2024 Tim Fischer Oration: ‘Encouraging ordinary Mums and Dads’ to have a say in Australian society

Tim Fischer Oration

7 August, Great Hall, Parliament House
Drinks and Canapes at 6.00 pm 
Main Speaker and Q&A from 7.00 pm
Tickets: $40 www.tfo.org.au

Professor Helen Alvaré, respected international guest speaker, Catholic author and legal scholar, is set to deliver the keynote address to the second Tim Fischer Oration at Parliament House’s Great Hall on 7 August.

Currently the Professor of Law at Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University outside of Washington DC, she is also an adviser to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She is a regular media commentator on marriage, family, and religious freedom issues.

Dr Helen Alvaré is the author of several books, including the 2022 Religious Freedom After the Sexual Revolution: A Catholic Guide.

The Archdiocese’s Fr Tony Percy told the Catholic Voice that Professor Alvaré was a highly engaging and articulate speaker well versed in today’s social and cultural currents.

She has previously visited Australia for the John Paul II Australian Leaders Forum in Melbourne in 2014.

The latest invitation for her to speak in Australia was originally an initiative of the Australian Catholic University’s PM Glynn Institute and Fr Percy said it was a “nice coalition of natural forces” that accrued from that invitation for her also to deliver this year’s Tim Fischer Oration.

Though with messages for all, he expected her address would be geared towards young Australians, encouraging them to embrace ethical conduct in public and political spheres.

“How can we help form young people for the next generation?,” said Fr Percy. “Can we improve ethics in public and political life? Can we help young people to take the step and have the encouragement and hope to say they can make a difference?” 

The Tim Fischer Oration also aimed to foster debate around encouraging the “ordinary Mums and Dads” and the “ordinary young people” to participate in  Australian society across the board, whether in education, medicine, business, sport, the union movement or politics. 

“Getting [people] involved so that the fabric of Australia doesn’t fall apart,” he said. “We keep building towards a better, freer and fairer society.”