Claire Moore, Senator for Queensland
First Speech 27/8/2002I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, I accept that I walk on Aboriginal land
and I feel blessed that I live in a country that is home to one of the oldest
living cultures on the planet. My work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples has been long and abiding and I cherish the friendships
I have made over the years in the political struggle.
A hundred years ago, women were gathering across the country to celebrate.
The event was the decision of the new Commonwealth parliament to extend
adult suffrage, and the right to stand for office, to women. This right
was not extended to all women, however; indigenous people were specifically
excluded from the decision and had to wait until 1967 for their chance.
Women in my state, the state of Queensland, achieved this success three
years before similar legislation was passed at the state level in 1905.
The women of Queensland were not agitating together for suffrage—not
everybody was involved—and some commentators actually questioned
the strength of the desire for the right to vote. They were not sure that
women really wanted to be burdened by the responsibility or were capable
or competent to fulfil the task.
Fortunately, however, a number of women and their supporters saw what
the politicians of the day could not see, observing the injustice of limited
access to the democratic process and deciding to do something about it.
These women and their helpers came from a wide range of backgrounds, educational
levels, work experience and political involvement. In Queensland, as in
other states, significant differences between various groups resulted
in a number of organisations being set up. They were different, but they
all had one uniting passion: they had the desire to obtain the basic right
to vote.
A key activist of this period, and my own personal hero, was a woman
from England who came with her family to Brisbane in 1878. Her name was
Emma Miller. Emma devoted her life to the labour movement. The Daily Standard—a
reputable paper of the day, I trust—said:
Her enthusiasm and devotion for its ideals were inexhaustible and unquenchable—she
truly believed the presence of injustices should have no place in any
enlightened community.
Emma Miller's joy at the achievement of women's suffrage was but a first
step. Even though an election was not imminent, she and others organised
meetings and training programs across the state so that women could be
involved and informed about the process and so that their votes would
really count.
It is humbling now to consider the effort that would have been involved
in campaigning at that time. In Queensland, even over a century later,
we are still faced with difficulties in travelling vast distances, time
constraints and ongoing problems of effective communication access. Emma
Miller and her colleagues took all of this on, even before the vagaries
of mobile phone reception and reduced airline schedules. In 1903 her passion
focused on the first federal election in which women were able to vote.
The Labor newspaper, called the Worker, described the hard work and enthusiasm
of the Labor women on the platform and `on the stump.' It was not all
about bubble and fizz; they did the work.
The women realised that the opportunities for involvement needed to be
seized and that, far from passively waiting for the offer of the gift
of political participation, progress could only be achieved by political
action. These women of the suffragette campaign have provided an awesome
legacy for all of us, women and men, because we now have the responsibility
to maintain a genuine democracy. The enthusiasm and commitment generated
by Emma Miller and her sisters must be reflected in our citizenship and
our participation in government.
As a strong supporter of the Republican Movement, I was actively involved
in the referendum on an Australian republic. Apart from the negative result,
the real tragedy for me in this process was the identification of a great
ignorance among some sectors of our community about our Constitution,
our political processes and our system of government. The associated cynicism
and lack of respect for politicians—our motivations, principles and
integrity— are confronting. The key question asked by opponents of
the change, `Can you trust a politicians' republic?' does not reflect
the sacrifices and values of the people who agitated and lobbied for equality.
A recent media statement introduced a story by saying, `Despite the obvious
disadvantages of being a politician ...' Somehow this does not reflect
the principles as those of Emma Miller, `who believed that when conscience
was satisfied, unpopularity should not matter—respectability meant
acting in humanity's interest'.
Any choice to be involved in a political system must be based on a personal
commitment as well as a real sense of support and purpose. My own supports
are my family, my party—the Australian Labor Party—my friends
and my union. My family come from the Darling Downs, a very beautiful,
rich farming area in South-West Queensland. My parents were not involved
in party politics; they were both deeply involved in their own community,
but the concept of elected office somehow belonged to someone else. There
was a respect for the local elected representatives at all levels of government
and from various political parties. The local politicians—from my
point of view all mature men—seemed to be very visible at local events,
and there was a general acceptance that you would be able to see your
member of parliament and talk to them about your concerns. There was a
relationship, even if you were from different political perspectives.
At home, we talked about community issues, but talk without action was
not valued. There was a shared understanding that if you were part of
something it would involve some work. Because it was a very extended Irish
family, my sisters and I were blessed by a wealth of language and expression.
