The Conservative Tradition from Menzies to Morrison: A Conversation with Damien Freeman

In this episode, Jonathan discusses the conservative tradition with Damien Freeman, author of Abbot's Right: The Conservative Tradition from Menzies to Abbott (Melbourne University Press). They cover the conservative cast of mind, ideology versus pragmatism, identity and belonging, same-sex marriage and energy policy, the liberal and conservative traditions within the Liberal Party and the political philosophies of prime ministers Robert Menzies, Malcolm Fraser, John Howard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.

Damien Freeman is the Principal Policy Advisor at the PM Glynn Institute, Australian Catholic University. He was educated at the University of Sydney (BA, LLB (Hons), MA, MPhil) and Magdalene College, Cambridge (MPhil, PhD). He is the Editor of the Kapunda Press, the imprint of the PM Glynn Institute, which is published by Connor Court. He lectured in philosophy for ten years at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and currently lectures on law at Exeter College, Oxford.

He is a Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a Licentiate of Trinity College, London. He has been a guest lecturer at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on a range of topics including a lecture series on Sublime: the pleasure of the overwhelming.

Together with Julian Leeser MP, he founded Uphold & Recognise, a non-profit organisation committed to the twin imperatives of upholding the Australian Constitution and recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.