When we Australians go to the national election polls early this year, it is to be hoped that most of us will turn our minds back to 1901 when our country’s first Constitution was passed in London to form a united federation out of our six previous British colonies.

The Constitution, which still provides us with our nation’s true moral power, is the only real instrument we have to maintain full democracy, the all-essential rule of law, friendly federalism, nationhood, the separation of essential powers of State and all human and other rights balanced by responsibilities.

In recent years, however, it appears to me that certain sections of our population have sometimes become voters and even politicians’ intent on possibly watering down certain of our nation’s founding ideals.

At this current juncture of major changes in our history to date, we need to ask ourselves whether this or that political promise made by our aspiring politicians still fits our Constitution in detail and flavour.

There is no doubt that our ‘Founding Father’, Sir Henry Parkes, and our leaders who devised our Constitution were meticulous in trying to ensure that Australia would continue to hold our standards and free way of life forever.

Interestingly enough, as our nation’s first official ‘birth certificate,’ our Constitution was mooted by Sir Henry on 24 October 1885 at the town of Tenterfield, not very far from our Clarence Valley of today.

As the father of our nation and the premier of New South Wales, Parkes delivered the first all-important constitutional oration in this Northern New South Wales town and what historians now record as the birthplace of Australia.

With a Federal election due to be held within months, what we now possibly need to do as voters is to remind ourselves of our founding fathers’ values and vote for those politicians who stand out as believers in a constitution which has done us well until a recent noticeable change in attitude in certain quarters of our population. Although we have for the past 124 years enjoyed freedom from the mother country, the Statute of Westminster still defines how we live in peace and progress.

Prior to the writing and passing into law of our Constitution, Australia’s six British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania were administered by Britain as part of Queen Victoria’s Empire. As a result, all people in our former colonies were considered to be British.

After Australia’s Constitution was passed into law, Britain asked the new nation of Australia whether its people wanted to continue to be regarded as being British. Surprisingly, the answer was a firm “yes” as the Government of the day wanted Britain’s military and sea protection and its financial loan facilities.

As a result, all Australians were still officially British until 41 years ago when the Australian Citizenship Act was amended so that Australian citizens would no longer be regarded as British subjects holding British Australian passports.

From that day on, our highly valued Constitution has become even more important to our collective psyche and success. And it is towards this document’s virtues to which we should be looking as a society and country whenever we have to consider who to vote for at election time.

The big question we also need to be asking ourselves is whether the politicians of our choosing truly reflect the good and trusted values of our past.

As a country well regarded in the West at least, our Australian values are now more vital than ever to be maintained in a world being split by threats of war, major technological and social change and, in some cases, immoral activities and attitudes.

When next we have to vote in our forthcoming Federal election, let’s ensure we do so for a lucky country in the hands of politicians who put the country first, just as Henry Parkes and others so rightly envisioned. Long may this diverse country of weather and will continue as a bastion of freedom!