Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the retirement of the Hon. Kevin Rudd. I read with interest a long time ago the first speech of the honourable member, because by reading first speeches you get a sense of the character of the person and of what they will champion based on their beliefs and their passions, but, more importantly, of the expectations that I, as an individual in the Australian community, place on that individual based on their first speech. And, as you follow their career while they are in politics, you get a sense of whether they have been true to that level of passion and commitment.

On Wednesday, 11 November 1998, the Hon. Kevin Rudd, as member for Griffith, rose to make his first speech. The thing that struck me was his opening statement:

I saw that evidenced in his leadership as Prime Minister, in the way in which he tackled issues, the way in which he had a strong belief in himself and the way in which he led debates—his position on which we, on our side, sometimes challenged. Politics has a critical role in shaping the way in which our society behaves, believes and responds. He went on to say:

In this, he always strived to influence and make decisions for the greater good of Australian society.

Some of the priorities and policies you find when you read through his first speech are reflected in the priorities that he established within the construct of the 2020 forums that he held. He went on to say:

I think he tried to encapsulate that through those forums, with the hope that what would come out of them, from ordinary Australians, would help to give him the basis to take forward a reform agenda.

Equally, in his youth, and because of the circumstances he found himself in, he reflected on the things that he would include and encompass within his first speech. He said at one point:

When you take those three statements in isolation, separate from the body of the speech, they form the essence of some of the priorities that were established by the honourable Prime Minister, and I do not think that he has ever resiled from them. Even during moments of criticism in some of the key debates, he was consistent in his message in those areas. He believed unapologetically in an active—sometimes too active—role for government. He went on to say:

He certainly played a significant role in all of those areas.

On 13 February, when he delivered the apology, he started the healing process. It was not until I became a member of the parliament that I got to know Kevin Rudd the man. I had a very similar experience to that of my colleague Minister Malcolm Turnbull. I interacted with the former Prime Minister at functions. After my first speech he spoke with me, and on other occasions we shared views and considerations in respect of the future for Indigenous Australians in all fields—how we could enhance their opportunities in life and their capacity and capability to step out of dependency on welfare in directions that would make an incredible difference.

In those discussions he asked me, 'What was the impact of the apology and how did you feel about the significance of that apology?' I said to him: 'The referendum was a defining moment within Australian politics—the recognition that came when Australia, with the majority of states and the majority of votes, ticked off on the 1967 referendum. But, when you did the apology, you created a healing process that has galvanised a lot of people—in acknowledging that there were policies, practices, programs and services that were not conducive to the strength and unity of families or communities.' The decisions of the past had displaced people, but in their coming back together, people's connections with their families was a stage in their healing. But the apology had a far greater potency through the way in which it was delivered at a time when Australia had considered, and given support to, many of the reforms in Aboriginal affairs. The other thing that was important was the way in which Kevin Rudd worked. He became involved with, and immersed in, Aboriginal communities and Torres Strait Islander communities. I compliment the current Prime Minister on doing the same.

I think all of us in this chamber often forget the impact on our families. As Kevin Rudd said in his closing speech in the chamber, our families are important to us, but the time that we take from them to serve in a public role is significant. For prime ministers the burden must be much greater because of the time they are away from their families. All members on the night of Kevin Rudd's announcement recognised both his exaltation in his family and his exuberance in the fact that he was going to be able to spend time with them as a husband, a father and a grandfather, because those elements are often forgotten in the roles that we play.

I said to Kevin—I will call him Kevin because this is what I said to him—'I want to retain a friendship in the work that you do around the apology's Healing Foundation and in relation to homelessness.' I think his contribution on those things will be significant. He will not lose the passion for what he wanted to do as a person.

In closing let me say that I think we should thank Kevin Rudd's wife Therese, his daughter Jessica and son-in-law Albert, Josephine, Nicholas, Zara and Marcus for the time that they allowed Kevin to be with us, because his contribution to public life in many areas will always be there, alive and huge in the psyche of Australia and, importantly, within the history of this country. In particular, I know that Indigenous Australians right across this nation will always consider what he did for them and the journey that has begun. The next stage is our commitment as a parliament to the recognition of Indigenous Australians within the Constitution. That will come through the bipartisan work of many.

To the Hon. Kevin Rudd, I salute you in what you achieved as Prime Minister. I acknowledge that, as an individual—as is the case with all of us—you had your failings. I hope that you enjoy the time that you will now have on your free journey away from the Australian parliament. Thank you for what you have done.

See this speech in context