“A sense of physical space has made us open to possibilities…it has encouraged us to be open to others as well.”
So said renowned Aussie author David Malouf to a sea of middle-aged listeners at Convocation Hall last Friday night. Reading closely from a prepared speech, Malouf stressed the lived experience of Australians in making democracy happen in their country.
Vast amounts of space characterize both Canada and Australia, said Malouf, which has encouraged multi-ethnicity. He did acknowledge the troubled past of both countries in terms of their treatment of the aboriginal population. Native Australians were not even given the dubious benefit of treaties, noting “Assimilate or get lost” was the prevalent attitude.
Distance from England may have contributed to these ruthless policies. Malouf pointed out that Australians, in the past, have had a fear of losing their “whiteness.” This uneasiness was upped by the limited protection which the empire could afford so remote a colony.
It is also the reason that Australia became involved in the two world wars, said Malouf. “We thought history would happen without us. That’s why we got involved in all those wars.”
Remoteness has given Australia an advantage in terms of its involvement in Western politics. “Distance has led us to believe we can play with the big boys without falling into their clutches,” said Malouf. “Canada does not have that luxury.”
On the other hand, Australians don’t have the luxury of a bill of rights, but Malouf says they are more than fine with that. Precedent is far more in their comfort range than principle. Malouf quipped that this is because his people have far more trust in their politicians than, say, Americans.
“We see the government as an arm of our will,” he said. “There’s one word to sum us up: fairness. It’s as far as Australians would want to enunciate as a principle.”
Both countries are alike in that they are federalist, although we are much less likely to act so. As Aussies tend to identify with their region, flag waving or anthem singing is a rare sight Down Under.
This makes for a very loose concept of nationhood, although Malouf says Australians can be cohesive when it comes down to it. The 2000 Olympics in Sydney is a case in point.
Still, the idea of becoming a republic won’t fly any time soon. A referendum held in 1999 asked that very same question, yet Australians chose to remain with federalism. Malouf believes Aussies share his sentiment that republicanism is merely a “political fiction dedicated to the mystification of political power.”
The night ended off with a panel discussion peopled by such notables as Le Soleil editor Alain Dubuc and His Excellency John Ralston Saul.
Irshad Manji, an author and broadcaster, praised Canada and Australia for having open models of belonging. Dubuc felt that Canada is becoming less like Australia through its formalized political processes. This, he said, is making it harder for citizens to intervene.
Audience members baited the panel with questions about terrorism and the latest referendum, but were mostly ignored. Panel members instead chose to bicker over Australia’s mandatory voting policy. The issue at stake appeared to be whether the amount of $200 (the fine for refusing to vote) constituted force.
The lecture was part of the LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium. Run by Saul and the Dominion Institute, the project is an effort to cook up ideas on democracy and its historical roots in Canada.
