The Death Of Margaret Whitlam

Mar 23, 2012

Margaret Whitlam died, aged 92, on March 17, 2012.

Parliamentary tributes were delivered on March 19. A memorial service was held on March 23.

Margaret Whitlam Memorial Service

  • Mar 17: Prime Minister Julia Gillard comments on the death of Margaret Whitlam

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  • Mar 17: Remembering Margaret Whitlam
  • Mar 17: Margaret Whitlam Dies, 92
  • Mar 19-20: House of Representatives & Senate Condolence Motion Speeches:
    • Julia Gillard (ALP)

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    • Tony Abbott (Lib)

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    • Tanya Plibersek (ALP>

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    • Julie Bishop (Lib)

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    • Kevin Rudd (ALP)

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    • Malcolm Turnbull (Lib)

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    • Senator John Faulker (ALP)

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    • Senator Marise Payne (Lib)

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    • Senator Bob Brown (Greens)

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    • Josh Frydenberg (Lib)

    • Natasha Griggs (CLP)

  • Mar 23: Tony Whitlam’s eulogy for his mother

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  • Mar 23 Catherine Dovey’s eulogy for her mother

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Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Audio2012, Video, Whitlam Government Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Turnbull: “The Future Of Newspapers – Is It The End Of Journalism?”

Dec 08, 2011

Malcolm Turnbull has canvassed the future of newspapers and journalism in a speech to the Advanced Centre of Journalism at Melbourne University.

Malcolm Turnbull MPThe Opposition’s Shadow Minister for Communications pondered the future of journalism in a post-newspaper world. He said: “We need to recognise that the whole edifice of our fifth estate, of our journalism, has been built on a foundation of newspaper journalism and that that foundation is crumbling.”

Turnbull said: “Our society, our democracy, needs journalism and we need journalists. We need a free, well resourced and independent media as much as we need our politicians and parliaments.”

  • Listen to Turnbull’s speech:

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  • Watch or download the video of Turnbull’s speech from Melbourne University

Transcript of Malcolm Turnbull’s speech to the Advanced Centre of Journalism at the University of Melbourne.

“The future of newspapers – is it the end of journalism?”

Thirty three years ago, when I joined the news room of the London Sunday Times, its editor, Harry Evans, gave me “Editing and Design” a five volume manual of English typography and layout.

He inscribed them “To Malcolm, with a warm welcome to the grubby ranks of the hot-metal men. Harry”

Re-reading those volumes today, it is remarkable how much is as relevant today as it was in the 1970s. Good design, clear expression, accurate and engaging reporting – the objectives are the same, only the context has changed. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Media Tagged With: ,

AFL Grand Final: Political Speeches

Sep 30, 2011

One of the traditions of the Australian Football League Grand Final is the North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast.

It is customary for the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to address the breakfast each year. On occasion, events conspire against their attendance and their deputies stand in.

Here’s a selection from the past decade.

  • 2002

    John Howard (Liberal PM)

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    Simon Crean (ALP Opposition Leader)

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  • 2007

    John Howard (Liberal PM)

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    Kevin Rudd (ALP Opposition Leader)

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  • 2008

    Julia Gillard (ALP Deputy Prime Minister)

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    Malcolm Turnbull (Liberal Opposition Leader)

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  • 2010

    Julia Gillard (ALP Prime Minister) and Julie Bishop (Liberal Deputy Leader)

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  • 2011

    Julia Gillard (ALP Prime Minister)

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    Tony Abbott (Liberal Opposition Leader)

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This is the text of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s address to the 2011 AFL Grand Final Breakfast in Melbourne.

It’s great to be making my maiden appearance at this great national institution, the North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast.

Ladies and gentlemen, the supreme virtue of Australian Rules is that it’s the one football code that wasn’t invented in England.

My one and only game was a defiant assertion of our national identity: I was playing for Oxford University Australians against Cambridge University Australians.

Unfortunately, no one had told me that a ball kicked out was thrown in by the umpire and not by a player, so I instinctively grabbed the ball and tried to form a line out.

