Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

Malcolm Fraser was once asked how he would like people to look back on his legacy. 'I'd like,' he responded, 'for them to really look at what I've done, rather than to read contemporary novels purporting to describe what I've done.' We do not need to look very far to find Malcolm Fraser's legacy; it is all around us, embedded in our modern multicultural identity. As he once remarked:

… those who are against multiculturalism have already lost. Taking the word out of government policy won't change the result. We are a multicultural nation. Anyone who looks at the faces in the street knows that, if they think about it.

How true that is. It is there in the form of everyday citizens that I meet in my electorate, at train stations, shopping centres and the like, and on my travels right around this country. I have seen it in the Vietnamese Australians, who fled a nation ravaged by war and found salvation in a welcoming land which Mr Fraser labelled 'a dream of freedom and opportunity'. I have heard and seen it through the SBS, which uniquely showcases and celebrates our diversity, delivering news and programs in more languages than any other broadcaster in the world, and in turn educates all Australians on the myriad of cultures that bless our shores. And I have read it in the words of those who, whilst suffering under the scourge of apartheid, found strength in Malcolm Fraser's unequivocal commitment 'to exert pressure in relation to South Africa; to overthrow something that is repugnant to the whole human race'.

In these past few days, thousands of people who came to our shores from right around the globe have mourned the death of Malcolm Fraser as they would mourn the death of a friend or relative. Indeed, to so many ethnic communities, Mr Fraser was revered as a father figure. It is an attachment born from the depth of Mr Fraser's empathy and understanding to their needs and aspirations, embodied by the multicultural policies he implemented with such drive and dedication. His government served to actively banish the stain of inequality from our laws and institutions and to cement our tenets as a truly egalitarian nation. In establishing the Institute of Multicultural Affairs, migrant resource centres, the Human Rights Commission, SBS and a comprehensive refugee policy, as well as expanding on translation services for migrants, the Fraser government gave voice to the fundamental principle that governments exist not for the mere benefit of a privileged few but for the welfare of all people, irrespective of their background. As Mr Fraser noted in 2012:

… political conflict can live alongside the sustaining of a shared, deep respect for people regardless of colour, race or religion, a belief that people should be respected for who they are.

Through his career, Mr Fraser experienced both landslide victory and crushing defeat; yet his commitment to multiculturalism was always there. Indeed, in his first parliamentary speech, in 1956, he spoke of the need to expand Australia's migration program, noting that 'the challenge that faces us is the challenge to develop Australia'. And, some 27 years later, in his last election campaign launch, he noted:

We are a nation built by people from every land. We will keep working to improve the quality of Australian multiculturalism and a fair go for all Australians.

In recent times, I have seen a lot of references to descriptions of the electorate as now much more volatile than it was in the past. We can see experiences in Victoria and Queensland as examples of first-term governments, rapidly changing public opinions, a decline in the level of 'rusted-on-ness' in our political discourse, and political activism more focused on issues than necessarily parties. I would contend that this is in fact a very similar, if not the same, world that Malcolm Fraser had to deal with. When you look at the scale of his seat numbers as a result of the 1975 and 1977 elections, you see that he won 91 and 86 seats respectively compared to Labor's 36 and 38 seats. Compare those to the 1980 and 1983 results, where, in 1980, 74 coalition seats were won compared to 51 for Labor. It was then reversed in 1983—75 seats were won by Labor and 50 seats were won by the coalition. Some of this can, of course, be explained by the rise of Bob Hawke as Labor leader, but I would contend that Mr Fraser faced factors just as volatile as we experience today.

As an elder statesmen, he held a deep and abiding commitment to human rights, which included serving as the founding chairman of CARE Australia and reminded us all of the power of his moral authority. We are forever grateful to Malcolm Fraser for shaping and illuminating our Australian identity. His unyielding commitment to fostering an inclusive society allows us today to revel in a nation bound by our many cultures which values multiculturalism and social cohesion above politics or ideology.

Mr Fraser once said:

Together in freedom, we can build an Australia of which we can be proud‚ an Australia for our children and our grandchildren.

The passing of Malcolm Fraser serves as a challenge to us all to continue the work to which he dedicated his life. May he rest in peace.

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