Chifley Government
Encyclopedia
The Chifley Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister
Ben Chifley
. It was made up of members of the Australian Labor Party
in the Australian Parliament from 1945 to 1949.
died towards the end of the Second World War in July 1945, Frank Forde
served as Prime Minister from 6–13 July, before the party elected Ben Chifley
as Curtin's successor.
after the death of John Curtin
, Chifley, a former railway engine driver, became Australia’s 16th Prime Minister on 13 July 1945. The Second World War ended with the defeat of Japan in the Pacific just four weeks later. Chifley served as Prime Minister and Treasurer. To combat inflationary pressures, Chifley proposed to a continuation of wartime price and import controls, and rationing of scarce commodities.
Chifley went on to win the 1946 election. Labor won 43 House of Representatives
seats, with 15 won by the newly formed Liberal Party of Australia
led by Robert Menzies
, and 11 by their coalition partner, the Country Party
(a further 4 seats went to splinter parties). In the Senate, Labor won 16 seats and the Liberal–Country Party coalition won 3 seats.
Labor had sought to secure power over the supply of money and credit – amidst opposition from the private banks. A ruling found Labor’s 1945 banking legislation to be invalid and in mid-1947 Chifley tried to require local authorities and State governments to bank with the Commonwealth Bank. The Melbourne City Council appealed the legislation in the High Court of Australia
, which ruled against the government. In repsonse Chifley proposed the nationalisation of the banks. The move alarmed conservatives and Menzies said it foretold of a ‘coming dictatorship in Australia’. Chifley told parliament the legislation would guard against both depression and inflation. Country Party leader Earle Page
described the plan as a ‘communist ramp’. The High Court declared the law unconstitutional and an appeal to the Privy Council
upheld the ruling. Chifley nevertheless refused to repeal the law, and it remained a controversial issue at the 1949 election.
In the pursuit of centralist economic policy, the Chifley Government also made the Commonwealth the collector of income tax. Major national projects were also institured, including the Snowy Mountains Scheme
and an assisted immigration program. Despite demobilisation of Australian forces following war's end, Australia faced a Labor shortage and Minister for Immigration Arthur Calwell
launched the post war migration program – intended to bring out mainly British migrants to augment the Australian population.
In foreign policy, attorney-general and minister for external affairs H V Evatt was active in the formation of the United Nations
. Australia played a significant mediatory role in the early years of the United Nations, successfully lobbying for an increased role for smaller and middle-ranking nations and a stronger commitment to employment rights into the U.N. Charter. Evatt was elected president of the third session of the United Nations General Assembly (September 1948 to May 1949). Internationally, the rise of Communism was a developing concern for many in Australia. Chifley sought to oppose the re-establishment of Dutch control of Indonesia and refused help to British efforts to quell the developing insurgency in Malaya. The Catholic Movement meanwhile campaigned heavily to drive Communists out of trade unions, prefiguring a coming split in the labor movement over the issue.
At the conference of the New South Wales Labor Party in June 1949, Chifely sought to define the labour movement as having:
With an increasingly uncertain economic outlook, after his attempt to nationalise the banks and a strike by the Communist-dominated Miners Federation, Chifley lost office at the 1949 federal election to Robert Menzies
' Liberal-National Coalition. The Liberal Party won 55 seats and the Country Party 19 in the House of Representatives to Labor’s 47 seatsand Labor commenced a 23 year period in opposition.
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
. It was made up of members of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
in the Australian Parliament from 1945 to 1949.
Background
When Labor Prime Minister John CurtinJohn Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
died towards the end of the Second World War in July 1945, Frank Forde
Frank Forde
Francis Michael Forde PC was an Australian politician and the 15th Prime Minister of Australia. He was the shortest serving Prime Minister in Australia's history, being in office for only eight days.-Early life:...
served as Prime Minister from 6–13 July, before the party elected Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
as Curtin's successor.
In office
Following his 1946 election as leader of the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
after the death of John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
, Chifley, a former railway engine driver, became Australia’s 16th Prime Minister on 13 July 1945. The Second World War ended with the defeat of Japan in the Pacific just four weeks later. Chifley served as Prime Minister and Treasurer. To combat inflationary pressures, Chifley proposed to a continuation of wartime price and import controls, and rationing of scarce commodities.
