Latest news with #RobertMenzies
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Incredibly painful time': August 15 marks 80 years since WWII victory over Japan
On tonight's episode of Paul Murray Live, Sky News host Paul Murray discusses the anniversary of World War Two, Australian politics, US politics and more. 'Incredibly just 12 years after that war an Australian prime minister went to Japan, Robert Menzies … he decided to go to Japan and to start to build what became normalised relations,' Mr Murray said. 'Think about that, within 12 years of a war.'
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
What happened to the Liberal party of Menzies? They became obsessed with virtue-signalling
The image of Robert Menzies is brandished like a scimitar in and around the modern – and ailing – Liberal party. When Liberal leaders, activists or factions jostle, one or another can be relied on to appeal to Menzies' authority. Strangely for a man who, in life, seemed not to change much while the world changed around him, Menzies has now become a screen on which any number of beliefs and aspirations might be projected. Indeed, the Liberal party's external critics can also join in the fun, berating Menzies' heirs and successors for their betrayal of his legacy: home ownership and support for universities have figured prominently. What happened to the Liberal party of Menzies, they ask. I've done it occasionally myself. Is it fair? Well, yes and no. The Liberal party today is a very different beast to the one Menzies left behind on his retirement in January 1966. In government, he pursued a cautious and conservative pragmatism that did not turn every policy issue or administrative decision into another opportunity for a performance piece displaying one's ideological virtue. In the process, he gained the support of many working-class voters; yet, unlike the apparent inclination of too many Liberal politicians today, he did not need to imagine them as a collection of appetites and prejudices in order to do so. To be fair to today's Liberals, Menzies ruled in vastly different times – and, put bluntly, they were easier times. His postwar prime ministership of 16 years coincided with, and was nourished by, an extended period of economic growth and personal affluence. Leaders of that time knew that fortune had smiled on them. And they enjoyed their luck, assuring themselves that even if they had not themselves made the good times, they would sure as hell have been blamed in bad times. It is instructive to read the letters Menzies received from ordinary folk on his retirement, as I did recently, because they tell us much about what people valued in the man and his party. A Sydney woman, writing on behalf of her family, said: 'All my voting life, you have been Prime Minister, and I have never known any real hardship. Our children are growing up in a secure feeling of a well-respected country in the world where so many countries are in turmoil. For this I thank your wise management over the years.' 'Security' was the word to which the letter-writers kept returning: 'the security we have enjoyed as a family and members of community & nation', as another woman put it. And when they were not talking about 'security', they turned to what they saw as its close sibling, prosperity: 'the sane and sensible government which has been so greatly needed for the growth and prosperity of this country': Menzies' years of service had 'lifted the Australian image to a remarkably high position in the outside world'. People who could never have imagined that they would ever own a home or a car now found themselves with one of each. There might even be a second car in the driveway for mum to drive to the new shopping centre at Roselands or Chadstone. It all seemed rather miraculous, and it made them happy and proud. Menzies embodied their patriotism, which was often still British as well as Australian, with 'dignity' – another term that kept appearing in their letters. The new Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, has said a Liberal party is needed that 'respects modern Australia, that reflects modern Australia, and that represents modern Australia. And we have to meet the people where they are.' She might have added (and the Liberals are in the habit of doing so): 'just as Menzies did'. Menzies understood only too well that people craved security and prosperity, alongside liberty and individuality. He was never so foolish as to imagine that people wanted from their prime minister and government repeated virtue signalling about 'free enterprise' more than they wanted a home in