Clive James At Home - Gough Whitlam Geoffrey Robertson

The Kid From Kogarah cross-examines two unconventional Q.C.s - young Geoffie Robertson and old Goughie Whitlam.
Broadcast: ABC, 1987

[@bloggaloggs]

Watching this just reminds me of how intelligent our evening talk shows once were, what a class act Clive James was, and how I miss him.

[@MarkSmith-ht5ph]

It's so mentally invigorating. I love that Clive is as smart as his guests. A breath, no, blast of fresh air

[@SKW-12]

A journalist, a barrister and a politician walk into a bar ... Legendary! Thank you, Trevor, for sharing this outstanding piece of modern history.

[@KeithWilliamMacHendry]

This Scotsman absolutely adores Australia, I had so many good times in that amazing country. I cannae think of a more fair minded decent people, especially the wonderful people of Parks when I worked there in 1994. When Australians say I'll give you a fair go mate they really mean it. Heart felt love for a wonderful people & a special country, you are loved. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇦🇺❤️

[@foxmcqueen872]

@pete smyth Gosh, it didn't take long for someone dumb and racist to come along

[@johnball3634]

You're welcome here anytime, cobber. I just wish we had some fair-minded people running the place now rather than the fools who do.

[@cherylthommo1]

Scots dad, Aussie mum. I was blessed.

[@Gator1699]

Cheers.

[@richrockefeller3331]

@@johnball3634 I think you'll find it is the Labor state governments screwing things up philosophically and economically. I have not seen any conservatives push mandatory masks, vaccines or what is tantamount to Keating's "Australia Card". In fact the Prime Minister stated clearly that vaccines will not me mandated by the Federal Government department of health. It's clearly written on the front page of their website. Civil liberty attacks and human rights abuses have never been the domain of conservatives. It has always come from the socialists/radicals. Every. Single. Time.

[@lexie1215lf]

Three admirable men. Their command of the English language and wit a delight to hear and watch.

[@richrockefeller3331]

You are an idiot.

[@milalewis983]

Indeed. We no longer seem to produce men or women of this calibre any more. It was such a pleasure listening to them.

[@lleinikatya8859]

I can't believe this was unscripted, so funny. What do we have like this now? Intellectual, informative and witty. Love it

[@zekejones2249]

Certainly not Q&A with its clapping coterie of leftist seals.

[@NxDoyle]

I could quite happily have had another 41 minutes of that. Thank you for uploading.

[@kellogan8577]

Like many here I still find Gough holds my full attention in any of his interviews. Highly intelligent combined with amusing wit and vast knowledge. On a segway involving more comment . No I am not acard carrying supporter of the ALP.When watching this I realise that is Australian Labor Prime Ministers who hold far greater respect and Admiration in history than any of the conservatives. And looking back its easy to see why.I was a child when Robert Menzies was PM and I can acknowledge he achieved some good things. Yet look at what leaders the LNP have thrown up since the 1960s through to the present deterioration of any real intelligence a complete lack of vision no empathy for the vulnerable in society highly untrustworthy no proper regard for the working of Parliament with a self interest and greed factor rife among Morrison and conservative government. I would like to add that I think as modern history unfolds another Labor PM Julia Gillardwill carry far greater respect than any of the PMs the conservatives over the last few years.Of course She was hounded daily by the Murdoch Press which didn't help

[@neilforbes416]

I write this at a little after 11.00pm on 21st July, 2024, some five years after the passing of Clive James. He is *sorely missed* but watching this again I still got a hearty chuckle from Clive's opening lines. *RIP Clive James,* we will never see your like again and therein lies the pity.

[@gavaniacono]

Whitlam - brilliantly succinct and precise. And very amusing.

[@richrockefeller3331]

And a crook.

[@michaelschulz336]

@@richrockefeller3331 ...yes he was a barrister

[@lynnebarnes5645]

Gough, who knew? I love a comedian who can deliver a zinger with a poker face, hilarious.

[@fishernz]

Three brilliant, thoroughly opinionated Aussies holding forth.

