GOUGH WHITLAM In His Own Words COLIN PEARCE GUIDE ISSUE 31 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION STUDY 1 INTRODUCTION The documentary starts with footage of as their focus for Area of Study 2 in Unit the ‘It’s Time’ launch of the 1972 election 4, and VCE Political Studies, in relation Gough Whitlam: In His Own Words is campaign, it then goes back to 1951 and to the ALP and its organization and the a 90 minute documentary, fi lmed early Whitlam’s explanation of his decision to roles of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. in 2002, in which former Prime Minister enter politics at that time. Thereafter it It would be diffi cult to use the fi lm ex- Gough Whitlam is interviewed by ALP focuses on Whitlam’s political career, tensively at lower levels, in part because Senator John Faulkner. Faulkner en- with particular emphasis on the reorgan- of its length. Short snippets, however, tered the Senate in 1989 following the resignation of Senator Arthur Gietzelt ization of the party, the achievements could be used by a teacher to illustrate and has been Leader of the Opposition of his governments between 1972 and particular facets of Australian political in the Senate since 1996. While there is 1975, and the events leading up to the history in the second half of the twen- extensive use of archival fi lm and pho- dismissal of the government by the Gov- tieth century. The principal diffi culty, tographs, the fi lm is largely in the form ernor-General, Sir John Kerr—described however, is the levels of knowledge and of an extended and illustrated mono- as a conspiracy. language facility that are assumed, and logue, with Whitlam and Faulkner facing it seems that the fi lm is aimed at an edu- each other throughout in armchairs. It makes no attempt to be a balanced cated adult audience with wide-ranging account of the times and events which historical and political knowledge and it covers: Faulkner, who was both the an extensive vocabulary. ISSUE 31 writer and narrator of the fi lm, describes it as ‘Gough Whitlam’s view on a range THE START AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION of issues’ and comments;’we’re not pretending it’s anything else’. Faulkn- The film begins with footage of the er’s admiration for Whitlam throughout Saint Kilda launch of the 1972 elec- is palpable. tion campaign which led to the fi rst ALP Federal government in Australia CURRICULUM LINKS for twenty-three years, with Whitlam being photographed from below (this The fi lm is of particular relevance to soon changes as the camera becomes students of VCE Australian History, es- level with him). Archival fi lm and pho- 2 pecially those studying ‘The Dismissal’ tographs are then used to establish a Previous page: XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX This page clockwise from top left: picture of Gough as a family man with this particular piece was chosen? (it XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX three children in 1951, seeing Federal recurs at various points throughout XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX government involvement as necessary the fi lm). Find out about Whitlam’s XXX in the provision of education and health relationship with Italy (besides services in the growing suburbs. Leggo advertising!) Towards the end of the fi lm we see 1944 another election campaign—that of 1975—and return to Gough the family Whitlam identifi es the 1944 referendum, man with his comments on the longev- in which he campaigned (successfully!) ity of his marriage, made shortly before for a ‘Yes’ vote in his RAAF unit, as their 60th wedding anniversary. a ‘galvanising point’ for him. This was an attempt by the wartime • Throughout the fi lm, Gough’s height ALP government to gain greater is emphasized. Can you suggest powers for the Federal govern- why this should be so? ment at the expense of the • Faulkner appears to be ‘laid-back’, states, in particular for the ISSUE 31 almost casual, throughout the in- Reconstruction period fol- terview, while Whitlam is an upright lowing the war. AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION fi gure throughout. Why do you think this was done? • What were the powers • Comment on the structure of the the ALP government fi lm. To what extent is it chrono- wished to gain for logical? Why do you think it starts the Federal govern- in 1972, goes to 1951, and then ment after the war? back to 1944? • Why was the ref- • Early in the fi lm we hear the Inter- erendum unsuc- mezzo from Mascagni’s opera ‘Cav- cessful? alleria Rusticana’. Why do you think • How did 3 the Uniform Taxation Act increase conferences by left-leaning unions. In ALP or a L-CP Prime Minister? the Commonwealth government’s Victoria particularly, some members of Give detailed reasons for your an- powers at this time? the Catholic Church began using similar swer, looking at the achievements • How was Whitlam able to use the tactics to try and gain control