Interview with ACT Australian of the Year: David Morrison - Part I
On Monday evening, the 2016 Australian of the Year will be revealed. One of the strong favourites is the Australian Capital Territory’s recipient, (retired Lieutenant-General) David Morrison.
Morrison, who left his four-year post as Chief of Army in May, has continued to pursue opportunities relevant to his strong focus on social inclusion and broader community representation. These include his new role as Chair of the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA), and as an in-demand speaker for corporate Australia.
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David Morrison has barely stopped since ‘retiring’ last year. The former Chief of the Army – who marks his 60th birthday this year – bristles with energy and excitement when discussing his time since leaving the organisation he proudly served since 1979.
“Some people refer to it as re-wire-ment… and I think that’s a pretty good description. I didn’t anticipate it to be quiet – and it hasn’t been. I’m doing some really interesting work in the corporate world as well as the not-for-profit sector (DCA). I’m doing a lot of work with organisations like Deloitte, as well as plenty of speaking engagements so, I guess I’m as busy as ever!”
David Morrison (left) with fellow ACT Australian of the Year award winners, and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr (centre)
The ACT Australian of the Year
For 2016, Morrison takes the title of ACT Australian of the Year from Glenn Keys, co-founder of Aspen Medical and current chair of the ACT Business Chamber.
“I’ve known Glenn for quite a while,” says Morrison. “He was also in the Army, and after he left to set up Aspen we did a fair bit of work together as part of some Army deployments. He was a great choice for last year… Glenn is a huge figure in the local community and his philanthropic work is outstanding as well.”
When pushed on the similarities between himself and Keys, the current ACT Australian of the Year takes a step back. “I think that, largely, across the awards, and in a national sense, there’s a tendency to gravitate towards those largely involved in the community and large social causes. They really highlight the challenges we face as a society in terms of diversity and who we want to be as a country.
“However, there are lots of people that aren’t comfortable with addressing the bigger, more difficult questions of our time, and perhaps think there is safety and security in the old ways of doing things. The reality is that this is not the case at all… there was no comfort in the past. The questions of old were equally difficult – the only distinction being the fact they were different questions."
The opportunities of a national award
Should the former soldier take the title of Australian of the Year, Morrison recognises the opportunity it presents, but retreats to a position of humility in recognition of other state-based nominees. “It’s not false modesty - I certainly feel there are other, worthier winners among those eligible, but it’s fantastic to be recognised for my work in the ACT and for some of the things achieved more broadly.”
One such achievement has been a strong effort to change the way that people are utilised in the workplace. “I’ve realised, perhaps later in life than I might have preferred, that we put barriers – both tangible and intangible – in the way of people achieving their full potential. It’s been done with women, it’s been done men and women of non-Anglo heritage. Once you see these issues and you start to get to the heart of what causes it, you learn a lot about your society. One problem is that we continue to tell ourselves stories that represent the Australia we were, not the Australia we have become or will be.”
Realising the potential of others
The idea of barriers is one which to Morrison keeps returning – both as part of his experience and what he continues to work to achieve.
“Australian culture is rooted in a concept of egalitarianism – and absolutely it should be. We’re a successful multicultural society and we do it better than almost any other country on earth. However, if you’re going to celebrate that idea of a ‘fair go’ how then can we reconcile the fact that there is a 17.8% pay gap between men and women?
“In asking ourselves these questions we are all pulled up short and, if we push ourselves to find solutions to these underlying problems, then we’re essentially working to greatly improve our society. It’s altruistic and fair to want people to realise their potential but, as I saw in the army, if you can improve that capacity the overall organisation benefits and moves even further to reaching its potential.
“It’s a simple message: if we remove all those barriers – tangible and intangible – all of society benefits.”
Australia as a modern nation
Over the years, Morrison has travelled extensively. To continually return with refreshed eyes to Australia is of great benefit for someone highly engaged with cultural change.
“Australians, as a whole, are highly pragmatic. They have a good sense of their history, and recognise their place in the contemporary world… but there is more to do. Sometimes we seem to see ourselves as ‘girt by beach’ not ‘girt by sea’ and occasionally isolate ourselves from the rest of the world.
“We’re at our best when we welcome those from overseas to our shores. When we welcome men, women and children who are our future and we give them the opportunity to thrive. It’s within my lifetime that Indigenous people weren’t entitled to vote in this country. For decades prior to that they could serve in the armed forces and died for a country that allowed them no representation. Now, we’ve come a long way from that, but we are well served by stopping and asking ourselves how we can do better.”
Social media and public commentary
Like his former colleague and current Queensland Australian of the Year, Group Captain Catherine McGregor, Morrison is an avid cricket fan. This leads to discussion of the recent incident involving Chris Gayle and, in particular, the way that Australians responded to comments during his sideline interview earlier this month.
“I saw the interview and cringed. Of course. However, without speaking about the individual in question, I was impressed by the reaction to the moment, and that, largely, we could immediately recognise the problem that was occurring. It’s a positive that there is an immediate trigger to this sort of behaviour, and it was the same with the recent incident involving Jamie Briggs. Actions have consequences and we now hold people to a higher standard.
“In both incidences there were victims, and I am highly respectful of the two women and the impact that the actions of others has had upon them, however my feeling is that for the certain pain that was caused, we were able to recognise for a brief moment just how far most of our society has come."
The question remains as to whether this is simply an ability to shout more loudly though the megaphone of social media, or whether we have actually changed as a society. As Chief of Army, Morrison had first-hand experience of the power and speed of new media, but does it fairly represent the sentiments of the broader community?
“Again, I see the positives. Social media was intrinsic to the immediacy of the response – particularly to the Chris Gayle incident. The power of the medium is here to stay, so its intriguing to examine what is being said and the effects of that commentary.
“Culturally, we’re seeing genuine changes across contemporary Australia that sit at the heart of how we define ourselves as a society. As a result we simply have a much-reduced tolerance for this type of behaviour.
Providing voices to those that can’t be heard
“This was the similar during my time leading the Army. We had to establish was the standard of behavior was to be, and ensure that it was absolutely enforced. On top of this, it was essential to build confidence throughout the organisation that if you were to witness or experience an activity that didn’t comply with that established standard of behavior, you could trust there was adequate protection to report that activity.
“Now, in broader society, we’re seeing that happen socially. While everyone is innocent until proved guilty and we need to ensure that we don’t jump to conclusions, the ability that we now have to call out bad behavior is very different to what it once was. That seems to me to be a great positive.
“The challenge is to ensure that the systems we have in place can keep place with this shift. Rosie Batty has done an incredible job over the last 12 months highlighting the issue of domestic violence and giving victims the confidence to speak our and take action to improve their situations.
“The counselling service in the ACT is at its limit due to the large amount of people who have summoned the courage to reach out for help. It’s not positive that people suffer violence, and it’s not positive that we’re struggling to meet their needs, but the fact that we can now see them is a huge achievement for our community. I’m a glass-half-full thinker on this, so I think we’re making some great steps."
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Click here to read David Morrison’s thoughts on planning and change management and the importance of recognising capability within a workforce