Politics, independence and the national interest

I am honoured to be asked to make this speech. During the tur-bulent years of the 1970s, few people would have believed that Malcolm Fraser would be delivering a Gough Whitlam Oration. Politics is a hard business. The opposition of one party to another can become toxic. We have had this demonstrated to us all too often in recent years. But it does not always have to be this way. By any standards Gough Whitlam is a formidable political warrior. He has inspired an undying loyalty amongst his supporters. He is an historic figure who has made a significant impact on the life of Australia. He had grand ideas, many of which left their mark on Australia and a number of which were embraced by the following government. Others have survived despite the opposition from the other side of politics. He was the first Australian prime minister to recognize China. As Australian prime minister he had the confidence and knowledge to recognize the distinct national interests of our country. He established ground-breaking enquiries into land rights for Aboriginal Australians and also over a number of environmental issues, where reports were later implemented by my government. As political antagonists we had substantial differences, but as Australians we had shared interests and concerns.