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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-10-30 Daily Xml
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MAHER, HON. K.J.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:36): I move:

That this council welcomes the Hon. K.J. Maher as a member.

I congratulate the honourable member on his election to this place. This motion is to enable him to deliver his inaugural address, which we are all looking forward to with great anticipation. I have known Kyam for many years. I am very confident that we will hear much more—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: It is incredibly rude of the opposition. We are speaking about the membership of a new member to this chamber, and I think the opposition is being incredibly rude in their attitude.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: At least we pronounce his surname correctly. We don't call him Kyam Mayher—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Minister, just ignore the banality of the interjections, please.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Thank you, Mr President. We see that there are considerable family and friends in the chamber, and I would like to think that honourable members could conduct themselves with some sort of decorum, at least in respect to the Hon. Kyam Maher and those present in the gallery.

I am very confident that we will be hearing much more of him over the coming years on a wide range of different issues. He has very deep Labor roots, His parents, Viv and Jim, both of whom I know very well, have also been very active in the Labor Party for Kyam's entire life; in fact, Kyam claims he was campaigning for Gough Whitlam when he was five months old, so quite a credential. It is no surprise to those who know Kyam that he brings to this parliament sustained commitment on social justice.

He has quite a well-demonstrated track record in relation to that, those that underpin the sort of values that he was no doubt taught by his parents and family, and these are the values that have underpinned him in his working life and no doubt will underpin his political life as well. They are certainly the values I have known of Kyam for as long as I have known him. I am sure also that he will bring with him a great commitment to the importance of regional communities, given his upbringing. I acknowledge his impeccable record and welcome him to the chamber and look forward to his inaugural address.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (15:39): Thank you, Mr President. I am proud and honoured to be standing here today representing the Australian Labor Party in the South Australian parliament. Firstly, I would like to congratulate you, Mr President, on your recent elevation to the role, replacing the Hon. Bob Sneath in the chair; you have big shoes to fill—literally, as I think his are about five sizes bigger than yours. But, having known you for many years, your fairness, good humour and virtually unlimited patience will see you preside over this chamber with distinction and wisdom per se.

One of the questions I am most frequently asked, and one of the most difficult to answer simply and concisely, is why I am involved in politics. For me, the answer boils down to a desire to see everyone in our community having the opportunity to share in the benefits of living in South Australia—the belief that we should be doing all that we can to make sure nobody gets left behind. Like everyone, my beliefs and world view have been heavily shaped by the environment I grew up in. My formative years were spent growing up in country South Australia, firstly in Littlehampton in the Adelaide Hills and then in Mount Gambier.

Life growing up in country SA was good. It revolved mainly around sports, family activities and involvement in the local community. As kids, the whole neighbourhood was our backyard and, although the streets were free and safe to roam, you could not get away with much because everyone would tell your parents what you were up to—mostly before you got back home for the day. Growing up, there was a real sense of community, but not everyone was so fortunate.

When I was young, my mum was a social worker helping others with the problems in their lives. For a time, she also ran the local women's shelter, helping victims of domestic violence who, especially in small country towns, would have nowhere else to go if it were not for people like her. The work she did literally turned lives around. She enabled people who otherwise would not be involved to share in and be a part of our community. She has dedicated her working life to doing what she can to help some of the most marginalised in our society.

My mum held viewpoints that seemed at the time, and still do today, as rational common sense but would have likely been regarded a few generations ago as very strident feminism. It came as a surprise when I was young to hear others refer to God as 'he' because, although the argument about her existence was far from settled in our house, growing up we had always referred to God as 'she'.

My parents recently told me a story of when I was very young and the family lived for a few months in the southern suburbs at Darlington. One of the neighbours came to see my dad asking if there was any way that the street could help the family out and wondering what was wrong with my mum. It transpired that this concern was based on the fact that the neighbours had seen my dad hanging out washing for the last week and assumed my mum was gravely ill.

For as long as I can remember, my dad has largely done all the washing, ironing and washing-up, which means my mum has been very ill for a very long time or there has just been a reasonable division of household chores. As well as the example set by my mother, equally the values and guidance of my father have played a massive role in leading me to where I find myself now. My dad worked in IT most of his life, much of it for the timber company that was then called Softwoods in Mount Gambier, but computers were not his first calling.

In what must seem almost like another lifetime away for him, he was an ordained Catholic priest, having spent some time in the monastery here in Glen Osmond. Although he saw the light (or the dark, depending on your perspective) and left the church in his 20s, I think he, and in turn myself and my brothers, Cam and Gib, grew up influenced by some of the better aspects of Christianity: notions such as a deep and real sense of social justice, a commitment to service and a dedication to the welfare of others. However, the monastic tendency towards long periods of silence does not seem to have been an inherited trait for any of us.

