Dean Smith: Liberal senator is a dark horse of Australian politics

You might not have heard of Liberal Senator Dean Smith, but his ability to work across the aisles of parliament definitely makes him one to watch. 

Labor Senator Penny Wong, Greens Senator Richard Di Natale, Liberal Senator Dean Smith, Greens Senator Janet Rice with Marriage Equality Campaigners holding a press conference after the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 passed the Senate, at Parliament House in Canberra.

You might not have heard of Liberal Senator Dean Smith, but his ability to work across the aisles of parliament definitely makes him one to watch.

Many Australians probably haven’t heard of Dean Smith, a Liberal senator from Western Australia, but he’s confident that his outcomes speak for themselves.

He was, after all, the man who introduced the cross-party same-sex marriage bill which was dramatically passed into legislation on 15 November 2017, following a much-debated postal vote.

He is a conservative, and yet, he’s the Liberal party’s first openly gay parliamentarian. He acknowledges he’s in a unique position, not least because public understanding of partisan politics - and the bitter debates leading up to the bill being passed - suggests the two things are mutually exclusive.

“The first point I make is that I was selected to be a senator not because I was gay, but because I had demonstrated a long and active commitment to the party,” he says.

“If I’m brutally honest, it was probably in spite of the fact that I was openly gay. Over the last six years, I’ve recognised how important it is to not just be an openly gay person, but try to lead the party to a better understanding of some LGBTI issues and to demonstrate how my conservative values may actually align tothe pursuit of individual liberty and self-expression for LGBTI people and causes.”

He says he’s never doubted that people have sought to make an issue of his sexuality behind his back, but he only responds and reacts to things said directly in front of him and others.

“On very, very few occasions has anyone had the courage to raise the issue with me publicly. While I’ve been an openly gay man, the things that I’ve chosen to define me politically, and the things that I care about, have a very strong conservative political philosophy,” he says.

“I’m a strong federalist, I’m a strong constitutional monarchist, and I am a fervent believer in the virtues of Australia’s parliamentary practice, which is why I opposed a plebiscite and a postal survey. I’m a strong advocate around issues of individual liberty, like free speech.”

Senator Smith deliberately calls himself a parliamentarian, not a politician, because he says he would prefer to work across the aisles of government than simply toe the party line. An iconic photograph of Labor Senator Penny Wong leaving her seat to hug him after the same-sex bill passed is evidence it can be done.

It was in part for this bipartisan leadership on same-sex marriage that saw Senator Smith named the inaugural winner of the McKinnon Prize for Political Leader of the Year. It’s a non-partisan award created by businessman and philanthropist Grant Rule in honour of his mother, Susan McKinnon.

The prize, which was held for the first time in 2017, is awarded in two categories: one for an established leader and one for an emerging leader who has been in office for less than five years. Members of the public are able to nominate a political leader from any level of government - federal, state and local - and the prize is judged by a selection panel that includes former Prime Ministers John Howard and Julia Gillard.

It’s designed to combat a cycle of cynicism in politics by recognising leaders who show integrity and courage in office and actively make an impact, regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum.

Mr Rule says he created the prize to encourage Australians to have a discussion about what real political leadership should be, to preserve faith in politicians and democracy.

The key to success, in Mr Rule’s opinion, is leaders who know what they stand for and who can successfully build relationships with everyone from their inner circle to the broader party and the general public.

In an era of deeply partisan global politics - for example, the Trump administration in the United States or the post-Brexit fallout in the United Kingdom - these qualities have never been more important.

“It’s very obvious to me that there’s a high degree of political cynicism in Australia about the political class.The success of the marriage equality debate last year was a moment where I think that cynicism dissipated, where people felt truly proud of their parliamentary process, proud of their parliamentary representative,”Senator Smith said in an interview with the McKinnon Foundation earlier this year.

“What the McKinnon Prize will allow Australians to do is to have a conversation about how better their public discourse can be. To have a discussion about what are the qualities of real political leadership.”

Everything Senator Smith says is slow and carefully considered. His manner is markedly different to some of his more well-known colleagues, who frequently appear in the media pointing fingers and repeating party lines in the hope of generating favourable sound bites.

The senator’s father was a policeman for 35 years, his parents were heavily involved in community groups, and within minutes of speaking to him it’s obvious he’s motivated by a deep sense of civic-mindedness.

With same-sex marriage legalised, the next item on his agenda is immigration and population growth. While he knows these issues typically generate strongly reactionary comments and unpleasant debates, he’s hoping to work with colleagues from other parties to come up with a constructive and sustainable model.

“Australians deserve to be able to express a point of view and to have that point of view informed by reasonable evidence-based discussion. At this particular point in our political history, people are tired - even fed-up - of partisan politics. Not every issue has to be contested,” he says.

“There is room for greater cooperation on issues and this idea that Australians are motivated by the politics of division is just untrue. I really reject that, it tires me. I can only do this job in a way that aligns with my character and my values.”

The McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership is an annual, non-partisan national prize supported by the University of Melbourne and the Susan McKinnon Foundation, which recognises courageous, visionary and collaborative political leadership across all tiers of Australian government. Anyone can nominate a political leader from their community who is making a difference. Nominations close December 6. Learn more.

Originally published as Dean Smith: Liberal senator is a dark horse of Australian politics