Jeff Kennett: Aspiration and hard work are a powerful mix
With careful planning, hard work and a vision for the future, individual and the nation can aspire to do great things this year, writes Jeff Kennett.
Opinion
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Some of us have lived for many decades. Others will start their lives today, tomorrow and over the coming weeks. Those people can expect to live into the 22nd century, now only 80 years away.
Those of us with years under our belts look back and are astonished by how quickly time has passed. But we can only try to learn from our experiences. Obviously we can’t change anything that has occurred before today, but we can influence the future — in varying degrees — for ourselves, our community, our country and the world.
But to do it in any way, we need to be involved. Individuals can contribute only so much, but when working as a team, the outcomes can be profound.
We want security and opportunity for ourselves and families and that often means working within organisations big and small. But there are millions of Australians who create their own employment.
Some are professionals, such as doctors and accountants, others are tradies, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and plasterers and painters, still others are small businessmen and women.
All those people require a growing economy to realise their aspirations.
A strong national economy is essential to ensure individuals are safe, feel secure and can make the most of their opportunities.
Local communities also need economic growth, but they need leaders who can build a good culture.
In the past few months we have seen the extraordinary spirit of local community cohesion as men and women, volunteers and employed, have given their all, risking their safety to fight bushfires across the country.
Nationally, we must identify the priorities for the next 10 years and longer; priorities such as climate change. Some people are convinced the severity of the fires is a result of global warming, others believe it is due to a failure to allocate funds for regular back burning.
But emotional hysteria will not lead us to greater understanding of the natural disasters that have afflicted the country for thousands of years: fire, flood, drought.
Australia needs a clear policy and understanding of what we can do responsibly to reduce man’s polluting of our environment.
We need affordable energy for industry so it can employ, grow, pay taxes and ensure Australia is economically strong.
We need a national water plan and a separate national agricultural policy to take advantage of our land mass and the opportunities that lie in feeding somer of the billions of people to our north.
We must give our First Peoples the recognition they deserve in the preamble to our Constitution and a representative body to advise legislators on how to advance their extraordinary status.
And we need good, compassionate leadership to maximise the huge opportunities for our country and its people.
Internationally, we need a greater understanding of each nation’s needs and we must do all we can to find common ground that will benefit the majority.
The growth of China and India over the past 10 years will probably only accelerate over the next 10 years. And what will Europe look like once the UK pulls out of the European Union?
And what of countries afflicted by civil wars that often spill over into their neighbours?
Is it to much to hope that common sense and peace will prevail? Probably, but we should never give up aspiring to that ideal.
Aspiration. It is something that gives me great confidence as we begin 2020. It was aspiration that drove successive waves of immigrants and refugees to come here with their families, delivering huge wealth for Australia: Germans, Greeks, Italians, Maltese and other Europeans, South Africans, Vietnamese, Indians, Chinese and other newer settlers from the war-torn countries of Africa. All have an indefatigable desire to improve their lot, live in a country which is safe, free and democratic and where effort and application are rewarded with security and prosperity.
They often make great sacrifices to come here, arriving in a country which is unfamiliar, where the language might not be their own and where the culture, history and geography are very different.
It is these new settlers and their aspirations that have provided Australia’s growth over the past 50 years and will continue to do so. And those of us who were fortunate enough to be born here must never become complacent. We also must be aspirational, we must work hard and be prepared to take some calculated risks.
The future is ours, to have and to hold, to create and shape.
I am very excited about what is next for Australia and I hope you are as well. I hope you are prepared to contribute, to get involved and take Australia on its next lap.
Aspiration will lead us to a wonderful future.
(And, as an aside, I aspire to another seven Hawthorn premierships before 2050!)
Have a great day and make 2020 a great year.
Jeff Kennett is a former premier of Victoria.