When Robert Menzies made his Forgotten People speech on 22 May 1942 he set in train a process which, despite his many references throughout to men, resulted in the creation of a long coalition between Menzies’ Liberal Party and women.
This coalition of Liberals didn’t start to break down until the 1970s and 1980s with a Victorian Labor researcher, Angela Jurjevik, probably being among the first people to identify the trend.
However, even back in 1942, not all women were part of the Menzies supporters – as many women were not stay at home mothers but workers in industries such as clothing and textile and other factories (as the blog’s mother did) – and they still tended to vote Labor even if a majority of women as a whole voted for the Liberals.
Nevertheless, many of the Menzies Forgotten women were also God-fearing or at least observant.
Yet in recent years women have not only deserted the Liberal Party but have also abandoned churches and fear of God.
In a report– Women and Trust in Religion in Australia – prepared by Kate Gleeson and Luke Ashton of Macquarie University School of Social Sciences – demonstrates that Australian women “are significantly more likely than men to express distrust in religion.”
The report concludes that “organised religion in Australia is facing a profound crisis of trust, particularly among women. Concerns for children are paramount in shaping women’s opinions about religious organisations and the services they offer.
“The high level of distrust among younger women suggests the crisis is generational and will not be corrected without dedicated interventions on the part of religious organisations and governments.
“It extends beyond the relevant faith groups and leaders of various denominations to shape opinions about the role of religious organisations in delivering social services such as education.”
In terms of quantitative analysis about one third of all Australians voting women have ‘no trust at all’ in organised religion and religious leaders.
Distrust is highest among younger women and “almost half of women aged 18-29 have ‘no trust at all’ in religious leaders.”
The problem deepens with even religious women where one in ten have ‘no trust at all’ in religion or religious leaders while around half have ‘not very much trust at all’ in religion and religious leaders.
If you think this might be driven by a host of inner urban Green supporters, the report finds that women living in Outer Regional and Remote Australia are significantly more likely to have ‘no trust at all’ in religion than women living in major cities or inner regional areas.
Not surprisingly religious child abuse scandals have affected trust and women are “sceptical about the capacity of religious leaders to protect children in their care (almost half have low or no trust).”
Two thirds of LGBTIQ+ respondents have the lowest levels of trust with two-thirds having ‘no trust at all’ in religious leaders.
“Around four in five women who have ‘no trust at all’ in religion believe that religious organisations should no longer be granted tax exempt status by the government. Around two thirds of this group also believe the government should stop funding religious schools”, the report says.
The report “concludes that organised religion in Australia is facing a profound crisis of trust, particularly among women. Concerns for children are paramount in shaping women’s opinions about religious organisations and the services they offer.
“The high level of distrust among younger women suggests the crisis is generational and will not be corrected without dedicated interventions on the part of religious organisations and governments. It extends beyond the relevant faith groups and leaders of various denominations to shape opinions about the role of religious organisations in delivering social services such as education.”
Meanwhile – no doubt to the chagrin of the remaining female Liberal MPs and Senators – Scott Morrison is appearing like the monster from the deep with a book and some astonishing claims saying his government did everything they “possibly could have” for women while he was prime minister and says criticism of his actions was a pile-on which was ‘weaponised for political purposes’.
In contrast it’s worth recalling the Menzies Forgotten People speech and comparing it with any cross section of speeches by Peter Dutton – let alone Tony Abbott. Today’s Liberals have come a long way from their most successful predecessor.