Frydenberg calls for nuclear power, uni dollars and population growth
IN front of a large audience, which included Israeli Ambassador Yuval Rotem, former foreign minister Alexander Downer, businessman and philanthropist David Smorgon, and the daughter of Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister Robert Menzies, Josh Frydenberg called for a debate on nuclear power, more university funding and a population increase.
IN front of a large audience, which included Israeli Ambassador Yuval Rotem, former foreign minister Alexander Downer, businessman and philanthropist David Smorgon, and the daughter of Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister Robert Menzies, Josh Frydenberg called for a debate on nuclear power, more university funding and a population increase.
The first Jewish Liberal federal MP  delivered his maiden speech to Parliament on Monday, October 27.
During the speech, he spoke of his family’s flight from persecution in Poland and Hungary and paid tribute to his great-aunt, Mary Frydenberg, who spent two years in Auschwitz. With the help of a friendly guard, she escaped the death marches and lived into her senior years, long enough to see her grand-nephew make his first speech in Canberra.
“Decades ago, in the gathering darkness of Europe, my family could never have imagined this day,” Frydenberg said. “But because this country is truly a land of opportunity, I have been given this chance.”
As well as telling his family’s all-too-typical Jewish story — surviving the horrors of Europe and building up a new life in Australia from nothing — Frydenberg outlined his personal political beliefs and the areas he would like to work in.
“How would I like to see the future unfold?” he asked. “I want to see an Australia that is safe and secure. I want to see an Australia where the only relevant consideration is the content of a person’s character. I want to see an Australia where families are valued and encouraged. I want to see an Australia where each citizen has the opportunity to be the best they can be.
“And I want to see an Australia where individuals, not governments, invent the future.”
The Member for Kooyong — in Melbourne’s inner-east — was not afraid to promote some controversial ideas for the country’s future.
The 39-year-old called for a debate on nuclear power — “the only baseload, carbon neutral energy source”.
“It is a curious moral, economic and environmental position that we find ourselves in where we are prepared to supply uranium but not use it. Surely it is time to move on from the ideological battles of yesteryear,” he told the House.
Speaking about education, Frydenberg addressed a much-neglected area of Australia’s academic landscape: universities.
Funding of universities needs to be increased and the country should strive for 10 Australian universities among the 100 best in the world by 2030, he said.
He also entered the immigration debate, but avoided the dog-whistle politics some of his Liberal Party colleagues have embraced this week to calmly make the case for a population boost.”We too cannot avoid the numbers reflected in our changing demographics and the demand for labour arising from our economic growth,” he said, emphasising that infrastructure would need to keep pace with immigration.
Finally, Frydenberg paid tribute to his family, including his fiancee Aime, who he will marry next month and who he said has shared his journey.
NAOMI LEVIN
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