Page 1775 - Week 06 - Thursday, 19 May 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
In 2001 Australians should place at least equal emphasis on being able to look forward and to consider how our federal structure can be improved, how we can better present ourselves to the world and to the region in which we live, and how successive generations can be better equipped to build upon the achievements of Federation. The commemoration of the centenary of Federation therefore must be an ongoing process. It must be supported by a program which represents all Australians, and it must leave enduring benefits for future generations. While the ACT was clearly not a foundation member of the Federation, it was a specific creation of the Federation process. It is the symbol and practical manifestation of the unity of the Federation.
The central theme of the ACT's submission to the Centenary of Federation Advisory Committee is that the commemoration process ought to acknowledge Canberra as a major achievement of Federation in terms of its nature as a planned city, created for the administration of the Federation, and as Australia's premier inland city which sets international standards in relation to urban design that complements the natural environment. These are clearly matters directly relevant to the terms of reference of the committee in that they are "national achievements of the first hundred years of Federation", and practical examples of the "ways in which an enhanced sense of national unity, purpose and confidence about the past and for the future" have been developed.
On this basis we should challenge the view expressed in Victorian submissions that "Melbourne is to the centenary of Federation as Sydney was to the bicentenary". The bicentenary was, in fact, heavily criticised for being too focused on Sydney. The greater the focus on any one city, the weaker the relevance of the centenary to all Australians; and the greater the focus on the past, the weaker the relevance of the centenary to all Australians. If the commemoration of the centenary is to be regarded by all Australians as an inclusive and relevant process, it must avoid any accusations of favouritism, parochialism or bias.
To achieve this, the ACT proposed that commemorative events and projects be judged on four criteria. These are the extent to which they are inclusive of all Australians regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious preference and so on; recognise and value the role cultural and ethnic diversity has made to the Federation; are able to provide a lasting educational or commemorative value to the nation; and fundamentally enhance the well-being of all Australians into the next 100 years. The Government's submission states that a commemorative program should properly recognise Canberra as the embodiment of the ideal of Federation and national unity, and as a great achievement of the Federation process itself.
In recognition of these criteria, the ACT Government included a number of specific proposals - in fact seven - in its submission to the committee, and I would like to mention them briefly. We specifically propose an early public announcement of full Commonwealth funding for the construction and completion of the National Museum of Australia, prior to the centenary, on its present Yarramundi site. The ACT Government has consistently offered its support to the project, agreeing to support the infrastructure development associated with the museum. The National Museum is the single most noteworthy gap in Australia's national and cultural treasures. Its early completion should be a national priority so that it will be a major attraction in the commemoration program.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .