What were some of the policies of the Menzies government?

Answer 1

Sir Robert Menzies brought in many policies which were reflected in the Acts which he brought before Parliament. In his first term this included:

• The Supply and Development Act 1939 which dealt with the purchase and manufacture of arms and munitions during WWII
• The National Security Acts of 1939 and 1940, which gave the government power to make regulations for the 'general safety and defence of the Commonwealth'
• The Aliens Registration Act 1939 which aimed to regulate the movement of foreign nationals in Australia
• The Trading with the Enemy Act 1939 which prohibited trade with countries with which Australia was at war

After Menzies was returned to office post-war, policies included:

• The Communist Party Dissolution Act 1950 which made the Communist Party and all associated groups illegal. The law was challenged and declared invalid by the High Court the following year
• The Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1951 which reformed trade union elections
• The Security Treaty (Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America) Act 1952 which opened the way for the ANZUS pact
• The Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952 which permitted nuclear testing in Western Australia and at the Maralinga site in South Australia.

• The Broadcasting and Television Act 1956 which paved the way for the introduction of television, as well as government control of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission)

• Several banking acts, among which was the Reserve Bank Act 1957 which separated central banking from other functions

• The Matrimonial Causes Act 1959 which regulated laws controlling divorce, making them uniform across Australia

• The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1962 which recognised the citizenship of Aborigines, giving Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia the right to vote in Commonwealth elections (ironic, given that they were in Australia first ...)

• The Currency Act 1963 which ultimately led to the introduction of decimal currency

• The National Service Act 1965 which introduced a national military service scheme, in response to Australia's increasing involvement in the Vietnam War

For more information about Robert Menzies's polices, see the related weblink below.