F/ CL: 1
POP. RIDIAMONDAY, l3ECRMD, 3-R 10 1979
7ADfI) BSSTO COMMORM] A THE
36THANNV~ 7R~ O 1bL PAR~? TPY
1rh. i)' ty yearo agjo Rjobert lNcngies lod the 1JbC-rA1 forces in this
oo~ ntry to a orb viotory. ptjnt we. ) fl forgoit the
manerin whIch th: L5 viotory wao achiJived ancl the oc~ dD aglainst
whioh it was~ fought. The~ fortiesW, 4: edIfjoult tiries for thooie
of our po3itloa3 fait)). There was baitterness; there 1008 divisiOn,
there Was invitable cdeleat In 1.941 & nd 1943.
Menzico Maid of this perind, " W~ e were destinod for oontinund
4ofcat. The Labor Party war in ap~ owrftil position to div~ c
and conquer".
Thoso election deat~ a vai at a cy-itical timeU in Australia' s
history. Tho conotnt. lesson of Australia~ n politics had to ba
learnt; that politivial c6iviskon eq~ uals political deiath. ' The
dangers cnfonYf tip" J me wclo. geat; his task formnidable.
Labor had aciird massive power in war timte; the temptations
for thom to use it to aohi.' vc Socialist ocbjootives in pencet4ine
were now at hand. rlon sensed thbst tho values for which those
in our party stood were under severe threat, He ) Xnew that if he
wanteO a froo and vigorous AustraliAa he woeld have to marshaill
fCorea and5 fight fdrit.
In 1944, at a meeting ip Canberra, Men2ies brought 14 organisations
under the one bannter wIth on.-body of ideas, H~ e gave them a
united, nntional perspLootive. Hie turnecl his attention to policie3
doigned to free the spiiit of Australian mien and womcon. But
above all~ he Sought for tho new Party, a national-Organisation
and he achlovecl it.
Yet, by 1946 tho meomory of dvision was ntill t00 clozo in the
public's mind. Tile viutory coDu14 not b~ e ' expooted XtI11. tho
Party unifie~ d its diirection and cc qVinced Aiustra~ iale of it
otyi~ it. 1slent to aorvo the. nation. o */ 2
After~ the ' defeat of 1q461 ~ nd : rd~ sepeo the
indVAIual and hAD erncouragc-ment and rccogn~ tion aqs the primek
motive force for the bujilailig of a better world"'.
ftpid& the tritinip)) of incliv. T1Iac, 1m ) ise goall SocialiSM waS
his enemy. In openlnV N~ s cmpaign fo~ tho rigjht to lead
the anti-Soo3, nliat forces i. nto Goverment, Men2ieS' Call to 2
tbo Australian peop~ a n 1949, war, xinyliSncj;
" Tihis is our yenr of groat decision", he said.
" Aro We for the So~ aaJst sitate, with ito, gbordint~ ionl
of the Indiv16" jal to'tho universal officialdomi of gJovernmnentl
or are we for the British fait~ h that governmi~ tig a6' c'. the
Servants of the people?"
Menzies took the strongth oi bip; oonviationl. to the POOPIC. Ile
argued1 thAt if Librals believe strongly enoxigh in them~ selves,
Aostral. in WA31 bv) 3evc-in lAkivralJP. m. HWis ftiJh In A?*~ n
Was not 1n.!; 3.1-Cer5 ' jhirty Y( cIrs mlo thiiz Om Itod th-! y~ iber& 1
Coontyy )? axty to thc-; governnimc11i. ( it thii; nation,
Tahhbeka; d wrwni4i'riO a C-r-Vvefa t hqornaottivrr, . % Iltt wthaes iOt baVi{ O -ecrtoirgye s WWahnCd h thcOla ve) rensewyr jI; soSfiebilitieks
And mnean~ ing-to enterprise Alld Xreelor. . n AMs trrlij. It releav_ 04
all Autalins from the ro.-Arictionn. of war t~ rme control. Labor
had shOwn that it cauld no.. tmatch the poace time F,, pir-ati. cmn$, of
all Australi1ans.* It ) p~ uitcifor ncienui ty,
jjventiVeni as, ic i,, acr, whicib he~ r; 46 carve. citt i) OcIf
of greatt prptiTiy,
Thetoe I-ilteraI Va3uesf Oayi-c) e; ral foy'~ aX( d u~ n4-1 hc. end o
the vlto. Wo. ) 111 by thon rIc') ~ r yir wit howl Men'xea.
Yet In thatt short space of timo, something hnad happened to
the Liberal Party. HPnd we begun to tak~ e otir cleotoral success
fo grAItc? Had we lost our nervd? Hiad our creative drive-expired?
Was there a public ) C'tO a ivision In the-coaitiai)?
