Tiberius with a Telephone
Page 80
‘Queensland dairy industry — request by Queensland government for commonwealth financial assistance’, 26 May 1966, NAA: A5841, 221.
‘Cabinet minute, decision no. 306’, 15 June 1966, NAA: A5841, 221.
‘Superphosphate bounty’, 31 May 1966, NAA: A5841, 223; ‘Analysis of submission no. 369 superphosphate bounty’, 31 May 1966, NAA: A5841, 302; ‘Cabinet minute, decision no. 400 (M)’, 21 July 1966, NAA: A5841, 302.
‘Treasury analysis of submission no. 353 — assistance to flying training’, 31 May 1966, NAA: A5841, 303; ‘Cabinet minute, decision 402 (M)’, 21 July 1966, NAA: A5841, 303.
McEwen press release, ‘Government policy toward the Australian motor vehicle industry’, 18 February 1966; Maxwell Newton, Incentive, no. 36, 23 February 1966, p. 1.
Peter Howson, the minister for air who was assisting McMahon in Treasury, describes it as a deliberate attempt by Treasury to be ‘ethical’. See Howson, 1984, p. 208.
Howson, 1984, pp. 211–12.
‘Research and development in Australian secondary industry’, 29 March 1966, NAA: A5842, 105.
‘Notes on submission: no. 105 — research and development in Australian secondary industry; no. 127 —research and development in secondary industry; no. 198 — research and development in secondary industry’, 17 May 1966, NAA: A5842, 105, 127, 198.
‘Cabinet minute, decision no. 268’, 17 May 1966, NAA: A5841, 105, 127, 198. Peter Howson later claimed it as a win for Treasury. See Howson, 1984, p. 222. Cabinet notebooks suggest that the debate between McMahon and McEwen was harmonious. See ‘Notetaker EJ Bunting —notes of meetings 4 April 1966–24 May 1966’, NAA: A11099, 1/79.
Frame, 2005a, p. 159.
Martin Collins, ‘The trials of being a week-day widow’, Aus., 25 March 1966, p. 20.
Noel Pratt, ‘McMahons choose a local flat’, Aus., 5 May 1966, p. 15.
Mitchell, 2007, p. 20.
‘Baby for MP’s wife’, Sun-Herald, 29 May 1966, p. 2. Peter Howson thought McMahon ‘skittish’ about the news. Howson, 1984, p. 224.
McNicoll, 1978, p. 273.
Jonathan Gaul, ‘McMahon, the man behind the federal budget’, CT, 13 August 1966, p. 2.
For the notes on those meetings, see ‘Notetaker EJ Bunting — notes of budget meetings 19 July 1966– 21 July 1966’, NAA: A11099, 1/80.
Howson, 1984, pp. 230–31.
This would appear to be the instance cited in Mitchell, 2007, p. 25.
McMahon draft autobiography, copy in the author’s possession.
John Stubbs, ‘Laughter — and some blushes’, Aus., 17 August 1966, p. 1.
In July, the ministry had decided that a ‘working ceiling’ of $1,000m for the defence proposals should be adopted, in order to ‘preserve flexibility within the Budget’. It noted as well that this still represented a 33 per cent increase in defence expenditure since 1965–66. See cabinet minute, decision no. 366 (M), ‘Submissions nos. 361, 291, 272, 271, 355, 329, 327, 328, 326, 335, 363, 357, 362 — Defence’, 20 July 1966, NAA: A5841, 366.
McMahon and Calwell, CPD HoR, vol. 52, 16 August 1966, pp. 11–24.
Howson, 1984, p. 236.
John Stubbs, ‘Laughter — and some blushes’, Aus., 17 August 1966, p. 1.
‘Editorial: a good job done against difficulties’ and ‘Not enough’, DT, 17 August 1966, p. 2.
Alan Ramsey, ‘It’s a half-speed-ahead budget’, Aus., 17 August 1966, p. 1; ‘Editorial: defence at a price’, Age, 17 August 1966, p. 2.
McMahon to Holt, 5 April 1966, NAA: M2684, 132.
‘Employment of married women in a permanent capacity in the Commonwealth public service. Decision 481’, NAA: A5841, 414.
‘Notetaker EJ Bunting — notes of meetings 1 June 1966–13 October 1966’, NAA: A11099, 1/81.
ibid. The tensions surrounding this are also detailed in Howson, 1984, pp. 237–39.
McEwen was often criticised for putting recommendations into the terms of reference.
‘Notetaker EJ Bunting — notes of meetings 1 June 1966–13 October 1966’, NAA: A11099, 1/81.
