Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to recognise the life of the Rt Hon. John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH and place on record my appreciation of his long and highly distinguished service to the nation and contribution to Australian politics. As former Prime Minister John Howard said, Fraser was a hugely successful political figure, and it is his legacy that I stand to acknowledge today. Malcolm Fraser led our fine nation with distinction from 1975 to 1983 as Australia's 22nd Prime Minister. His legacy of a number of important reforms in defence, immigration and education make our nation what it is today.

He was elected at the age of 25 to the seat of Wannon in western Victoria. It is here that I have my first recollection of Prime Minister Fraser. I grew up in Naracoorte in the south-east of South Australia and western Victoria was actually closer than many other areas of South Australia, including Adelaide. A number of our family holidays were spent travelling through western Victoria visiting local towns such as Hamilton, Coleraine and Casterton, the towns closest to Fraser's Nareen property.

Fine people emanate from south-eastern Australia, and Malcolm Fraser was no exception. He achieved a great deal not only during his time in public life but during his post-political years. Malcolm Fraser has a special place in our nation's history. He was Prime Minister during an era of great political and economic change both at home and globally. At the end of the postwar economic growth cycle and at a time of changing social failures Australia needed a leader who was able to grasp the economic, social and political times. It was Malcolm Fraser who grasped the changing society. As Prime Minister Abbott noted in his condolence speech:

Fraser was not an avid social reformer like Whitlam, nor a mould-breaking economic reformer like Hawke, but he gave the country what we needed at that time. He restored economic responsibility while recognising social change.

His reforms will be his legacy of a time when Australia was undergoing political evolution in a changing global environment.

He also strode the international stage, holding his own with great luminaries of that time: Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister of Great Britain; President Ronald Reagan of the United States; and the late President Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. Confronted with a legacy of reckless spending during the Whitlam years, Malcolm Fraser's vision was clear: to restore the economy, give confidence to investors and give the country sound government. As reflected in the 1975 and 1977 general election results, this message had deep appeal in the electorate. From his preselection speech on 11 November 1953, Malcolm Fraser's moral compass, his view of liberalism, was clear and consistent—to be both reformist and free:

It is not the greatness of this country in terms of power, productivity and population but in terms of individual people … Each man from the street cleaner to the industrialist behind a rich desk has an equal right to a full and happy life. Each one has an equal right to go his own way unhampered so long as he does not harm our precious social framework.

Further evidence of his Liberal mission is seen in his 1971 Alfred Deakin Lecture. In this he stated:

In Australia we advance the egalitarian society, we promote equality of opportunity, we seek to relieve hardship, we plan to maximise opportunity. We expand our strength, believing that a stronger, more vigorous Australia will enable us to advance both our foreign and domestic objectives.

Our hope is a people united in common purposes, confident of their ability and energy, prepared to face the world and all its challenges.

These themes were an enduring hallmark of Malcolm Fraser's public career, whether it be expressed in terms of the environment, Indigenous affairs, multiculturalism, the battle against apartheid or the concern with the developing world and with poverty and oppression. Fraser's compass remained true.

Much has been made of Malcolm Fraser's prime ministership and government. It conferred self-government on the Northern Territory, established the Commonwealth Ombudsman, enacted our first freedom of information laws, established the Federal Police, set up the National Crime Commission, established the SBS—the Special Broadcasting Service—and, in a time of economic change, laid the foundations for the eventual deregulation of the financial system.

In addition to this, Malcolm Fraser, a farmer, remained true to his conservationist roots, with the environment being a top priority. Sandmining on Fraser Island and drilling on the Great Barrier Reef were banned under his government. He established the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, and it was a credit to Fraser's approach to environmental matters that Australia was one of the first nations to have places listed on the prestigious World Heritage List.

Something close to many South Australians was Malcolm Fraser's efforts to deliberate over and reach a new River Murray agreement. As my colleague Senator Simon Birmingham notes, Malcolm Fraser, in 1982, was able to ensure the establishment of the new River Murray Commission to look at water quality as well as water quantity in the River Murray. I reiterate Senator Birmingham's views:

This stands as an important step in the very long battle to achieve sustainable and effective management of our largest inland river system.