11ad we oontinued to bolieve in our prinoiplau-but failed to f ight
for thomii
Whatevozr the onse, othe v& hlueuz Intruded and wo allowed them to
waoo t arpal Sooialiett-1), it in government h& wou)( 1 be ii id
moderate, r ppoibaq tt1iabl a~ d concvcrned , that lie would hold
to the conventionst of our constitution and the principles of
t1+, tt the truth wae otherwise wa; a grave rcoflection on usl
on our lack of percoptionr our apathy; our absence of strength
inl holdiang to Outcw pWt1rinciples. Australi ans had been persuaded
that it was time.~
TiniO for What? ' Xho quiestiorn was scion to be answered, but not as
tho nation had expected. Wns it dmne for oppressivo intreases in
taxcationl, mafssive oonltion in government exponditure, Crippling
ndcelerittion in wages? Was Jt time for governntefit growth to strangle
the privatc sector, for the cconfrny to stagnato? Was it time for
us to bo shown that Labor c~ ould not ilfforcl all itS cjrandioso plrnus
tha~ t Laborla big sponding coultd not bo financd from an economy
crippled by Lab3ox policoies? Was it time for Iracditiorual
-3-
values to be tbreitceoi by th~ e intriison of government? Whethor
is was time or not, it heippelledl
In 1974, we wore presented with 9aiother opportutnity to preventK
the damage beini. done by Labor. DB had forgotten earlier
hftor tho defeat of 1972 wo wont into o-pposition as
two Parties 110 aS a coalition. AP~ in 1.946, we noccled to persuado
Persuadcthem we ooull manage tile fiffai of the nation. By 1975
therf. was a new urgency to nrc.. t the drift to Socialit., m; to
reasser't Ook values aml our willdnqness to fight fO theM
It waS a strugglcl In many wayS, of groater dimonsion; than
that of the fortiesi.
Pcop3o who hiad coo to build thoir liomos in a free nation;
away from repressions thosto peopl. spoke with t very real.
firosf w1hat, 4. wizf hapC-1nIncl. Y~ y th) 0. ~ t
I canilec for a rc: tuxrn tc, tir 3c, 1~ rr7. Lberal va. t~-f. I xjt
A11Str,--lians tO P. Ona1l what they had seimringly for Ott n~
that WC MU~ t re-gardI persoln l itiAtive, ecoirnaje investmcit
and mobilisc the IMnicatiOn 4nO resou~ rcea of' the ! Autrallall people.
For tile last four years, Australiana hav. nharea ill that collviction.
We are now C-! l:, oyinq th. J~ )) aId-W( n t"*' sseg Tile PrA~ er/ Anthony
( Ieo11de of opport-linit~ y and vhfll lven
7uiiongst the & dV'i13lC{ 3 nfitions,) our ( ca~ noiy hW~ on genuille
respecti our d) flatimn rate is b~ elowk that cof mnAfny of otir 1
majotrt~ c paect, nrL4e~ pt area inlornsng. fild mas&. Ive.
invesmei pzj0cJ 0ar cming oll 31ne, or nre in nrokpoct,
Outr energy ronerves enal) 3ce % UB to 04juNI: better to the threats
posed by the onergy crisii,
We havo crceatea the conomic envirolnment for a great programme
Of nlAtiolal d0V1) 0prnent whioh w333 be.-the springboard for
Anstrallalo 00OM. 3cl~ gjrowth In thn ' IQ
Witbout eonomic igrOWth, Anstriijin c. aIn n1(! c. r bcocme t), G kind ofJ
nat~~ n tat~ ala. want~ -Without
growth, we cannot as a nation , create More jobs; wo cencnoonot maic
nation 1110et 0113 W0lfaro rosponsIbiliticss, we, orann1ot naio
support gonerous. 1y the arts and cultulral ; aotiviip a~ c ano
as a nation provide tlho lite whchl maximises freedom, OJPportunity
anid achievement,
-And so, we Otaind at tile doorw~ ay of the 180r. with a 619ndfioant
inheritanoo. X a~ n niot s$ vu gertirig there have not bcen cdiffi.( ulties
along thc way; of cotirse the-re have. Thle 170s linve boen a difficult
and turbulent decade. But throucjh it all, tht sosential strongth
a~ nd Oonxllotioll of than AiiraliM) haclpl p'r~ vailed. ' iho
CluAW3ty an Oitptbi. ity of ou f~ auoBhIM been xr er1-d,-.
Now, a new ) Alne hip dev elopd Jin iooiety botwoon the needl to
Ooinrve a~ nd the Ileela to chrolge. W~ hat we Must collsorve is what
n~. oic~ i iled, ie Ii-vi. ne snnd valuable variationr. of the i) nd
of. all Alsrlltsl
This, I beliovc, is our xicheszt a : It we. CMU to this,
the spirit of entcrpriso that rnakcs froedom wortbwh&*). e, then we
can have every confidenco thatt grcat nobievemorts . are at hand.
