Menzies’ and Whitlam’s Influence on Australian Foreign Policy Between 1949 and 1975

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Despite Menzies’ aims to strengthen an alliance with America, when Gough Whitlam was elected as Prime Minister in 1972, the Labour Party’s main focus was to create relationships with communist countries and rebuild Australia’s relationship with Vietnam, along with trying to create an independent Australian foreign policy. One of the first changes under the new Whitlam government was the rebuilding of relationships with South-East Asia. The new Labour government officially recognised the People’s Republic of China and opened up diplomatic relations. Whitlam believed “It is about time that” that Australia “recognised the communist government of China” (Whitlam, 1972). Within a year this was followed by Australia reopening their embassy within China that had been shut down since 1949, after China became a communist nation. In Whitlam’s 1972 election speech he took the occasion to comment on Australia’s alliance with all neighbouring countries, by stating that “we now have a new opportunity for sane relations with China, the opportunity for a settlement of the war in Vietnam, the opportunity to institute an era of peace and progress in our region” (Whitlam, 1972). Whitlam’s statement on Australia’s neighbouring countries can be seen to highlight how the Whitlam government focused on trying to create Australia’s reputation as one of enlightenment, independence and a constructive player in world affairs. Graeme Dobell who has been reporting on Australian foreign policy in the pacific region since 1975, explored Gough Whitlam’s relationship with Asia in an article posted on the Australian Strategic Policy Institute website. Dobell reinforces that “Gough Whitlam helped Australia think about finding its security in Asia, not to seek security from Asia” (Whitlam Institute, 2016). During these initial stages as Prime Minister he also inaugurated a dialogue partnership with the Association of South East Asian Nations and pledged Australian financial assistance to its development program. This was seen to be the first public alliance with Asia after the war and Whitlam stated that he wished to “promote the peace and prosperity of our neighbourhood.” Up to 1974, the Labour government continued to provide economic aid to Vietnam especially in the help to rebuild their country. Gough Whitlam shared his regret on their decision for the war, by stating that “We have sought to break down ideological constraints which had for so long obstructed meaningful relationships with countries such as China, East Germany and North Vietnam” (Whitlam, 1972). Therefore, this could have resulted in Australia’s need to help Vietnam, because they had recognised their responsibility to Vietnam leading to them sending economic aid to help in the reconstruction as “Australia has been given a second chance” (Whitlam, 1972). Although Gough Whitlam was no longer Prime Minister during the founding of the Vietnamese Family Migration Program it was the work of “Whitlam ending the white Australia policy in 1973,” that was the catalyst for the program (Harpur, 1990, p90). The white Australia policy was an unofficial policy created to form a uni-racial Australia. It discriminated against any person who was non-European and those of coloured races by refusing to allow them to enter the country. The Program Whitlam formed worked to reunite families who were forcibly separated during the Vietnam War. In 1972, Whitlam did stress his desire to “change the emphasis in immigration from government recruiting to family reunion” (Whitlam, 1974). During his time in office Whitlam and his government also focused on the development to create a more independently driven Australian foreign policy. Whitlam stated that “the war was against our own foreign policy interests” and in 1972 during Whitlam’s election speech he maintained that “above all, it is a time for a government which will base its foreign policy on Australia's true national interests and on Australia's true international obligations” (Whitlam, 1972). The Labour government did not believe that foreign policy and defence policy should be linked as one, and this led to them abolishing the ideology of a ‘forward defence’ policy which was emphasised by Menzies’ during the war (Harpur, 1990, p102). While the Liberal government was in office under Menzies, much of Australian foreign policy was based around the ideology of ‘forward defence’. This was due to the perceived threat that Australia needed to defend against a time of communist invasion by neighbouring countries. The Whitlam government felt that Menzies government’s foreign and defence policies was backward-looking and was controversial to Australia’s public views. Through Whitlam’s advances in Australian foreign policy, he helped to grow and rebuild relationships with Australia’s neighbouring countries, and form Australia’s own independence.

The Menzies government tried to influence Australia’s foreign policy to create a strong alliance with America during the war; however, the Whitlam government tried to strengthen Australia’s independence and relationship with neighbouring countries. While in office, Robert Menzies and the liberal government aimed to use the outcome of the Korean War and the Australian Foreign policy to strengthen Australia’s alliance with America. Although Menzies tried to avoid the threat of communism, after the election of Gough Whitlam, Whitlam’s main aim was to rebuild relationships with Communist countries and rebuild their relationship with Vietnam, along with trying to create an Independent Australian Foreign Policy. Whitlam and Menzies had both set a path for Australian commitment to the South-East region and America along with Australian support for regionalism that has been sustained by every subsequent government.