In the course of a Centenary of Federation interview with the ABC’s Kerry O’Brien, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has discussed Labor values.
Beazley commented on the 100-year history of the ALP and what the party stands for today.
Today is the anniversary of the opening of the first Commonwealth parliament in Melbourne’s Exhibition Building.
Transcript of Kim Beazley interview with 7.30 Report host Kerry O’Brien.
KERRY O’BRIEN: To address some of those observations in Fran Kelly’s story, I spoke late today with Labor leader Kim Beazley in Melbourne.
Kim Beazley, Labor has travelled a long way in 100 years, a long way from its sometimes radical working-class roots, hasn’t it?
KIM BEAZLEY: Yeah, we’ve changed.
I would argue that though some of the policies have altered quite dramatically over the years, the fundamental egalitarian values remain.
They always remain relevant.
They just have different meaning at different points in our history. [Read more…]
As Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin and all the others gathered here a hundred years ago there was no way that they could predict what lay in front of Australia. They would not have foreseen that within fewer than 20 years 60,000 out of a male population of 2.5 million would die in a horrible war. They would not have foreseen the Great Depression. They would not have foreseen the social changes. They would not have seen the determination of later generations to overturn the White Australia policy, regarded by those generations as morally repugnant. They would not have foreseen the technological and fashion changes that were to occur. And indeed if they were to return to our gathering today they would find much that was unfamiliar.