Maxwell Newton, ‘A very dangerous precedent indeed in the Chemical Tariff Report’, Incentive, no. 72, 2 November 1966. It was notable that Newton had run an article outlining the basic contents of the report in June, some four months before cabinet considered the report. See Maxwell Newton, ‘Bounties recommended by Tariff Board on chemicals’, Incentive, no. 51, 8 June 1966, p. 5.
Transcript of McMahon press conference, 4 January 1982, copy in the author’s possession.
Holt, in Warhaft (ed.), 2004, pp. 123–24.
Author’s interview with Peter Kelly, 1 October 2016.
McMahon, ‘Liberals: we alone can ensure security at home’, DM, 18 November 1966, p. 6.
McMahon, speech to the annual convention of the Liberal Party, 9 September 1966, NAA: M4250, 48.
‘McMahon sees Calwell as Santa Claus’, Aus., 12 November 1966, p. 3.
Liberal Party research notes would subsequently indicate that the Liberal Reform Group contained no Liberal Party members of any status. See ‘The Australia Party’, 1972, Sir Robert Southey papers, NLA MS9901/1/3.
Maxwell Newton, ‘Suddenly political leaders are in doubt about public attitude on conscription’, Incentive, no. 73, 9 November 1966, p. 1.
‘Country Party Leader attacks Basic Industries Group’, CT, 16 November 1966, p. 15.
See ‘Commonwealth of Australia legislative election of 26 November 1966’, Psephos,
Sue Jordan, ‘Come look at her, says a new father’, Aus., 30 November 1966, p. 1.
‘Personages’, Pauline, no. 64, 1966, p. 48.
Val Kentish, in Sir William McMahon: this is your life, 12 March 1978, ep. 4/008, NFSA.
Hocking, 2008.
See McMahon and Whitlam, CPD HoR, vol. 16, 12 September 1957, p. 560; 18 September 1957, p. 778; 19 September 1957, pp. 790, 792–94, and 868–71. Whitlam made sure to spell out the word for Hansard reporters.
Hocking, 2008, p. 172; Whitlam, CPD HoR, 1 October 1957, vol. 16, p. 883.
Freudenberg, 1987, p. 106.
Chapter 21: Protection (II)
Howson, 1984, p. 272.
McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 93, 20 February 1975, pp. 560–63.
McMahon to Holt, 15 May 1967, NAA: M2684, 132.
McMahon, 27 March 1967, NAA: M4250, 67.
Holt’s brother Cliff died 24 March 1967, following a fifteen-month battle with cancer. Holt described it as a ‘terrible blow’. See Frame, 2005a, p. 205; Howson, 1984, pp. 279–80.
Charles ‘Bert’ Kelly interviewed by Bruce Edwards, NLA Oral History, TRC 4900/30, 4:12.
Beaton, McEwen, and the Speaker, CPD HoR, vol. 54, 11 April 1967, p. 1076; also see IC, vol. 20, no. 14, 13 April 1967, p. 1.
McEwen, 1983, p. 75.
ibid.
Hasluck, 1995, p. 149.
Paul Hasluck interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1966, p. 22.
Author’s correspondence with David Solomon, 24 September 2017.
Don Chipp interviewed by Bernadette Schedvin, NLA Oral History, TRC 4900/73, 7:9.
Author’s interview with Alan Ramsey, 31 January 2018.
Doug Anthony, in ‘It’s alright, Boss’, The Liberals, TV programme, 1994.
Sir John Bunting interviewed by Ian Hamilton, 26 June 1983, NLA Oral History, TRC 1428.
Author’s interview with Richard Farmer, 15 July 2016.
Peter Howson interviewed by Jonathan Gaul, NLA Oral H
istory, TRC 229, 9/9.
Author’s interview with Richard Farmer, 15 July 2016.
Author’s interview with Peter Kelly, 1 October 2016.
Golding, 1996, p. 259.
McEwen, CPD HoR, vol. 54, 4 April 1967, pp. 834–35.
McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 93, 20 February 1975, pp. 560–63.
McMahon to Holt, 15 May 1967, NAA: M2684, 132.
‘First details of overseas capital plan’, CT, 15 May 1967, p. 1.
‘Notetaker EJ Bunting — notes of meetings 4 May 1967–28 July 1967’, NAA: A11099, 1/85.
Maxwell Newton, ‘Mr Sinclair is out campaigning for “The McEwen Bank”’, Incentive, no. 98, 17 May 1967.
Randall to McMahon and Holt, 1 June 1967, ‘Trade and Industry Proposals: Australian industry development corporation’, NAA: M2684, 132.
Tom Frame, 2005b. McMahon had launched Voyager while minister for the navy and air.
Chipp and Larkin, 1978, pp. 74–75.
St John, CPD HoR, vol. 55, 16 May 1967, pp. 2167–72.
Holt, ibid., p. 2169.
