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Home , Albert Field, Arthur Gietzelt, Double dissolution, Faceless men, Maurice Byers, Reg Withers

In HisOwnWords

STUDYGUIDE COLIN PEARCE

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION SCREEN AUSTRALIAN ISSUE 31 ISSUE 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 . 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 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 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 , where three successive Catholic cardinals did • 11 July 1916 – born in Kew, Mel- 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 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 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 : 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 ’ 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 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, . 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’. Communists controlled many allocated by the Prime Minister. • 5 Dec 1972-11 November 1975 union branches; hence much ALP policy – Prime Minister of Australia 4 was being decided at state and federal • Who would have more power—an • 5 December 1972- 6 November 1973 – Minister for Foreign Affairs the Opposition (Whitlam was leader or deputy leader • 1975 (11 Nov) – 1977 (22 Dec) • 1975 (21 August) – Fraser announc- of the parliamentary delegation to three – Leader of the Opposition es the opposition’s intention to ‘al- of these), and to political ideas which • 1978 (31 July) – resigned from Par- low the Budget passage through the are generally accepted but are not writ- liament Senate’ ten as law. An example would be the • 1978 – Companion of the Order of • 1975 (3 September) – Bjelke-Peter- convention that a retiring Senator will Australia son government in Queensland ap- be replaced by someone from the same • 1978 – became the fi rst National points anti-Whitlam to political party. This convention was bro- Fellow at the ANU the Senate vacancy created by the ken twice in 1975, and has now become • 1979 – Visiting Professor at Harvard, death of ALP Senator Bert Milliner law as part of the Constitution USA • 1975 (29 September) – Whitlam an- • 1983 – Visiting Professor, University nounces that there will be no House Dr H.C. ‘Nugget’Coombs: long-serving of Adelaide of Representatives election, even if senior public servant with substantial • 1983 – appointed Australian Ambas- the Budget is blocked infl uence, especially in the area of In- sador to UNESCO (in Paris; lived • 1975 (15 October) – Fraser an- digenous policy there until the end of 1986). nounces that the Senate will defer Budget bills until Whitlam agrees to Duumvirate: rule by two (the period of “THE DISMISSAL”. call a general election approximately a month after the 1972 • 1975 (16 October) – Appropriation election when all ministerial portfo- In the fi lm Whitlam refers to this as a Bills (Budget) blocked in Senate. lios were held by either Whitlam or his ‘conspiracy’ involving , • 1975 (10 November) – Kerr meets deputy, ) leader of the Opposition, Governor- Sir Garfi eld Barwick for lunch. General Sir John Kerr, and former Lib- • 1975 (11 November) – Kerr dismiss- Edna Everage: one of the ‘alter egos’ of eral Attorney-General and Chief Justice es Whitlam as minister, and appoints the Australian comic Barry Humphries; Sir Garfi eld Barwick. He also refers to Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister. Whitlam’s only bestowing of an Imperial it as a ‘coup’. (Note that Garfi eld Bar- Senate passes Budget bills. House Honour was to create her a ‘Dame’ wick’s book on the matter is titled Sir of Representatives passes no-confi - John Did His Duty) dence motion in Fraser. Both houses febrile: feverish (used to describe his of parliament dissolved. relations with Calwell) • Do you think that either of these • 1975 (December) – General election terms is justifi ed? Defi ne each term – Liberal-Country Party gains con- : DLP leader in the Senate. and give reasons for your answer. trol of both houses of Parliament (H His proposed appointment as Australian of R L-CP 91, ALP 36; Senate L-CP Ambassador to Ireland was one of the A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY: 36, ALP 27, Independent 1) precipitating factors of the 1974 and the political demise of • 1972 (Dec) – the ALP wins govern- GLOSSARY the DLP ment for the fi rst time in twenty- (WORDS AND NAMES USED BY three years (House of Representa- WHITLAM THAT MAY BE UNFAMILIAR) Goa: a Portuguese enclave in India, tives ALP 67, Liberal-Country Party held from the 1500s until 1960 when it 58; Senate ALP 26, L-CP ‘Blue Poles’: famous and controversial passed into Indian control 26, Democratic Labor Party 5, Inde- painting by Jackson Pollock, bought by pendent 3) the for the National hustings: formerly (until 1872), the • 1974 (April) – Senate defers Supply Gallery which it began platform from which candidates for the – double dissolution of parliament British parliament were introduced; now, • 1974 (May) – Election – ALP retains Clyde Cameron: ALP minister from any platform for political campaigning government (H of R ALP 66, L-CP heavily involved in trade 61; Senate ALP 29, L-CP 29, Liberal union activity. Shifted by Whitlam ‘Imperial honour’: awards given by Movement 1, Independent 1) the Queen on the recommendation of ISSUE 31 • 1974 (July) – Sir John Kerr appointed Rex Connor: ALP minister who unsuc- her governments. The Whitlam govern- Governor-General cessfully attempted to gain overseas ment introduced the Australian Honours AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION • 1974 (August) – Joint sitting of capital to carry out his grand vision system, which it hoped would replace House of Representatives and – the ‘Loans Affair’ Imperial honours Senate • 1975 (February) – Senator Lionel Convention: this word has three key ‘inherited colonial boundaries’: the Murphy (ALP) appointed a High meanings in this context. Whitlam uses boundaries created during the period Court Justice; NSW government it to refer to ‘International conventions’: of European imperialism, often bearing appoints (Independent) Cleaver agreements between nations on par- little relation to ethnicity or history; Goa Bunton to his seat ticular issues. It is also used to refer and Timor are given as examples • 1975 (March) – Malcolm Fraser re- to the meetings where changes to the places as Leader of Australian constitution are discussed ‘Kerr’s cur’: Whitlam’s epithet for Mal- 5 colm Fraser, delivered on the steps of why these failures may have occurred BOOKS Parliament House 11 November 1975 (look particularly at the role played by the Senate and by Reg Withers)? • Readings: the Whitlam Dismissal, Tirath Khemlani: Pakistani middleman 2001, History Teachers Association who was involved in the ‘Loans Affair’ Whitlam describes Sir John Kerr’s of Victoria, Melbourne. A collection second marriage as ‘not appropriate’. of documents illustrating how “the Vincent Lingiari: Gurindji leader, What do you think he meant by this? Dismissal” has been represented pioneer in the Aboriginal land-rights Was it a fair comment, especially after over time. movement his remarks about Kerr’s problems with • Whitlam and Frost,1974, Sundial, alcohol? London. The full text of their TV Sir Anthony Mason: Chief Justice of conversations; on the events of the High Court, 1975 John Faulkner has said that he hopes he 1972-73. has achieved a ‘well-rounded’ portrait of • The Whitlam Phenomenon, 1986, Junie Morosi: personal assistant to Dr Whitlam. Do you think he has succeeded McPhee Gribble/Penguin. “Fabian —a controversial appoint- in his aim? Has this programme given you Papers” on the Whitlam govern- ment. Her 1975 book Sex, Prejudice a clearer picture of events in Australia in ment. and Politics is an interesting document the last part of the twentieth century? • Freudenberg, Graham, A Certain of the period Grandeur, 1977, Macmillan. Whit- REFERENCES lam’s speechwriter and confi dant Justin O’Byrne: ALP Senate leader on his career from 1966 to 1975. in 1974 WEB SITES • Kerr, Sir John, Matters for Judge- ment, 1978, Macmillan. ‘orange lava’: Calwell’s term for ‘the • www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/ • Walter, James, The Leader, 1980, threat from the North’ 5557/whitlam.html University of Queensland. Attempts • www.whitlam.alp.org.au/bio.html to apply psychological theory in pressure groups: a group of people - the offi cial ALP site. creating a political biography of who organize to put pressure on gov- • www.whitlam.dismissal.com Whitlam. ernments (at any level) to achieve a • www.australianpolitics.com.au/ • Whitington, Don, The Witless Men, particular outcome, for example, pro- dismissal/ 1975, Sun, Melbourne. The perform- abortion and Right-to-Life groups ance of the ALP in power. These two sites are geared to students • Whitlam, E.G., On Australia’s Springbok tour: a tour of Australia of VCE Political Studies, and contain Constitution, 1977, Widescope, by the racially-selected South African a range of documents, background, Melbourne. Whitlam’s speeches on rugby team; confl ict was particularly sounds etc. the constitution, from 1957-76. Es- intense in Queensland sential, • www.library.trinity.wa.edu. • Whitlam, Gough, The Truth of the stagfl ation: a situation of stagnant eco- au/subjects/sose/austhist/ Matter, 1979, Penguin. Whitlam’s nomic growth but rapid infl ation (wages Whitlam.htm response to Kerr’s Matters for and prices rise rapidly, but production • www.whitlam.org/gough Judgement. doesn’t) • Whitlam, Gough, The Whitlam Gov- The site of the Whitlam Institute, within ernment 1972-1975, 1985, Viking, vested interests: a group with a par- the University of Western Sydney . Melbourne. ticular involvement (usually fi nancial), in an issue • www.cia.com.au/vic/cia.2.txt - 23k Whitlam is distributed by Ronin Films of conspiracy theory! PO Box 1005, Civic Square, ACT 2608 virulent: extremely bitter; poisonous • www.law.mq.edu.au.Units/law309/ 53-57.htm - looks in detail at sec- Wattie Creek: land returned to the tions 53-57 of the Australian Consti- Phone: 02-6248 0851 ISSUE 31 Gurindji tribe by the Whitlam govern- tution and the events of 1974-75. Fax: 02-6249 1640 ment (Dr Coombs suggested the ‘dirt- • www.vow.edu.au/law/civics/ AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION pouring’ gesture) updates/.html – the Solicitor-General in 1975, Sir Mau- CONCLUSION rice Byers, reflecting in 1998 on This study guide was produced 1975’s events. by ATOM. For more information Whitlam says at one point that he does • www.newdawnmagazine.com/ about ATOM study guides or The not wish to be regarded as an elder Articles/20%20Years%20of%20 Speakers’ Bureau visit our web statesman, an icon or a martyr. He be- Coverup1.html - more conspiracy site: www.metromagazine.com.au lieves that he should be judged on the theory – a 1996 article by Steve or email: [email protected] achievements of his government. What and Adelaide Gerlach in which they 6 were these achievements? Which items allege CIA conspiracy. in the ALP platform for the 1972 election were not achieved? Can you explain ISSUE 31 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

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