We believe in the utilisation of the powers of government to achieve and maintain the full employment of our people and maximum standards of health and physical efficiency, to abolish poverty, to clear slums and unhealthy environments, to prevent exploitation by monopolist concentration of property, to stabilise the economy on a basis of social justice and to ensure freedom from want.
May 6th, 1954
agriculture communism defence economy education employment family federal-state relations foreign affairs government administration health industrial relations infrastructure social security socialismThere is no one magic source for that security and opportunity. It is not good enough to mouth assurances that they will somehow magically trickle down from on high, or emerge out of some soulless economic machine. If a tax looks like it is going to hurt, that is because it will. Governments cause pain frequently enough, even when they don’t mean to, and there is no mystical virtue in accepting pain for pain’s sake.
September 23rd, 1998
economy education employmentWe believe in the individual, in his freedom, in his ambition, in his dignity. If he becomes submerged in the mass, and loses his personal significance, we have tyranny. And because of this, we believe in free enterprise; not enterprise free of social obligation, but free enterprise in the sense that it embraces free choice, reward for effort and skill, encouragement to grow and be self-reliant, and strong.
May 5th, 1954
communism economy social security agriculture defence employment foreign affairs industrial relations infrastructure socialismOur policies have given people the confidence and incentive to invest in Australia’s future. Australia is ready to go with six thousand million dollars of development in coal, iron ore, bauxite, alumina, petroleum and nickel, in manufacturing industry, in construction and retailing.
November 21st, 1977
economy agriculture arts defence education foreign affairs health immigration Indigenous affairs infrastructure social security trade waterLet me now speak about the Australia of today. It is a country of the young. Every second Australian is under 29. This means that most of the problems of our country are those of growth… The growing up of so many young Australians, better educated, more independently-minded, national in outlook, and determined to play a more independent role in world affairs.
November 14th, 1972
defence economy education employment foreign affairs health immigration infrastructure social security trade womenWe make these assertions: Firstly, that Australians should not be deprived of opportunities which citizens of every comparable country enjoy. Secondly, there is every reason why Australia, wealthy and well-endowed, in many respects incomparably so, should be giving a lead to other nations in the equality of opportunities and the quality of the opportunities we make for our own citizens and in the help we can give to others. Twenty years ago, Australia was indeed a pioneer and a leader; now we lag behind. It is not for lack of resources; it has been for lack of resourcefulness on the part of a national leadership, bogged down in its own past, shackled by the dogmas of an outdated, doctrinaire philosophy.
October 1st, 1969
agriculture communications and technology defence economy education environment family federal capital federal-state relations foreign affairs health Indigenous affairs industrial relations infrastructure social security trade waterWe are very much aware that the great progress we have made in the last three years—the unprecedented economic growth, the low inflation, the lowest level of strikes since 1940, the huge growth in jobs, the growth in exports and productivity—has not translated automatically into material benefits, or a greater sense of security among many Australians. But that is not an argument for throwing out the policies which have given us strikingly good results.
February 14th, 1996
arts communications and technology economy education employment environment foreign affairs health Indigenous affairs industrial relations social securityThe Government had done nothing to deal with industrial unrest. Immediately Labour was returned to power it would deal with the root of all the trouble by seeing that the people of this country were not exploited by unscrupulous men who made the necessities of life so difficult to obtain.
November 5th, 1919
government administration industrial relations social security economy