Robert Menzies' Forgotten People by Judith Brett (Book review)

Abstract

If it is forgotten that politicians once could be more explicit, and once could articulate a political vision as opposed to an economic vision, then re‑read Ben Chifley’s ‘Light on the Hill’ speech, Gough Whitlam’s policy speeches, or Robert Menzies’ ‘Forgotten People’, a speech that was broadcast in 1942. I take Menzies’ ‘Forgotten People’ as an exemplary model because it comes from the other side of politics , a side that we now think has been less concerned with social issues. There is a wonderful elaboration and analysis of this model in Judith Brett’s book Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People (1992).