One of the most indelible impressions that has been left on me growing up is the need to contribute and put back into your community. Through school involvement, service clubs, running local sports organisations or the local council, I can never remember a time when my parents were not doing something for their local area.

Involvement in progressive politics through the Labor Party has been a family tradition. As the Hon. Gail Gago pointed out, my first recorded campaign experience is a photo I have—so I actually have proof—that shows me as a five-month-old baby wearing a re-elect Gough Whitlam t-shirt at an ex-pat polling booth in Port Moresby. Like me, my three kids have had little choice in their political influences.

The younger of my boys, Jai, is three years old and he has already been to ALP meetings in Port Augusta, Berri, Mount Gambier and many places in between; the other two have endured even more. Four-year-old Flynn (whose middle name is Terance in honour of our late colleague, Terry Roberts) was almost certainly the only one at his childcare centre at the last federal election who could name nearly every candidate on election posters as we went past. Poor six-year-old Marley has appeared on national TV with least two prime ministers and a premier as a prop for various events.

There is an even longer, deeper and proud involvement with Labor politics on my dad's side of the family. His ancestors have been in Australia for some six generations and have been involved with the Labor Party right from its inception in Queensland more than 120 years ago. Today, many of my relatives on that side of the family are still heavily involved in Labor Party sub-branches in New South Wales and, over the years, I have heard stories about some of the Labor identities (such as Paul Keating) who were very close family friends.

I am honoured that Chris and Paul have journeyed from Sydney and Wollongong to be here today. As they reminded me a couple of nights ago, even though the Labor Party is part of the family's DNA, it has taken four generations of continuous membership before someone from the family entered a parliament.

My mother's side of the family have been in Australia for a similar 150 years or so, mainly in regional Victoria, particularly West Gippsland, and probably—not unlike many families who go back some generations in regional Australia—that side of my family has makeup that includes Aboriginal ancestry. In different times, a couple of generations ago, this was not something that was discussed widely outside the family but, in more recent times, I am very proud that my mum has become an active and accepted member of the Aboriginal community in Mount Gambier.

Although it has not played an active role in my life, I am extremely proud that there is a family history that links me to the oldest living culture in the world—but it is a culture that faces significant challenges in today's Australia. Aboriginal disadvantage is amongst the most pressing of issues facing Australia today. It makes us less of a nation when the traditional owners of this country endure some of the worst levels of disadvantage, poverty and dislocation that occurs today.

I first visited the APY lands about a decade ago as the chief of staff to the then minister, Terry Roberts and, as I am sure is the case with many other first-time visitors, I was struck by the rugged ancient beauty of the land set against the reality of the very tough life faced by those living in remote Aboriginal communities. There is a level of disadvantage that would be confronting for most people to experience. Communities, families, children and even the wandering packs of desert dogs struggle in these remote and isolated areas.

Working in Aboriginal Affairs affected me deeply. I remember in 2004 there had been a number of tragic deaths with young men committing suicide in the APY lands. Many of these young men were chronic petrol sniffers and, at the same time, there were very significant and ongoing problems with governance structures in the APY lands. Late one sitting day back then, a cross-bencher in the upper house informed me that the opposition planned to move a censure motion against the government and my minister the next day.

As you would expect a chief of staff to do, I spent most of that night researching and writing a speech for Terry, defending the government's record and action in Aboriginal affairs. After working very late into the night and getting about two hours sleep on the office couch, I woke up early the next morning to take a fresh look at and edit the speech. Soon after that I received an early morning phone call from the head of the department informing me that they had just discovered another young man who had committed suicide on the lands.

I can distinctly remember that moment early that morning and being profoundly distraught by the fact that I had spent the entire night writing a speech as part of a partisan political process that would make absolutely no real impact in the area in which I worked, and the problems were so immense that I was really moved by that experience. Although sometimes challenges in this area and the correct policy responses can seem almost insurmountable, it is an area that is so important that we need to make every effort to keep making a difference.

In an effort to heal deep wounds the apology to the stolen generations delivered in 2008 by the prime minister was a significant step. I was proud to share that moment, watching it on the big screen in Elder Park with so many who were personally affected by forced removals, and holding my then three-month-old son that day made it a little easier to try to imagine the distress that would have been faced by many Aboriginal parents for much of the last century—but there is still a long way to go.

A few years ago I attended an exhibition of artworks created by members of the stolen generations. Wrapped around a concrete pole in the centre of the room was a sheet of butcher's paper where people had written a brief message of their experiences, a little bit about where they were taken from and what institutions they had grown up in as members of the stolen generations. One message simply said, 'It all happened.' The fact that there are those who deny such historical realities that forces its victims to justify what happened is a shameful thing.

