On this day, 1 June 1949, Robert Menzies is suspended from the House of Representatives after a fiery exchange with Minister for Information Arthur Calwell, whose speech had been accusing Menzies of doing nothing to crack down on the spread of communism while prime minister. This was a notable occasion in Australian political history, as it marked just the second time ever when an Opposition Leader had been suspended from Federal Parliament – the previous occasion being when Liberal Leader Joseph Cook was suspended in December 1914.

The incident occurred during the debate on the Supply and Appropriation Bills, when Calwell’s speech was continually interrupted by Opposition members and the Acting Speaker Joe Clark had issued a number of warnings to individual members that he would name them if they did not cease.

Calwell referred to a speech by Menzies on Communists from the previous May, when Menzies first interjected. After his second interjection, Clark said he would name him if he interjected again. Menzies made a further interjection and Clark named him. Calwell, who was in charge of the House, appealed to Menzies to apologise to the chair, but Mr. Clark refused to allow him to do so and insisted on naming him. Calwell then moved Menzies’s suspension, which was carried.

This is how The Age reported the exchange:

In Mr. Calwell’s speech, which led up to the incident he said since Parliament met the Opposition had been strangely silent about Communism, though during the recess they had gone round the country like roaring lions talking about Communists and what they would do to them. Mr. Calwell said that, following a long history of anti-Labor Governments doing nothing about Communists, Mr. Menzies had produced a statement that Communists would have no quarter.

Mr. Rankin: ‘Who banned them during the war?’

Mr. Calwell: ‘I will come to that ineffective ban later… Mr. Menzies was Prime Minister in 1939 when war broke out, and although the Communists said some extraordinary things none was gaoled, prosecuted or interned, despite the Menzies Government’s wartime powers. Mr. Menzies had the power to deal with every one of the Communists who made statements in opposition to the war.’

Mr. Gullett (Lib., Vic.): ‘Was that when you were talking about six bob a day murderers?’

Mr. Clark: ‘If the honorable gentleman interrupts again I will name him.’

Mr. Calwell: ‘The fact that during the first six months of the war the Menzies Government did nothing to uphold the law against the Communists had not prevented Mr. Menzies from going before the people of Australia, as he did last month, and saying that during the Battle for Britain Australian Communists were on the side of Germany. He said they were a bunch of Communist traitors, and some of them were installed in the cooler. In fact, not one Communist was put in the cooler by the Menzies Government, and not one Communist was prosecuted.’

Mr. Menzies: ‘We put quite a lot of them in the cooler.’

Mr. Calwell: ‘Not one Communist was put in the cooler. The only Communist who was interned during the war until the Curtin Government took office was a German Communist named Stone, who was interned because he was a German, and not because he was a Communist.’

Mr. Menzies: ‘We put them in and you let them out. Is that the position?’

Mr. Clark: ‘I will name the Leader of the Opposition if he interjects again.’

Mr. Menzies: ‘I don’t want to be tempted by the Minister.’

Mr. Clark made a further remark and Mr. Menzies answered him, but neither was audible in the press gallery above the noise the incident had caused in the House. Mr. Clark then named Mr. Menzies, which made it necessary for the senior Minister in the House to move the suspension of the member named and uphold the Speaker’s authority.’

Mr. Calwell hesitated, and Mr. Cameron (Lib., SA.) called out: ‘Go on, do something Arthur. You’ve lifted the axe. Why don’t you let it fall?’

Mr. Calwell, in a conciliator’s tone, said: ‘I think the Leader of the Opposition on reflection will withdraw his remarks.’

Mr. Clark: ‘The Minister is entitled to be heard in silence. There have been consistent attempts to interrupt him. I will not permit it. I warned the Leader of the Opposition that if he persisted in interruption I would name him. He continued to interrupt. I called him to order, and he refused to take any notice of it. While I am in the chair I will see my orders are carried out. I insist on the Leader of the Opposition being named.’

Mr. Calwell then moved that Mr. Menzies be suspended, and this was carried by 36 votes to 26, the two Independent members, Mr. Lang (Ind. Lab., N.S.W.) and Mrs. Blackburn (Ind. Lab., Vic.), voting with the Government for the suspension.