Malcolm Fraser was a fierce patriot. A true example of this is shown in Australia's standing on the world stage in the sporting field. From the disappointment of the Montreal Olympics in 1976, when Australia failed to win a gold medal, Fraser's government worked on restoring our national sporting pride. At the centre of this was the creation of the Australian Institute of Sport, otherwise known as the AIS. When it opened on Australia Day 1981 in Canberra Fraser said:

Coaches and athletes working together through this institute will, I'm certain, produce great things for Australia and carry Australia's name high.

Australians have gone on to reach great heights in successive Olympic Games and maintain our position as a world leader in world sport.

Malcolm Fraser had a deep interest in the advancement of Indigenous people and was a champion of refugees. He was the first Prime Minister to visit the Torres Strait and was a pacesetter in multiculturalism. One of Malcolm Fraser's lasting legacies will be his efforts in the responsibility for Australia's immigration policy. In his time as Prime Minister, he expanded immigration programs to allow more refugees to enter Australia. He established the settlement services program, which is recognised around the world today as being the world's best; introduced English language training for migrants; and introduced the special humanitarian visa, which has been a key of this government's refugee program.

He will be especially regarded and remembered for his leadership in accepting Vietnamese refugees following the end of the Vietnam War and the subsequent Communist rule. His welcoming of some 56,000 Vietnamese refugees, genuine refugees who were escaping murderous tyranny in their home country, symbolised the essence of the man. His efforts demonstrate what can be achieved when confidence is restored to strong migration programs so that genuine refugees have the opportunity to receive resettlement in Australia. The contribution of these people to the fabric of Australia has been immense. One only needs to visit my own state—the Adelaide Central Market in central Adelaide, Jetty Road in Glenelg, Henley Beach Road in Torrensville or Gouger Street—to get a real understanding of the impact of the Asian migrant culture in Australia and in Adelaide. The resettlement of tens of thousands of Vietnamese people in Australia during his prime ministership has subsequently added a rich new dimension to our national life. I acknowledge the support of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection in these comments.

The Fraser government faced difficult economic times, however. Thanks to the aftermath of the world oil shock, record-breaking droughts, quickly evolving world-markets, a change from a period of strong growth, low unemployment and low inflation, and the legacy of the shambolic Whitlam Labor government, Fraser must be remembered for his economic achievements in government. It has been well documented that he ended the shambles and crisis that the Whitlam government had produced, brought macro-economic stability back to Australia, curtailed the growth of government expenditure, which was out of control under Whitlam, and brought inflation back to respectable levels. As previously mentioned, his government paved the way for the eventual deregulation of the financial system.

Fraser in 1971 recognised the need for government to focus on our strengths as a nation. He said:

We need to distinguish those areas where we have some national advantage, determine those industries in which we should specialise, then seek to develop our position in a full blooded manner.

This statement rings true today. As a government, we focus on the strength of our services sector, such as education and tourism, and the success of small business to lead Australia and the economy.

Malcolm Fraser understood the importance of sound budget management and that it was business that created the wealth of this nation. He said:

Many forget that the budget is primarily an instrument for sound economic management. It must also achieve a proper and equitable use of national wealth. It can create the climate in which wealth can be generated but it cannot of itself create wealth.

How sage his commentary was in 1971 and how pertinent it remains in today's economic climate. He went on:

Within existing levels of taxation. Governments at all levels must learn to judge their priorities …

I now want to talk about the rolling out of education as a particular area of interest of mine and something that Malcolm Fraser put a lot of time into, having served twice as the minister for education. He encouraged excellence in education, advocating strongly for a fair approach to schools—funding that championed freedom of choice. A lasting legacy of Fraser's will be his introduction in 1969 of the first Commonwealth grants to non-government schools. At the time, the public was largely in favour of church and other independent schools receiving assistance; but, controversially, Fraser decided to introduce grants on a per capita basis rather than a needs basis. His reasoning was sound. He said,

To deny a school assistance on the grounds that it was already producing good academic results would be to penalise excellence.

