Australian Prime Minister - Passing of a Giant

• Gough Whitlam became Australia’s 21st Prime Minister on 5 December 1972. His Labor government, the first after more than two decades, set out to change Australia through a wide-ranging reform program.  [Ref]

• Whitlam’s term abruptly ended when his government was dismissed by the Governor-General on 11 November 1975.

• Today he died at 98Yrs old.

• He will be remembered as one of Labor’s great reformist leaders.

• In office, he launched trailblazing reforms that included abolishing national service, pulling troops out of Vietnam, giving extra pay to women, establishing free university courses and improving Aboriginal rights.

• Whitlam was also credited for reforming the Australian Labor Party and established diplomatic relations with communist China. [Ref]

 “We want to give a new life and a new meaning in this new nation to the touchstone of modern democracy — to liberty, equality, fraternity.”
Gough Whitlam, ALP Policy Speech, 13 November 1972 [Ref]

 The Whitlam era was effectively the era I was born into - my political and social consciousness wasn't even aware of what was happening around me. However, I was very aware of my parents interest in this mans politics. 

Today, I pay my respects to a man who made significant changes to the world I live in. I think now I know more, it would've been a different place if he was in power a little bit longer.