I was very fortunate to work in this area, spending four years working for Terry Roberts. I know Terry would have been very happy to be remembered for his dedication and contribution to Aboriginal affairs. Terry gave me my first job in politics and provided a great deal of advice and mentoring. Although he very frequently infuriated his staff due to his complete lack of a desire to stick to a script or stay on message, and to talk for much longer than anyone expected he might, the years working for Terry were exceptionally rewarding and a huge amount of fun. I am sure if Terry was still around today he would be stoked to see me following in his footsteps in this place. I also wish to acknowledge the friendship and support of many of Terry's old staff, some of whom are here today: Josie, David, Claire, John, Richard, Leigh, Gillian, Jodie, Artie and Shorty.

Terry Roberts was a proud unionist, having come up through the ranks of the manufacturing unions in Millicent. Recently, we have seen a great deal of demonisation of trade unions and the role of trade unionists. No doubt there have been a couple of bad apples who should face the full force of the law for anything they have done wrong, but to tarnish all unionists because of the rogue behaviour of a couple of individuals would be like condemning all business owners because of Christopher Skase or Alan Bond.

Trade unionists and trade unions fight for the better working lives of millions of Australians, often the most disadvantaged workers. There is no shame in that. It is not just individual workers who are positively affected by the roles of unions; unions have played pivotal roles in helping shape industries and lead policy change. For example, today the union representing early childhood educators, United Voice, is leading reform in this sector for the benefit of millions of children and parents. Unions have been at the forefront of some of the major reforms we have seen in Australian society over the last few decades. The union movement's role as a party to the Prices and Incomes Accord in the 1980s allowed for a modernisation of our economy and massive reforms to the social fabric of Australia.

An occasional criticism of the ALP is that unions and unionists have too much say in our party. Frankly, I would prefer to be taking advice on strategy and policy from people who, as part of their job, deal with dozens of working Australians every day as opposed to relying on advice from special-interest groups or the top end of town. I would particularly like to thank some of the trade union leaders who have shown me the importance of their work and who have helped provide the South Australian Labor Party with a stable political environment in which to operate. Such people include Dave Di Troia, Dave Gray, Wayne Hanson, Katrine Hildyard and Pete Malinauskas, to name a few.

Marriage equality has become a defining issue of the moment. It is not a social issue, it is not a moral issue: it is a basic human rights issue. In many people's lifetime there were bans on various forms of interracial marriages in places around the world including, back in our history, Australia. In the United States, it was not until 1967 that the Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional state bans on interracial marriage. These historic denials of marriage to entire groups of fellow citizens based entirely on their biological make-up are and will continue to be seen in history as plain and simple, mean-spirited bigotry. Future generations will no doubt judge current opponents of same-sex marriage just as harshly.

All of us in this place will have a family member, a close friend or even a colleague in this chamber who suffers as a result of this unjust discrimination. My cousin Andrea would like nothing more than to marry her fiancée Stacy but, solely on the basis of their gender, she is not allowed to. We have the power to change these laws and we should. Marriage equality is occurring in many jurisdictions around the world and it will happen in Australia. We should get on the correct side of history and make it happen now.

At the time of my appointment last sitting week, and also today, a number of speakers helpfully informed the chamber of my views on the importance of the regions and regional development. It is a real issue. The prosperity of our state is linked to the economic and social wellbeing of our regions. As I have already spoken about, I grew up in regional South Australia and my wife, Carmel, was raised on a 1,600-acre farm north of Nhill in regional Victoria—not quite as good farming country as the Upper South-East, Hon. David Ridgway, but not bad country.

We regularly spend a lot of time with our parents in the South-East and also with my wife's parents, who are now in Horsham, which helps my understanding of some of the unique challenges facing regional areas. My wife's parents, John and Janice Evans, who are here today, like my own parents contribute heavily through service clubs, volunteer organisations and their church and are integral to the fabric of their community.

Some of our more traditional regional sectors, such as agriculture and wine, will benefit from South Australia's increasingly clean and green food producing status, but regional economies are also being transformed by the energy and mining sectors. Since Labor came to office in South Australia, the number of operating mines has increased from four to 20 and the number of people employed in the mining sector has more than tripled. This has not happened by accident; it is under the careful planning and stewardship of the Labor government.

