The story of the plain language movement in Australia is slightly different to the story in Canada and the US, and, I think, much of Europe. In Australia, the impetus to move towards plain language has come mainly from the private sector. We haven't had as much government regulation as some other countries (such as the USA). We have had Government initiatives, but they have been focussed mainly on Government departments and the public service. And we haven't had the Government funding that has been so characteristic of the plain language movement, particularly in Canada. In that sense, maybe we are more similar to the UK plain language movement.

Because I am a lawyer, and because that is the field of my plain language consultancy, I'll be concentrating today on plain language developments in the legal area in Australia.

I was going to say that my involvement in plain language began in around 1987, but it just occurred to me that it actually began when I first learned to speak, when I spoke in words of one syllable. But 1987 was the year of the landmark Law Reform Commission of Victoria Report (that's the Australian state of Victoria) called Plain Language and the Law. I was working as legal precedents manager at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, a big Australian law firm, and that firm was very quick to see the advantages of adopting a plain language writing style. We picked up the plain language ball and ran with it. Other law firms did the same and are still running with it.

Australian lawyers have been so enthusiastic about plain language that it is almost possible to argue (as my colleague Christopher Balmford does) that the battle for acceptance of plain language is already won there. Certainly now, as a consultant, I am rarely asked to come to persuade law firms that plain language is safe (10 years ago I had to do regularly). Now the demand is for in-house training in plain language writing. And, interestingly, there is very little demand from law firms for external consultants to come in and actually rewrite documents. The skills are already in the law firms. That seems like a healthy development - though not so healthy for my bank account. But it is also a sign that Australian lawyers feel confident that they know what they are doing and believe they can write in plain language.