"I come to this House as a political being, who started off by accident on the far left ... (when, by accident, with a group of high school mates I attended a Marxist education camp) ... and in more recent times has been regarded by my political opponents as being on the far right.

"I reject, particularly in the post Cold War period, attempts to characterise people's politics as either left or right.

"Marx, though wrong on many issues, was in the tradition of the great classical economists and prided himself on dealing with facts in a scientific way and not dogma.

"I have no doubt that if Marx were alive today he would, given his understanding and interest in economic systems and technological development, support economic policies that promote prosperity and, indeed, would be a vocal advocate for globalisation.

"In all probability he would be a member of the Centre Unity faction of the Labor Party of New South Wales."