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2017 Conference - Perth

The Samuel Griffith Society held its 2017 conference in Perth.  It beat the previous year's record as the Society's best-attended conference.  Key speakers included the 28th Prime Minister of Australia, a Justice of the High Court of Australia, and the Chief Justice of Western Australia. 

“It is no part of the judicial function to search in the constitutional silences to contrive fetters on the legislative branch of government”

THE HON JUSTICE PATRICK KEANE

The conference featured a number of esteemed speakers, including senior judges, serving senators, media personalities, and academics.  

A copy of the program can be found here. 

A copy of the Speaker Biographies can be found here.

A copy of the flyer for the Sir Harry Gibbs Memorial Oration can be found here.

Some of the topics at the conference included federalism, the Senate, the role of the media, and the governance of Aboriginal Australians. 

The following papers were presented to the conference:

The Hon. Patrick Keane, AC
The Zeitgeist and the Constitution

Chris Kenny
Fake News, Federalism and the Love Media

Professor Augusto Zimmermann
The Unconstitutionality of Outlawing Political Opinion

The Hon. Tony Abbott
Government not Gridlock

Senator James Paterson
In Defence of the Senate

The Hon. Dr Mike Nahan
Western Australia and the GST

Senator David Leyonhjelm
Western Australia and Secession

Daniel White
Workplace Rights and the States

Professor Neville Rochow, SC
Causes of Coming Discontents

The Hon. Robert Mitchell
Federalism and the High Court in the 21st Century

Michelle Evans
Federalism and the Principle of Subsidiarity

The Hon. Wayne Martin, AC
Passing the Buck

John Stone
The Aboriginal Question: Enough is Enough!

Keith Wolahan
A Colour-blind Constitution

The Hon. Nicholas Hasluck, AM, QC
Recognition Roulette

Videos of the speeches can be accessed by clicking here.