Australian Politics

An Antidote to Despair

By New Matilda

November 08, 2005

Skipping the early bits of the book which are really about how good sense, good friends and a lot of good luck prevented me, with my conservative background, from becoming a Queensland version of John Howard the proportions of A Figure of Speech don’t really reflect the importance of the achievements of the respective leaders or governments I have served although I do hope that at the end I have reaffirmed the enduring and contemporary importance of the Hawke and Keating Governments. The proportions, however, do reflect the degree to which I was involved, or could believe that I was centrally involved, in their successes and sometimes, as I try to convey, what are perceived to be their mistakes.

During the London launch of the <i>The Whitlam Government</i> in 1986.” ></p> <p><span><small>During the London launch of the <i>The Whitlam Government</i> in 1986.</small></span></td> </tr> </table> <p>That is why the core of <i>A Figure of Speech</i> deals with the Whitlam Years, and in particular, the Opposition years 1967 to 1972. Our collaboration began in earnest 43 years ago. It continues to this day. And if it is a collaboration perhaps unique in Australian politics, and perhaps in the world, it was, and is, because Gough Whitlam was, and is, unique. I want this book, and those chapters in particular, to be an antidote against despair. </p> <p>I hope I have conveyed some of the sense of excitement, purpose and direction that Gough imparted above all, the sense that policies mattered, especially when things were quite awful, as they generally were from 1962 to 1969. </p> <p>I acknowledge the presence of those who shared it: John Menadue, Peter Cullen, Race Matthews, Barbara Stuart, Carol Summerhayes. For all the excitement, it’s difficult to convey how tough things really were, especially before 1969. </p> <p>Of course, and it’s part of the story of this book, there have been tremendous changes in politics in my time, with its unimaginable climactic event, the fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although, can anyone really believe that there have been greater changes in the 44 years since 1961 than there were in the 44 years before 1961? That is, going back to 1917? Just trifles like two World Wars, the Russian Revolution, the Depression, Korea, the hottest of the Cold War years, Suez and the end of the British Empire; not to mention radio, the talking pictures and television, the Bomb and the bombers to deliver nuclear war! </p> <p>But I notice in the <i>Sydney Morning Herald</i> last weekend that Mike Seccombe, in an excellent review of Michael Fullilove’s collection of speeches, <i>Men and Women of Australia</i>, said, ‘The day of the great speech is over’. It looks as if I got out just in time. </p> <p>Mike says, I think correctly, as a current comment, that media strategy has become more important than the statement of principle which is the hall-mark of the greatest speeches. But I don’t believe this has to mean a death sentence for public or parliamentary oratory. </p> <p>The one truly baleful thing now happening, so extreme and blatant as to amount to a revolution in the Australian way of doing things, is the use of taxpayers’ money to fund government propaganda, mainly on television. </p> <p>Let us call it by its proper name: it is not merely a media strategy; it is not spin; it is certainly not information; it is corruption the deliberate, intentional, carefully planned corruption of the democratic process; the most sustained act of corruption ever attempted in Australia. In the final analysis, there is really only one counter against it. And that is what Bob Hawke, in particular, preached in-season and out-of-season, and believed with every fibre of his being: the innate intelligence of the Australian electorate. </p> <p>But you have to give them the arguments. You have to argue the case, lay out the reasons. And that means speeches. It may even, occasionally, mean speechwriters. </p> <p>But talking about the power of words! On the way here this morning, at the Brisbane airport, I saw <i>The Gold Coast Bulletin</i> headline ‘Fighting Terror, Armed with the Letter A’. The introduction to this story says; ‘Changing the word œthe  to an œa  could help foil an imminent terrorist attack on Australia’. </p> <p>Prime Minister John Howard has foiled a terrorist attack by changing ‘the’ to ‘a’ in his new legislation. What an amazing feat. Ladies and gentlemen, when I read that, I felt like a failure all those thousands of speeches, those millions of words I have written, but never achieving anything compared with that! Ending the terrorist threat simply by changing ‘the’ to ‘a’. </p> <p>It’s an immense honour to have a book launched by Bob Carr, the longest-serving Premier of New South Wales and by Bob Hawke, the longest-serving Labor Prime Minister of Australia in the presence of two other Prime Ministers, Gough Whitlam and Paul Keating, and two other NSW Premiers, Neville Wran and Barrie Unsworth. It was an even greater honour to serve them through the whole of their terms. But, of course, those records are the least of it. It’s the living with history and the making that’s been the important thing for me. </p> <p>We know from glimpses of his diaries I’ve pinched a couple for this book that Bob Carr has his moments of self-criticism, self-doubt even. Nothing morbid or excessive, but just a tad more self-judgemental than, say, Bob Hawke, or even Gough. </p> <p>A couple of weeks ago, I had striking evidence of the impact Bob Carr has made nation-wide even to the far-flung recesses of Bribie Island, Queensland. Carol Summerhayes, our dear mate, Phil Davis, and I have a regular rendezvous at the Bribie Island Bowls Club for the trivia night every Tuesday. I might say our track record’s not all that hot, but one of the tests involves photographic recognition pop stars, television celebrities, actors, historical figures and so on. And I’m delighted to report to you today, delegates I mean, ladies and gentlemen, that last Tuesday week, at the Bribie Island Bowls Club, a photo of Bob Car achieved a recognition rating equal to that of Winston Churchill. </p> <p>And only a point or two below Eddie Maguire. </p> <p>But I thank you both, Bob Carr, Bob Hawke, for the honour you have done me today, the extreme generosity of your remarks, but much more, the privilege of working with you for so many great years. </p> <p><i>This is an edited version of Graham Freudenberg’s speech at the launch of his memoir, </i>A Figure of Speech <i>, on 3 November 2005 in Sydney.</i></p>