BILLY MCMAHON

Party

The nature of the transition from the leadership of Gorton to McMahon meant that any search for closure, or party unity, was going to be difficult. This was compounded by the decision of the party to vote Gorton in as Deputy Leader to McMahon. McMahon removed Gorton as Minister for Defence in August 1971, after Gorton had written a series of articles for The Australian newspaper that he deemed to be a breach of Cabinet solidarity.

McMahon also removed Gorton supporters Leslie Bury and James Killen from the ministry. Both men made clear their intention to be dedicated backbench irritants, with Killen declaring ‘They’ll need a firing squad to silence me.’ McMahon’s relations were similarly fractious with the Country Party. In December 1971 Doug Anthony, the Country Party leader, threatened to leave the Coalition over the issue of devaluing the Australian dollar in line with the US dollar.

The party unrest continued, to varying degrees, for McMahon’s remaining period in office. Two weeks before the 1972 election McMahon gave a radio interview where he appeared to question the responsiveness of his ministry.   

Partnerships

Australia became the 23rd member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on 7 June 1971. This was followed in March 1972 by a week-long visit to Australia by the OECD Secretary-General, Emile Van Lennep, where he met with Prime Minister McMahon. McMahon had been a significant player in the negotiations to achieve OECD membership during his period as Treasurer and Minister for External Affairs.

McMahon was a strong champion for open economies and free markets and argued that Australian economists would now have access to one of the most prestigious international economic research organisations. McMahon stated that, ‘the invitation to join the organisation can be justly regarded as clear recognition of Australia’s economic standing.’

Part of the obligation of OECD membership included participation in an annual review of the Australian economy to be shared with other member countries. The OECD review was welcomed by many of the participants in the economic debate because it offered expert advice in addition to that presented by Treasury and the Reserve Bank. The first full OECD report was expected to express concern over the McMahon government’s approach to rising inflation, an unwelcome message in an election year. In the end the report was not released until after the 1972 election.   

People

On 19 September 1972, McMahon opened the Woden Plaza shopping complex. It was the focus of the new Woden Town Centre, the first town centre to be built beyond inner Canberra. The opening was attended by 30000 people, who as The Canberra News notes were forced to park in ‘no-parking zones, on red kerbs, rotary-hoed paddocks and on construction sites’.

McMahon spoke of the plaza as a ‘magnificent example of what could be done by government and private enterprise’ working together. He added that ‘the centre, the new towns themselves and the Parliamentary Triangle must be regarded as examples of the national will and the national skill.’ McMahon was reported in The Canberra Times as having suggested at the plaza opening that Woden would have its own elected representative within the next ten years.

This statement was used in Parliament by the Opposition Leader, Gough Whitlam to bolster his argument about government delay in approving electoral redistributions. Whitlam accused McMahon of having ‘exposed your prevarication on this matter to members of an enthusiastic audience…’   

Publications

Norman Abjorensen, The Manner Of Their Going: Prime Ministerial Exits from Lyne to Abbott, Australian Scholarly Publishing, North Melbourne, 2015

Troy Bramston, Wherefore art thou Billy?, Eureka Street, 31 May, 2006

Wallace Brown, Ten Prime Ministers: life among the politicians, Longueville Books, Sydney, 2002

Bruce Juddery, Australia to join OECD next month, The Canberra Times, 26 May, 1971

Julian Leeser, McMahon, Sir William (Billy) (1908-1988) Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcmahon-sir-william-billy-15043 published first in hardcopy 1988

Susan Mitchell, Stand By Your Man: Sonia, Tammie & Janette, Random House Australia, North Sydney, 2007

Peter Sekuless, Sir William McMahon, 10 March 1971 – 3 December 1972, in Michelle Grattan (ed.), Australian Prime Ministers, New Holland Publishers, Sydney, 2000    

David Soloman, PM denies hint on new seat, The Canberra Times, 29 September, 1972

The Canberra Times, From sheep country to shopping mall, 14 September, 1992

The Canberra Times, ‘National will, skill’ shows in new plaza, 19 September, 1972