1 7 4 OVER THE YEARS, THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY HAS NOT ENJOYED
A VERY GOOD PRESS. By CONTRAST, WE HAVE BEEN GENERALLY
WELL-TREATED BY HISTORY AND THE HISTORIANS, IT IS
SOME CONSOLATION TO KNOW THAT HISTORY WILL RENDER A
FAVOURABLE VERDICT. THE DIFFICULTY IS TO WAIT AROUND
LONG ENOUGH FOR THE JUDGEMENT TO BE HANDED DOWN.
IF POSTERITY HAD THE V/ OTE, LABOR WOULD NEVER BE OUT
OF OFFICE. As IT IS WE HAVE THE PARADOX THAT WHILE
AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL HISTORY TENDS VERY LARGELY TO BE
WRITTEN IN TERMS OF THE HISTORY OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR
PARTY, THE PARTY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL HAS HELD OFFICE
ONLY 18 YEARS OF THE 714 YEARS OF FEDERATION.
THE ARRIVAL OF DENIS IURPHY'S BOOK ' LIFE OF T. J. RYAN'
FIFTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, DOES POINT TO THE
RATHER LEISURELY PACE AT WHICH OUR ACADEMIC HISTORIANS
PRODUCE THEIR ASSESSM~ ENTS. THE GAPS ARE ENORMOUS.
THERE IS STILL NO DEFINITIVE WORK ON PARKES, GRIFFITH,
BARTON, FISHER, LYONS, AND ABOVE ALL, CURTIN.
THE LAST WORD HAS NOT BEEN SAID ABOUT HUGHES, BRUCE,
OR CHIFLEY, As FAR AS I AM AWARE, NO-ONE HAS YET
UNDERTAKEN THE FORMIDABLE TASK OF ASSESSING THE MENZIES ERA.
THE JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE PROMPTO
IN MORE THAN ONE SENSE, ALAN REID DID GORTONAND
I SHOULD GIVE A PLUG FOR LAURIE OAKES' BOOK ON WHITLAM
WHICH INEXPLICABLY HAS BEEN REMAINDERED AT 35 CENTS,
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER AT BOOK LAUNCHING OF
T. J. RYAN A POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY
BY
DENIS MURPHY.
AT BRISBANE, 3 OCTOBER 1975
-2-
THERE IS OF COURSE A POIGNANCY ABOUT THE STORY OF
T. J. RYAN. HE DIED AT FORTY-FIVE IN THE PRIME OF LIFE,
AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS POWERS, WITH EVERY PROSPECT OF EVEN
GREATER ACHIEVEMENTS AHEAD OF HIM. THERE WAS EVERY REASON
TO BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD SHORTLY BECOME THE LEADER OF THE
FEDERAL PARLIAMENTARY LABOR PARTY AND PRIME MINISTER.
DEATH WROTE A GREAT QUESTION MARK ON HIS CAREER.
T. J. RYAN WAS SUPERBLY EQUIPPED BY TEMPERAMENT AND
TRAINING FOR THE ROLE HE PLAYED AND FOR THE LARGER ROLE
TO WHICH HE ASPIRED. THE STATUE IN THE EXECUTIVE GARDENS
REPRESENTS HIM AS A KING'S COUNSEL.' HE WAS . IN FACT
THE ONLY LAWYER TO HEAD THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT THIS
CENTURY. THERE IS A DOUBLE FIRST THERE THE ONLY
LAWYER PREMIER AND THE ONLY QUEENSLAND PREMIER OF THIS
CENTURY TO HAVE A STATUE SO FAR. IN FACT JACK PIZZEY
ALSO VERY TRAGICALLY CUT OFF AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS CAREER
IS THE ONLY OTHER QUEENSLAND PREMIER THIS CENTURY TO
HAVE OBTAINED A DEGREE. RYAN'S LEGAL TRAINING WAS
OBVIOUSLY OF VERY GREAT IMPORTANCE TO HIM IN THE TWO
GREAT CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL BATTLES OF HIS CAREERAGAINST
THE PRETENSIONS OF THE UPPER HOUSE, THE HAPPILY
DEFUNCT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND AGAINST HUGHES.
-3-
THE HEART OF DENIS MURPHY'S BOOK IS THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN
RYAN AND HUGHES OVER CONSCRIPTION. THERE IS TRAGEDY,
COMEDY, REAL DRAMA AND MERE MELODRAMA. FORTUNATELY
IN THESE DAYS OF REASON AND LIGHT, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTERS
AND -QUEENSLAND PREMIERS ARE ABLE TO BASE THEIR RELATIONS
ON A SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION AND MUTUAL RESPECT.