Not since Whitlam, in fact, had been interrupted by McEwen in 1953. See Whitlam and McEwen, CPD, vol. 221, 19 March 1953, pp. 1423–28.
Freudenberg, 1987, p. 108.
See Holt, CPD HoR, vol. 55, 18 May 1967, p. 2309.
Howson, 1984, p. 299.
Maxwell Newton, ‘Mr McEwen does badly in Geneva’, Incentive, no. 99, 24 May 1967.
Howson, 1984, p. 301.
Reid, 1969, p. 64.
Jonathan Gaul, ‘CP leader upraids BIG again’, CT, 22 June 1967, p. 1; ‘BIG will fight Country Party nationally’, CT, 30 June 1967, p. 1.
McMahon to Holt, 20 June 1967, NAA: M2684, 132.
Howson, 1984, pp. 302–03.
This was confirmed in the days that followed. See Ian Fitchett, ‘Holt still to discuss BIG issue’, SMH, 26 June 1967, p. 1; Jonathan Gaul, ‘PM defends McEwen, denies BIG links’, CT, 28 June 1967, p. 1.
Ian Fitchett, ‘Holt still to discuss BIG issue’, SMH, 26 June 1967, p. 1.
‘Note of a meeting at the Ministry of Defence’, 14 June 1967, UK National Archives, Kew, PREM 13/1323, p. 8.
Casey to Michael Adeane, 21 January 1969, in Hudson, 1986, p. 306.
In his 1972 Queale Memorial Lecture, Paul Hasluck wrote that while a governor-general ‘may ask a Minister to call to discuss matters of current interest’, he or she should exercise discretion in doing so: ‘He would stray beyond his functions if he took sides in any argument between his advisers or preferred one Minister to another, or tried to intervene in the domestic arguments of any political party.’ Hasluck was careful to disavow any comment on his predecessors or successors, but it is difficult to read this without thinking of Casey’s offer to intervene in the McMahon–McEwen dispute. The governor-general ‘could cause mischief and have little hope of doing good if he tried to be a ruler or if he tried to manipulate politicians’. This was most certainly the result of Casey’s intervention. See Hasluck, 1979.
Author’s interview with Alan Ramsey, 31 January 2018.
Maximilian Walsh, ‘The myths and the facts of Billy McMahon’, National Times, 20 September 1971, pp. 3–4.
Author’s interview with Peter Kelly, 1 October 2016.
Robert Haupt, ‘What we didn’t know of McMahon’, SMH, 4 April 1988, p. 2.
Author’s interview with Peter Kelly, 1 October 2016. Hansard officer John Campbell recalled that McMahon used to make many changes. See ‘John Campbell interviewed by Edward Helgeby’, 27 March 2008, MoAD Oral History.
McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 56, 15 August 1967, pp. 6–21. Howson notes that changes to the family allowances were originally knocked back by cabinet but that they were reinstated a week before the budget. News that this had occurred found its way into the press with favourable mention of McMahon. See Maxwell Newton, ‘Mr McMahon’s last minute budget intervention’, Incentive, no. 114, 6 September 1967, p. 4; Howson, 1984, p. 316.
See ‘“No worry” budget to aid family man’, Age, 16 August 1967, p. 1; ‘No-shock budget aids family man’, DT, 16 August 1967, p. 1; ‘No answer to the old questions’, Aus., 18 August 1967, p. 2.
Maxwell Newton, ‘Government restraint’, Age, 16 August 1967, p. 2.
Howson, 1984, pp. 325–340.
ibid., p. 313. On 23 August, McMahon wrote a letter to Holt detailing a conversation with Bob Askin, the premier of New South Wales. Askin had told McMahon that there was a ‘swing’ against the Liberal Party in the state, with ‘hostility everywhere’. To McMahon’s question for an explanation, Askin named Vietnam as one of the premier reasons. See McMahon to Holt, 23 August 1967, NAA: M2684, 132.
Graham Freudenberg suggested that McMahon had done this while under the influence of bad champagne. McMahon denied it. See Freudenberg, 1987, p. 111; McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 107, 25 October 1977, pp. 2314–16.
Freudenberg, 1987, p. 111.
Mitchell, 2007, p. 25; ‘The Treasury’, extract of draft of McMahon’s autobiography, in possession of author. There has long been ambiguity about the circumstances of McNamara’s appointment. McNamara himself was later to remark, in the 2003 documentary Fog of War, that he was not sure whether he had ‘quit or was fired’ from the Defence department.
McMahon to Holt, 2 October 1967, in Edwards, 1997, pp. 154–55.
ibid.
Undated memo, no author listed, NAA: M4298, 2.
Crean, CPD HoR, vol. 56, 26 September 1967, p. 1273.
Tony Eggleton to Holt, 14 October 1967, NAA: M4298, 2.