of union of each, Australian Constitution later to branches and, as a result, Labor policy. largely control State Government In the fi lm Whitlam refers to the differ- BRIEF BIOGRAPHY: spending? ences between New South Wales, where three successive Catholic cardinals did • 11 July 1916 – born in Kew, Mel- THE AUSTRALIAN not follow this policy, and Victoria, where bourne, the son of a solicitor who CONSTITUTION: Mannix, whom he describes as “an Irish became a leading public servant nationalist”, had been in virtual control of (Commonwealth Crown Solicitor) Throughout his time in parliament the Church for many years. This was to • 1918 – family moved to Sydney Whitlam was particularly involved in the lead to a split in the ALP, with the crea- – Whitlam educated at Mowbray workings and wordings of the Australian tion of the Queensland Labor Party and House and Knox Grammar School constitution. He was a member of the the Labor Party (Anti-Communist), later • 1928 – family moved to Canberra parliamentary joint Committee on Con- the Democratic Labor Party. DLP prefer- – Whitlam educated at Telopea stitutional Reform from 1956 to 1959, and ences went to the Liberal and Country Park High School (four years) and led the Australian parliamentary delega- Parties, and until 1974 the DLP held the Canberra Grammar School tions to the Constitutional Conventions balance of power in the Senate. • 1935 – to University of Sydney: in Melbourne in September 1973 and graduated in Arts and Law (BA., Sydney in September 1975. He was This was the background against which LLB) deputy leader of the delegation to the Whitlam began the process of chang- • 1941 – joined Royal Australian Air Convention in Hobart on October 1976. ing the structure of the Australian Labor Force enlisting in the General Du- Party. The ‘36 faceless men’ tag, where- ties Branch; although he suffered • Was Whitlam consistent in his by parliamentary leaders waited outside badly from air-sickness, served as attitude to constitutional reform meetings to be given their instructions, a navigator; discharged 1945 with throughout his career? needed to go. rank of Flight Lieutenant. • In what ways has the Constitution • 22nd April 1942 – married Margaret been changed as a result of the • How did Whitlam change the struc- Dovey at Vaucluse, Sydney; four Conventions of 1973-76 and the tures of the party and bring about children followed: Anthony (b. 1944, referenda that followed? change in its policy-making proc- now a Federal judge); Nicholas (b. esses? 1945, a merchant banker); Stephen THE ALP AND ITS • What happened in Victoria? (b. 1950) and Catherine (b. 1954). ORGANIZATION. • Compare the changes made by • 1945 – admitted to the New South Whitlam (and others) to the party Wales bar The Australian Labor Party began in the organization in the 1960s to those • 1945 – joined the Australian Labor 1890s as the political arm of the trade now being put forward by the cur- Party union movement, after the relative fail- rent ALP leader, Simon Crean. In • 1950 – was unsuccessful in bid for ure of strike action earlier in the dec- what ways are they similar? In what the NSW State seat of Sutherland ade. After federation in 1901 it became ways different? • 1952 – won Labor pre-selection for a federal party, with each state’s union the seat of Werriwa; won a by-elec- movement sending an equal number of One of Whitlam’s achievements as tion for the seat on 29 November delegates to a federal conference, which Parliamentary Leader of the ALP was following the death of the member, was responsible for the Party’s policy. the introduction of the ‘shadow cabinet’ H.P. Lazzarini In between meetings of the conference, which enabled the parliamentarians to • 17 Feb 1953-31 July 1978 – Member policy was implemented by the Federal have a much greater input into the crea- of the House of Representatives for executive. ALP members of parliament tion of policy in their particular areas of Werriwa, NSW signed a pledge to support the policy expertise. • 1956-59 – served on Joint parlia- ISSUE 31 agreed on by conference: in general, the mentary committee on Constitu- members of parliament were seen as A key difference at this time between the tional Review AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION servants of the union movement (this ALP and L-CP in government was that • 1960 (7 March)-1967 (8 Feb) – Dep- was one of the reasons for splits in the the L-CP Prime Minister selected his own uty Leader of the Opposition Party in 1917 and in 1931). Ministers (or at least the Liberal Party • 1962 – Queen’s Counsel ones). In an ALP government the Minis- • 1967 (8 Feb) – 1972 (5 Dec) - Leader After the Second World War the ALP ters were elected by caucus, the meeting of the Opposition became involved in ‘the Cold War’ of all parliamentary members, and their • 1967-77 – member of the ALP Na- between communism and the ‘free portfolios (areas of responsibility) were tional Executive world’.