People Power and Politics in the Post-War Period - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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People Power and Politics in the Post-War Period

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People Power and Politics in the Post-War Period Prime Ministers and Policies Edward Gough Whitlam Gough Whitlam (1916 - ) Born 11 July 1916 at Kew, Victoria B.A. LLB ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: People Power and Politics in the Post-War Period


1
People Power and Politics in the Post-War Period
  • Prime Ministers and Policies

2
Edward Gough Whitlam
3
Gough Whitlam (1916 - )
  • Born 11 July 1916 at Kew, Victoria
  • B.A. LLB, (Syd.).
  • Barrister
  • Queens Counsel since 1962

4
Military Service
  • Whitlam enlisted in R.A.A.F General Duties Branch
    1941.
  • Discharged 1945 with rank of Flight Lieutenant.

5
Parliamentary Service
  • Elected to the House of Representatives for
    Werriwa, New South Wales, at by-election on 29
    November 1952, following the death of H.P.
    Lazzarini.
  • Deputy Leader of Opposition from March 7, 1960 to
    February 8, 1967.
  • Leader of Opposition from February 8, 1967 to
    December 5, 1972.
  • Prime Minister from December 5, 1972 to November
    11, 1975.
  • Leader of Opposition from January 27, 1976 to
    December 22, 1977.

6
Background to the Whitlam Era
7
The Menzies Era
  • Australia had been governed since 1949 by the
    Liberal/Country Party coalition. Led by Robert
    Menzies, the coalition won seven consecutive
    elections (1951, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1961 1963).
    Menzies became the longest-serving Prime Minister
    in Australias federal history and retired in
    January 1966.
  • The Vietnam War was by then becoming the dominant
    issue of the decade. Menzies had taken Australia
    into the war in 1965. Following his retirement,
    the United States President, Lyndon Baines
    Johnson, visited Australia and was confronted by
    rowdy protests wherever he went. Now led by
    Harold Holt, the coalition had a landslide
    victory at the elections that year.

8
The Menzies Era
  • The 1966 election saw the end of the leadership
    of the ALPs (Labor Party) Arthur Callwell. In
    February 1967, Edward Gough Whitlam, who has
    served as Deputy Leader since 1961, became Leader
    of the Opposition.
  • But the focus was on the coalition government
    which had started a steady decline. Amidst
    leadership speculation, Prime Minister Harold
    Holt disappeared at Cheviot Beach in Portsea in
    1967 and was succeeded by John Gorton.

9
John Gorton - the larrikin PM
  • Gortons accession to the prime ministership was
    marked by acrimony (hostility). The Country Party
    Leader, John McEwen, vetoed (prohibited) the
    election of William McMahon, threatening the walk
    out of the coalition and thus bring down the
    government if the Liberals elected his longtime
    economic policy opponent.
  • Amidst this turmoil, John Gorton moved from
    Senate to take Holts vacant seat of Higgins and
    the nations top political office.
  • In 1969, Gorton was returned to office in the
    general elections, but lost 17 seats to the
    Australian Labor Party opposition led by Whitlam.

10
John Gorton -
the larrikin PM
  • Whitlam had established himself as a formidable
    campaigner, winning a number of by-elections and
    taking a stand for internal reform of the ALP.
    The 1969 election resulted in the ALP winning a
    majority of the two-party-preferred vote, but
    failing to win enough seats.
  • Gortons leadership was challenged after the
    election by Paul Hasluck, later to be appointed
    Governor-General, and others.

11
John Gorton - the larrikin PM
  • Gortons demise came in 1971, when the Defence
    Minister, Malcolm Fraser, resigned from Cabinet,
    claiming that Gorton had a maniac determination
    to get his own way and alleging disloyalty in
    Gortons treatment of Fraser. A challenge to
    Gortons leadership was mounted resulting in a
    tied vote. Gorton used his own casting vote to
    give leadership to William McMahon.
  • Gorton was subsequently elected deputy leader of
    the party, but was sacked by McMahon a few months
    later, following the publication of a series of
    newspaper articles by Gorton, entitled I did it
    my way.

12
Gough Whitlam The Party,The Policies
  • In this climate of political decay, Whitlam had
    embarked on a three-year program to reform his
    Party, develop new policies, and persuade the
    People that it was time for a change in
    government.
  • The Vietnam continued to divide Australians.
    Protests over conscription were widespread. In
    1970, Dr. Jim Cairns led a massive Moratorium
    march again the war in the streets of Melbourne.

13
Gough Whitlam The Party, The Policies
  • Whitlam visited China in 1971, promising to
    establish diplomatic relations if elected to
    government. The attacks on Whitlam by the
    coalition were severely blunted during the visit
    by the announcement that US President Richard
    Nixon was working towards his own rapprochement
    with China.
  • Throughout 1972, Whitlams accession to the prime
    ministership seemed increasingly inevitable,
    although the eventual marking of victory was
    comparatively narrow, the major gains having been
    made in 1969.

14
Gough Whitlam The Party, The Policies
  • In the elections of December 2, 1972, against the
    onslaught of the ALPs Its Time campaign,
    McMahons Government lost office to Whitlam, the
    first change in Federal Government on Australia
    for 23 years.
  • In a whirlwind of activity, Whitlam was appointed
    Prime Minister on December 5, governing on tandem
    with his deputy, Lance Barnard until December 19.

15
The Whitlam Government
  • In 1967 Whitlam became the leader of the
    Australian Labor Party, in 1972, after 23 years
    of Liberal-Country Party government, Whitlam led
    the ALP to victory with the election slogan Its
    Time, and became Prime Minister.
  • The now famous Its Time slogan prompted the
    idea that it was time for change and reform. The
    Whitlam Government did make significant changes.
    One of the first things it did was to withdraw
    Australian troops form the war in Vietnam.

16
Reforms
  • Reforms were made, among others, in the areas of
    education health care, Aboriginal land rights,
    womens rights and family law. The voting age was
    reduced from 21 to 18 and the death penalty for
    federal crimes was abolished.

17
Reforms
  • An important reform in education was the
    abolition of university fees, which allowed many
    young people, and, importantly women, an
    opportunity to obtain a university degree and
    broaden their career choices. By introducing
    Medibank, the Whitlam Government also ensured
    that all Australians would have free access to
    health care. In 1972, the Whitlam Government took
    the important foreign policy step of establishing
    diplomatic relations with the government of the
    Peoples Republic of China.

18
After the Dismissal
  • Gough Whitlam remained in parliament as Leader of
    the Opposition for two years and retired from
    political life in 1978. After his retirement he
    accepted academic positions at the Australian
    National University and at Harvard University in
    the United States, and was Australias Ambassador
    to UNESCO in the 1980s. He has also received
    several honors, including honorary degrees, for
    his public work. Through the Whitlam Institute he
    continues to maintain an involvement in current
    political and social debates, and, as a former
    leader of the Labor Party, his views are often
    sought on the progress of the party.

19
Scandals
  • Whitlams dismissal as Prime Minister is one of
    the most controversial events in Australian
    political history. Following government financial
    scandals, the Opposition led by Malcolm Fraser,
    used its Senate majority to defer passing the
    Budget. As a result the Whitlam Government did
    not have sufficient funds to run the nation. On
    November 11, 1975 the Governor-General, Sir John
    Kerr, dismissed Whitlam as Prime Minister and
    appointed Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime
    Minister until an election was held on December
    13, 1975. The election resulted in the defeat of
    the Whitlam Government.
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