Remember when social justice/humanitarian issues formed a major part of main stream politics? 

I was certainly one of those totally enraged by the manner of Malcolm Fraser's coming to the prime ministerial office. 

For his term in office, this "coup", at most times, marred the true vision of his agenda for that Liberal government. 

But with the beauty of hindsight and a tad more objectivity, I have come to appreciate the many humanitarian aspects of this prime minister.

For this man it is now known that social justice was very much at the core of his life philosophy; race, colour and creed were one.

Having the lead from Gough Whitlam in areas such as Aboriginal affairs, workers' rights and China, Malcolm Fraser certainly can be credited with pushing land rights and raising awareness of the displacement of Aboriginals through white settlement. 

He wanted to "recognise the reality of Australian settlement".

However, I do not wish to be at all understated, as later it became more and more apparent that the value of human dignity and human rights were always central to Malcolm Fraser's beliefs. 

Equality and human rights were paramount to his value system.

His direct and positive views against aparthied were an outstanding example of his valuing equality for all. 

Other international figures were vascillating and being obtuse, however Malcolm Fraser was far more strident in approach.

The Human Rights commission has recently been attacked quite savagely by the current prime minister, reflecting the manner which the current Liberal Party has been moving inextricably to the right, while Malcolm Fraser retained through his life the view of its importance with its initial configuration. 

Possibly, however, the greatest diversion from the current Liberal Party (and Labor) and its policies, came with the handling of refugees to this country. 

He adopted a humanitarian rather than political perspective to the human crisis that is asylum/refugee seekers.

Yes, he "stopped the boats"; but he did so not by turning them around and hiding the detail, conditions or even most cruelly imprisonment on a naval vessel.

He instead utilised our national air carrier and carried out the most accomplished and successful transfer of refugees in our history. 

More recently he was strident in his criticism of mandatory detention and human degradation associated with such terror and persecution - akin to where these people had come from - prosecuted by Australia?

If only we could have remembered this Vietnamese migration lesson  and all of the huge benefits accompanying it. 

This all formed a synergy with his complete view of multiculturalism.

He established many post arrival services for migrants so that they were able to be a part of our society with far less stigma, alienation and downright hostility.

He believed in the dignity of the individual and practised his life philosophy. 

Environmental issues, women's issues and many other social items formed a part of his political agenda. 

It is interesting that with such a positive social agenda, he went on to win three elections.

I have to say again that I do believe that the social awareness that had been a large part of the prior Labor government certainly opened minds to this social agenda.

I never ever thought I would come to want to write this way about Malcolm Fraser, but it is largely because of the lack of social and humanitarian issues emanating from the two major parties of recent times that made it so much more palatable.

The demise of the Fraser era, I believe, then led to the very start of the economic rationalistic emergence in Australia that forms the basis of our political thinking today.

I am cognisant that Malcolm Fraser was unable to grasp the economic needs of the evolving economy and that of the world. 

It was also easier for the next Labor governments as the global forces were all over Australia. 

But why from this time did we have such start on a downward  continuum of social philosophical decline?

Bring back the notions of equality, human dignity espoused by MF to underpin our present social, and economic policies today.

The tedium of current politics can be at least partially attributable to the lack of the humanitarian direction through social justice values.

- Michael Brosnan  

Millingandi 

Member of the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast

Malcolm in the middle did it his way 

A man loved for more than 50 years by as a fine a woman as Tamie Fraser - one of the very best of our First Ladies – must have had many redeeming features, alongside his faults. 

So it was with dearly departed Malcolm Fraser - Big Mal - lost from the dwindling ranks of our protectionist past political leaders of postwar “old Australia.” (Doug Anthony is still with us.)  

To some of his critics, Malcolm Fraser's life played out in reverse: the young patrician Oxford conservative from Toorak and the Victorian Western Districts squattocracy; youngest MP in Federal Parliament at 25; darling of the Centre Right; born to lead; instigator of the Whitlam dismissal; fourth longest-serving Australian 

Prime Minister (after Menzies, Howard and Hawke); won three federal elections for the Liberals, including the largest ever majority in the House of Representatives in 1975. 

That conservative younger life seemed to contrast starkly with the leftie later-life Malcolm of the last 25 years: human rights champion; founder of CARE; anti-apartheid campaigner; outspoken opponent of stop the boats and involvement in the Iraq war; advocate for asylum-seekers; critic of the US alliance, John Howard and Tony Abbott. 

As Bob Hawke rightly said on the weekend, Malcolm Fraser’s record on race and colour was impeccable. 

Malcolm’s former political enemy - but much later in their lives his close friend - Gough Whitlam, with characteristic wit, put it this way: “Mr Fraser has replaced me as public enemy number one in the demonology of the Australian right wing.” 

For Labor sympathisers, Malcolm Fraser was an early villain and a latterday hero. 

For conservatives, he was an early hero and a latterday letdown. 

As I see it, the truth is more like Malcolm in the middle, always socially small “l” liberal, but economically very conservative even with a tinge of old-fashioned agrarian socialism from down on the farm.  

A nationalist, patriot, federalist, egalitarian and a democrat who made a major contribution to Australian public life.  

Fraser’s record bears this liberal middle course out. 

With Immigration Minister, Ian MacPhee, Malcolm Fraser rescued tens of  thousands of Vietnamese war refugees and brought them to Australia to become valuable citizens.  

Malcolm Fraser embraced multiculturalism, wiped out the last vestiges of White Australia, started SBS-TV, and expanded the process begun by Arthur Calwell in 1948 of transforming Australia from an Anglo outpost into a 

melting pot of 120 nationalities.  

It was Malcolm Fraser in government who ended sand mining on Fraser Island, stopped commercial whaling, achieved World Heritage listing for the Barrier Reef, introduced Aboriginal land rights for the Northern Territory, and appointed sympathetic Aboriginal Affairs Ministers like Fred Chaney and Peter Baume. 

Fraser as PM was economically orthodox, cautiously repairing much of the economic damage and excess of the Whitlam years, but failing to press hard enough for major reforms like floating the $A or reshaping industrial relations, tax and tariff policies. 

History will judge by how much those years were wasted. 

Fair or unfair,  it is likely opinions about Malcolm Fraser’s contribution to Australia will continue be divided across the political spectrum.

I suspect Malcolm would be unconcerned. He did it his way.

- Jon Gaul

Mr Gaul worked for Malcolm Fraser in four election campaigns – the victories in 1975, 1977, 1980 and the defeat in 1983. 

Previously as a Canberra Press Gallery journalist, he was an observer of Fraser’s political career.