Broadcaster, anthropologist and writer, Sally Warhaft delivered the 2016 John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCMPL) Anniversary Lecture at 麻豆直播 this week.
The annual lecture, introduced by JCPML Patron and former Prime Minister, the Honourable Julia Gillard, marked the upcoming 71st anniversary of Australia鈥檚 war time Prime Minister John Curtin鈥檚 death on July 5, 1945.
In her speech, Ms Warhaft outlined what John Curtin, Australia鈥檚 14th Prime Minister, would have made of the current Federal election campaign, the longest campaign in the country鈥檚 history.
She said the speech was an opportunity to look at the changing nature of election campaigns.
鈥淛ohn Curtin knew a fair bit about election campaigning. He knew what it was like to win 鈥� to win well, win by a fraction 鈥� and to lose,鈥� Ms Warhaft said.
鈥淎lthough there are many things about today鈥檚 campaigning that Curtin wouldn鈥檛 recognise, some things haven鈥檛 changed as much as we might think.
鈥淲hat Curtin would surely find incomprehensible are the leaders鈥� debates,鈥� she said.
In closing, Ms Warhaft said Curtin would most likely have been perplexed by the stilted, disingenuous and monotonous culture of the current election campaign.
鈥淗e would be amazed at the society we live in, the wealth, the technology, the progress. And he would be mightily perplexed at how we put it all to use.鈥� she said.
鈥淲e will probably wait a long time for our political culture to change. And when we do change, we must hope that it will be for the better.
鈥淲e would appear to need two politicians with the famous humility of John Curtin at once 鈥� one on each side of the despatch box 鈥� to agree and insist on some new ground rules,鈥� she said.
Ms Warhaft is a Melbourne broadcaster, anthropologist and writer, and the host of the Wheeler Centre鈥檚 live journalism series, The Fifth Estate, now in its fifth year. She is a former editor of The Monthly magazine and the author of the bestselling book Well May We Say: The Speeches that Made Australia.
Further more information on the 2016 JCPML Anniversary Lecture, visit .
