Radical democrats and their opposition

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Radical democrats and their opposition
POLS2103 Australian Democracy

• Starring
• Dan Deniehy
• The Reverend John Dunmore Lang
• W.C Wentworth and some bunyips
• Henry Louisa Lawson
• A distinguished albino
• Sundry republicans
• And a curiously large number of drunks

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And by special arrangement H.R.H. Queen
Victoria
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W.C. Wentworth Colonial conservative and
proponent of an hereditary Upper House
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Daniel Deniehy The first republican
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No bunyip aristocracy!
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X_at__at_ BUNYIPS!
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Watch your language, Queenie
Watch your language, Queenie
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Mandelsons Hotel, Goulburn
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REPUBLIC NOW! Under the universal government of
God, there cannot possibly be two inconsistent
and incompatible rights... the right to obedience
and allegiance on the one part, is clearly
inconsistent and incompatible with the right to
freedom and independence on the other. - Rev
John Dunmore Lang (1852)
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Henry Louisa Lawson If this is Australia, and
not a mere outlying suburb of England if we
really are the nucleus of a nation and not a mere
handful of expatriated people dependent on an
English Colonial Secretary for guidance and
tuition, it behoves us to educate our children to
a knowledge of the country they call their own.
(1887)
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Eureka Stockade, 1854
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Peter Lalor, leader of the Eureka diggers, on
democracy "I would ask these gentlemen what they
mean by the term, 'democracy'. Do they mean
Chartism or Communism or Republicanism? If so, I
never was, I am not now, nor do I ever intend to
be a democrat. But if a democrat means opposition
to a tyrannical press, a tyrannical people, or a
tyrannical government, then I have been, I am
still, and will ever remain a democrat.
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It seems to me that while Australia remains in
the British Empire, and while the British Empire
is controlled from London and while Australia
accepts mentally or politically a subordinate or
subsidiary status within that empire, it will be
quite impossible for Australians to develop a
culture here with distinct national features.
P. R. Stephensen (1936)
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The Bulletin on the Royal Family (1892) The
Royal family exists to play baccarat and lay
foundation stones, and make dreary speeches at
dreary institutes... to yawn vacuously over
addresses from bumpkin corporations and to be fat
and stupid and unutterably dreary.
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We are not amused!
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The Empire Strikes Back (2) EXPELLED In 1901, an
article criticising King Edward VII was published
in the Tocsin magazine (the article had earlier
been produced in an Irish publication). Edward
Findley (the Labor member for Melbourne) although
unaware of the article before its printing, was
the Tocsin's nominal publisher. Peacock, the
Victorian premier, moved Findley's expulsion from
State parliament. The motion was passed.
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The Empire Strikes Back (3) EXPELLED In 1920 when
Hugh Mahon, Labor's Member for Kalgoorlie in the
House of Representatives, addressed a meeting of
Irish patriots in Melbourne, he "spoke of the
death in British custody of the Lord Mayor of
Cork... (and) was reported to have expressed the
hope that 'the sob of the widow on the coffin
would one day shake the foundations of this
accursed Empire'" and made other statements about
Britain's "bloody and accursed Empire". The
National Party's prime minister Billy Hughes
organised Mahon's expulsion from the Commonwealth
Parliament for having made "seditious utterances
inconsistent with a parliamentarian's oath of
office".
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Unless republicanism is thoroughly progressive
and democratic practically as well as nominally,
we might as well remain exactly as we are.
Because we are discontent with King Log we do not
want to place ourselves in the hands of President
Stork... The republic we want is a land of free
men whereon the government rests on the people,
and is by them with them and for them. No other
form of republicanism will suit us not even
though it does a few who follow the will-o-the
wisp of a mere name. The Boomerang (Brisbane)
in 1890
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The establishment of a republic ... means
insurrectionary war, it means the desolation of a
thousand households. When the question shall
arise, it will be determined ... by balls from
cannon and from musket, by grape and shrapnel, by
bayonet and by the sword. - Sir Alfred Stephen
(1887)
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We...who desire a republican form of government
can afford to wait. Time fights on our side and
just as surely as the sun will shine tomorrow,
before all of us who are here tonight are in our
graves there will be a republican form of
government in Australia. - E. W. OSullivan
(1892)
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The Empire Strikes Back (1) The British
monarchy in its purely business aspect is
practically unobjectionable. So long as it is
understood that the British monarch holds his or
her position by the will of the nation and for
the convenience of the nation, there is no reason
for complaint against the monarchical system. -
The Bulletin (1901)
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Imperial Federation There exists in Australia,
among all classes, a feeling of loyalty and
affection for the old country that has been well
described as a passion. To those who look below
the surface, there is something very instructive
of the sentiment that prompts all Australians,
born and bred in the colony, invariably to speak
of England as "home," though very possibly they
may never have been there, and never intend to
go. Harold Finch-Hatton (1880)
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Democratic advance
Legislative Assembly elected by popular vote
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Legislative Council restricted franchise
Legislative Assembly elected by popular vote
Democratic compromise
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Property interests right of veto over popularly
elected government Rationale Safeguard against
rash legislation
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The people cant be trusted
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Legislative Council reform Property votes ended
in Victoria 1950 Western Australia 1964 Tasmania
1968 South Australia 1973
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• New South Wales Legislative Council
• Not directly elected until 1978
• Western Australia Legislative Council
• - Still retains a rural bias