My earliest political influence was my cousin, a wonderful trade unionist
from the shipyards, who lived with us and whose political activism had
forced him to leave Brisbane during the anti-Communist witch-hunts of
the 1950s. His gentle wisdom, sense of humour and patience have greatly
affected my personal values, and I share this wonderful opportunity with
him and my parents—they are not here, but I feel their love and strength
with me today.
I thank my sisters, Monica and Rita, for their support and patience.
They have shared my progress through the political process. They have
provided absolute reinforcement for my choice, often having been dragged
into meetings and campaigns. Their joy and unselfish support have enhanced
this experience for me. Emma Miller was driven by the purpose of making
her world better for the future. For me, the future is represented by
my nephews and nieces, and I am going to embarrass them by naming them—
Ross, David, Stephen, Anna, Kate and Laura. They are in the gallery today,
sharing this occasion with me. They will have the chance to question our
system and to make informed decisions about their own involvement.
I want to thank my party, the Australian Labor Party. The opportunity
to represent it in this community is a great honour and responsibility.
This opportunity, directly related to the struggles of Labor women over
the preceding generations, provides the chance to publicly identify with
the party, its history and its values. I acknowledge the Queensland Labor
candidates and campaign teams in the recent election. Their hard work
and commitment reflected the energy and dedication of the party. It is
sometimes easy to blame or forget defeated candidates. It is a major personal
decision to declare to run for office. Our party was represented by strong
Queenslanders, with local involvement all across the state.
I was energised and welcomed by ALP members, and I rely on this support
to fulfil their expectations for their senator. I join a team of Queensland
Labor senators, and I look forward to working with them and with all members
of this house. I congratulate the newly elected senators as well as those
who have been returned by their states. I particularly acknowledge the
encouragement provided by Senator Margaret Reynolds and her challenge
to North Queensland women to attend the United Nations Women's Conference
in Beijing in 1995. This experience stimulated my realisation that our
struggles were international and that our strength relied on understanding
and working together, regardless of our backgrounds or our nationalities.
I also acknowledge the service given to Queensland by my predecessor,
Senator Brenda Gibbs.
In the Australian Labor Party there is an environment where debate and
growth are able to thrive. There have been and will be periods of policy
disagreement and party splits; however, the choice remains for members
of our party. We work together to develop policy and accept that there
is always a chance to participate in a political movement based on equity,
social justice and solidarity. These are current and vibrant concepts,
not just words in policy documents or historical artwork.
I recently visited—and in some ways observed the pilgrimage to—Barcaldine,
the town in Queensland where the ALP traces the workers movement process
to form a political party. At the Workers Heritage Centre strong links
between the lives and struggles of working people and the development
of the Labor Party as a dynamic political organisation are vividly illustrated.
This is not just a nostalgic, historical situation; it is, and must be,
a contemporary and ongoing relationship based on common values and respect.
Before the Barcaldine shearer's strike, women in Queensland were joining
together to question working conditions and the advantages of joint action.
As always, and even here in this place, there were questions about the
need for communal action. At a Brisbane meeting in 1890, it was reported
that some women workers had been told that it was not in their interests
to join a union. The response, as reported in the local media, was:
All I can say is, that if raising your wages, shortening your hours and
generally improving your conditions is not in your interests, it is a
very strange thing. I should rather think that the people that told you
so thought that your improvement was not in their interest and if so,
it is selfishness on their part and ought not to be regarded.
I would like to acknowledge my own union, the Community and Public Sector
Union. The friendship and support through the privilege of working in
elected positions at the workplace and at state and national levels have
reinforced the values of shared commitment, respect for individual workers
and a belief that we can make change happen. As a member of the Australian
Public Service for 14 years, I was fortunate to work in an environment
where training, responsibility and teamwork were linked to a genuine commitment
to the provision of service to the community.
The public sector implements government policy on a daily basis. It acquires
valuable knowledge about the impact of policy and the effects of changes
on ordinary people and businesses. There is no typical public servant—as,
indeed, there is no typical politician. Indeed, it has almost become acceptable
to belittle the work of the public sector workers and to repeat the mantra:
private equals good, efficient and productive; public equals poor, ineffective
and inflexible. This is an injustice to our Australian Public Service.
Since Federation, we have maintained an effective service in Australia.
Its integrity and independence are an essential link in our system of
government. Public servants must provide relevant, accurate and independent
advice to the government of the day. Governments have focussed on the
importance of merit in the service, insisting that the Australian Public
Service has appropriate regulation and that genuine independence is maintained.
