The Real Julia could do with a few lessons on real leadership. One of the great leaders of the 20th century was the late President Ronald Reagan. This week we celebrate the anniversary of his 100th birthday.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
It is difficult to reconcile the two different perceptions of Ronald Reagan. On the one hand, the modest former actor who revelled in self-deprecation; and on the other, the conqueror of communism who said, “Democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honourable form of government ever devised by man.”
Reagan understood that strong democratic institutions and economic freedom are vital to ensure peace in the world. In the context of America’s struggle against the Soviet Union – a struggle for ideas as much as geopolitical power – this was of the utmost importance. By the end of Reagan’s second term as President, due in no small measure to his advocacy and strength, communism was not an unworkable if noble idea, but rather a dangerous and laughable one. Less than ten months after leaving the White House, the Berlin Wall was demolished.
Reagan arrived on the political scene at just the right time. Reagan’s view was that the government was not the source of a nation’s success. He understood that the wealth of a nation is not measured by the size of government, but in the natural gifts of its people – their ingenuity, their knowledge, and their quest to create a better life for themselves, their communities and future generations. He believed strongly in the power of the individual to create beneficial change without the need for government to direct him or her.
Many pilloried Reagan’s view as naïve. The need for strong government intervention had been ingrained in American society since Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal. At that time, the popular view of the economic collapse that led to the Great Depression was that it was caused by a lack of government involvement; that an expansive regulatory regime was needed to curb the inherently selfish attitude of humankind.
Reagan’s view was very different. He saw the impediments that government was creating for the American people, through taxation, regulation and social and economic programs with good intentions but bad results. He understood that people are naturally inclined to cooperate with one another to find solutions and produce wealth if they are free from government interference to do this.
Reagan was in stark contrast to Presidents before and after because he did not seek to aggrandise the government and the office of the president with more power. He did not seek to impose policy initiatives that would last forever. Instead, he made it his explicit aim to give power back to the American people. Reagan said, “I never thought of myself as a great man, just a man committed to great ideas.” What drove him was a set of values and a philosophical framework within which his administration operated, by which ideas could be tested and decisions made.
In Australia, Julia’s prime ministership continues the tradition of Labor leaders before her. Founded on a bedrock of ‘government knows best’, she leads a government that seeks to increase government power and intervention in the lives of Australian citizens.
Hers is a top down, one-size-fits all approach to policy. An approach that takes decision-making and responsibility away from individuals. Her legacy of big government, new taxes, government waste and squandered opportunity will be very different to that of Reagan. What the Gillard Government will be remembered for is its total lack of direction, completely unmoored from any fundamental principles and wholly dedicated to political management as demonstrated time-and-time again through its broken promises on everything from new taxes to climate change.
Labor wants to fight a battle of perception, rather than a battle of ideas. If Ronald Reagan’s presidency has taught us anything, it is that conviction in a core set of ideas is fundamental to good government. Leadership requires a real leader. If only Julia understood that.
Kelly O’Dwyer MP is the Federal Member for Higgins and Chairman of the Coalition’s Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
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@AndrewCatsaras Agreed. Kills more people than AIDS. Yet tolerated. Meanwhile: Good Insiders piece again Andrew.
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