Page 1905 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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As far as I can make out, it does not seem that any other parliament in Australia would have made the decision to rule out the word "furphy" on the basis of its being unparliamentary. I think the citizens of the ACT would be puzzled if their Assembly had ruled out the use of this word in this place because of its unparliamentary nature, knowing well the history of the matter. Mr Speaker, my colleague Mr Connolly will follow up on this matter.
MR CONNOLLY (11.58): Mr Speaker, in this parliament we represent the Australian people. Although Australia is now a multicultural society, one of the great heritages of the Australian people is the Australian language. There are many people in this chamber who are good and graphic exponents of the Australian language, and I give Mr Duby credit for being one of them. He can speak in the Australian vernacular very effectively. It is a very colourful vernacular. It is a very important part of our heritage, and the word "furphy" is a very important piece of Australian cultural vernacular.
As Mr Berry said, it originated as a slang term for gossip or rumour that derived from the fact that the water-carts used in World War I were produced by the firm of Furphy and Sons of Shepparton. The water-cart that went around to the troops was the place where troops sat or stood around and drank their cup of tea. Gossip and rumour would start at one water-cart. As the driver of the water-cart took the Furphy water-cart from one encampment to another, so the gossip and rumour would spread. Hence the term "a furphy".
I am sure that this fact of the origin of the Australian language is well known to members opposite. I am sure Mr Kaine would be aware of it. If you go into the Australian War Memorial, up at the end of Anzac Parade, in the Western Desert gallery there you can see, in full splendour, a furphy. You can see the Furphy foundry water-cart and you can read the explanation on the cart. One of the reasons it is there, apart from being a relic of World War I, is that it is symbolic of the water-cart that gave an important word to the Australian language.
Mr Speaker, if in this parliament we cannot use words that are generally accepted in the Australian vernacular, we will become a poorer parliament. We will become a place where vigorous debate cannot be tolerated. I am sure that there are no shrinking violets on the government front bench or back bench that, given the choice, would find particular exception to this use of the vernacular. It is hardly an offensive term. It is part of the rich cultural heritage of our country to use such terms. To rule that such a word cannot be used in the Assembly means that Australians who represent Australians cannot use the language that Australians take pride in.
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