Australian political leadership since Menzies

To an extent his term as PM was dogged by the controversial circumstances in which he took office. However he was never afraid to take an unpopular stance and the greatest example of his leadership was the way that he handled the refugee problem. Not for him the cheap appeal to Australian racism and xenophobia later displayed by Howard and the present Liberal leader, Abbott. The result is that we have the benefit of many good Australians of Vietnamese origin making a real contribution to our country.

Fraser’s approach to Indigenous issues and international affairs was, and is, enlightened and principled and he was sensible enough not to seek to dismantle the better achievements of his predecessors. He remains a frequent contributor on human rights and Indigenous issues where he shows great leadership.

He was succeeded by Hawke who displayed qualities of good leadership. Politically he was head and shoulders above his Liberal opponents, Howard and Peacock. He was able to explain policies in language that ordinary people could understand and he could carry his party with him. He was a master of consensus politics and never lost an election.

His failures were that he lacked clear objectives and failed to use his great talents and political power to reform and improve society. He had the benefit of a talented Cabinet and a brilliant treasurer in Keating and had the chance to make more significant changes than he did. For example had he supported a Bill of Rights or adopted a republic he would have carried the Australian people with him.

 An unfortunate legacy of his leadership was the opening of the first detention centre for refugees at Port Hedland in October 1991. He also contributed to the monopolisation of media in Australia.

Keating had most of the characteristics of a good leader including charisma, vision and great verbal skills. However was perceived as lacking empathy and humility. His winning of the unwinnable election following Hawke’s departure was remarkable. His constant attacks on others began to grate and he suffered from the fact that he came to office at the end of a long period of Labor rule. Howard’s understated approach was an obvious contrast, which proved attractive to voters. Had Keating survived politically, he had the vision and capacity to become one of Australia’s greatest leaders. One unfortunate aspect of his leadership was his continuation and expansion of the refugee detention policy.

Howard became the second longest serving Australian PM. Normally this would be a measure of leadership success but his leadership was deeply flawed by the manner in which that was achieved. His performance as Opposition Leader was measured and he presented policies that people could understand. On attaining office, his early victory over the gun lobby was an example of good leadership.

Thereafter, he failed most of the tests of a good leader. He nearly lost the 1998 election and appeared to be in trouble again in 2001. He then seemed to adopt a policy of appealing to the worst instincts of Australian voters. The asylum seeker regime for which he was responsible, with its associated cruelty and xenophobia towards innocent people and their children will go down as one of the darkest chapters in Australian history. Other leadership failures, albeit popular with the public were his responses to 9/11 and terrorism, the war in Iraq and the shameful treatment of David Hicks and Mohammad Haneef.

He failed to take action over the problems of Indigenous people and refused to apologise for past wrongs and then unleashed the NT Intervention when facing possible electoral defeat

The advent of the Rudd Government brought new hope, but subsequent disappointment. Following his elegant apology for past wrongs, he should have had the courage to capitalise on the goodwill and popular support generated by the apology to address the issue of Australia’s relationship with Indigenous people.

Unaccountably he not only did very little but also continued the Howard Intervention. It remains a costly failure.

On immigration he vacillated. On climate change, after describing it as one of the great moral challenges of our time he went to water and lost a huge amount of respect from the voters and eventually the Prime Ministership as a result.