Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you very much for inviting me to speak to your meeting tonight, and especially on the anniversary of the Club’s chartering in 1980. I am delighted to be here tonight, and from the outset I want to acknowledge the fine service that Rotary provides to our community, and to extend my appreciation of your contribution.

 

I read with interest an article in today’s Mercury of a certain local identity – who I will speak of a little further shortly – but who, reflecting on many years of public service, intimated that the most rewarding aspect of his career in Parliament, was helping his constituents and helping his local community. And that, of course, is what Rotary is all about. So there is a clear parallel between what I do, and what Rotarians do.

 

It is at the confrontational point of politics that our paths start to diverge, and needing occasional respite from the rough and tumble of politics, I am delighted also to be able to leave politics at the door tonight.

 

I thought I might start by telling you a little about myself.

 

I am, of course, the son of Michael Hodgman, subject of The Mercury article I referred to, and who perhaps by now needs no introduction. He was a Member of Parliament well before I was born, and some have teased that he may well be still going strong even when I have departed the political scene.

 

I have two elder sisters. My mother, sadly, died of breast cancer six years ago, but was an extraordinary person caring for three children whilst Dad was often in Canberra, serving his constituents as a Member of the Federal Parliament.

 

I recall from an early age being subjected to the tough side of politics. Schoolyard taunts; and a lot worse - unpleasant and sometime abusive adults hurling insults at my father; and of course the rollercoaster ride in the public eye provided by the media. On the other hand, I think I ultimately became somewhat comfortable with the public gaze, and the nature of my father’s work.

 

We would often visit Canberra, and I would roam free in the halls of Parliament House, chatting happily with Members of Parliament – of both political persuasions apparently. And at home, my sisters and I were unpaid receptionists, often answering calls from politicians, journalists and constituents.  It all became very much common place.

 

So much so when the day after the 1980 election when Dad was successfully returned, I, aged ten or eleven, took a telephone call from a gentleman who kindly asked if he could speak with my father. There was, as you would expect, a great deal of excitement and celebration that day, with many people calling in and phoning to pass on their congratulations and best wishes.  So I was under strict instructions to politely ask for the name and number of the caller, and I would write them down, pass them on to Dad and he would get back to them as soon as he could.

 

However, this particular gentleman on the phone became sterner, and repeated his strong wish to speak with my father. It was very important, he said. But, again, I asked for him to leave his details and I would pass them on. We had reached an impasse so I thanked him for his call, promised to pass on his contact details, and promptly hung up.

 

Later that night, I noticed Dad nervously pacing about, clearly anxious, as Mum sorted through hundreds of messages and notes of congratulations. She stopped at one, with a startled look on her face, called for Dad to come quickly, and asked “Will, when did this man call”? I proudly recalled the events of earlier that day, and my resolve in dealing with the persistent gentleman caller.

 

“But Will” said Dad, “that ‘man’ is the Prime Minister of Australia!” And he tore off as quick as lightning to return the call.

 

Mum was holding the note I had written – which I still have to this day – which simply read “M Fraser rang.” It was Malcolm Fraser ringing Dad to ask him to become a Minister in his new Government. I am pleased to say that despite my intervention, the job wasn’t offered to another member, and Dad went on to take up that Ministry. But I was obviously comfortable dealing with Prime Ministers even at that young age.

 

Since those early days I have survived school and managed to graduate from the University of Tasmania in Arts and Law. And I have practiced law in Tasmania and in England for around eight years. I am married, with two children and another due in a matter of weeks. And there is nothing more grounding, of course, than having the responsibility of caring and providing for young children.

 

And amongst all that, and despite my increasingly hectic workload, I have the fulsome support and love of my wife Nicky, who I met whilst working in England, and who agreed to move back to Tasmania here to set up a life together. And despite my political pedigree – coupled with the usual assumption that I would always go into politics (which is not so) I do think that I am very much an average Tasmanian family man.

 

But I am particularly proud and passionate about our State. And that was the catalyst for my entry into politics. Yes, I grew up with a father, and uncle and a grandfather in politics, so I could hardly deny some influence there. But I can assure you, knowing the sort of life I could expect, the demands on time, the lack of privacy, I didn’t make the decision lightly.

 

Against that, more importantly, I did see close hand positive side of a political career. The opportunity to help people, and to make a constructive contribution to our community. It does sound a little esoteric, but it is a reality. Parliamentarians do, by and large, identify that quite humble aspect of their jobs as the most rewarding.

 

Since my election in 2002 my career has been somewhat fast tracked - with immediate appointment as Deputy Leader of my Party, and just recently elevation to the Leadership. That progression usually takes a little longer than four years. But I do not like to consider politics as a “career”. Rather, it is an opportunity to represent a community, and to have an impact. To, hopefully, make a positive contribution. Not to feather a nest. And that is my intention, and that is why I took on the leadership. The challenge presented itself, and I was obliged to take it on.

 

Now the role of an Opposition Leader is a tricky one. You want to be positive and constructive… But you must, on occasions, be critical of the government’s actions. You have an obligation to properly scrutinise the business of government, and the quality of services it provides, but sometimes it just looks like you are knocking everything. And you need to come up with some good policies, that capture the imagination of the public, but you don’t have the resources to implement them. We are frequently criticised by some quarters for not adequately dishing it up to the government, yet others complain we are being too negative. It is a delicate balancing act, and one, which will in the coming years, drive me to distraction, but which will also present as an exciting challenge.

 

There is a lot happening in Tasmania, and we have taken great strides in recent years. Our economic situation is good, and socially our State is a very attractive place. Against those areas that have experienced growth and development, we have felt some degree of strain, for example in health and human services, on transport and roads infrastructure and our skills base. There are real challenges ahead that must be tackled. But with those recent strides we have a greater basis from which to grow into the future.

 

Our competitive advantages, such as our natural beauty, tourism appeal, our open spaces, the relatively cheap cost of living here, and the fact that we can now do business with anywhere in the world - provided we bolster and develop our ICT capacity - remain. Our lifestyle is a tangible commodity that can keep younger people here, provided they have opportunities, and it should continue to attract imports of all ages from other States and overseas.

 

Always, we must look for those competitive advantages, and look for ways to exploit them in a creative and adventurous ways that protect and maintain our way of life. I have publicly stated that we need to approach issues of public policy in a considered way, free of emotion and, for example, we should not blindly endorse development at any cost. But we must also accept that in order to sustain the sort of growth and development we have enjoyed in recent years, we need to aggressively compete with our fiercest rivals – the other States of Australia – and those on the international stage. And we need to set the bar high, and should never accept second best.

 

I take my job very seriously. It is an honour and a privilege to be a Member of Parliament, and one that should not be wasted. I thank you for the opportunity to meet with you tonight - it’s a wonderful part of my job. And, being a politician, I can tell you that I am willing, and ready, to take any questions.

 

Thank you.