Menace

The early Cold War years in Australia were characterised by attempts to suppress political dissent including the banning of the Communist Party. Here we see the experience from the perspective of those who defended democratic freedoms. This is a critical look at the Australian political scene from the end of World War II to the commencement of hostilities in Korea. Emphasis is placed on the events surrounding the Communist party Dissolution Bill, the High Court judgement declaring the Act invalid and the 1951 referendum defeat in which Prime Minister Menzies unsuccessfully asked the Australian people to change the constitution and make the Communist Part Dissolution Bill law.