It was at this point that I realised a “balls-up” was not just another way of restarting play – or what happens when politicians try to address the problems of the nation.

My Aussie Rules education continued during last year’s election campaign with Jobe Watson teaching me to handball, badly, at Windy Hill and Harry Taylor giving me marking practice at Skilled Stadium. It was an expensive lesson: we made a $36 million commitment to rebuild the place because Frank Costa drives a hard bargain.

Right now, there seem to be a few parallels between the AFL and politics.

In recent days we have seen someone called Swan labelled the best at his craft in the whole world. Well sorry, Wayne. Dane Swan is the world’s greatest and he thoroughly deserved the Brownlow medal.

I understand that Collingwood has a succession plan that involves Mick Malthouse relinquishing power to Nathan Buckley. It’s just like John Howard planned to hand over to Peter Costello. Lucky there’s an Eddie McGuire to make the deal stick.

Geelong has done magnificently, even after sending their best player to Queensland. It’s a bit like the Australian government after Kevin Rudd was put on the transfer list.

There’s a lot of talk at the moment about everything being too negative and too aggressive with all the focus being on bringing the other side down and I reckon that means Cameron Ling would make a great opposition leader.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to pay tribute today to two historic clubs and to everyone who’s helped two great sides to get to this year’s Grand Final.

It might not make much sense for our clubs and our pubs but, for politicians on Grand Final day, there is no escaping mandatory pre-commitment. Mine is to the Cats: and by 10 points.

Finally, I should acknowledge that there will soon be an AFL team in western Sydney – a place where Aussie Rules supporters were once as rare as Liberal voters.

I do hope that this new club might further initiate me into the sacred rites of the AFL provided I’m permitted a bit of political evangelism on the side.

Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen.

Filed Under: Audio, Gillard Government, Howard Government, Rudd Government Tagged With: , , , , ,

Turnbull Condemns Rejection Of Climate Science

Jul 21, 2011

Malcolm Turnbull has delivered a speech pleading for the science of climate change to be respected.

  • Listen to Malcolm Turnbull’s speech:

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This is the prepared text of Malcolm Turnbull’s speech to the Virginia Chadwick Foundation.

Malcolm Turnbull delivers the inaugural Virginia Chadwick Foundation speechThis Foundation commemorates the life and work of Virginia Chadwick, one of Australia’s most influential female parliamentarians and a strong friend of the environment. Let me say a few words about her at the outset.

She was a teacher before she presumably decided her charges were not unruly enough and so entered the NSW Parliament – better known as the Macquarie Street Bear Pit! John Fahey the former Liberal Premier of this State and Federal Finance Minister remembers that place very well!

Virginia was elected to the NSW Legislative Council representing the Liberal Party in 1978 at the age of 33. Over 21 years at Macquarie Street she blazed a trail for others to follow: she was the first female president of the NSW Legislative Council, first female Opposition Whip, first female Liberal minister and first female NSW Education minister. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2011, Climate Change, Liberal Party Tagged With: , ,

House of Representatives Debates Gay Marriage Resolution

Nov 15, 2010

An impressive debate began in the House of Representatives tonight on a motion by the Greens member, Adam Bandt, calling on parliamentarians to gauge their constituents’ views on the issue of marriage equality.

Bandt’s motion reads:

That this House:

(1) notes there is:

(a) a growing list of countries that allow same-sex couples to marry including the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, SPain, Canada and South Africa; and

(b) widespread support for equal marriage in the Australian community; and

(2) calls on all parliamentarians to gauge their constituents’ views on the issue of marriage equality.

Speaking to the motion, Bandt said, “there have been many attempts through history to limit love and all have failed”. The text of his speech is at the end of this page. [Read more...]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Audio2010, Backbenchers, Equality, Gay, Gillard Government, Greens, Issues, Liberal Party Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Twitter Election? Not Likely.

Sep 22, 2010

There is much over-blown talk of new paradigms at the moment.

Before the 43rd Parliament has even met, the new political paradigm has been shown to be illusory. Standard politics continues apace. An old-fashioned deal has delivered us a minority government. Interest groups and political participants have begun positioning themselves to extract maximum advantage from the new Parliament.

