▁oblig ation ▁to ▁guarantee ▁full ▁employ ment ▁and ▁to ▁interven e ▁as ▁necessary ▁to ▁implement ▁that ▁guarantee . ▁The ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁the ▁paper ▁was ▁ordered ▁by ▁The ▁Australian ▁Labor ▁Party ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁John ▁Curt in ▁and ▁his ▁Emp loyment ▁Minister ▁John ▁D ed man ▁and ▁undert aken ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁econom ists ▁head ed ▁by ▁H . C . ▁Co omb s . ▁ ▁The ▁contrast ing ▁experiences ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁and ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁convinced ▁the ▁Labor ▁Party ▁that ▁govern ments ▁could ▁and ▁must ▁interven e ▁to ▁ensure ▁the ▁achiev ement ▁of ▁full ▁employ ment . ▁The ▁introduction ▁to ▁the ▁White ▁P aper ▁sum med ▁this ▁up : ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁more ▁houses , ▁food , ▁equipment ▁and ▁every ▁other ▁type ▁of ▁product , ▁before ▁the ▁war ▁not ▁all ▁those ▁available ▁for ▁work ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁find ▁employ ment ▁or ▁to ▁feel ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁security ▁in ▁their ▁future . ▁On ▁the ▁average ▁during ▁the ▁twenty ▁years ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁more ▁than ▁one - t enth ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁des iring ▁work ▁were ▁un emp loy ed . ▁In ▁the ▁worst ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁de pression ▁well ▁over ▁ 2 5 ▁per ▁cent ▁were ▁left ▁in ▁un product ive ▁id len ess . ▁By ▁contrast , ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁no ▁financial ▁or ▁other ▁obst acles ▁have ▁been ▁allowed ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁extra ▁production ▁being ▁satisfied ▁to ▁the ▁limit ▁of ▁our ▁resources .