This is an edited transcript of an interview I conducted with the ABC for a podcast series The Eleventh.
I was brought up in a lower middle class home,a Methodist Manse. I assumed that my ‘betters’ must somehow be honourable and trustworthy people.
After November 11 1975 I came to the conclusion that even a Governor General, High Court Judges and a powerful media proprietor were not honourable and trust worthy . I learned that powerful people will trample on long established conventions and institutions to protect the interests of themselves, their powerful friends and their class.
Forty five years later my trust has not been restored.
Please click below to download the edited transcript of the Menadue section of the series
John Menadue transcript ABC Series (1)
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
Comments
7 responses to “JOHN MENADUE.- Podcast ABC ‘The Eleventh’, February/March 2020”
Many thanks for this interview. Yes we must be a republic. Yes the judiciary must have a better process to advise the person exercising reserve powers. An alternative to the informal work of Barwich CJ and Mason J would be to have a formal council of the Chief Justices of the courts of the states and territories that would be open to public scrutiny.
We now know the detail of the advice of Mason J from his public statement dated 23 August 2012. He says ” he had a duty to warn the Prime Minister of his intended action and he did not do so.” We now know how reserve powers can be used so need change.
Yes, very interesting. Sorry to learn about the duplicity of High Court judges.
I remember the shocked look on our English teacher’s face when she came into the Year 9 classroom of our private boys’ school in Brisbane on 11.11.75. Upon her announcement that the Prime Minister had been sacked, about five of the most conservative kids let out a whoop, most (including me) were dumbfounded, a few had absolutely no idea what she was talking about and the remainder, as usual, weren’t listening.
When is the High Court expected to hand down its judgement on the Palace letters?
Podcast on Australian Book Review by Jenny Hocking about the Palace letters case.
https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/podcast/760-the-abr-podcast/6376-8-the-abr-podcast-at-her-majesty-s-pleasure-sir-john-kerr-and-the-royal-dismissal-secrets-by-jenny-hocking?idU=1
Dear John
I read the transcript with considerable interest. I am at present following up on work I commenced some years ago on Lance Barnard and was wondering if you might be prepared to offer some insights from your view from the PMs office on the relationship of Lance to Gough and the significance of that relationship as we are coming up to the 50th Anniversary of the election of the Whitlam Govt..
Reagrds
Michael
Dr Michael Powell
Michael
Sorry but Pearls and Irritations takes up more than my spare time.
Regards
John Menadue
What a splendid interview! Thank you John.