SALISBURY AFFAIR, THE

AUSTRALIANA Politics South Australia –

• xviii,351p., [8]p. of plates ; 18cm. @020226

• • Salisbury, Harold Hubert, 1915-1991
  • South Australia. Police Department Special Branch
  • Intelligence services & security services. Organisations. South Australia. Police Dept. Special Branch. Criminal records. Investigation. Related to dismissal of Salisbury, Harold Hubert, 1915-
  • Police. Salisbury, Harold Hubert, 1915- . Dismissal. Related to investigation of criminal records of Police Dept. Special Branch. South Australia
  • Intelligence service — South Australia
  • Criminal registers — South Australia
  • #020226
  • The 1978 Salisbury Affair was a major Australian political scandal involving the sacking of South Australian Police Commissioner Harold Salisbury by Premier Don Dunstan. It erupted after it was revealed the Special Branch was keeping secret, often inaccurate dossiers on thousands of citizens, and that Salisbury misled the government regarding these files, leading to a Royal Commission and the eventual dissolution of the Special Branch. 

  • y Details of the Salisbury Affair:

    • • The Cause: In 1978, it was discovered that the South Australian police Special Branch maintained files on politicians, trade unionists, and anti-nuclear protesters.

    • The Sacking: Premier Don Dunstan dismissed Commissioner Salisbury on 17 January 1978 for refusing to disclose, and for misleading the government about, the nature and extent of these files.

    • Constitutional Dispute: Salisbury argued that as police commissioner, he was responsible to the Queen (via the Governor) rather than the elected government, a view rejected by a subsequent Royal Commission.

    • Political Fallout: The dismissal was highly controversial, polarizing the public and causing a significant political uproar. A Royal Commission led by Justice Roma Mitchell confirmed that Salisbury had misled the government and that his removal was justified.

    • Legacy: The event led to the strengthening of ministerial control over the police, the reorganization of the Special Branch, and contributed to the eventual decline of the Dunstan Labor government. 

    The event is considered a landmark in Australian political history regarding police accountability.