Following his insight into Australia's future in Asia and the belief that Australia must become genuinely multicultural, Fraser promoted the study of Asian languages and culture in our school curriculum. He saw importance of understanding our Asian neighbours from a foreign policy perspective. He said:

If more of us had a wider understanding of Asian history and Asian customs we would be in a better position to form opinions that would have some validity.

The coalition is currently allocating more spots for Asian languages—almost 2,000 for diploma-level language courses—to encourage more people to study and speak a second language, and at school level we are keen to get 40 per cent of year 12 students studying a foreign language or a classical language within a decade.

Fraser's contribution to the international stage has been well covered by other members of this House, and his impact on foreign policy was profound. He had a deep understanding of the complex aspects of Australia's place in Asia, whether it be engagement with Japan or his approach to South-East Asia. As Prime Minister Abbott has acknowledged, Malcolm Fraser's appointment to roles with the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations reflected his high international standing.

He was active in international affairs and devoted himself to humanitarian causes, especially through his involvement with CARE Australia. As his friend and associate Tony Eggleton remembers, Fraser made a difference to the lives of tens of thousands of the world's poorest people through CARE Australia projects that acted with rapid response to natural disasters and emergencies.

For Fraser the development of Australia was always front of mind and a central pillar to both the economic prosperity and the literal defence of Australia itself. Although he hailed from the seat of Wannon in Victoria, his compass was always about Australia, whether it be the Kimberley region or the Upper South East of South Australia. In particular, the Australian Mutual Provident Society scheme in South Australia brought into production over 2,000,000 acres of formerly unproductive Crown land, an example of adding wealth to Australia. The vast area of land around Keith in the Upper South East was a vital part of this program.

In terms of the south-east of South Australia, I was talking with James Porter, the former member for Barker, recently and reflected on when Malcolm Fraser visited the south-east after the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983. Fraser was immediately onto it and asking about the impact of the fires with the townspeople and the farmers. He had a very sharp mind, Fraser did, according to many, including James. James said one of his first questions when talking about the destruction of the fires was how many acres had been affected. It showed that his rural roots never left him. James also reflected on the importance Malcolm's wife, Tamie, had in always being close to him in challenging situations and, obviously, in his role as Prime Minister. He said Tamie was wonderful company and that she accompanied him on this tour of the south-east of South Australia during the Ash Wednesday bushfires when there was great tragedy that struck our nation.

In conclusion, Malcolm Fraser stood tall on the national and international landscape. Our nation has lost a great Australian, so I find it timely to reflect upon his views of statesmanship:

The great task of statesmanship is to apply past lessons to new situations, to draw correct analogies, to understand and act upon present forces, to recognise the need for change.

…   …   …

More than ever in our history we need to stand up, to tread our own path, not in isolation, but in partnership with countries great and small.

No doubt future generations will look back at the achievements of his parliament and see the common threads that can be traced back from the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia to our own today. He was a giant of Australian political history and he strode the international stage with purpose and vigour.

Often we like to compare the legacies of those who have stood up for what they truly believe and fight for. I see extremely similar qualities between the legacy of Malcolm Fraser and that of Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore, who governed for more than three decades from 1959 to 1990. Whilst coming from completely different ideological and political beliefs and differing cultures, Lee shared the similar ability of Fraser to look beyond the horizon. Singapore today has flourished thanks to Lee Kuan Yew, and I am a strong believer Australia today is a far better place thanks to the decisions taken by Malcolm Fraser.

Yes, there are numerous accounts that tell us varied views of Fraser's history and legacy and his involvement in the Liberal Party, but one thing remains true, as one commentator has noted:

Malcolm Fraser was much more than a long-serving Liberal Prime Minister and three-time election winner.

He had a deep commitment to a better Australia and a better world and was as a champion of the oppressed, disadvantaged and under-privileged.

Vale Malcolm Fraser.

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