Peter Shack, “The Society of Modest Members,” Optimism, Sept. 1981, p. 8.

A new group with a belief in the virtues of the competitive market came into being last month when the Society of Modest Members held its inaugural meeting on Friday, August 14, 1981 at the Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne.

Twenty-five past and present members from the Federal, N.S.W., Victorian and South Australian parliaments attended. A further eighty-four past and present MPs from the Commonwealth and all States had expressed interest in the formation of the Society but were unable to attend.

The Society takes its name from the well-known free market columns of The Modest Member, written by the Hon. C.R. (Bert) Kelly, the former Federal Member for Wakefield, S.A.

Now the pen behind The Modest Member series in the Bulletin, Bert Kelly was elected as the Society’s patron.

The inaugural meeting adopted simple rules for the Society stressing that it be non-bureaucratic in structure and independent of power groupings in political parties.

The Society has as its objective the promotion of the use of the competitive market as the best means of providing for human well-being. Towards this end it advocates the progressive removal of anti-competitive trade practices on the part of individuals, businesses, trade unions or governments.

According to its rules the Society may not state policy positions on particular issues, nor support any person for any public office. It will confine itself to the dissemination of information in support of its objectives, and the facilitation of discussion between its members and others of similar mind. It will also promote public understanding of the benefits of the competitive market.

The idea of starting up the Society of Modest Members arose earlier this year in informal discussions between some State and Federal parliamentarians.

Membership of the Society is open to members or former members of the parliaments of the Commonwealth of Australia, the States or Territories, who subscribe to the objectives of the Society and pay the annual membership fee, presently fixed at $100.00.

Office bearers elected at the inaugural meeting were John Hyde, MP (House of Representatives, Moore, WA) as Chairman, the Hon. Don Hayward, MLC (Victoria) as Vice-Chairman, Peter Shack, MP (House of Representatives, Tangney, WA), as Secretary and the Hon. Lloyd Lange, MLC (NSW) as Treasurer.

These four office bearers form the Executive to conduct the affairs of the Society between annual meetings.

The Executive is currently developing an appropriate bibliographic resources catalogue for use by members.

It is intended that the Society conduct seminars on topics related to the competitive market and there is discussion of the possibility of sponsoring a major annual lecture.

Peter Shack, MP
Member for Tangney