A well resourced public service, with facilities distributed throughout
regional Australia, can effectively implement government policy, provide
services and operate information links between government and community.
However, the massive reduction in the public sector, particularly in
regional areas, and the lack of personal services affect genuine community
confidence. Involvement in the community is much more than just a few
trips through regions, some meetings and media opportunities. There must
be the development of shared responsibilities, a sense of understanding
and identification. We can make these linkages, but it requires personal
action and a rebuilding of trust with the political system.
I represent a party that remains absolutely committed to retaining Telstra
in majority government ownership—the only party that has not wavered
on this issue. Labor wants to fix Telstra; the government wants to sell
it. Labor wants to address the pattern of unjustified price increases,
deteriorating investment, inadequate services to regional Australia and
the slow broadband roll-out. These things have characterised Telstra's
performance under this government. This must change.
The Labor Party is also committed to maintaining and expanding a publicly
owned and adequately resourced postal service through Australia Post.
Australia Post provides, and must continue to provide, an essential communications
system with equitable access by regional and rural and remote areas of
Australia. There is a need within Australia Post and its network to develop
new communications options and essential community information systems.
It is therefore vital that the Australia Post networks are maintained
throughout the regions.
I must mention the ABC, particularly in its 70th birthday year. Designed
to inform, entertain and service all sections and satisfy the diverse
needs of the public, this organisation inspires strong feelings from many
Australians that are mostly positive, but it is capable of attracting
great criticism, and I think that is because we all believe that it is
our ABC. As a Friend of the ABC, I support the independence, creativity
and extensive regional coverage of the ABC. As we move towards another
funding round, I look forward to a robust debate about the resourcing
of this agency.
I acknowledge the support and solidarity I have experienced from Emily's
List. This organisation, formed by strong women with experience in the
political system and personified by Joan Kirner, has given many of us
practical help when making the decision to be involved, and guidance when
taking office, in the system that our sisters organising for suffrage
knew was rightfully ours. The lessons of history are real and exceedingly
useful. The issues that concerned women and their supporters in the early
20th century when they sought the right to vote included working hours,
immigration, equal pay, a real fear of a fall in the birth rate and the
impact of change on family values. Many of the suffragettes, including
Emma Miller, were deeply involved in the peace movement and the divisive
debate about conscription during World War I. As I stand here today, I
consider that list of issues and find that they are amazingly current.
Emma Miller did not believe that all problems would be solved by women
accessing the vote. Her legacy was the need to fight on. I accept this
legacy, and I hope that I will be able to play a part in this house to
maintain the spirit of the suffragettes.
I am a proud unionist. I have been involved in the movement to ensure
that all workers have access to safe workplaces, that reasonable hours
are enshrined in working conditions and that all workers have access to
equitable pay for their labour. The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
has recently ruled on equal pay and test cases are being developed now,
over 100 years after the first royal commission into shops, factories
and workshops in Brisbane in 1891 exposed discriminatory conditions and
unjust wage rates.
The debate about asylum seekers has refocussed concerns about migration
and the make-up of Australian society. Emma Miller believed that injustice
harmed all of society. The treatment of asylum seekers, the effect of
mandatory imprisonment of families and children and the fear-mongering
about security and invasion reflect on our society and our compassion.
These injustices harm us all.
The community debate about maternity leave has been affected by questions
about our falling birth rate and responsibilities for family. I am proud
that the ALP has publicly supported paid maternity leave. This decision
has been long awaited. We need to progress practical implementation so
that another 100 years does not pass before anything changes here as well.
While researching the Emma Miller connections, I related immediately
to the industrial issues and the equity concerns. However, I was not prepared
for the sense of foreboding about the threat of war. I have long been
involved in the anti-war and antinuclear movements and I am personally
appalled by the enormity of any decision about involvement in war. I welcome
an informed and reasoned consideration of any position in relation to
Iraq and a commitment to the goals of peace and security.
I want to thank the people who are working with me: Virginia, Michelle,
David and Tom. Thank you for your patience and your help, and I hope it
will continue. I thank the people of Queensland for the honour and responsibility
they have given me as their senator. I will work to continue the ongoing
legacy of Emma Miller and her sisters, because, as Emma said, `The world
will be what we make it, and a fuller, happier and more abundant world
is possible for all of us if we are united in efforts.'
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