Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

One 'hear, hear' from the Labor Party! We must always remember that we live in the real world, not the ideal world. My conclusions from global observations are this: every country acts in its own self-interest first; the closer you are to the customer the more you control the price; in a true globalised world, the lowest cost producer has the competitive advantage; at times there is value in an interventionist currency policy; the world places more value on Australia's agricultural assets than we do ourselves; and Australian based boardrooms are more responsive to Australian social, environmental and political pressure than boardrooms based in other parts of the world.

This government, of which I am proud to be a part, has challenges ahead. We must walk the balance between living within our means and spending to invest. It will be the collective views of every member in this House, and of all political persuasions, that must steer Australia through the turbulent years that lie before us. A strong economy is the engine room. We must build a strong economy so we can build a great society, for it is only when we have the financial resources that we as a country can action the dreams and hopes we have for this great society. What is it that makes a great society? A great society values and supports those who cannot look after themselves: the unwell, the people living with severe disability, our senior Australians who require care. A great society invests in our children to expand their world view and give them an appetite to learn, to make great citizens instead of just graduates—citizens who know the difference between right and wrong and choose right. After all, it was Theodore Roosevelt who said, 'Educate a man in his mind and not in his morals and you create a monster.' And a great society invests in other countries through aid and agricultural information exchange to lift life expectancy and improve the standard of living for others.

The only thing that may stop Australia from being that great society is our level of indifference. Individual aspirations build community only if the individual is not indifferent to the needs and sufferings of others. Our pursuits of material wealth must be tempered by our generosity, for it is when we align the hearts of mankind with the compassionate heart of God that we truly build a great society.

The HMS Sirius returned to Port Jackson, saving the colony from starvation, and eventually that colony became part of the Commonwealth of Australia. In the history of the Australian Commonwealth, only 1,133 people have ever taken a seat in the House of Representatives. That is an immense responsibility for people in this chamber. I assume this role with humility and gravity, and want to assure the people of the Wimmera, the Mallee and the Mildura region that I will always do my best. We have now before us the responsibility and privilege to build on the 225 years of Australian history and the thousands of years of Aboriginal history. With hard work, God's blessing and good government; I believe our best years are ahead.

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