Communism in Australia How did the Australian government deal with the “threat” of communism?

Communism in Australia

How did the Australian government deal with the “threat”

of communism?

Fear of communism

In 1949 many people in the western world feared the spread of communism

People in countries like the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand feared the growing spread of communism in Eatern Europe and Asia

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Films and newspaper reports claimed that communists were unAustralian

These same reports said that communists were subversives

Members of the communist party were also active in industries such as shipping, wharves, coal and steel-making. Why would some people consider this to be a dangerous factor for Australia?

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Menzies on Communism…

"All I need say is that Australia is British. It has a great and tried and common family allegiance under the Crown. But Australia knows, and so do the Communists, that the closest concert between the United States and the Commonwealth is vital to the common defence.We will work incessantly to strengthen this great association, just as the Communist powers and their overseas friends will work incessantly to divide and destroy us."

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Fear of communism

Australians were so fearful of communism in 1949 that it became an election issue

During the 1949 election the leader of the Liberal Party said he would introduce laws that would declare the communist party in Australia illegal

Menzies said he would ban the communist party if he was elected Prime Minister

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

What is wrong with that? In 1950 Prime Minister Menzies introduced a “bill”

or proposed law into the Australian Parliament The bill was called the Communist Party Dissolution

Bill The bill proposed to outlaw the communist party

and to stop any member of the communist party from being a government employee and/or a member of a trade union

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

The bill also proposed that anyone who was declared a communist had to prove his or her innocence

This proposed law angered many people as it threatened individual freedoms and the rights of the individual

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Ten trade unions and the Australian Communist Party challenged the proposed law in the Australian High Court

They argued that the Australian government should only have such powers during wartime

The High Court agreed and said that the proposed law was unconstitutional

Menzies proposed law was scrapped

Menzies votes in the election

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

1951 Referendum

Menzies was angry that his proposed law was unconstitutional

Following that he set up a referendum to put the vote to the people whether or not the communist party should be banned

The Catholic Church and many news organisations said that people should vote yes.

What was the result of the referendum?

1951 Referendum

It was a bitterly fought referendum with many people arguing, protesting and writing letters to newspapers and politicians.

Date of referendum: 22 September 1951

Yes vote: 2, 317, 927 votes No vote: 2, 370, 000 votes

Robert Menzies on the Internet

The Robert Menzies Virtual Museum

http://www.menziesvirtualmuseum.org.au/

Censorship

The Autsralian government attempted to censor or ban literature and art during the 1950s

A novel by Frank Hardy entitled Power Without Glory came under the scrutiny of the government

It was claimed that the novel criticised capitalists and Hardy was accused of being a communist

The court case against him failed and he was acquitted - declared not guilty

His book became an international best seller as a result