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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

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.

2 comments:

  1. I was only 8 when Gough was sacked - it's one of my earliest political memories.
    I thank him for my free(ish) uni education (I was the last year to do so), for Triple J (that got me through my 20's and 30's) and for universal health care. Some things will always be worth the cost.

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  2. He sounds like an amazing leader, Tamara. We could all use those. This is a beautiful tribute. (And I agree with Brona Joy -- some things are always worth the cost.)

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