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David who?
Nov. 9th, 2004 11:37 amNovember 11th is an important day in the Australian psyche. It's the day when Ned Kelly was hanged in 1880; it's the day when WWI ended in 1918, and observed as Remembrance Day; and it's the day when, in 1975, the Queen's representative in Australia sacked the elected government of the day. 29 years later, that last is still the most controversial event in the history of Australian politics.
The tall fellow to the left - in more ways than one - is Gough Whitlam. The smaller fellow is David Smith, secretary to Governor-General John Kerr, and he's reading the proclamation from Kerr that sacked the Whitlam government and dissolved Parliament. Whitlam famously responded "Well may we say, 'God save the Queen', because nothing will save the Governor-General."
( Background to the sacking. )
Smith has always been protective of Kerr's memory, and he recently launched a blistering attack on Whitlam: "It's time he said sorry to his party for being such a failure as leader... It's time he said sorry to the Australian people for being such a failure as prime minister and for giving us the most incompetent government we have ever had, and it's time that he told the truth about the events of 1975."
There are things in Whitlam's record and that of his government that can't be defended (his acquiescence to the invasion of East Timor, for one); others, like his introduction of free tertiary education, I approve of but can see the counter-arguments. There are reasons why Whitlam didn't win the election that followed his dismissal, or the one after that. But to describe him as a 'failure as prime minister' is to see only half of the picture; his failings were great, but so were his successes.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have a no-fault divorce system that doesn't compound the ugliness of a marriage breakdown with the sleaziness of making one of the parties into a culprit.
Thanks to Whitlam, the voting age was lowered to 18 (which was already, IIRC, the conscription age...)
Thanks to Whitlam, we no longer have conscription.
Thanks to Whitlam, the last remnants of the White Australia Policy were buried.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have SBS (which was mocked for many years, but is now widely recognised as bloody good.)
Thanks to Whitlam, we have one defence department instead of five.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have equal opportunities for women working for the Federal Government.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have reasonable consumer-protection laws.
Thanks to Whitlam...
By all means, criticise his failings; he shouldn't be deified. But most of the things he broke were eventually mended; most of the things he mended might otherwise still be broken today.
The tall fellow to the left - in more ways than one - is Gough Whitlam. The smaller fellow is David Smith, secretary to Governor-General John Kerr, and he's reading the proclamation from Kerr that sacked the Whitlam government and dissolved Parliament. Whitlam famously responded "Well may we say, 'God save the Queen', because nothing will save the Governor-General."
( Background to the sacking. )
Smith has always been protective of Kerr's memory, and he recently launched a blistering attack on Whitlam: "It's time he said sorry to his party for being such a failure as leader... It's time he said sorry to the Australian people for being such a failure as prime minister and for giving us the most incompetent government we have ever had, and it's time that he told the truth about the events of 1975."
There are things in Whitlam's record and that of his government that can't be defended (his acquiescence to the invasion of East Timor, for one); others, like his introduction of free tertiary education, I approve of but can see the counter-arguments. There are reasons why Whitlam didn't win the election that followed his dismissal, or the one after that. But to describe him as a 'failure as prime minister' is to see only half of the picture; his failings were great, but so were his successes.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have a no-fault divorce system that doesn't compound the ugliness of a marriage breakdown with the sleaziness of making one of the parties into a culprit.
Thanks to Whitlam, the voting age was lowered to 18 (which was already, IIRC, the conscription age...)
Thanks to Whitlam, we no longer have conscription.
Thanks to Whitlam, the last remnants of the White Australia Policy were buried.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have SBS (which was mocked for many years, but is now widely recognised as bloody good.)
Thanks to Whitlam, we have one defence department instead of five.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have equal opportunities for women working for the Federal Government.
Thanks to Whitlam, we have reasonable consumer-protection laws.
Thanks to Whitlam...
By all means, criticise his failings; he shouldn't be deified. But most of the things he broke were eventually mended; most of the things he mended might otherwise still be broken today.