[@liammalcolm]

Loved Gough. Seen Geoffrey Robertson in action. What a master he is

[@boldorboy08]

Brilliant. Three giants of their field. RIP Gough and Clive.

[@richrockefeller3331]

Gough, more elitist than the Queen...

[@jackstuhley1745]

@@richrockefeller3331please, you can’t really think that.

[@ray.shoesmith]

Geoffrey Robertson had a brilliant mind. Clive James and Gough Whitlam not far behind.

[@kingy002]

They are all comparable in their own fields.

[@pauliejay4161]

22:06 - "They all want to know what I'm saying". And he's right. How many Australian politicians could pull off a line like that convincingly?

[@moniquedelaney7958]

Brilliant mind indeed

[@savvasperisanidis]

​@@moniquedelaney7958I regularly watch this video.

[@cab711]

Gough makes me proud to be an Australian, thanks for uploading this.

[@QuantumResonanceHealing]

Are you serious he openly declared wanting Australia to become a Republic. That’s treason! You have absolutely no idea what your ANZACS left for us in that Shrine of Remembrance! They left a Kingdom and the wealth for us but we let the money lenders into the temple. Didn’t you hear what they were saying Oxford ‘the club’ Hawke a Fabian. FFS go listen again.

[@adriaandeleeuw8339]

@@QuantumResonanceHealing Well then what does John Howard organising a referendum, to determine if Australia was to become a Republic! Treason, do you actually know what treason is! Some how I don't think so! Oxbridge is a Club in Britain you are almost no one unless you have attended either. My great uncle was at Gallipoli, it wasn't according to him as being for King and Country, it was the adventure, and that they were told it would probably over before they got there!

[@QuantumResonanceHealing]

tradie 4theladies you have absolutely no idea what the ANZACS left for us. We are now witnessing an Administration Government that does NOT make laws to benefit the Australian people we are subject to usufruct. Whitlam shut down the seat of Parliament and then they set up their fraudulent Australian Government. Why don’t they refer to us as the Commonwealth of Australia? What the hell even is Australian Government?

[@QuantumResonanceHealing]

This information below is from a friend who knows more in this topic and the treason that has occurred in this country:- You should look into why Gough Whitlam couldnt wait until the opening of Parliament in May 1973. He forced a sitting before Christmas in what is known as a DUUMVERITE PARLIAMENT after a DISSOLVED parliament. How did a DISSOLVE of a Parliament occur. And how did it allow a NEW ENTITY of "Australia" to replace the Seat of Government of the "Commonwealth of Australia" as per Section 125 and the Preamble. They forced this at Christmas. After forcing a whole government to vacate.

[@milalewis983]

@@QuantumResonanceHealing : The ANZACs were poor Australian lads used as cannon fodder for that buffoon, Churchill, who sent them to their deaths on his strategic folly. Since we first became a colony Australia has been treated as a servile lapdog by one imperial master after another... and from the Boer War to the illegal invasion of Iraq, our men and women have been used as sacrificial lambs on the altar of our foreign master's expansionist wars. That, my dear, is nothing to be proud of. Whitlam was a visionary and a maverick who believed it was long past time that we became a sovereign nation in our own right and beholden to no foreign master or monarchy. May the great man rest in peace and may we long remember his name and legacy.

[@mikmop]

I love the part where Gough Whitlam says, if I had the job I would do it every bit as well as anybody else who's had it.... nudge, nudge, wink, wink. He was a very funny man.

[@kw5732]

Thank you Trevor. Quite possibly just found my favourite youtube video ever.

[@8.5gc-liber]

Thank you to the late and great Clive James. RIP 🙏😎 Still miss him on television. If this was made now for TV it would be edited for political correctness. The three Australian males were a delight and so refreshingly honest and fun.

[@neilforbes416]

Trevor Trevalgen: Thank you. thank you, THANK YOU for uploading this absolute CLASSIC piece of Clive James. As a satirist, Clive James put Max Gillies and others well in the shade. Sadly Clive is near death if not already deceased. Kerry O'Brien was the last to interview him. If dead, the world is MUCH THE POORER for his passing, but we can still enjoy his razor-sharp wit through this upload.

