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

Abraham Lincoln once said: 'Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.' I believe this sentiment to be true. Indeed, power is truly the test of the character of a man. When I reflect on my own history in politics and the times I saw Malcolm Fraser—like the member for Herbert I did not always agree with him—I respected the fact that he was principled. I believe that Malcolm Fraser, as was reported recently in the media, had an important influence on the changing relations of countries within the British Commonwealth and on shaping Australia's relationships with the countries of the East and South-East Asia to economic rationalisation. Though economic rationalisation was introduced in policy debate during his term of office, his government reflected more traditional principles in financial management and fiscal policy.

Malcolm was truly a statesman. He moved from being a tough, feared leader to someone who took a very principled stance on many issues in his later life. Today it is with great sadness and a sense of honour that I give my condolences in the parliament to a political hero of mine. Malcolm always employed the qualities of integrity, honesty and respect. He always remained true to his principles; I did not see him waver from those. When we recollect those who have passed, we often speak with hypocritical positivity. We vilify them in life but we praise them in death.

The Malcolm I met and knew would never have appreciated that hypocrisy. Malcolm was a straightshooter. What you saw was what you got. I believe it was fostered in him from growing up on the farm. Malcolm truly had the honour of a man from the land. Malcolm was a man of his word. A deal was made on a handshake. There was no pretentiousness. Malcolm never believed the Canberra hype and was a servant of the people, in the true sense of the term.

Another great mark of a leader is their ability to unite the people and nurture the civil state. I will never forget when Malcolm Fraser attended the early rallies in Forrest Place in Perth. The anger was burning within the hearts of protesters. Equally, I attended the rallies that Gough Whitlam held in the same place because I was interested in looking at the contrast between two men who at the time were bitter in their approach to each other, but who later in life became enjoined in the way that they thought on many issues and in the conversations and the friendship that they developed.

Whilst the anger was burning, Malcolm still had the ability to connect to all and to extinguish some of that angry blaze. That day, Malcolm allowed those burning protestors to have their say, to vent and to express their anger at what he had done. But then I saw them quieten down and listen to a leader who was prepared to stand on the steps of the post office in Forrest Place and take it on the chin but who, at the same time, expressed his views about what this country needed in direction. I never saw Malcolm as being the enemy of his countrymen. Sadly, Forrest Place is no longer Australia's favourite political arena, but the memory of this moment will forever feature in Western Australia's history.

I want to emphasise the importance of the character of the man. Malcolm was a leader with a spirit of peace; a man who was of strength in wanting to achieve the things that he believed in for all Australians. And that has been reflected in many of the speeches that have been delivered in this chamber in recognition of the contribution that Malcolm Fraser made in his time as Prime Minister and, equally, in the time he served on many committees and in events, and in the support that he gave those who he believed he should lend his weight to.

What always fascinated me was the relationship between he and Gough Whitlam, given what happened with the dismissal. You often see human behaviour display an anger and a hatred that resides and sits for many years. And they should have hated each other, but Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser shared a bond—a special bond that united them as friends. They may not have agreed with each other with regard to their opposing policies, but these two adversaries shared a fervent will for the good, and that was for the good of their countrymen.

Malcolm pursed this goal for common goodness with his firm principles, his proud integrity and his devoted consistency. Malcolm believed in his doctrine and he stood by it—and he stood by it quite strongly. We saw that in evidence so many times. I hear of the folklore that is associated with the party room and the stances that people took, but he still remained committed to what he believed was best for this country.

When we begin our journeys as politicians and public servants for the good people of Australia, we align ourselves with the principles of our founding ideological fathers: Edmund Burke, if we are libertarians, or Marx and Engels, amongst others, if we are ones who believe in social collectivism. In the portrait of a politician, we are branded by the colours of our tribe. Our policies illustrate in colour who we are in principle.

Malcolm was principally a true-blue liberal. In the pages of history, Malcolm will always stand as an image for us all of what the true meaning of being a libertarian stands for. Teddy Roosevelt said it best:

Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official …

In essence, this is to look at the good of what is needed for the community in which we live and work. This is true liberalism, and this accurately articulates how Malcolm saw his place of privilege in the political arena.

I believe that there are three 'P's in politics: the people, the party and the policy, coupled with a vision as to how you will lead a country forward for the greater good of all—even though your ilk is either Labor or Liberal. Malcolm was a leader for the people, and he demonstrated this so many times in the past. And while towards the end many from his own side of politics no longer loved him, Malcolm continued to lobby for change—especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the issues that reflected the diversity of Australian society and social justice: right until the very end.

Malcolm was the leader who created a constitutional crisis, the Prime Minister who dramatically reformed policy and who, I believe, never forgot that he was a leader for the little guy. He was a true libertarian, who would always fight for the less fortunate in our society. Freedom should uphold no confines of monetary, social or racial preference, and that is what I believe that Malcom did.

I met with Malcolm five times in my life. He congratulated me on being the first Indigenous member of the House of Representatives. But he also spoke to me about the lobbying that was needed to address some of the issues that faced not only Indigenous Australians but those who were refugees and those whose social circumstance did not give them the advantages that many others in our society have the benefit of. He lobbied for change and was unflinching in his pursuit to close the gap for Indigenous Australians. I remember a discussion I had with him and Fred Chaney over some of the vision that they had and the changes that we needed to accomplish bilaterally and in unison with all parties of this parliament. He believed, given the right circumstances and the right driver, that you could effect changes if you included people in the process—particularly the people affected.

Malcolm also believed in multiculturalism, and many have spoken of this. During his time in government, we welcomed the re-settlement of tens of thousands of displaced Vietnamese people in Australia—people who have added a rich and new dimension to our cultural identity as a nation. I have a Vietnamese family that I spend time with. When I first met her, she was the seamstress who always altered the cuffs on my trousers. I have got to know her and her husband and their children. They are a fantastic example of Vietnamese refugees who came to Australia by boat and were held in camps, but who then went on to grasp the opportunity given to them by the Fraser government. She has always said that Australia is her home—it is the home of her children and it is her and her husband's future. But this is only a small representation of the impact that Malcolm has had on Australian society.

In reality, his mark will be everlasting. I extended my sympathies to Malcolm's enormously supportive wife, Tamie, their children and their grandchildren. Today I have said goodbye to a patriot, a leader, an idol and a friend. May we all remember Malcolm, and may his pursuit of the prosperity of our nation and the quality and the recognition of the people who live within it live on within us all. Rest in peace, Malcolm.

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