"The debate over Australian history .. risks being distorted if its focus is confined only to the shortcomings of previous generations. It risks being further distorted if highly selective views of Australian history are used as the basis for endless and agonised navel-gazing about who we are or, as seems to have happened over recent years, as part of a 'perpetual seminar' for elite opinion about our national identity. The current debate over Australian history would benefit from a more balanced approach, from a wider perspective and from less pre-ordained pessimism. In the broad balance sheet of our history, there is a story of great Australian achievement to be told."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
1996 Sir Robert Menzies Lecture (18 November 1996)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Howard
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1996 until 2007. He previously served as Treasurer from 1977 to 1983 and was Leader of the Liberal Party from 1985 until 1989, and again from 1995 to 2007.
35 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by John Howard →
Related Quotes
"I don't think it is wrong, racist, immoral or anything, for a country to say 'we will decide what the cultural identi…"
".. you must remember that the Australian voter has a short memory span... in fact, less than 14 days in most cases!"
"Truth is absolute, truth is supreme, truth is never disposable in national political life."
"There's no way that a GST will ever be part of our policy... never ever, it's dead it was killed by the voters in the…"
"I've never believed in lower wages. Never. Never believed in lower wages, I've never believed in lower wages as an ec…"
"By the year 2000 I would like to see an Australian nation that feels comfortable and relaxed about three things. I wo…"
"In a sense, it's always a sombre moment in a country where you ask the people who have done the right thing to put up…"
"The 'black armband' view of our history reflects a belief that most Australian history since 1788 has been little mor…"
"Increasingly, modern government is about facing the challenge of very rapid change but also remembering that there ar…"
"I'm not in favour of going back to a White Australia policy. I do believe that, if it [non-European immigration] is i…"