Published Resources Details Journal Article

In January 1933, Victoria's recently elected United Australia Party government enacted the Unemployment Relief (Administration) Bill, a piece of legislation which, in terms of its attempts to force the unemployed to work for sustenance, was unparalleled in any other state. The Act formed the basis of the Victorian state government's unemployment relief policy until the outbreak of World War 11. It was arguably the most significant piece of legislation directed towards the unemployed of Australia during the Depression.
The legislation was the handiwork of Wilfred Kent Hughes, who, while a Government Minister, declared himself openly to be a fascist sympathiser. This paper examines Hughes and the legislation in the context of class relations, and attitudes towards fascism and democracy during this period.