RYAN TRANSFERRED TO FEDERAL POLITICS FOR THE SPECIFIC
PURPOSE OF DEFEATING HUGHES IN THE NATIONAL ARENA.
IN THE EVENT, IT WAS NOT RYAN WHO DID FOR HUGHES*
HE WAS DESTROYED BY HIS OWN COLLEAGUES, THUS ESTABLISHING
THE GREAT CONSERVATIVE TRADITION, OF WHICH IN THEIR TURN
LATHAM, MENZIES, GORTON AND SNEDDEN WERE ALL VICTIMS,
WITH LYONS AND HOLT SAVED FROM A SIMILAR FATE BY DEATH.
THERE IS ONE ASPECT OF RYAN'S CONDUCT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
CONSCRIPTION WHICH MERITS MENTION. THE DEFECTION OF
HUGHES AND EVERY STATE LABOR LEADER EXCEPT RYAN DEALT A
VERY HEAVY BLOW TO THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PARTY NOT ONLY
IN THEIR LEADERS BUT IN THE VERY PRINCIPLE OF LEADERSHIP
ITSELF. THE PARLIAMENTARY WING AND PARLIAMENTARY LEADERSHIP
BECAME HEAVILY SUSPECT. THERE WAS A STRONG ATTEMPT TO
TAKE THE ELECTION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY LEADERSHIP AWAY FROM
THE PARLIAMENTARIANS AND PLACE IT IN THE HANDS OF THE MACHINE.
THIS DID IN FACT SUCCEED IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AND LANG OWED
HIS POSITION TO THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE, NOT THE NEW SOUTH
WALES CAUCUS.
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT RYAN BY HIS STATURE AND HIS
FIRM LOYALTY TO THE PRINCIPLE OF PARLIAMENTARY INDEPENDENCE
MADE THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTION IN PREVENTING THIS OCCURRING
AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. THE PARTY'S CONFIDENCE IN
ITS LEADERSHIP WAS NOT REALLY RESTORED UNTIL CURTIN
BUT RYAN MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE PRESERVED THE PRINCIPLE
INTACT. SO CURTIN AND ALL HIS SUCCESSORS OWE THIS
DEBT To RYAN.
DENIS MURPHY'S BOOK DOCUMENTS A NOTABLE FEATURE OF
AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL LIFE THE AMAZING CONSISTENCY.'
THE STERILITY, THE SHEER LACK OF IMAGINATION IN THE
INVECTIVE USED AGAINST THE LABOR PARTY. HERE ARE
SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF RYAN AND HIS GOVERNMENT:
i 8TYRANNY. TREACHERY TREASON
MOB RULE COMMUNIST BOLSHEVIK
DISLOYAL TO THE CROWN A CONTEMPTIBLE CONSPIRACY
REPREHENSIBLE... . A THREAT TO THE AUSTRALIAN WAY
OF LIFE...," 1
AND OF COURSE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT INSURANCE
OFFICE WAS VIOLENT REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALIST ATTEMPT
TO DESTROY FREEDOM OF ENTERPRISE AND THE RIGHTS OF FREE
CHOICE.." IT IS ALL SO DEPRESSINGLY FAMILIAR.
BEFORE RYAN'S LEADERSHIP THE PARTY'S STRENGTH IN
QUEENSLAND WAS BASED IN THE OUTBACK AND THE CENTRAL
AND NORTHERN PROVINCIAL TOWNS, HIS POLITICAL
ACHIEVEMENT WAS TO FORGE A NEW BASE IN BRISBANE.
THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE CAPITAL AND THE GREAT
PROVINCIAL CITIES LAID THE FOUNDATIONS FOR LABOR'S
ASCENDANCY IN QUEENSLAND WHICH LASTED ALMOST UNBROKEN
FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY, TO RESTORE THAT
ALLIANCE IS STILL THE KEY TO POLITICAL SUCCESS FOR
THE PARTY IN QUEENSLAND,
I CONGRATULATE DENIS ON HIS PAINSTAKING WORK, HIS
PATIENT RESEARCH, HIS VERY READABLE RE-CREATION OF
A TURBULENT BUT VERY FRUITFUL PERIOD IN THE POLITICAL
LIFE OF QUEENSLAND AND OF AUSTRALIA, IN THIS RECORD
OF A GREAT CAREER UNTIMELY CUT OFF, HE HAS MADE A
MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR HISTORY, OUR POLITICS
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THAT HISTORY AND THOSE POLITICS,
,11a I I,