Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As the only man speaking on this motion I'd like to thank the member for Cowan for moving it today, because it is a significant milestone that deserves to be acknowledged. I'd also like to thank the members for Curtin, Reid, Lilley and Lalor for also speaking on this important motion to honour Edith Cowan's legacy. She was the first woman to be elected, representing West Perth in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, and a proud Nationalist, which is a wonderful legacy.

When I draw on the Australian political biography of Edith Cowan and her legacy, I make similar remarks to those of the member for Lilley in the fact that she campaigned on her community service record, the need for law and order and for women in parliament 'to nag a little'. Of course, we would never use that term today, and nor should we, because all forms of justice have to be fought for and go against the status quo. It's one of the reasons I'm such a strong supporter of free speech—because you always have to be able to speak truth to power. But, more critically, she fit within the long legacy of Liberal women and was particularly a fan of John Stuart Mill, who, with his wonderful wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, wrote The Subjection of Women as part of the Liberal tradition of advancing equality for all people, including women.

Some of my biggest political heroes are women. Many of them are not household names. It's common to refer to somebody like Margaret Thatcher, who made a considerable contribution. But there are others, like Republican turned Democrat Pauline Sabin, who had the courage to choose principle over partisanship, from her pursuit of addressing violence against women caused by the excessive indulgence in saloons to recognising the shortcomings of the response and leading the charge to repeal prohibition in the United States.

I actually have a distant relative, Katharine Stewart-Murray—again, somebody who may not be well known—who was a Scottish Unionist and member for the electorate of Kinross and West Perthshire. She has a number of legacies, but the one I'm most proud of is her attempt to topple the Chamberlain government, of which she was part, because of his appeasement of Adolf Hitler and because she was a strong supporter of Churchill in the formation before the Second World War. Of course, history proved her right. It was courage that led her to stand up.

The electorate I represent is named after one of Australia's most significant suffragettes, Vida Goldstein. While Vida would have had philosophical differences perhaps from me and my party, her commitment to justice is no different. She fought for the right of women to vote and to stand for parliament, and she was the first to then stand for parliament in the British Empire. She fought for women to buy property and to enter marriages on the same terms as men. She didn't just inspire Australian women; she also inspired international suffragettes, including Emmeline Pankhurst, and the movement in the United Kingdom.

Like many in this place and at this time, I cannot attend the March 4 Justice rally today, as commitments preclude me from doing so, but we should never lose sight of the fact that that does not mean that any of us lack solidarity with the objectives of greater justice and addressing issues of equity and equality. Australia should be a nation where all people are treated safely and justly. There is no place for harassment or violence in any part of the community, including the workplace, because they diminish the dignity of people and strip them of their agency. I continue to say that the foundation of liberalism is empowerment, and great liberals have always supported emancipation, empowerment and liberation, just like the people of Goldstein, and I follow in that tradition. I'm also proud to see that the inquiry into conduct in this place is led by a proud Goldstein constituent, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins.

I can understand some Australians look at this place and question whether it will ever change and whether there are those inside it who are listening. That comes with frustration and anger. As I said at the time, whether we have to go through a postal survey to deliver marriage equality or not, the cause of human progress and justice has never been delivered on a silver platter. Good causes must be fought for. As hard, sometimes, as it is, it is a privilege to be part of that change that gives future generations a better and more just world than the one you inherited. For those who seek equality and justice outside this place, you have allies in this building on all sides of the chamber, regardless of their partisanship and whether they are there with you in person or in spirit.

Now, of course, is a time to honour Edith Cowan's legacy. It's a legacy that we should be proud of as a country but it's also a call to action for the future: to stand, to fight, to lead. Edith Cowan took those steps and, of course, we encourage all members in this place to continue that legacy and journey.

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