the suburbs, a nice, shiny car, and a better chance for their children than they had enjoyed. Some who voted for Menzies would have supported Labor governments at the state level that gave them benefits such as annual leave – reaching three weeks per year in New South Wales by 1958. Some Liberals are frank in expressing their dislike of much they find in modern Australia. Its branches and organisation are less representative of middle Australia than they were in Menzies' time. Some who claim to speak for the party seem like the weird neighbour most of us do our best to avoid at the end-of-year street party. The one who last year was button-holing anyone he could find about the 'globalist conspiracy'. This year, he was recently heard mumbling something about 'trans' in an alarming way while watering his dahlias. 'Although I have, because of my upbringing, never voted for the party you have controlled for so long, I want you to know that I am one of your greatest admirers', a Melbourne man wrote in 1966. Menzies understood that he and his party needed to connect with such people. As a mature politician, he had learned not to sneer at or insult them. If Liberals, in their own interests, were to ban the use of the word 'woke' from all party gatherings, they would be on the way to absorbing the wisdom their leading founder has still to offer them. Frank Bongiorno is a professor of history at the Australian National University
Sydney Morning Herald
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
A tale of two Robbies – and a city with a key dilemma
What does our longest-serving prime minister, Sir Robert Menzies, have in common with legendary UK pop star Robbie Williams? Both have been honoured by the City of Melbourne, that's what. In January, Lord Mayor Nick Reece bounded on stage at Fed Square and handed over a key to the city to the former Take That heartthrob in front of 10,000 adoring fans. But the surprise award led to a council row and a review of procedures for awarding such honours, which decided that unilateral prize-giving was out. Melbourne being Melbourne, the whole thing is strictly hierarchical. The 'Honorary Freeperson' has only been bestowed on three people – ever: Menzies, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and Nelson Mandela. It is the 'highest form of recognition' a way of 'bestowing a city's acclamation on a distinguished person'. Next tier down is the 'Roll of Honour' signed by visiting 'Heads of State and other notable leaders', often as part of 'special welcoming ceremonies' with a 'certificate of the occasion'. Loading The 'Key to the City' award is for an individual, group or organisation that furthers the 'ideals of the city', or it can 'recognise outstanding achievement' in sport, entertainment or humanitarian work at a national or international level. It has 'traditionally been used as a marketing and promotion tool to provide an opportunity for mass public recognition'. Sounds like our Robbie. Many thanks for that AFL grand final show a few years back.
The Age
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
A tale of two Robbies – and a city with a key dilemma
What does our longest-serving prime minister, Sir Robert Menzies, have in common with legendary UK pop star Robbie Williams? Both have been honoured by the City of Melbourne, that's what. In January, Lord Mayor Nick Reece bounded on stage at Fed Square and handed over a key to the city to the former Take That heartthrob in front of 10,000 adoring fans. But the surprise award led to a council row and a review of procedures for awarding such honours, which decided that unilateral prize-giving was out. Melbourne being Melbourne, the whole thing is strictly hierarchical. The 'Honorary Freeperson' has only been bestowed on three people – ever: Menzies, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and Nelson Mandela. It is the 'highest form of recognition' a way of 'bestowing a city's acclamation on a distinguished person'. Next tier down is the 'Roll of Honour' signed by visiting 'Heads of State and other notable leaders', often as part of 'special welcoming ceremonies' with a 'certificate of the occasion'. Loading The 'Key to the City' award is for an individual, group or organisation that furthers the 'ideals of the city', or it can 'recognise outstanding achievement' in sport, entertainment or humanitarian work at a national or international level. It has 'traditionally been used as a marketing and promotion tool to provide an opportunity for mass public recognition'. Sounds like our Robbie. Many thanks for that AFL grand final show a few years back.
