Australia and the World Past and Present

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) talks a big game when it comes to advancing racial equality and promoting multiculturalism.

But for decades, Labor supported policies that are now widely regarded as racist.

The standout example was Labor’s strong support for the White Australia Policy.

At Federation in 1901, the newly formed Commonwealth Parliament passed the Immigration Restriction Act, the cornerstone of the White Australia Policy.

The first federal Labor leader, Chris Watson, and many prominent Labor parliamentarians enthusiastically supported racial exclusion.

Labor argued that restricting non-European immigration was necessary to protect Australian workers from low wages and poor working conditions.

For decades, Labor remained one of the strongest defenders of the White Australia Policy.

Critics have also pointed to Labor’s historical links with trade unions that sometimes excluded non-European workers. During the first half of the twentieth century, sections of the labour movement opposed Asian immigration and promoted racially exclusive employment practices. These positions reflected widespread attitudes within organised labour at the time.

Labor governments also maintained racially discriminatory immigration policies well into the twentieth century. Significant reform began under Liberal governments during the 1960s and the Whitlam Government formally abolished the remaining elements of the White Australia Policy in 1973.

Labor governments defended the policy for many decades.

While the Australian Labor Party has made important contributions to dismantling racial discrimination and promoting multiculturalism in recent decades, it also has a long history of supporting policies that today are widely recognised as racist.