Ian Macphee

Ian Macphee
Born	Ian Malcolm Macphee (1938-07-13) July 13, 1938 Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)	Politician, lawyer
Years active	1974–1990 (politics)
Known for	Minister for Productivity, Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs

Ian Malcolm Macphee AO (born 13 July 1938) is a retired Australian politician who held ministerial positions in the Fraser administration, including Minister for Productivity (1976–1979), Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1979–1982), and Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs (1982–1983). Representing the Liberal Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 1974 until 1990. As immigration minister, Macphee played a pivotal role in advancing Australian multiculturalism and was regarded as a prominent "small-l" liberal within his party.

Early years

Macphee was born in Sydney to a father who worked as an electrical engineer and served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II before joining the Whyalla steelworks. Raised in Neutral Bay, he attended local schools and later worked as a clerk at the Public Solicitor's Office while pursuing part-time legal studies. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Sydney.

Following this, Macphee took up a position as a public solicitor within Papua New Guinea’s territorial administration, where he represented trade unions in wage negotiations and contributed to publications concerning regional matters and Australia's involvement leading up to PNG’s independence in 1975.

He received an East–West Center scholarship to further his education in the United States, studying at Yale University and the University of Hawaii. There, he completed a Master of Arts with a focus on Southeast Asian history and politics. Upon returning to Australia in 1968, Macphee assumed leadership roles at the New South Wales Chamber of Manufactures and subsequently served as director of the Victorian Chamber of Manufactures. Additionally, he participated on Victoria’s Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation.

Early political involvement

Before the 1969 election, Macphee unsuccessfully sought Liberal preselection for the New South Wales seat of Berowra, losing to Tom Hughes. He held the presidency of the Liberal Party's Roseville East branch from 1970 to 1971 and later chaired Victoria’s state party manufacturing advisory committee between 1971 and 1973.

In March 1974, following Ray Whittorn’s retirement, Macphee was chosen as the Liberal candidate for the safe seat of Balaclava, prevailing over 23 contenders. He successfully retained this seat during the 1974 federal election.

Macphee entered the second Fraser ministry in November 1976 as Minister for Productivity and Minister Assisting the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations. Concurrently, he succeeded Tony Street as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women's Affairs. His responsibilities included enhancing industrial productivity amid criticism regarding overlapping departmental functions. Macphee supported the Jackson Committee’s recommendations and pushed for reassessing protectionist measures to develop an export-driven manufacturing sector capable of competing globally.

Immigration minister

After three years overseeing productivity matters, Macphee replaced Michael MacKellar as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. Building upon reforms initiated by Fraser and MacKellar following the Galbally report, he expedited migrant settlement policies, facilitated substantial resettlement of Indochinese refugees, and introduced a family reunion program. He gained bipartisan backing from shadow Immigration Minister Mick Young.

Macphee maintained his hold on Balaclava during both the 1980 and 1983 elections, defeating Labor candidate Chris Kennedy. He contributed to founding the Special Broadcasting Service and was instrumental in establishing the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs, working closely with its director Petro Georgiou on government multicultural initiatives.

Reflecting on his time as Immigration Minister, Macphee described it as his most "exciting...[and] absolutely enriching" period in parliament.

In May 1982, Fraser elevated him to Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs. In this capacity, Macphee defended compulsory arbitration to safeguard wages despite opposition from conservative factions within his party. He remained in this role until the Fraser Government's electoral defeat in March 1983.

In opposition

After the electoral loss, the Liberal Party experienced a division between its moderate (wet) and conservative (dry) wings. Macphee, a prominent moderate figure, backed Andrew Peacock, who succeeded John Howard as party leader. He continued serving in the Shadow Cabinet, initially as shadow Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, and following the 1984 election, he assumed the role of shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. During this period, he shifted to represent the newly established Division of Goldstein, which was a reconfigured form of Balaclava.

In 1985, when Howard reclaimed party leadership, Macphee vied unsuccessfully for the deputy leadership position, coming in second to Neil Brown. Although Howard kept Macphee within the Shadow Cabinet, he reassigned him to shadow Minister for Communications before ultimately dismissing him in April 1987.

Howard’s 1988 proposal to reduce Asian immigration attracted criticism from both the Labor Party and moderate Liberals who favored multiculturalism. To expose internal party disagreements, Prime Minister Bob Hawke introduced a motion affirming that race or ethnic background should never influence Australian immigration policy. Macphee was among several Liberals who crossed the floor to back this motion, receiving support from notable Liberals such as Nick Greiner and Jeff Kennett.

Preselection challenge

At the beginning of the following year, Macphee lost Liberal preselection in Goldstein to academic rival David Kemp. The media portrayed this contest as a struggle between "wet" and "dry" factions; however, some suggested Macphee's defeat stemmed from dwindling local support. He attributed his loss primarily to his opposition to Howard’s approach on Asian immigration. This event further intensified party factionalism and played a role in Howard’s leadership being overturned by Peacock in May 1989.

Prior to the 1990 election, Macphee briefly returned to the Shadow Cabinet under Peacock’s leadership as shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs before deciding to retire ahead of the polls.

After politics

Following his parliamentary career, Macphee stayed engaged in public affairs by joining the board of CARE Australia and serving as a director at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1994 for a period of five years. He also partnered with former Liberal MP Alan Hunt on initiatives to reform the Victorian Legislative Council, working through a Constitutional Commission established by the Bracks Labor Government.

On 26 January 1992, Macphee was honored as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of his "service to the Australian parliament."

In 1992, he led an independent investigation into the tender evaluation process of the Civil Aviation Authority, uncovering significant procedural deficiencies and unfair practices.

Macphee openly criticized policies of the Howard Government, particularly regarding refugees, expressing that he was "consistently outraged" and supported the 2005 backbench revolt that led to moderation of certain laws. He also condemned Australia's involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

As a former immigration minister, Macphee spoke out in 2017 against current Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s extensive powers, describing them as "unchecked and unjust."

In 2020, responding to local group Voices of Goldstein, Macphee expressed support for their campaign promoting an independent candidate for his old Goldstein seat, commenting that Liberal party branches had become dominated by party headquarters and disconnected from grassroots voters.

References

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