The more I have been involved with the Labor Party the more I have come to appreciate that one of the central purposes and missions of the Labor movement is jobs. Good jobs are absolutely at the core of what we do. Jobs are at the heart of prosperity, and prosperity underpins many of our greater aspirations. If there is a hierarchy of social needs in modern society, then jobs sit near its summit and from that height, from up there, we see all those other challenges, all those social justice and environmental imperatives which demand our dedication and attention. But without jobs, without good jobs, without dignified jobs, without safe jobs, and without jobs for all, our hope of lifting our aspirations and attention to meet those demands is hamstrung.

It is a central belief in fairness and a commitment to raising our expectations and aspirations which sit at the heart of the Labor Party and at the heart of the Weatherill government. I am proud to be a part of a government that recognises the central importance of dignity at work and dignity of work. While jobs are central to our mission, it has always fallen to the Labor Party to bring about progressive social change. That change runs deeply in the South Australian tradition. We have led the nation on many fronts—progressive reform in political representation and participation and civil rights.

Labor leaders have always held a progressive vision for this state—a vision to make this state fairer and better. This belief lies at the heart of much of what the Weatherill government does, not just in social policy areas, but in visions like revitalising the city, creating family-friendly suburbs and some of the major projects that will benefit the state for years to come, projects like a new world-class hospital and a redeveloped Adelaide Oval.

I am proud to be a part of a government that uses the best available evidence to implement policy, that listens to the best ideas from all around the world and acts on good advice. That evidence-based approach to policy is at the heart of programs such as Every Chance for Every Child where the transformative nature of education guides government programs for the crucial first years of the child's life. I am proud to be part of a Labor government that, at its core, is focused on ensuring that everyone in our community has the opportunity to share in the benefits of being a South Australian and that nobody should be left behind.

Of course, one does not simply decide to go into parliament and do it all by themselves. I would like to thank a few very old friends who have a diverse range of political inclinations, but nonetheless have supported me in my political endeavours over many years—Marty, Tim, Anthony, Michael, Cam and Gib. And those in the ALP who have had a massive impact on where I am today who have been mentors or co-conspirators or, on a lot of occasions, both; I will name just a few: Terry Roberts, Frank Blevins, Mark Butler, Susan Close, Dave Gray, Jay Weatherill, Steve Georganas, and Steven May. I also thank people I have worked with very closely with: Reggie, Justin, Anton, Matt, Nigel, Tim, Roger, Jill, Jo, Mandy, Cheyne and Cam.

Most of all, thanks to my family—on a daily basis, seeing my kids reminds me that trying to shape a state with a better future is a worthwhile career choice, although it would be better if the first reminder of this was later than 5:30 every morning—and to my exceptionally understanding and supportive wife. Carmel balances running two small businesses working as an elite sports podiatrist, teaching at uni, managing a household with three small children and suffering a frequently absent and often hyperactive husband.

One of the great joys of our life together has been sharing in each other's successes and I am so glad to have you along the way. Now, as a member of the Legislative Council, I look forward to doing good things and receiving plenty of advice from members on both sides about how to go about my job for years to come. Thank you, Mr President.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:57): It gives me a great deal of pleasure to speak to this motion welcoming the Hon. Kyam Maher on behalf of members opposite. It is always an exciting time when a new member joins this chamber. We are only a chamber of 22 and, while sometimes our differences are quite great, there are a range of times when we work together.

Most of us on this side of the chamber first met Kyam Maher when he was working for the Hon. Terry Roberts, and I think none of us are surprised that we now see him sitting on the red leather benches opposite us, because he demonstrated quite a significant amount of ability and capacity for that job working for Terry Roberts. It only seemed a natural progression that we would see him sitting on the red leather benches of the Legislative Council.

Of course, he joins a large number of people who have spent a large portion of their life in the South-East. I was just doing a quick count and in my lifetime I think there are nine starting with Ren De Garis, Martin Cameron, Terry Roberts, of course, Jamie Irwin, Bob Sneath, Rob Lucas, myself, Bernard Finnigan and now, of course, Kyam Maher. If you look at the credentials of those people, Kyam is the only one who has not been either a leader, a minister or president, so you do have some reasonably large shoes to fill.

I am confident that Kyam will rise to the top when we look at the lack of talent that sits in front of him and that it will not be long before we see him taking a step further forward, but it is refreshing to know that he has spent most of his life growing up in regional South Australia. I remember Dale Baker years ago asking me if I knew Bill Hender well. I did know him quite well and I said, 'Why?' and he said, 'Well, you should encourage him because that bunch of idiots needs good people in responsible positions on the front bench.'

I accept that Kyam one day will take an opportunity to serve his party on the front bench and I think that, while we might not always agree, the fact that he grew up in regional South Australia and has some understanding of the needs of regional communities means he will serve his party well and serve the Parliament of South Australia well.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Motion carried.

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