The Law Council of Australia's European Focus Group and the Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law (CPICL), TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland, are proud to announce the major International Conference:

The Future of Federalism

Brisbane, 10 - 12 July 2008.

Attorney-General's message to the Future of Federalism Conference, 10- 12 July 2008

I would like to congratulate the organisers of this conference for putting together an important and timely event. I have had a long-standing interest in the future of Australia's federal system, so it is with some regret that I am unable to attend. I look forward to hearing and reading about the ideas which the conference generates.

The Prime Minister has identified reform of our system of governance to meet the needs of the 21st century as one of the key challenges of the future. Our system of governance is based on the idea of federalism. A federation is a system designed to accommodate differences, tensions and changes which may be occurring within it at different speeds or even in different directions. However, it is also a system which allows people to unite behind common purposes and for the common good. An effective system of government respects differences. But it must also help us put some differences aside to advance the national interest. Harmonising complex and inefficient laws is one of the more obvious ways in which the national interest can be advanced. I am confident the conference will provide an excellent forum for contributions to an Australian debate about federalism.

Speaking on this very topic of the future of federalism (though in 1962), former Vice-President of the United States, Nelson Rockefeller, said that '[t]he truth is that the federal idea…is a political adventure. It is no static thing, no dead definition, no dogmatic proclamation.' I would agree that, as well as being flexible enough to accommodate differences, federalism is and needs to be flexible enough to respond to changing circumstances.

I am pleased to see that the conference will benefit from the contributions of many distinguished international, as well as home-grown, speakers. Once again, I congratulate the organisers and look forward to the fruits of their endeavours.

Endorsed by