Key Takeaways:
- The Labor Party tends to celebrate all its leaders, including those who were unsuccessful, whereas the Liberal Party only celebrates its most successful leaders.
- Labor has a strong sense of its own history and mythologizes its past leaders, while the Liberal Party has a limited sense of its own history and tends to neglect its former leaders.
- The Labor Party honors its leaders in death, even if they were criticized or stabbed in the back during their lifetime.
- The Liberal Party’s lack of interest in its own history may be due to the dominance of Robert Menzies and John Howard in the party’s imagination.
- The Fraser government made significant contributions to modern Australia, including transitioning the country to a multicultural society and promoting human rights-focused foreign policy.
Introduction to the Party’s Attitudes towards History
The Labor Party and the Liberal Party have distinct attitudes towards their own history, particularly when it comes to their past leaders. According to John Faulkner, Labor’s former Senate leader, the Labor Party celebrates all its leaders, including those who were unsuccessful, whereas the Liberal Party only celebrates its most successful leaders. This difference in attitude towards history is reflected in the way the two parties treat their past leaders, with Labor tending to honor its leaders in death, even if they were criticized or stabbed in the back during their lifetime.
The Labor Party’s Celebration of its Leaders
The Labor Party has a strong sense of its own history and tends to mythologize its past leaders. For example, Ben Chifley, a prime minister who led a government that was marked by significant failures, including a disastrous attempt to nationalize the banks and the worst industrial conflict in Australian history, is remembered as a beloved national icon. Similarly, H V Evatt, who was a flawed leader who failed to avert the split that kept Labor out of office for two decades, is remembered as a passionate idealist. This tendency to mythologize its leaders gives Labor history a sense of drama and narrative that is lacking in the Liberal Party’s history.
The Liberal Party’s Neglect of its Former Leaders
In contrast to the Labor Party, the Liberal Party tends to neglect its former leaders, particularly those who were not successful. For example, Malcolm Turnbull and Malcolm Fraser, two former Liberal prime ministers, are often forgotten or reviled by their own party. This neglect is reflected in the lack of commemorations for significant events in Liberal Party history, such as the 50th anniversary of Malcolm Fraser’s historic landslide election victory. The Liberal Party’s lack of interest in its own history may be due to the dominance of Robert Menzies and John Howard in the party’s imagination, which has led to a lack of attention to other significant leaders and events in the party’s history.
The Significance of the Fraser Government
Despite the Liberal Party’s neglect of its former leaders, the Fraser government made significant contributions to modern Australia. The government’s transition of the country to a multicultural society, which was achieved through the collaboration of Malcolm Fraser and his adviser Petro Georgiou, has had a lasting impact on Australian society. The government’s welcoming of refugees, including the Vietnamese refugees who were abandoned by the Whitlam government, and its human rights-focused foreign policy, which included Australia’s global leadership in ending apartheid in South Africa, are also notable achievements. The Fraser government’s legacy is an important part of Australian history, and it is surprising that it is not more widely recognized or celebrated by the Liberal Party.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Labor Party and the Liberal Party have distinct attitudes towards their own history, with the Labor Party tending to celebrate all its leaders and the Liberal Party only celebrating its most successful leaders. The Labor Party’s sense of its own history and its tendency to mythologize its past leaders gives its history a sense of drama and narrative that is lacking in the Liberal Party’s history. The Liberal Party’s neglect of its former leaders, including Malcolm Fraser, is a significant oversight, given the significant contributions that the Fraser government made to modern Australia. By recognizing and celebrating its own history, the Liberal Party can gain a deeper understanding of its own values and principles, and can build a stronger sense of identity and purpose.