs, an amazing achievement and a testimony to the quality of their academics and their research programs.

The federal Labor government also responded to Newcastle’s agenda to build a sustainable energy future for our region based on clean energy. In our first term, the federal Labor government located the Australian Solar Institute at the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, where the largest solar thermal tower is presently under construction. A new grid facility there leads the way in integrating renewable grids into the main electricity grid. The $20 million national Enterprise Connect Clean Energy Innovation Centre was also located in Newcastle by our government and the $100 million Smart Grid, Smart City was awarded to a Newcastle consortium, which is busy mapping out the way ahead over the next three years to find the best technological solutions for a secure and efficient grid and the most efficient energy uses in homes and businesses.

Health, education, training, defence, transport infrastructure, environment and community services and programs all benefited from the funding of the last government. So the last three years have been very good ones for Newcastle under a federal Labor government, but the three years ahead hold very special promise.

The National Broadband Network, the $20 million high-speed rail feasibility study with a focus on the route between Newcastle and Sydney, as well as the prospect of potential revenue from a resource rent tax being invested into our region all present ‘big picture’ opportunities for my city. They are opportunities that I will determinedly pursue. I will continue to provide leadership to Newcastle so that together we can build the best strategic cases to secure these future investments.

The big picture items are very exciting, but there is always more to do in my city. Now that the economy is strong, Newcastle will be looking to the federal government for support for some key projects, particularly our new Federal Court building in our CBD where renewal is essential. While successful urban renewal along the Newcastle foreshore was directly related to a previous federal Labor government’s Building Better Cities program, the state government, Newcastle City Council and the business community continue to struggle with regenerating the CBD.

The 1989 Newcastle earthquake saw major employers shift out of the CBD. The Honeysuckle Foreshore Development, under the Building Better Cities program, and the rise of the suburban supercentres and shopping malls also led to enterprise and customers relocating out of the CBD. But creating a vibrant heart for our city is something that all Novocastrians desire.

At the federal level we have an interest in sustaining the growth of our major cities. The University of Newcastle’s intention to expand its inner city campus holds much promise for the CBD as well as for the positive impact it would have on the student experience, on student enrolments and on lifting retention rates in the region. The university’s recent submission for assistance under the Higher Education Structural Adjustment Fund has my full support, but if the city wants to gain the maximum urban renewal advantage from the university’s expansion into the CBD then both the New South Wales government and Newcastle City Council need to demonstrate their strongest support by devoting significant financial and physical resources to assist the university.

Whilst the New South Wales government has contributed land for development, what is actually needed is, I believe, a direct funding commitment in the order, I would suggest, of $25 million. Such an investment would provide certainty, strengthen the university’s submission for federal funding and give considerable encouragement for private investment into the CBD. I am comforted that any cost-benefit analysis of that sort of amount would validate the investment.

The other driver of any regeneration in our CBD must be modern transport. Whilst the argument continues in Newcastle around the heavy rail providing a barrier between the harbour and the retail areas of the CBD, the real task is to involve the Newcastle community, the best transport engineers and urban planners in designing a modern light rail system for the CBD and the wider city. Any approach that dictates a narrow solution will fail, given the conflicting views of commuters, residents and the business community. Consensus is achievable and essential if we are to successfully drive public and private investment into such a transport solution.

Having recently undertaken a study of light rail in Europe, I have seen the power of modern, safe and reliable light rail networks to successfully drive urban renewal and growth and to build social participation and productivity. I look forward to sharing a report of this experience with the parliament and with Novocastrians in the coming weeks. I also look forward to discussions with the Newcastle City Centre Renewal Steering Committee about how Newcastle can best prepare and advance a unified and supported case to Infrastructure Australia for support to our CBD’s growth and renewal.

But I could not be in the House discussing this agenda, planning the way ahead for my electorate, without the support of many Novocastrians in the August election. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank my staff for their tireless efforts, their ongoing dedication and their selflessness in serving the people of Newcastle. I will be forever grateful to them and I make mention of Sharon Claydon, Simonne Pengelly, Fiona Ross, Kim Hall, Nick Kachel and Emma Goodwin. I also thank the relief staff for their assistance. They have included James Cameron, Shannon Byrne, Tegan Cone and Ryan Turner.

To my ALP branch members, who ask little for themselves and demand much that is good for the Australian people: thank you for your wisdom and guidance and for your support through good times and not-so-good times. I have already apologised for the coughs, colds and shivers shared in the winter campaign. You were, and are, amazing. I want to thank the 40 people who worked on the ground in Newcastle, manning street stalls, the campaign office and prepolls. I wish I could name each and every one of them to show my personal gratitude, but time will not permit that.

To my FEC executive, whom I will name—James Marshall, Barbara Whitcher, Noel James, Gaylene Adamthwaite and Victoria Phillis—and my steadfast Federal Electorate Council delegates who dedicate themselves month in and month out to the Labor cause: I could not have done it without you. Thank you. I especially want to acknowledge the selfless work of my campaign director, Donovan Harris, who took annual leave to work on the Newcastle campaign and ensure that the thousand and one campaign tasks were completed. And I thank his partner, Tash Godress, for her support and patience in that time. I also thank my friends in the trade unions—the Newcastle Trades Hall and its secretary Gary Kennedy, the MUA, the AWU and, in particular, the Northern Districts branch of the United Mineworkers Federation for their ongoing support for me and for the working people of Newcastle. Without you, Newcastle would not be the place it is today—proudly independent, committed to community, committed to protecting workplace rights, with a strong streak of fairness and equity.

To the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who maintains her interest in everything we do in Newcastle, I thank you for your support. To my wonderful family and to my very special friends, who are always there for me: you are long suffering when it comes to supporting my political life. I love you, thank you and cherish your belief in me.

But elections also bring pain. The loss of good colleagues here brings us all back to the reality of the insecurity of political life and to the courage and commitment of those who champion our cause with their communities, particularly in marginal seats. Thank you, you are appreciated and you are missed. I know you all will continue to be an important part of your communities and of the Labor cause. But the election also brought new Labor members into the parliament. They represent renewed inspiration and energy for our government and I congratulate them all.

More than anything, the election and the Governor General’s address challenge each of us to reconsider what guides us in what we do and what we believe in. For me these beliefs are always rooted in Labor values, values that foster the dignity of work; access to quality education and training for all Australians; the rights and freedoms to demand a fair go and have a voice in our country’s progress; a strong economy that lifts everyone up, be they in business or workers; a welfare safety net for the most vulnerable; a social framework that centres on inclusion and participation; the importance of engaging with the world around shared beliefs and interests; commitment to preserving our unique environment; and providing security and safety for our nation. I commit to doing all I can to foster those values here.

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