Anonymously authored memo, ‘A’, 6 October 1967, NAA: M4298, 2.
‘Record of discussion with P. Goldsworthy, proprietor of Union Offset Company, Pirie Street, Fishwyick [sic] on Thursday, 29 February 1968’, NLA, Papers of W.L. Carew, MS 7524.
Author’s correspondence with Tony Eggleton, 26 November 2016.
Packer, 1984, pp. 118–19.
Author’s correspondence with John Stone, 8 January 2017.
Newton, 1993, p. 165.
Clarke, 2006, pp. 2–9.
Reid, 1969, p. 75.
Author’s interview with Robert Macklin, 11 July 2016.
Author’s interview with Jonathan Gaul, 24 February 2018.
Reid, 1969, p. 69.
‘Replacement of VIP aircraft. Decision 1407’, NAA: A5827, 1152.
Howson, 1984, p. 211.
David Fairbairn interviewed by Mel Pratt, 1976, NLA Oral History, TRC 121/74. Gordon Freeth recalls McMahon similarly ignoring the availability of commercial flights: see Gordon Freeth interviewed by John Ferrell, NLA Oral History, TRC 4900/87.
Daly and Holt, CPD HoR, vol. 51, 13 May 1966, p. 1913.
Turnbull, CPD Senate, vol. 33, 2 March 1967, pp. 259–66; 8 March 1967, p. 320; vol. 34, 16 May 1967, pp. 1594–600; 17 May 1967, pp. 1624–5; vol. 35, 31 August 1967, p. 407; 7 September 1967, p. 593; Hancock, 2004, p. 24.
CPD Senate, vol. 35, 26 September 1967, pp. 875–80, 897.
ibid., pp. 880–97.
Murphy, ibid., 27 September 1967, pp. 965–66.
CPD Senate, vol. 36, 5 October 1967, pp. 1191–266.
‘Cabinet minute — VIP [Very Important Person] aircraft — WITHOUT MEMORANDUM’, decision 630, 12 October 1967, NAA: A5840, 630.
Whitington, 1972, p. 135.
Holt, CPD HoR, vol. 57, 24 October 1967, pp. 2149–52.
Cameron, ibid., pp. 2156–58.
Gorton, CPD Senate, vol. 36, 25 October 1967, pp. 1633–34.
ibid., pp. 1665–66.
Howson, 1984, p. 347.
Ian Fitchett, ‘Gorton: a man to watch’, SMH, 31 October 1967, p. 2.
McMahon to Holt, 9 November 1967, NAA: M4298, 2.
Hasluck, 1995, pp. 147–51.
John Gorton interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1702, vol. 1, pp. 63–64.
John Gorton interviewed by Clarrie Hermes, NLA Oral History, TRC 4900/47, 6:7.
Hasluck, 1995, p. 152.
ibid.; John Gorton interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1702, vol. 1, pp. 63–64.
Author’s correspondence with Tony Eggleton, 26 November 2016.
Author’s interview with Peter Kelly, 1 October 2016.
ibid.
See Reid, 1969, pp. 69–74.
‘McEwen’s shock departure’, IC, vol. 20, no. 42, 26 October 1967.
McMahon, ‘Devaluation of sterling’, Press Release, 19 November 1967.
Aitchison, 1978, p. 81.
Howson, 1984, p. 352.
Howson writes that Treasury’s draft submission had suggested devaluing the currency by 7.5 per cent, but that it had been removed at McMahon’s urging: ibid., p. 359.
‘Notetaker EJ Bunting — notes of meetings 22 August 1967–20 November 1967’, NAA: A11099, 1/87.
‘Devaluation of pound sterling’, Press release, 20 November 1967, PM no. 122/1967.
Author’s correspondence with John Stone, 8 January 2017.
Alan Reid interviewed by Daniel Connell, NLA Oral History, TRC 2172, pp. 75–76.
Hancock, 2002, pp. 134–35.
Gorton, in ‘It’s alright, Boss’, The Liberals, TV programme, 1994.
Author’s correspondence with David Solomon, 24 September 2017.
Sir William Aston interviewed by Ron Hurst, 12 June to 7 November 1986, NLA Oral History, TRC 4900/95.
Gordon Freeth interviewed by John Ferrell, NLA Oral History, TRC 4900/89.
Sir James Plimsoll interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1967, p. 184.
According to Paul LePetit, this was the second meeting between the pair; an initial meeting, three weeks before, went over the same matters without resolution. See Paul LePetit, ‘The day Holt tried to sack the governor–general’, Sunday Telegraph, 3 April 1988, p. 9.
McMahon to Holt, 11 December 1967, NAA: M1945, 1.
Casey to Holt, 9 December 1967, in Hudson, 1986, pp. 307–08.