TRANSCRIPT: SIR JOHN MCEWEN STATUE UNVEILING, 11 December 2020

10:50AM

E&OE

Subjects: Sir John McEwen Statue Unveiling;

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, thank you, Kay and thank you for your work as Commemorative Centenary Chair. It's been a huge effort by you over the past two years and I acknowledge that. I acknowledge also that we are on Ngunnawal territory and acknowledge any leaders, past, present and future.

I’d like to acknowledge a few people, some of whom may have been mentioned and some who may not have. Of course, we've got Your Excellency the Governor General, thank you, David and thank you, Linda. Thank you for being here and making this day so special for all of us. I'd like to acknowledge Larry Anthony – fine words, Larry – I know you've lead our party with strength and purpose in recent times and thank you very much for your contribution and contribution you’ll make into the future. We have also, of course, David Littleproud, my Deputy Leader, Bridget McKenzie, our Senate Leader and to all my Ministers, Senators and Members, I pay a special acknowledgement to you all and to Ben Morton representing the Prime Minister Scott Morrison this morning, thank you. I know Scott can't be here, he's got a National Cabinet this morning and that's taking a little bit of priority. But to Heather Henderson, Sir Robert Menzies daughter, I know what an indelible part that Sir Robert and Sir John played in our nation's history. Thank you for being here today and making this very special. I met Robert Macklin, a former press secretary of Sir John and we're very pleased to have you here today. He tells me he took over as the press secretary just prior to Harold Holt’s disappearance and that must have been an incredible time and your wife had your first child around about that time but you were very much involved in what must have been a very traumatic time and making sure that the right messages got out at the right time. Sculptor Lis Johnson is here too and you only have to look at this magnificent statue to see the work, the effort and the professionalism that has gone into this. Thank you so much, Lis. We are also joined today by this person who has not been mentioned but it is Bossie. It is Ron Boswell. I mentioned Bossie because Bossie is a lion of our party and if ever we make a statue of Bossie we're going to need a lot less bronze now because Bossie you're just looking fantastic, mate and may you live long and may you continue to extol the virtues of the National Party and thank you for coming all the way down from Queensland to be here.

A road map contains many lines going in different directions, some straight, others not. The map that guides the Country Party – now The Nationals – is an interesting one. By no means have the roads it plots been smooth. Never easy, far from it. But all of us on that journey have a sense of purpose, of courage, determination, vision, all of us, all of us here. All members of the Country Party and National Party have that sense.

None more so than Sir John McEwen.

With a compass in his heart and steal in his resolve, Black Jack took our Party, regional people, our nation on a path to success, for that we owe him thanks. The Commonwealth of Australia would be a much lesser place but for Sir John. He strode where others feared to tread when securing trade in Asia after World War Two. It was not seen by many, not considered by many, the right road to take. He stood tall on behalf of farmers. He supported industry, manufacturing, country jobs, decentralisation. He was a man ahead of his time. He was a man for his time as Senator McKenzie said in her wonderful book – please get it for Christmas. Today, we remember who he was and for what he did. We repay just some of the debt of gratitude by immortalising him in bronze. Australia's 18th Prime Minister – our third – the first official Deputy Prime Minister and our great Party's fifth leader deserves as much. This statue is not merely for us. It is an appropriate monument for future generations so they may gaze upon it and know who he was and what a difference he made. So their lives are better off. Thank you to those who have made this possible. And thank you, Sir John ‘Black Jack’ McEwen for continuing to show the way. In our Party’s centenary year, your spirit is well and truly embodied here and right across rural, remote, regional, country and coastal Australia. We stand on the shoulders of giants and we walk tall on our own journey thanks to the course Black Jack plotted for our people and for our Party for the next 100 years and beyond, thank you.

ENDS 10:56AM