From Keynes to Hayek: The Social Welfare Philosophy of the Liberal Party of Australia, 1983–1997

In: Policy and Society, Band 15, Heft 1, S. 65-87

Abstract

The Liberal Party has traditionally been a party of pragmatic conservatism blending three disparate ideological tendencies: the social liberal or 'wet' ameliorative tendency, the economic liberal or 'dry' individualist tendency, and a less organised social conservative tendency. The Menzies era and Fraser Governments reflected the influence of all three tendencies. However, since 1983, the Federal Liberal Party has arguably become dominated by classical liberal ideas of small government and rugged individualism. This dry takeover of the Liberal Party has been particularly apparent in the field of social welfare. Under the influence of the New Right, the Liberal Party has mounted a significant critique of the welfare state, comprising five related themes: 1) The alleged capture of the welfare state by vested interest welfare lobby groups; 2) the urgent need for labour market reform: 3) the proliferation of welfare dependency; 4) the importance of distinguishing between the deserving and undeserving poor; 5) The virtues of a return to private charitable welfare. The Liberal Party's espousal and implementation of these ideas, has however, been moderated on occasions by broader political and electoral considerations.