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Robert Lowe Champion of responsible government
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GUILTY! His Worship to the constable Did you
search the prisoner? I did, your
Worship. What did you find on him? I found
a Union ticket, your Worship, which I produce in
Court. (Queensland, 1893)
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The Labor Party in Queensland Stated aim 'The
nationalisation of all sources of wealth and of
all means of producing wealth'. This was not
presented as some ultimate goal, which would
follow from a period of less sweeping reforms. On
the contrary 'The Reorganisation of Society
upon the above lines is to be commenced at once
and pursued uninterruptedly until social justice
is fully secured to each and every citizen.'
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The rise of political labour
The idea of self-government came to the worker
in a new light, and he saw that he must not only
vote, but must make the platform and select his
own political war-cry. W. G. Spence,
Australia Awakens (1901)
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First Labor Government in the world, Brisbane,
1899
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Anderson Dawson First Labor Party Premier,
Queensland, 1899
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Socialist Labour Party 1901

• Workers are wage slaves
• The government is an instrument of capitalist
  class rule
• Democracy is only possible through collective
  ownership
• of the means of production and the land.

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The workers had been defeated by the use of the
Governmental machinery in the hands of the master
class but in a democratic country, where every
man had a vote and the workers outnumbered the
employers, there seemed no reason why they should
not wrest that machinery from the masters' hands
and control it themselves. V. Gordon Childe,
How Labour Governs (1923), on the 1890s strike
defeats and the formation of the ALP
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Labor Party election poster, Queensland, 1920
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Labors socialist objective (1921) Nationalisat
ion of banks, factories, large shops and
businesses BUT Private business not exploiting
workers to remain in private ownership
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• V. Gordon Childe
• How Labour Governs
• A labour party is captive of the capitalist
  system once it rejects radical change
• It will always betray the working class

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Labors dilemma To avoid giving offence to
middle class supporters Labour Governments have
followed a vacillating policy and have tried to
govern in the interests of all classes instead of
standing up boldly in defence of the one class
which put them in power. (Childe)
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Ben Chifley Labor Prime Minister
1946-49 Sought unsuccessfully to nationalise
private banks to ensure government control of
credit and avoid a repeat of the Great
Depression
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Gough Whitlam Labor Prime Minister 1972-75 Brief
flurry of social reform
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Democratic reform 1900s and now

• Better wages
• Improved conditions
• Equitable tax system
• Nationalisation
• Social services

• Social justice
• Civil rights
• Curb on police powers
• Participation
• Accountability

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Senator Bob Brown, Greens leader Modern day
radical democrat
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Anti-globalisation demonstrations Democracy v.
liberalism