Far from the political process becoming more open and transparent, it is more likely that backroom intrigue will flourish. Intricate deal-making seems set to reach new heights of ingenuity. The numerical permutations and combinations in both houses guarantee that practitioners of the so-called old paradigm will be called upon to ensure that things do not fall apart.

Another paradigm that has failed to materialise is the one that was supposed to deliver a “Twitter election” and usher in a new democracy powered by “social media”. Instead, the golden age of 140-character political participation has been clubbed to death by the established media and all but ignored by the main political parties. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2010 Federal Election, Internet, Media, Opinion, Parties Tagged With: , , , ,

2CC Commentary: Liberal Leadership & Climate Change

Jun 29, 2009

I appeared on Mark Parton’s breakfast show on Canberra Radio 2CC this morning.

Mark Parton, Radio 2CC Canberra

We touched on the state of Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership of the Liberal Party, especially in the light of today’s opinion polls which show a significant collapse in coalition support and approval of Turnbull.

Click the PLAY button to listen to the discussion:

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Filed Under: Audio, Climate Change, Liberal Party, Opinion Tagged With: , , ,

Turnbull Pushes For Delay of Emissions Trading Scheme Legislation

May 26, 2009

The Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, has announced that the coalition will move to defer passage of the Emissions Trading Scheme legislation until next year.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the Nationals leader, Warren Truss, Turnbull argued that the legislation should be delayed until after the Copenhagen conference at the end of the year.

Turnbull also argued that Australia should wait until US legislation is debated and voted on. He claimed that the American legislation will become the “benchmark” for other nations to follow.

The Opposition will oppose the ETS legislation if its deferral moves fail.

Click the PLAY button to listen to Malcolm Turnbull and Warren Truss:

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Filed Under: Audio, Climate Change, Legislation, Liberal Party, The Nationals Tagged With: , ,

National Day Of Mourning Service For Bushfire Victims

Feb 22, 2009

A 90-minute ceremony has taken place at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, as part of the National Day of Mourning for victims of the February 7 bushfires.

Kevin Rudd, John Brumby, Malcolm Turnbull and Ted Baillieu were the major political figures at the service which was also attended by representatives of religious groups. The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, spoke, as did Princess Anne, representing the Queen.

An orchestra and choir augmented the speeches and messages throughout the service, culminating in Bruce Woodley’s rendition of “We Are Australian”.

  • Click the PLAY button to listen to the complete audio of the service:

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Filed Under: Audio, Rudd Government, VIC, Video Tagged With: , , ,

Black Saturday Bushfires: Moving Speeches In Parliament For Victims

Feb 09, 2009

The House of Representatives was the scene today of a moving condolence motion for victims of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria.

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was not in attendance, having stayed in Melbourne, but his deputy, Julia Gillard, visibly affected, gave a magnificent speech to a silent chamber. She was followed by the Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, who delivered an equally impressive and moving speech.

Audio recordings of all speeches are shown below. Click on the relevant PLAY button to listen.

  • Julia Gillard – Deputy Prime Minister

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  • Malcolm Turnbull – Leader of the Opposition

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  • Wayne Swan – Treasurer

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  • Julie Bishop – Deputy Leader of the Opposition

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  • Robert McClelland – Attorney-General

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  • Warren Truss – Leader of The Nationals

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  • Steve Gibbons, Member for Bendigo (ALP)

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  • Sharman Stone, Member for Murray (Lib)

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  • Catherine King, Member for Ballarat (ALP)

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  • David Hawker, Member for Wannon (Lib)

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  • Harry Jenkins, Speaker & Member for Scullin (ALP)

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Members also spoke about the Queensland flood situation:

  • Wayne Swan – Treasurer

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  • Warren Truss – Leader of The Nationals

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  • Tony Windsor – Member for New England (Ind) – on behalf of the independent member for Kennedy, Bob Katter.

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Filed Under: Audio, House of Reps, Parliamentary Procedures, Rudd Government Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,