James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to pay tribute to Greg Lindsay, who earlier this year stepped down as executive director of the Centre for Independent Studies, the think-tank he founded in 1976. Few Australians will be able to say that they have done as much as Greg Lindsay to advance the classical liberal cause. The CIS was founded in the most humble way by a maths teacher in his shed in Pennant Hills. In the 40 years since, it has grown to be the influential and respected institution that it is today, employing dozens of talented researchers and in a much more impressive permanent home on Macquarie Street in Sydney. Founding and sustaining a think-tank at any time is a profoundly entrepreneurial feat; founding a think-tank dedicated to free market values in the 1970s is another thing entirely. There was very little in the political climate at the time which suggested that these ideas would be well received, but they were sorely needed.

Greg was dismayed by what he described as the incompetent actions of the Whitlam government and he was unimpressed by the stagnation under Fraser. He was particularly frustrated by a common attitude that viewed government as a solution for all of society's problems. Drawing on the work of classical liberal and libertarian thinkers like Friedrich Hayek, Adam Smith, Frederic Bastiat and John Locke, Greg knew that Australia could be a much more prosperous and free place if it embraced these ideas The CIS makes the case for these ideas with high-quality research and by publishing books; hosting conferences and public events; through media commentary; and by bringing world-renowned writers and intellectuals to our shores, including Milton Friedman, Thomas Sowell, Mario Vargas Llosa, Francis Fukuyama, PJ O'Rourke, Niall Ferguson and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, just to name a few.

As history has shown, Greg and the CIS were at the forefront of what turned out to be a global movement to revive and reassert the values of individual liberty and responsibility, free enterprise, the rule of law and limited democratic government. On a personal level, I'm very grateful to Greg and the CIS for the role they played in my own intellectual and career development. I have benefitted immensely from participating as a young person in their Liberty and Society conferences. They helped me better understand the philosophical roots of my instincts about public policy and to refine my ideas about how to positively shape the future of Australia.

The first article I ever had published was in their journal, POLICY Magazine, which led to many other opportunities. More recently, I have enjoyed participating in their incredibly stimulating Consilium conference. Like many parliamentarians, I rely on their research to inform me about contemporary policy issues. To spend time with Greg and the impressive team of passionate researchers he has assembled is to be enriched and challenged intellectually.

In preparing for this speech, I read an interview of Greg by Andrew Norton on the 20th anniversary of the CIS's founding in 1996. What struck me about that interview is that the issues that were of concern to the CIS in 1976, 1996 and today are much the same. This is not to suggest that the CIS have been unsuccessful in prosecuting their case—far from it. In areas like welfare policy and education, in particular, they have been phenomenally influential, as well as playing a leading part in the advocacy for the successful opening up of the Australian economy in the 1980s and nineties. But what it does demonstrate is that the battles fought by Greg and the CIS are never won: they have to be fought and won again and again. That is why Greg Lindsay leaves such a powerful legacy for Australia and the liberal cause.

He leaves an organisation which has established authority, credibility and independence, and, most importantly, an enduring commitment to the principles of a free society. It will go on to fight these battles long after Greg himself enjoys a well-earned retirement at Kingfisher. I can't think of a more meaningful legacy to leave than that for a man so committed to ideas.

While Greg will be stepping down as executive director, he will remain on the board and will no doubt continue to have an influence on the CIS and Australian public debate for many years to come. To the great relief, no doubt, of all the CIS staff and supporters, his wife, Jenny, is continuing her role with the CIS. I know how important Jenny has been to Greg's life work and in raising their three impressive children. In many ways, the CIS has been a family enterprise for the Lindsays.

Greg leaves the CIS in the capable hands of Tom Switzer. The board had a hard task, but they have made a wonderful choice. Tom is one of Australia's finest public intellectuals and no stranger to the world of think tanks, having started his own career at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. I wish him and the CIS team well for another 40 years in the never-ending battle for liberal ideas. Thank you.