Petrov Affair
The Petrov Affair – An Australian Spy Story
A modern spy thriller was played out in Canberra in 1954. On the 13th of April, the three year term of the Menzies government was drawing to a close and federal parliament was sitting for its final session. A few hours before the close, Menzies made a startling announcement that a soviet diplomat in Canberra, Vladimir Petrov, had been granted political asylum and that a royal commission would be established to investigate allegations of a Soviet spy ring operating in Australia. Petrov's defection (changing allegiance or deserting a duty) raised questions about Australian security and stirred up the fear of communism in Australia. This 'Petrov Affair' soon dominated the newspapers with detailed accounts proving the existence of the spy ring which of course generated a mix of anger and fear. Dr Evatt, the opposition leader of the time was completely unaware of Menzies allegations before public announcement but claimed that the Petrov affair was part of a Liberal Party conspiracy aiming to keep Labor Party out of government. And in the lead up to the 1954 election, Labor Party was portrayed as being sympathetic or accepting of communism. This fear of the 'red tide' of communism reached hysterical levels. The year following the Petrov Affair the Labor Party split. Rumours of spy rings and communists within Labor Party damaged reputations and relationships. In 1957, a group within the party, led by Bob Santamaria, formed the breakaway 'Democratic Labor Party', the DLP. And they pledged to take a strong stand against communism and 'Protect Australia'.
A modern spy thriller was played out in Canberra in 1954. On the 13th of April, the three year term of the Menzies government was drawing to a close and federal parliament was sitting for its final session. A few hours before the close, Menzies made a startling announcement that a soviet diplomat in Canberra, Vladimir Petrov, had been granted political asylum and that a royal commission would be established to investigate allegations of a Soviet spy ring operating in Australia. Petrov's defection (changing allegiance or deserting a duty) raised questions about Australian security and stirred up the fear of communism in Australia. This 'Petrov Affair' soon dominated the newspapers with detailed accounts proving the existence of the spy ring which of course generated a mix of anger and fear. Dr Evatt, the opposition leader of the time was completely unaware of Menzies allegations before public announcement but claimed that the Petrov affair was part of a Liberal Party conspiracy aiming to keep Labor Party out of government. And in the lead up to the 1954 election, Labor Party was portrayed as being sympathetic or accepting of communism. This fear of the 'red tide' of communism reached hysterical levels. The year following the Petrov Affair the Labor Party split. Rumours of spy rings and communists within Labor Party damaged reputations and relationships. In 1957, a group within the party, led by Bob Santamaria, formed the breakaway 'Democratic Labor Party', the DLP. And they pledged to take a strong stand against communism and 'Protect Australia'.