Grievance Debate

Dunstan, Hon. D.A.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:11): I attended an event last week, with many others, which was organised by the Don Dunstan Foundation. I commend David Pearson and his staff and volunteers, and the Don Dunstan Foundation Board, led by our former premier and parliamentary colleague Lynn Arnold. A large group of people gathered—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please! I am trying to listen to the member for Florey.

Ms BEDFORD: —to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the death on 6 February of Don Dunstan, the 35^th Premier of South Australia. There was, to paraphrase former South Australian attorney-general Peter Duncan, sadness among us at his passing, tinged with gladness, almost joy, to have known and worked with this extraordinary man and to contemplate the wonderful legacy he bequeathed to South Australia. I will quote directly from a recent article by Peter Duncan, who was a contemporary of Don's in the parliament:

There is also anger at the shabby way he was treated by the South Australian political [leadership] after his resignation.

Don was a renaissance man among us…His political skills were without peer. His debating skills were legendary. Who else could have [led] the Labor Party of the late '50s and early '60s to abandon the White Australia policy? Aside from his political skills he was an accomplished classical pianist, an actor of some note and a chef of great skill.

It is beyond debate that he changed South Australia fundamentally. Prior to the election of the Dunstan governments, South Australia was socially conservative and inward-looking. It suffered from an inferiority complex and was the butt of national jokes…

[In] the 1960s Labor was seen as the permanent opposition—confronted with a seemingly insurmountable gerrymander, a dominant daily newspaper…which was a force nine gale against reform and modernism, and a conservative business establishment not afraid to expend resources to protect its class interests.

To confront this political juggernaut, Don Dunstan forged a political coalition consisting of Labor's industrial working class base onto which was grafted, the (at the time) small educated elite…and the growing Greek and Italian communities. Don became fluent in the Italian language and studied Italian culture…

This voting [coalition] became a majority and the bedrock of Labor electoral success particularly following the reform of the voting system prior to the 1970 election…

Once the 'Dunstan decade' began following the 1970 election, a whirlwind of change hit South Australia.

I add here that, along with my family, I moved to South Australia in 1969 and vividly recall meeting Don and Molly Byrne at the then tiny but state-of-the-art shopping centre, Tea Tree Plaza. I recall they were a much shorter couple than Gough and Margaret. Returning to the words of Peter Duncan:

Almost no facet of life was unaffected and [for a while] the majority seemed to relish the new broom. Despite the unpopularity of the Whitlam government nationally the [South Australian] Labor Government was re-elected in 1973 and…survived in 1975.

South Australia was at the centre of national attention, and South Australians exuded an air of confidence not previously seen. The best and the brightest from interstate and overseas flooded into Adelaide, which was the place to be.

Education was revolutionised—particularly following the election of the Whitlam government when money poured in…

In the health sector, services were improved out of sight and access was assured. New public hospitals were established at Modbury and Noarlunga.

When passionate about an issue, Don was a fearsome advocate. At the same time, he was a great democrat and the Labor caucus and cabinet during the 1970s were widely consultative and inclusive…

Don preferred to carry the team and only rarely were there bare-knuckle debates over weighty issues. Debates over nuclear power and uranium mining were examples. Another was Don's enthusiasm for industrial democracy which was opposed by the emerging economic rationalists in the cabinet.

Don also had a vision for a second South Australian city hub based on Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla and told me later in life that one of his greatest regrets was that he didn't get the Redcliff petrochemical project proposed by Dow chemicals across the line. Apparently, Dow wanted $20 million more from the government for infrastructure spending and at the time that was an outrageous demand. He later regretted not agreeing and the moment of opportunity quickly passed.

Of course, the achievements of the Dunstan government for which it is in the main remembered are the social reforms that led the country and were subsequently adopted in other states…sensible liquor and gambling laws but no poker machines; laws that allowed adults to see, hear and read what they wanted without interference from the state…[and] removing the state from the bedrooms of consenting adults.

In consumer affairs, protections were introduced to level the playing field between large corporations and individual consumers. Sadly these were in many cases watered down or not enforced by subsequent governments.

I add here that Don would be heartbroken by the current state of affairs in consumer affairs. There were many other firsts and legislative achievements.

To Don's partner, Steven, and family on behalf of his many friends and fans, I extend our continuing condolences. To conclude, I mention that on Don's return from Victoria as a tourism director, I was lucky enough to work with him and to get to know him. Coming home from the parliament, I used to drop in to Don's Table for some basil ice cream and words of wisdom, and I once had the honour to speak with Don on the same platform on social reform issues. Don led the way on the important issues of Aboriginal rights and women's rights. Vale, Don Dunstan. You will always be remembered. Don, throughout his political life, was a wonderful servant to South Australia and its people.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!