On 20 October, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia, delivered the Australian Public Policy Institute’s Oration at Western Sydney University, reflecting on her first 15 months in office and the values shaping modern Australia.
Speaking to a diverse audience in Western Sydney, the Governor-General shared insights from meeting and learning from communities across the country and her international visits. She emphasized the importance of leading with integrity and compassion, stating “Australians know that kindness is a strength, that care is accountable and strategic, and that respect is fundamental.”
She noted that the public increasingly expects these values to be embedded in decision-making. “They expect policies that affect them to understand this and reflect this in their implementation and the way in which they are created.”
Reflecting on Australia’s democratic life, she observed that belonging is key to national cohesion and civic participation. “I believe the strength of our democracy is the strength of all of us, and the key to that is belonging,” she said.
She concluded her address by reaffirming the role of values in shaping effective governance: “Good policy has at its core care, kindness and respect. That’s its beating heart. It’s always got to reflect what I see so powerfully across modern Australia, where we are bound to one another by care, kindness and respect as a community of people who belong together and together belong to this country.”
The event opened with an Acknowledgment of Country by Professor Michelle Trudgett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President of Indigenous Leadership at Western Sydney University, followed by a welcome address from Professor George Williams AO, Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University.
Professor Williams highlighted the significance of hosting the Governor-General at a university deeply engaged with its local communities. He also affirmed the University’s strong support for APPI’s growing national role. “We’re strongly supportive of the expansion that’s in place with the Institute at the moment to take this to an even larger scale – to see how we can make an even larger difference across a number of universities,” he said.
Following the Governor-General’s keynote, a fireside chat with APPI Chair Peter Varghese AO and APPI CEO Professor Libby Hackett explored the role of collaboration and civic understanding in strengthening democracy and policymaking.
Mr Varghese spoke about the need for collaboration between public servants and researchers: “the best thing public servants and researchers can do is seek each other out and work together to find practical solutions.” He highlighted how bridging the gap between these two cultures can lead to better policy outcomes through shared understanding and co-design.
Professor Hackett echoed this sentiment, noting that the discussion exemplifies APPI’s mission to bridge research and policy through collaboration and respect.
“To provide a space where policymakers can come in and not just consult but collaborate with experts and voices from such a wide range of areas has been a huge privilege to see,” Hackett said. “This approach has been transformational in terms of the outcomes achieved.”
Commenting to APPI’s latest Impact Report, the Governor-General underscored that “public benefit can and always should be a consequence of good public policy, grounded in evidence, supercharged by the power of a coalition of universities and their academics and students, mobilising expertise for the good of all Australians.
What you are doing at the Institute is a significant act of care for our country and for our future,” she said.
