Hon. Helen Sham-Ho OAM
Pro-Chancellor, Mr. Robert Kelly, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ross Milbourne, Deputy Vice- Chancellor, Professor Bill Purcell, Dean of Engineering and Information Technology, Professor Hung Nguyen, other staff of UTS, special representatives of partner universities in Hong Kong, distinguished guests, graduates, families, friends, ladies and gentlemen.
As a former member of the UTS University Council, I am very pleased to be here today, especially in Hong Kong and on the 25th Anniversary of UTS. I thank UTS for the opportunity to address you. I congratulate all of the graduates on your achievements and am honoured to be able to share this special moment with you and your loved ones.
I know firsthand the commitment and sacrifice required for you to be here today. My own story started out the same way as many of yours. I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and I left home in the 1960’s to pursue studies abroad in Australia, where I ultimately graduated with degrees in the arts, social work and law.
I chose to remain in Australia after completing my studies, after working as a social worker and subsequently practising as a solicitor, I was elected in 1988 as a member of parliament, becoming the first elected Chinese-born parliamentarian in Australia. A position I was privileged to serve until 2003.
My upbringing in Hong Kong taught me many things which I carried with me throughout my career. I was born into a family of six children, and my father was a public servant in the fire brigade. I grew up in a very community-minded environment, during a period when Hong Kong was it its ascendancy and building an foundation for economic prosperity and innovation. No one knew the future. If you wanted to achieve your dreams, you have to take the initiative, pursuing it with and courage and persistence to make it happen. You never know what is around the corner – it could be success.
My own path to becoming a member of parliament was filled with obstacles and reasons to stop, but through hard work, sheer perseverance, and the support of others, my dream was realised. My calling to public service actually grew out of my desire to help others. I was also spurred on by the realization that there are barriers in society that can make that success difficult, no matter the amount of personal effort made. Equality, social justice, and democratic principles are the foundations of a civil society and as a member of parliament it was important for me to stand behind these principles. In 1998, an anti-Asian debate arose in Australia which led me to make a difficult decision to resign from the Liberal Party and make a stand for those principles I believe.
At some point in your career, you will have your own stand to take and speaking from my own personal experience, I say to you that it is worthwhile, even necessary, that you do so. Your true voice is what will make a difference in your own life and the lives of others.
In fact, it was as an independent member of parliament that I was able to do my best work for the community. In 2001, I led a special Parliamentary Inquiry on police resources tasked with determining how to clean up Cabramatta, a community once known as the “drug capital of Australia”. I engaged the community extensively through public inquiry and consultations. People spoke up about the change they wanted to see and I made sure they were heard. This was “people power” at its best and through this process government policies changed, policing culture changed and people’s lives improved. It was one of the most effective and democratic ways of changing and improving government policy. I give you this example to show you that it is possible to create positive change by leading through listening and conducting yourself through your own true voice and conviction.
You are entering a rapidly changing world and it is within your grasp to help create this new world of ours. You have been given a strong foundation on which to build and influence as tomorrow’s leaders. You have graduated from a wonderful university. That is what education offers – greater understanding and freedom to think.
You have a unique and personal contribution to make to that, but as you start out on your career, and all throughout it, there will be many demands placed on you and your time, both personally and professionally. It is not possible to chose everything, so choose wisely. Choose that which contributes to your success, but remember that your success depends on the success of others and make your community a part of that choice.
A world of exciting opportunities and challenges in now in front of you limited on by your imagination and determination. Once again, congratulations to you all and good luck on your journey. Have a fantastic celebration today.