* Tho lesIson of t-he 140s, mid incleed tho ' 70s, is that once we
unite in vivion and in piirposc, sJTnif. icant victories are
ftmtiwe~ s, Anth'L iwidst of with e aod largeo3t
majority since F'ederation, ~ It iin very difiictit to i~ mmber
the dicipl. ine an elf-xeatraint which are essontial to
victory. Thoe. cp%) alitios have speoial Mcaninj for us. The ' Liberal Party
lo not so~ othincj dcaigned to advance our indilvdua! interests.
It Isnot : l'u~ st somethin. gI hcnod tO lIdV~ lIce om-i Parlty's
itero8ts ox evenl tlloze of t-lic Calitio~ n. Its justification
for existance Ss' that its~ polloles. ore tdesignncl for all Allstrallans.
Yet these plioce are~ an em~ pty tVei v remain onsupportod
by our capacity to put them Into effect. Oulr PartYV was born
out of a co-antitnment by ono paroon, working with many other dedicated
Atistra. iane., to advanc( e the Oauseo of freedom and1 individualism
in Atra3. ia. This ii a con) tinuing and demnanding task. It will
always rtleet with. re~ zistnno;, Theteo re those of. no faith Who
want polsitival power An order to 11S. it A-or thlemselves
Thewo are thoso who bel ievo that Canberxa sho-uld dominate
Australian po]. itics; that the States should be abolishatli
that the powers* of the Senate should be dramnatically redliced.
TPhis higlilights the essential differenos between Liberalism.
and Sooialism.
We want people to decide for thomse3. veoi; others. believe that
big and powerful. centralist govarnmont knows boo~ t what is right
for you and me. This view ist repmgnant to the individuaality of
all Australiano. The threa~ t to our values and pxeinoiplcs is
ni~ ways precnt. Tho excosseo of the Whitlapi years aro
well documented, They have been decisively rojecte4.
Yet, agninst the jxdgoment of the Aurtralian peopler L~ abor~
only rcoently protevted aonfident3y that, " Therc, was nothing
rvoletionary or particularly radical about the Whitl&' m years".
So that while w~ e celebrate an anverraary this' evening, this is
) lot tho time for scelf-vongratolation. Rather it is tS-re for
omflitrncnt aniO doCtC) riniat, lot.
., ot us i'aot 4Iwell on' the ' Pnccesse. 4 of tle p'ast. That is done
" and finishod, it lo tomorraw~ noxt week, noxt ycax and beyond
Whore the niew OhaJlengc8 11' e, Tho. spirit of Liberalism demand;;
th) at we look forward to moc~ t thoese chegs. The fight
to fxc~ o tho spirit of men na women is constant and UflE1flcV1flg.
Tho battlefCiold ITAmst never be vacatod. Wlint we oan dlo now
is to win that fCcedom for our tArno; to hand on to our children,
conditions ! n sooioty which allow themn full1 oxpressiofl of their
a* i vida. iis ancl creative spirit.
is thwough-our Own-example. that . tho chal-Ieng~ s of. tOinOxCVW
will1 be mnet. The spencaing of effort in a gjroat Cause gives
* life its fulfili~ cnt. Oxjr 3ivoej have 11o meaining iLf live
Just fo), ours~ olvesi i. f we ar-e alwayr soeking rewardA for what
wo dol or vo-, rning the eooqt of our ef fort..
By this attitude wc diirish otirolves an0 our objectivos.
I. Phianoy-iot tho pirit of, our Wirty of Austrnl3a~ s greatndr. IsThe rAti
eociowrnent of oxir pcop~ c-Af-clotioclicc) in cont-sPr thousandls
of Australiunrs; in all walks of li1f', who, vach day, do -something
tinsel flt ' di th dtrizicn ndl C! O11aJo~ he1re Is an~ oblilgationl
on 11s to d omIP01trateo that thiA ib Ou): Pros-!
Menzies Oapturced this spirit in 1544. Hle brought with it
oppoxt~ nities and experlonrces) and the passibl~ ity of service
to our nation. Thesea we must not iightly acopt or
unthbinkingly put as~ ide.
we nre all. hcoirp appanrent to tbe 180s. nlut this rocluire~ s more
than waiting inl the wings; it rccqufros an assertion OXF our pride
In ivaim esnlfroodom and self -zladvmomont. It ask's
fromn o sorvice to Ausral ia.. Let usr dedicato ourselves to
those principleii. !' or in doing this, we hiono-ur the men and
women who oreated this P'arty and built a qreat and prosperous
nation. 000---