From Party Loyalty to Independent Thinking: How This Letter Captures a Different Time in My Life

By Brian AJ NewmanEmployment & Human Rights Advocate

A Piece of History—And a Piece of My Own

Every now and then, I come across something tucked away that reminds me not only of Australia's political history, but of my own journey.

This is one of those items.

It is an Open Letter to Australians, dated 31 August 1998, signed by four former Prime Ministers—Malcolm Fraser, Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. It was published during one of the most politically charged periods in modern Australian history, when issues of race, reconciliation, multiculturalism and national identity dominated public debate.

I have kept this document for almost three decades.

Today it serves a different purpose than it once did.

It reminds me that our beliefs evolve.

And mine certainly have.

From Party Loyalty to Independent Thinking: How This Letter Captures a Different Time in My Life

A Time When I Believed Labor Had the Answers

In 1998, I was a passionate supporter of the Australian Labor Party.

Like many Australians, I genuinely believed Labor was the political movement that best represented fairness, equality, workers' rights and social justice.

It was the genuine belief instilled in my upbringing amongst blue collar working class and military men.

I believed politics could be a genuine force for improving people's lives.

This letter resonated with me because it reflected many of the values I held so dear at the time.

It condemned racism unequivocally.

It spoke about national unity.

It promoted respect for diversity.

I despised bullies.

Those were principles I believed Australia should aspire to.

Looking back, I can say without hesitation that I genuinely believed the Australian Labor Party embodied those ideals.

Open Letter to Australians, dated 31 August 1998, signed by four former Prime Ministers—Malcolm Fraser, Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.

The Political Climate of 1998

The late 1990s were marked by intense political debate.

Pauline Hanson had entered Federal Parliament two years earlier, and discussions surrounding immigration, Aboriginal affairs, multiculturalism and Australia's identity had become deeply polarising.

Against that backdrop, four former Prime Ministers—two Labor and two Liberal—issued an extraordinary bipartisan statement urging Australians to reject racism.

They wrote:

"Racism is an unmitigated evil."

They argued that racism damages Australia's social fabric, undermines our standing internationally and ultimately harms everyone.

Whether one agrees with every sentiment expressed in the letter today is almost beside the point.

Historically, it represented an unusual moment where leaders from opposing political traditions came together around a common principle.

What Has Changed Is Not My Values—It Is My Thinking

As I've grown older, my political thinking has changed considerably.

Not because I've abandoned fairness.

Not because I've stopped believing in equality.

Quite the opposite.

It changed because life experience taught me to question political narratives rather than simply accept them.

Over nearly thirty years, I've represented workers, Aboriginal Australians, people living with disabilities, victims of discrimination, workplace bullying, sexual harassment and unfair treatment.

I've seen governments of every political persuasion make decisions that improve people's lives.

I've also seen governments of every persuasion make decisions that fail the very people they claim to represent.

That experience has fundamentally changed the way I evaluate politics.

I Became Less Spellbound by Political Rhetoric

When I was younger, I viewed politics through the lens of party loyalty.

"today I do not ..."

Experience has taught me that political rhetoric can be persuasive, emotionally appealing and sincerely delivered—yet still produce poor public policy.

I've become far more comfortable asking difficult questions.

Questions about:

• government accountability;

• Indigenous policy;

• employment law;

• human rights;

• freedom of expression;

• bureaucratic decision-making;

• public administration;

• equality before the law.

I've learned that questioning government policy is not disloyal.

It is part of a healthy democracy.

Likewise, questioning the political party you once supported is not hypocrisy.

It is intellectual growth.

Principles Matter More Than Political Parties

One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that no political party has a monopoly on good ideas.

Nor does any political party have a monopoly on bad ones.

Good policy should be supported regardless of who proposes it.

Poor policy should be criticised regardless of who introduces it.

Today, I don't ask whether a proposal comes from Labor, Liberal, the Greens or an Independent.

I ask:

• Is it fair?

• Is it evidence-based?

• Does it respect human dignity?

• Does it strengthen procedural fairness?

• Does it protect individual rights?

• Will it actually improve people's lives?

Those are the questions that matter.

Some Things Have Never Changed

Although my politics have evolved, some principles remain exactly as they were in 1998.

"I still believe racism is wrong"

Not because a political party says so.

Not because a former Prime Minister signed a letter.

But because every Australian deserves to be judged by their conduct, their integrity and their character—not by the colour of their skin or the ancestry they inherit.

As an Aboriginal Australian, I understand the damage racism causes.

I also believe genuine reconciliation requires honesty, accountability and mutual respect from everyone.

Respect cannot be demanded.

It must also be demonstrated.

Looking Back Without Embarrassment

Some people look back on their earlier political beliefs with embarrassment.

"I do not ... "

Those beliefs reflected who I was at that stage of my life.

They helped shape the values that ultimately led me into advocacy.

If anything, this letter reminds me that growth is something to embrace rather than deny.

I no longer see politics through partisan eyes.

I see it through the experiences of the people I represent.

That perspective is infinitely more valuable.

Where I Stand Today

Today my loyalty isn't to a political party.

It isn't to a particular ideology.

It isn't to personalities.

My loyalty is to enduring principles:

• fairness;

• procedural justice;

• evidence;

• accountability;

• equality before the law;

• human rights;

• the rule of law.

Those principles guide every client I represent and every issue I choose to speak about.

If a government policy advances those principles, I'll support it.

If it undermines them, I'll criticise it.

Regardless of who occupies the Treasury benches.

Final Thoughts

This document is more than an historical political letter.

For me, it represents a younger version of myself—a man who genuinely believed one political party held most of the answers.

Nearly thirty years later, experience has taught me something far more valuable.

No government should ever be beyond scrutiny.

No political party should ever be immune from criticism.

And no citizen should ever surrender their capacity to think independently simply because a policy comes wrapped in familiar political colours.

Democracy depends upon citizens who are prepared to question, analyse, challenge and hold governments accountable—regardless of which side of politics they support.

Looking back, I don't regret where I started.

But I'm grateful for where the journey has taken me.

Because independent thinking has proven far more valuable than unquestioning loyalty ever could.

Image: "An Open Letter to Australians" (31 August 1998) signed by former Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser, Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. Shared as a personal reflection on how my political beliefs have evolved over nearly three decades—from party loyalty to independent advocacy grounded in fairness, evidence, accountability and human rights.