Afternoon Light

Ian McAllister: ‘What Hasn’t Changed?’ The Evolution of Australian Elections since the Menzies Era

In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Distinguished Professor Ian McAllister about the evolution of Australian elections since the Menzies era.Australian elections have long been characterised by the rather uncommon tradition of compulsory voting, but outside of this and other mainstays like a pencil and paper, much of the way elections are now conducted would have been unrecognisable in Menzies’s day. While Menzies fought for the ‘Forgotten People’, the middle class, the days of traditional class-based voting are largely gone – with asset holdings being more important than job classifications in determining who people vote for. The electorate now contains far fewer ‘rusted on’ voters, with people more likely to change who they vote for from election to election, or to vote for a different party in the Senate. These trends are partly a long-term product of the Menzies Government, with rising prosperity and high levels of tertiary education eroding class barriers. While Menzies was a strong leader who formed a lasting political party, leaders now campaign increasingly as presidents and parties are now as much brands as they are a collection of like-minded members.Ian McAllister is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at The Australian National University, and from 1997 until 2004 was Director of the Research School of Social Sciences at the ANU. He has previously held chairs at the University of New South Wales and the University of Manchester and has held other academic appointments at The Queen's University of Belfast and the University of Strathclyde. He was President of the British Politics Group 2001-2002, edited the Australian Journal of Political Science from 2004 to 2010, and was chair of the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems project from 2003 to 2008.

Paul Morrissey: ‘Educating the Whole Person’ The Enduring Importance of a Liberal Approach to Education

On this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Paul Morrissey, President of Campion College about a liberal education.Robert Menzies was a firm believer in the value of a broad liberal education. The Menzies Government reinvigorated and greatly expanded Australia’s university system through both the implementation of the Murray Report into Higher Education and the introduction of merit-based Commonwealth Scholarships, but Menzies insisted that this ground-breaking investment was not based on the mere utilitarianism of boosting the economy by training people for jobs. He wanted universities to create well rounded citizens who would serve and uphold Australia’s democracy, and he wanted to encourage a search for truth that viewed life’s purpose as something greater than felicific calculus.This fundamental question, ‘what is the purpose of a university education?’, remains highly relevant, particularly in an era where universities increasingly function as businesses and their budgets have been devastated by shrinking international student numbers. Paul is the President of Campion College where he also lectures in theology. Paul became president of Campion in 2015 after a career teaching theology and religious studies at university and high school. After completing his Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Lateran University in Rome and his Doctorate at the Catholic Institute in Sydney, Paul taught systematic and moral theology at the University of Notre Dame for eight years. He has published numerous papers in New Blackfriars, Nova et Vetera, Logos and Solidarity.

David Kemp and Nick Cater: ‘Liberalism and the belief of the individual person as the way to civil politics’ The Robert Menzies Institute Exhibition

On this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast of the Robert Menzies Institute, CEO Georgina Downer talks to co-curators of the RMI’s permanent exhibition David Kemp and Nick Cater.David and Nick explain that their curatorial purpose was to create an image of Menzies that Menzies himself would recognise, as opposed to the various projections which detractors and even supporters have attached to Menzies over the years. The exhibition covers eight key themes, including Menzies as a Liberal, Political Architect, Leader, Parliamentarian, Family Man, Nation Builder, Patriot, and his Legacy. Taken together they form a complete, nuanced and quite remarkable picture of Australia’s longest serving prime minister, which is brought to life by a host of unique and evocative artefacts. These are drawn heavily from the Menzies Collection, Menzies’s personal library of some 4000 books which he bequeathed to the University of Melbourne and which capture the breadth of his reading and thought, as well as other items brought in from public and personal collections around Australia.The Hon. Dr David Kemp AC is a former Federal Member and Minister in the Howard Government. Before entering Parliament he was Professor of Politics at Monash University, and after leaving Parliament Professor and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He is the former Chairman of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House and of the Australian Heritage Council. He has published books on voting behaviour and political analysis, and is particularly known for his ground-breaking series on Australian Liberalism published by Melbourne University Press.Nick Cater is the Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre. Since arriving in Australia from Britain in 1988, Nick Cater has risen to become one of the nation's leading political commentators. His CV includes stints as deputy editor of The Sunday Telegraph in Sydney, editor of The Weekend Australian, and Hong Kong correspondent for News Corp. He remains a weekly columnist at The Australian and regularly on Sky News. His affection for his adopted country was explained in his acclaimed, bestselling book The Lucky Culture (2013). Under his stewardship since 2015, the MRC has grown steadily in output, size, subscriber base, and prominence.

