I’ve just finished reading “Billy Hughes” by Aneurin Hughes (not related). The sub-title is “Prime Minister and controversial founding father of the Australian Labor Party”.

It’s not a full biography and tries to paint a portrait of the man, rather than the politician. But Hughes lived for politics, becoming the longest serving elected member in the British Commonwealth.

I knew only a little about him and still feel there is much more to learn.

He has been demonised over the failed First World War conscription referendums, which split the Labor Party.

Most people remember Hughes for that and the photographs of him as an old man still serving in Canberra.

He was young once, of course.

Sadly he is not remembered for his efforts in establishing the ALP and charting a moderate path for the labor movement, when it could easily have been caught up in the revolutionary fervor sweeping the world.

His Labor legacy is probably forgotten because he became a “rat” and switched sides to the conservatives.

Hughes didn’t need the people’s mandate to introduce conscription. He could simply have passed legislation through parliament, as John Curtin did in the Second World War.

Hughes wasn’t afraid of making tough decisions, so it’s rather curious why he went down that path.

I was interested to read about his role at the Paris Peace Conference that formally concluded the war and led to the League of Nations being established.

Hughes asserted Australia’s right to a place at the negotiating table and was quite a significant player.

He insisted that Australia be given control of German territories in the Pacific south of the equator.

He was ahead of his time in fearing Japanese ambitions in the region and wanted New Guinea in Australian hands as a buffer against potential attack. This proved a clever strategy in the 39-45 war.

The controversies he generated at the peace conference were related to blocking the “racial equality clause” in the league covenant and deriding American efforts to create the world body.

He also pushed for unrealistic reparations from Germany.

Japan, which had fought on the allied side, wanted freedom for its citizens to travel, which Hughes vigorously opposed.

Hughes clashed heatedly with American president Woodrow Wilson.

Hughes described Wilson “as humorless as the great pyramid …as impassive as an undertaker at a pauper’s funeral”. Wilson described Hughes as a “pestiferous varmint”.

In one reported exchange:

Wilson: But after all you only speak for five million people.

Hughes: I speak for 60,000 dead. For how many do you speak?

America entered the war late (Wilson campaigned against it at the 1916 election) and lost 53,000 dead in battle.

Hughes is remarkable for his longevity in parliament (58 years) and the fact he changed parties five times.

He was the most colorful Australian politician of his era. He was influential in founding the ALP and in consolidating the federal system.

The book gave just a snapshot of his life, including his personal relationships, and I’m now keen to read more.