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Gray Connolly: ‘A Very Strong Communitarian Element’ Exploring Australian Conservatism

In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to barrister and public commentator Gray Connolly about the history of Australian conservatism.

While Robert Menzies described himself as a liberal and was profoundly influenced by the tradition of Australian liberalism, there are elements to his worldview that were undoubtedly conservative. Menzies emphasised the duties and obligations that went along with the exercise of freedom, and his call to raise a nation of ‘lifters’ rather than ‘leaners’ was about highlighting the individual’s obligations to the community. These obligations included national service, and Menzies supported conscription, one of the ultimate restrictions on personal choice, throughout his career. This episode unpacks the nuances of Australian conservatism, and how it differs from its more libertarian American cousin.

Gray Connolly is a public commentator and a senior barrister who is currently serving on the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Mr Connolly is an Adjunct Lecturer in Australian Constitutional Law at the University of Sydney and is the principal examiner in Constitutional Law for the Legal Profession Admission Board. Mr Connolly is a frequent commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s radio and news television services, as well as a guest on Sky News television, and his writings have been published by the Australian Financial Review, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, The Age, The Spectator and Meanjin.