This election is being held at a time when the international situation is most ominous. War and internecine strife are raging in Asia and Europe. Jealousy, suspicion and fear of the intentions of neighbouring nations threaten Europe. Parliamentary Government has been challenged and, in many cases, overthrown; the liberties of the people have been trampled underfoot.
September 28th, 1937
economy employment family health immigration social securityBut what of the future? The burning blasts of war have shrivelled, blackened, and destroyed the world we once knew. Old landmarks have disappeared. The nations of the earth panting from the struggle, impoversihed by the unprecedented destruction of wealth, are confronted with a new set of financial, national, and industrial circumstances. Humanity has indulged in a terrible orgy of destruction; it must pay the price. We must enter on a long period of reconstruction—wherein captial will be scarce, interest high, wages and materials costly.
October 30th, 1919
defence economy industrial relations trade government administration health immigration social securityLabour was in Parliament for the principle of white labour and defence for Australia. In 1903 the Hon. J. C. Watson opposed successfully a proposal to subsidise the home Government for Australian defence. Defence was only effective when the money and the men were found by the country intending to defend itself.
February 10th, 1910
agriculture defence economy federation social securityThe program I put down and talked about tonight does offer a different way of doing many things. It’s built on giving people incentive is built on less government and lower taxation. But above all, it is built upon my unshakeable belief that if you give Australians the right encouragement and the right incentive, they can lick anything.
June 25th, 1987
economy employment family government administration health industrial relationsI want to say to Australia that if we are to grow to our full strength, we must not sit at home huddling about ourselves the garments of mere safety. We must go out to develop Australia’s resources and increase the national wealth so that there may be available for all our people standards of living and of achievement which seemed impossible a generation ago. We need to avoid a purely defensive conservatism of mind.
August 20th, 1946
agriculture communism defence education immigration industrial relations social securityOur 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 waterLiberal policies are designed to enable Australians to live free and independent lives in a secure nation. They are policies to promote the enterprise and initiative which will enable people to secure their own future through the rewards of their own efforts. They are also policies of compassion and concern for those in need.
September 30th, 1980
defence economy industrial relations infrastructure arts communications and technology family foreign affairs health immigration Indigenous affairs social securityWe 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 socialismDeeply conscious of the grave challenge of the future, Labor presents its well considered programme. We bear the same shield as did Scullin, Curtin and Chifley. We walk in their tradition. We are men of one allegiance only. We have never changed our name. We represent the Australian Labor Party, which is Australian because it is Labor, and Labor because it is Australian. Our flag is the Australian flag which we have never sullied and which we have never raised in an unworthy cause.
November 16th, 1961
agriculture communism defence economy education employment family foreign affairs health immigration infrastructure social securityHere then is a record of achievement, of purpose, yet it is a record of a government which has been in office a mere 17 months. It is a record of a government which came into office after 23 unbroken years of power held by our opponents, 23 years of decay and neglect. It is a record of a government which had to overcome unparallelled obstruction in a Senate in which it was in a minority. This was our legacy in 1972—23 years of our opponents’ mistakes and a hostile Senate. We have lived with the past; and we have overcome the past, the record shows it.
April 29th, 1974
economy environment government administration health infrastructure arts defence education employment family federal-state relations foreign affairs immigration Indigenous affairs social security