Joy Damousi: ‘Compulsion, Censorship & the Price of Freedom’ How WW1’s Conscription Debate was Fought Out at the University of Melbourne

This week’s episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast features a recording of the Robert Menzies Institute’s O-week event in February with University of Melbourne’s Professor Joy Damousi speaking on the intricacies and impact of the WWI conscription debate. Joy is Professor of History in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, and an expert on the sociological impact of war.

James Brown: ‘An Ideal Partner’ Australia’s Space Industry

On this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Space Industry Association of Australia CEO James Brown about the Australian space industry.When Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, it was an Australian tracking station that relayed the pictures to the world. This remarkable fact was the product of an agreement signed by Robert Menzies in February 1960, which saw Australia become an essential partner to the successful American effort to win the space race. Australia was important because of our unique geographical location, but also because we were leading experts in the field of ‘Radiophysics’ which had evolved out of experiments with radar during the Second World War. When Menzies invested vast government funds in the construction of the famous Parkes radio-telescope, matching generous funding from American philanthropists, it was to keep Australia’s place at the cutting-edge of scientific research. Australia was arguably just the fourth country to ever launch its own satellite into orbit in 1967, and with the establishment of an Australian Space Agency in 2018 the Australian space industry looks set to take-off once again. James Brown is the CEO of the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA), Australia’s peak body for the space economy. A national security and public policy expert, James has previously held research appointments at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, United States Studies Centre, and the University of Sydney. He is currently a Non-Resident Fellow at the United States Studies Centre, Chairman of the charity Veteran Sports Australia, and a strategic adviser to the University of Technology Sydney. Between 2017 and 2019 James led the rebuilding and modernisation of Australia’s largest veteran’s organisation, the RSL, as its youngest ever elected President. He is a former Army officer with service in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Solomon Islands.

Keith Mason: ‘A Spectacular Series of Failures’ The Egon Kisch Affair

In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Keith Mason QC AC to discuss the Egon Kisch and Novak Djokovic cases.Australia has a long history of trying to keep out people and viewpoints deemed ‘undesirable’. The recent saga with Novak Djokovic is just the latest in a series of attempts by Australian Governments to exclude high profile figures that stretch back into the early decades of the 20th century, and it is far from the only one to end in farce. Robert Menzies had his own experience of getting egg on his face endeavouring to block the entry of Egon Kisch when he was a Minister in the Lyons Government.Kisch was a Czech Jew who came to Australia in 1934 to speak out against fascism. He was also a communist, and the Australian Government wanted to keep him out for fear that he would preach a Marxist gospel. The task of achieving this outcome fell to Robert Menzies, who had only recently entered the Federal Parliament but who nevertheless had been elevated to Attorney General because of his legal prowess. That prowess would be poorly displayed, as the Government bungled its repeated attempts to block then deport Kisch, succeeding only in giving him a higher profile. Keith Mason AC QC is a former President of the Court of Appeal of New South Wales, the highest civil court in the State of New South Wales. He has served as Chairman of the New South Wales Electoral Commission, a visiting professorial fellow at the University of New South Wales, and the chancellor of the Anglican diocese of Armidale. He has published widely on legal topics including judicial method, legal taxonomy, the law of restitution, and the interface of law, morality and religion.

Sybil Nolan: ‘His Whole Prospects were Formed Out of Study’ Discovery in the Menzies Collection

This week on the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to Sybil Nolan about the Menzies Collection.In 1976 Sir Robert Menzies bequeathed his library and archive of approximately 4000 items to the University of Melbourne. The collection is a unique historical and cultural artefact, showcasing the breadth of Menzies’s intellectual influences and acting as a sociological time capsule of 20th century Australia. For historians, the collection is a treasure trove of unique items, each having the potential to unlock fascinating secrets about their previous owner.Sybil Nolan is a historian who has had the opportunity to spend some time with the collection, first while researching her PhD in 2005 and later in 2013 as part of a grant. During the latter exploration she chanced across Menzies’s copy of The Discovery of India, gifted to him by the author Jawaharlal Nehru on a visit to New Delhi in December of 1950, an item which inspired her to write an entire book chapter. Its pages; some read, some noticeably untouched, evoke Menzies’s own struggle to come to grips with a post-colonial world in which the Empire he was raised to feel a part of was no more.Sybil Nolan is a Senior Lecturer in publishing and communications at the University of Melbourne, and Publisher at Grattan Street Press, the University's teaching press. She researches in publishing, print culture and Australian political and media history. Sybil worked in book publishing for more than 10 years, including as commissioning editor at Melbourne University Publishing from 2003 to 2007, and before that spent 15 years working in daily journalism on newspapers including the Age.

