The Threat Of Communism Inside Australia Flashcards
Communism Dissolution Bill, Referendum and Petrov Affair
Who Introduced the Communist Party Dissolution Bill?
Liberal Party Government led by Robert Menzies
When was the Communist Party Dissolution Bill introduced?
1950
What did the legislation propose to do?
Outlaw the Communist Party, permit the government to take possession of all property belonging to the Communist Party
and prohibit anyone declared as a communist from holding a job in the trade union movement or in a government organisation.
Why did people not like the legislation?
It threatened the individual rights and freedoms of the people
Who challenged the bill and why?
Ten trade unions and the Australian Communist Party challenged the Bill in the Australian High Court. They argued that only during wartime should a democratic government have the power to control the rights of citizens.
What was the High Court’s reaction to the challenge of the bill?
The High Court agreed and ruled that the Bill was unconstitutional.
What happened after the bill was seen as ‘unconstitutional’?
Prime Minister Menzies responded by announcing his intention to go to the people through a referendum to outlaw and crush the Communist Party in Australia.
What happened at the referendum?
Many public forces advocated the ‘yes’ vote, including the media and some groups within the Catholic Church. The ‘no’ majority in the referendum was not large, so the threat of communism remained .
How did the Petrov Affair Start?
Soviet diplomat in Canberra, Vladimir Petrov, had been granted political asylum and a royal commission would be established to investigate allegations of a Soviet spy ring operating in Australia.
What questions and fears were raised after Petrovs’ defection?
Vladimir Petrov’s defection raised questions about Australian security and stirred up the Australian fear of communism.
What happened during the Petrov affair?
Some documents had reportedly been handed over to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) proving the existence of the spy ring.
What did the leader of the Labor Opposition say?
Labor Opposition Leader, Dr Herbert Vere Evatt, was completely unaware of the allegations before they were made public by the Prime Minister. Dr Evatt claimed the timing of the announcement of the Petrov Affair was part of a Liberal Party conspiracy aimed at keeping the Labor Party out of government. In the lead-up to the 1954 election, the Labor Party was portrayed as being sympathetic to communism.
What happened to Mrs Petrov?
Two weeks after Vladimir Petrov was granted permission to stay in Australia, his wife was taken by car to Sydney airport by two brutish Soviet officials. Three thousand people at the airport witnessed Mrs Petrov being dragged onto an aeroplane. In the melodramatic flight that followed, a distressed Mrs Petrov told a stewardess that her companions were carrying guns. When the aeroplane stopped to refuel in Darwin, the Australian police arrested the two Soviet guards. Mrs Petrov agreed to defect and remain with her husband in Australia.
