The Sydney Institute Annual Dinner – Introduction to the Premier

On Thursday 3 May 2018, The Hon Gladys Berejiklian gave The Sydney Institute Annual Dinner address for 2018. Ms Berejiklian was introduced by The Hon John Howard and the vote of thanks was given by Carmel Mulhern, Group Executive, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Telstra. The Annual Dinner was held at The Star Ballroom and was, once again, proudly supported by Telstra. 

THE SYDNEY INSTITUTE ANNUAL DINNER – INTRODUCTION TO THE PREMIER

JOHN HOWARD

Thank you, Joe [Gersh], for that very kind introduction. You don’t know what a big risk you’ve taken giving me a microphone in front of an enormous crowd in my home city.

You talk about nostalgia. Well, be careful I don’t get nostalgic about addressing a 900-strong gathering, in the city of Sydney, and warming to some of my favourite subjects –extolling the virtues of people who practise liberalism in government.

Before I do that, can I say how truly delighted I am to be part of an event organised by The Sydney Institute. The Sydney Institute stands for something that is very important in our society; that is, providing a framework for the contest of ideas and values.

If I took, from my years in politics, any beliefs about the nature of politics, the most important of those was that, above everything else, politics is a contest of ideas and a contest of values. It’s not a public relations exercise.

It so happens that, tomorrow, I will have the opportunity to visit a dear friend of mine, Sir John Carrick, who for many years was the General Secretary of the Liberal Party in NSW. God willing, he will turn 100 in September of this year. I can honestly say he had a greater influence on forming my political beliefs and values than any other person. Of the many thoughts that he left with me, the one that dominated them all is exactly what I just said – that politics is a contest of ideas, a contest of values. It’s not a public relations exercise. The Sydney Institute has played a mighty role in creating the environment for that contest.

I congratulate Gerard. Of course, he and I go back a long way. He once worked for me – the poor, unfortunate soul. Nothing much happened. Then we had the beginnings of the Joh for PM campaign. You talk about nostalgia. I wasn’t nostalgic for that. But Gerard was always somebody who was interested in ideas and it was not surprising that he – ably assisted by his wife, Anne – has built The Sydney Institute to what it is today. It is a marvellous organisation.

But he is not, of course, the main speaker tonight. The main speaker tonight is my very good friend, a person I admire enormously, Gladys Berejiklian, the Premier of NSW.

Gladys represents many things about the triumph of post-World War II Australia. She demonstrates that we have a society in which ability and application and hard work can be rewarded. She is an exemplar of one of the great success stories of our country; that is the remarkable contribution of migration in post-World War II Australia.

She came from a different country. She reserves – of course, with her parents – an affection for that home culture. But she became, and her family became, very much part of the mainstream of Australia. And that ideal of attracting and taking people from the four corners of the earth who, when they arrive, are united behind a common set of Australian values, has always been the secret of a successful migration policy.

I salute Gladys’s achievements as a Premier. She brings high intelligence and hard work. She brings a strong commitment to the Australian “fair go” and liberal values. She was a successful Minister for Transport and Treasurer.

And we see in the dynamism and the energy of Sydney, and the rest of New South Wales now, what enormous benefits she – and her two predecessors as Premier, Barry O’Farrell, who’s here tonight, and Mike Baird – brought to that.

NSW has been humming now for a number of years. The like of which many of us who’ve lived in Sydney all our lives had forgotten might have been possible. Gladys has brought great balance to her job but, most important of all, she’s brought that priceless ingredient in public life, of character.

Whenever you see Gladys on television, or hear her on radio, you’re looking at or listening to somebody who believes in something and believes very passionately in looking after the interests of her fellow Australian.

I am really, very privileged to count her as a friend – somebody I admire. And I have great pleasure in inviting her to address you. Thank you.