The Herald Scotland
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Don't put Glasgow's heritage under threat by building high
The proposed policy of tower clusters in areas outside the immediate centre is flawed unless you have back-up transport infrastructure. Anybody who has been to New York will know that at rush hour all the skyscrapers discharge people onto the street so that within minutes you can hardly move. The difference is they have the bus and underground systems that can rapidly disperse this mass of people. On the Broomielaw I've seen people being discharged en masse from the high buildings along Atlantic Quay. They then try to cross to the Clyde Walkway whilst busy on their mobile phones. I've lost count of the near misses I've seen with buses. Read more: In economic terms, off-centre tall building clusters may attract new businesses to a deprived area but they also remove the clientele from the pubs and restaurants in the city centre. In extreme cases the latter will relocate. This may be good for regeneration but it's bad for critical mass. To make things worse, the student blocks I've seen are badly designed, with minimal space standards, if any. That makes them difficult to adapt to alternate uses. This is relevant because there are an estimated 16,000 student places in the planning pipeline yet the current predicted need is only for 6,000 places. With further restrictions on student immigration proposed, plus a decline in course options due to funding issues, then we are not only destroying the existing urban grain but we are also in danger of simply creating tomorrow's empty buildings. In urban design terms, setting the towers back from the street facade to minimise their visual dominance fails to take into account the need for firefighting and escape via the tower core. This will require a protected tunnel to the street, thereby fragmenting any retail space at ground level. Retailers like Primark prefer large open plan areas to provide maximum flexibility, so that's another negative. Building high is therefore not the answer. Renovate what's already there first. You can do that by getting the government to remove VAT on refurbishment in tandem with tax breaks. Then use these to provide the incentive for conserving Glasgow's unique heritage rather than put it under greater threat. Robert Menzies, Falkirk. Urgent case for defence reform Introducing the Defence Review, the Prime Minister repeated words he heard in HMS Vanguard: 'nothing works unless we all work together. Money is short. The Defence Secretary spoke of 'defence reform' and he should question the need for three services. Most of the RAF's 30,000 personnel are in the UK, as are most of its 500 aircraft (including 46 support aircraft, 37 helicopters, 160 trainers, 90 gliders). The RAF has 75% of all MoD aircraft and 50% of front-line aircraft, the other half Army or Navy. Only 20% of RAF personnel have flying duties, most of its 'aviators' are ground crew or support staff, yet 20% are officers – including 40 air marshals and 100 air commodores. Most RAF operations support land forces, some support Maritime Britain. With sixty uniformed personnel for every aircraft, trainer and glider, the £10bn+ a year RAF, with its ten display teams, seems over-manned and under-employed. In times of plenty all this may be justifiable – it's not today. Defence costs too much to maintain three services. Unsentimental re-organisation of HM Forces would help make them 'battle-ready', providing huge savings and advancing the government's 'Defence Dividend'. The two services would emerge leaner and more cost-effective and, importantly, be operationally more efficient with no loss of air capability. 'NATO first' would be better achieved by the UK being tasked as the principal maritime power in the eastern Atlantic, the land powers of the Continent providing the principal armies. The Defence Review should prompt radical change here and in NATO. Lester May (Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy – retired), Camden Town, London. Great Scott? No, not really Far from wondering why people wouldn't thank you for a set of Scott's novels, most of which are currently gathering dust on library shelves, I am mystified by the fact that they were ever popular ('Scotland's greatest novelist is the Great Unread', The Herald Magazine, May 31.) Having read more of them than some of those who affect to esteem them are likely to have done, I can report that neglect is richly deserved. Rosemary Goring attributes the neglect to unfashionably great length, but this hasn't prevented Dickens from remaining popular with those who read books. Ms Goring concludes the article by saying that Rob Roy had her hooked from the opening page. If you, sir, were to print the opening paragraphs of Rob Roy, I feel sure that most readers would join me in marvelling that anyone could find this to be page-turning stuff. Scott compares to Dickens as Spenser does to Milton, Constable to Turner or Handel to Bach. Technically proficient though he was, his work belongs to its time, and no amount of harrumphing by aesthetic obscurantists will alter the fact he is now just a name in the history of literature. Robin Dow, Rothesay. Guiding Scotland to a really tough game Horray for Scotland's magnificent victory over Liechtenstein (population somewhat less than Greenock). Let's hope that they can keep up the momentum. Perhaps they could squeeze in another demanding friendly before the World Cup. Mosspark Girl Guides might provide suitable opposition. David Hay, Minard. * Whatever has happened to the Scotland team over the last 12 months? I know they had a few players missing through injury, that it has been a very long season, that the Iceland game last Friday was just a friendly, and that the substitute keeper has hardy played in months. Even so, it was a troublingly dire performance all round. Nothing can excuse it. R Mackenzie, Edinburgh.