Chifley went on to win the 1946 election. Labor won 43 House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seats, with 15 won by the newly formed Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
led by Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
, and 11 by their coalition partner, the Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
(a further 4 seats went to splinter parties). In the Senate, Labor won 16 seats and the Liberal–Country Party coalition won 3 seats.
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
, which ruled against the government. In repsonse Chifley proposed the nationalisation of the banks. The move alarmed conservatives and Menzies said it foretold of a ‘coming dictatorship in Australia’. Chifley told parliament the legislation would guard against both depression and inflation. Country Party leader Earle Page
Earle Page
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, GCMG, CH was the 11th Prime Minister of Australia, and is to date the second-longest serving federal parliamentarian in Australian history, with 41 years, 361 days in Parliament.-Early life:...
described the plan as a ‘communist ramp’. The High Court declared the law unconstitutional and an appeal to the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
upheld the ruling. Chifley nevertheless refused to repeal the law, and it remained a controversial issue at the 1949 election.
In the pursuit of centralist economic policy, the Chifley Government also made the Commonwealth the collector of income tax. Major national projects were also institured, including the Snowy Mountains Scheme
Snowy Mountains Scheme
The Snowy Mountains scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. It consists of sixteen major dams; seven power stations; a pumping station; and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts and was constructed between 1949 and 1974. The Chief engineer was Sir...
and an assisted immigration program. Despite demobilisation of Australian forces following war's end, Australia faced a Labor shortage and Minister for Immigration Arthur Calwell
Arthur Calwell
Arthur Augustus Calwell Australian politician, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years from 1940 to 1972, Immigration Minister in the government of Ben Chifley from 1945 to 1949 and Leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1960 to 1967.-Early life:Calwell was born in...
launched the post war migration program – intended to bring out mainly British migrants to augment the Australian population.
In foreign policy, attorney-general and minister for external affairs H V Evatt was active in the formation of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Australia played a significant mediatory role in the early years of the United Nations, successfully lobbying for an increased role for smaller and middle-ranking nations and a stronger commitment to employment rights into the U.N. Charter. Evatt was elected president of the third session of the United Nations General Assembly (September 1948 to May 1949). Internationally, the rise of Communism was a developing concern for many in Australia. Chifley sought to oppose the re-establishment of Dutch control of Indonesia and refused help to British efforts to quell the developing insurgency in Malaya. The Catholic Movement meanwhile campaigned heavily to drive Communists out of trade unions, prefiguring a coming split in the labor movement over the issue.
At the conference of the New South Wales Labor Party in June 1949, Chifely sought to define the labour movement as having:
With an increasingly uncertain economic outlook, after his attempt to nationalise the banks and a strike by the Communist-dominated Miners Federation, Chifley lost office at the 1949 federal election to Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
' Liberal-National Coalition. The Liberal Party won 55 seats and the Country Party 19 in the House of Representatives to Labor’s 47 seatsand Labor commenced a 23 year period in opposition.
See also
- History of AustraliaHistory of AustraliaThe History of Australia refers to the history of the area and people of Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by boat from the Indonesian archipelago between 40,000 to...
- History of Australia since 1945History of Australia since 1945The history of Australia since 1945 has seen long periods of economic prosperity and the introduction of an expanded and multi-ethnic immigration program, which has coincided with moves away from Britain in political, social and cultural terms and towards engagement with the United States and...
- First Chifley MinistryFirst Chifley MinistryThe First Chifley Ministry was the thirty-third Australian Commonwealth ministry, and held office from 13 July 1945 to 1 November 1946.Australian Labor Party*Rt Hon Ben Chifley, MP: Prime Minister, Treasurer...
- Second Chifley MinistrySecond Chifley MinistryThe Second Chifley Ministry was the thirty-fourth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and held office from 1 November 1946 to 19 December 1949.Australian Labor Party*Rt Hon Ben Chifley, MP: Prime Minister and Treasurer*Hon Dr H.V...