William Sanders: ‘A Progressive Inclusive & a Group Conservative’ Indigenous Policy Under the Menzies Government

This week on the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Associate Professor William Sanders about Indigenous policy under the Menzies Government.When Robert Menzies was Prime Minister Indigenous policy was exclusively a matter for State Governments as set out in the Australian Constitution. This would change after the 1967 referendum, which Menzies was instrumental in planning, but until then the primary area in which the Federal Government could legislate, manage, and reform Indigenous policy was in the administration of Commonwealth Territories and particularly the Northern Territory. So it was under the direction of Paul Hasluck, appointed Minister for Territories in 1951, that a significant program of reform was carried out.Hasluck was a remarkable man who was highly dedicated to this area of policy making. He was a member of the Australian Aborigines Amelioration Association, and wrote articles for the West Australian which were scathing in their criticism of how Indigenous Australians were being treated. He completed a Masters thesis on Indigenous Affairs at the University of Western Australia. Seizing the opportunities provided by his portfolio, he did what he could to advance the legal and economic equality of Indigenous Australians compared to their white counterparts. Nevertheless, his views were shaped by the assimilationist mindset of the era, and consequently his reforming legacy has become controversial.Joining us to discuss these issues is William Sanders, an Honorary Associate Professor with the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University. Will joined CAEPR as a Research Fellow in 1993 and was appointed as Fellow in 1999 and Senior Fellow in 2007. His undergraduate training was in government, public administration, and political science, and his PhD was on the inclusion of Aboriginal people in the social security system. Will's research interests cover the political and social aspects of Indigenous policy, as well as the economic. He regularly works on Indigenous people's participation in elections, on housing and social security policy issues, and on federal and intergovernmental aspects of Indigenous affairs policy.

Selwyn Cornish: ‘A Living Organism’ The History of the Reserve Bank of Australia

In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer speaks to the Reserve Bank’s Official Historian, Selwyn Cornish, about the history of central banking in Australia. In 1960 the Menzies Government established the Reserve Bank of Australia, separating central banking from where it had evolved within the government-owned Commonwealth Bank. The first Governor of the Reserve Bank, Herbert ‘Nugget’ Coombs, said that a central bank ‘must grow like a living organism’, and so it is that over the years the RBA has established itself as a cornerstone of the Australian economy and as an institution which is immensely important to our system of government. Allegedly cut-off from political pressuring, it has the power and the responsibility to safeguard the nation’s prosperity.But how did we get here? How did an institution established almost 60 years after Federation come to be so essential to the functioning of the Commonwealth? How had central banking evolved before the establishment of the RBA and why was Robert Menzies so keen to ensure that it was not connected with the Commonwealth Bank?Selwyn Cornish is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Research School of Economics at the Australian National University, and the Reserve Bank’s Official Historian. He is an Associate Editor of the forthcoming Biographical Dictionary of Australian and New Zealand Economists, and is writing the History of the Reserve Bank of Australia 1975–2000. His major research fields embrace the development and application of macroeconomics in the 20th century, and biographical studies of economists. In 2004 he was appointed a Member of The Order of Australia for services to secondary education in the ACT.

Martyn Lyons: ‘They Certainly Felt Empowered’ Writing Letters to Menzies

In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light Podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Emeritus Professor Martyn Lyons about letters written to Robert Menzies.During his time as Prime Minister, Robert Menzies received thousands of letters from ordinary Australians. Many wrote asking for help, others wrote to congratulate him on various achievements, and still others wrote angrily to scold him for some misdeed like daring to increase the salaries of MPs. These letters can provide a unique social history which offers a marvellous insight into the everyday concerns of Australians of the Menzies era, if only someone took the time to read them.Martyn Lyons did take the time, and the fruit of his painstaking efforts is the book Dear Prime Minister: Letters to Robert Menzies, 1949–1966. This ‘history from below’ offers an important perspective that is often overlooked by more conventional histories. It reveals the lived experience of an era that is so often stereotyped or crystalized by hindsight, highlighting anxieties, prejudices, and anguish that might otherwise have been lost to history.Martyn Lyons is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of New South Wales, an institution he has been associated with since 1977. He received a PhD from the University of Oxford, and has authored numerous books including The Typewriter Century: A Cultural History of Writing Practices and The Writing Culture of Ordinary People in Europe, c. 1860-1920. He was awarded the Centenary medal in 2003 for services to the Humanities in the study of History and is a former president of the Australian Historical Association.