Although Jim Cairns s reputation has been marginalized, the past 25 years have revealed that he was the major thinker and the driving influence behind the reforming policies and ideals of the Whitlam government. This book follows Cairns s ideological journey and preoccupation with finding the key to social change. It also offers a broad social and political context to Cairns s life, including the ideological character of the Labor Party over the past 50 years. Examining the protracted ideological and political rivalry between Gough Whitlam and Cairns, this work positions Cairns as a hero of the left.
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