The End of the Experiment: Corporatism Collapses in Australia

Abstract

The article argues that Australian corporatism was an inherently contradictory formation, since it was dominated by economic liberal policies, but with the appearance of trade union involvement in public policy. Since economic liberalism is, almost by definition, opposed to the interests of unions, such union involvement had to be misguided, or more apparent than real. The tensions between democratic corporatism and economic liberal policies, the latter unsuccessful in terms of industrial adjustment, caused the 'corporatism' to become increasingly authoritarian and exclusionary. This contributed to a loss of working-class support, shown in declining union density and the drift of working-class votes to Labor's political opponents.