[@neilforbes416]

I used to love watching Saturday Night Clive on ABC years ago, he could really crack me up. Saturday nights on ABC with The Bill and Clive James.... Who'd even bother going out!

[@624radicalham]

fortunately Clive James is still alive 6 months after your comment! September 13, 2019

[@paulmaxwell-walters8861]

Sadly Clive James died today. Vale the great man 😢

[@624radicalham]

@@paulmaxwell-walters8861 Wow :(

[@brianmoylan1671]

Gough the great. Sorely missed.

[@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

"[Murdoch] He is a great Australian in the sense that Attila was a great Hun..." Geoffrey probably had no idea at this time how much more damage Murdoch would do to the world than Attila ever had.

[@richrockefeller3331]

What "damage" has he done? Present a non-progressive view? Yes, we should pull out his fingernails, send him to Guantanamo and waterboard him, shouldn't we?

[@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

@@richrockefeller3331 I think your user ID tells me all I need to know.

[@richrockefeller3331]

@@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen lol. Let me get this straight, you were watching the ABC one day and they said Rupert Murdoch is a robber baron and you think that's a fait acompli? So the government know more than us? Is that what is happening here?

[@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

@@richrockefeller3331 Either you are a troll or you lack the ability to properly connect with reality. Either way there is nothing to gain in any further discussion.

[@richrockefeller3331]

@@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen just answer the question.

[@karenm7449]

Brilliant. Thank you for taking the time to upload this:)

[@jackwhite277]

As a monolith of a bygone era….that should be 43 minutes and 11 seconds of compulsory viewing for every secondary school student and more importantly elected official in the country ( and they MUST pass the assessment before progressing. Taught by skilled experts to dissect and analyse every word well chosen, every nuance within the divergent opinions expressed in a measured, articulate and precise fashion. I am proud to be Australian!!

[@nurgulannear8532]

Each off these three gentleman were elluquent. How lucky we were without realising it

[@annettehill1372]

Geoffrey is the best husband to have, his lucky wife ! ❤❤❤ and Clive for the comedy ❤❤❤

[@raceace]

Elitists, intellectual whatever one might call it, their wit is truly cuttingly Australian and dry.

[@dunxbee2967]

I never realised how witty Gough Whitlam was! Love Geoffrey Robertson, very entertaining.

[@Pacabelle]

Fascinating interview. They don't make them like that anymore. I believe it's The Garrick Club's tie that Clive James is wearing.

[@TheTommylivingstone]

Gough the most intelligent Man of the last of the last 70 years

[@geoffcrumblin7505]

what a whimsical walk down memory lane with two sharp wits

[@RugbyLeaguePassport]

34 Years later and we still haven't worked out what type of republic we want to take to a vote

[@cathbrown215]

Still love Gough I have a photo of him, Mandela, and Obama in my home three of the most inspirational men of my time.

[@terrygj]

Gold! Well done Trev!!

[@pasqualedilorenzo9089]

Brilliant Aussies

[@annettehill1372]

Sir Geoffrey can help poor Julian Assange ❤❤❤❤

[@MrAndrewChung]

these were the days

[@johnrenehan7406]

🙏🙏🙏three very interesting and witty people

[@williamlee0]

The truly remarkable thing here, which the teenage me did not pick up, is that the largest ego in this room is James'.

[@kingy002]

Was that a bad thing?

[@annettehill1372]

Such handsome intellectual men ❤❤❤

[@ManfromuncoolBlogspotstars]

What a triangular round table, sans table.

[@MisunderstoodMisanthrope]

Was this a series? How many episodes were broadcast? I cannot find anything about it online. Thanks for sharing though - very amusing!

[@robdewey317]

🤔🤔 he has a perfect voice for radio.

[@moniquedelaney7958]

Why did the great minds of the 70s have so few babies ? It’s a sad state of affairs.😢

[@swiper1818]

Johnny Rotten "never mind the Stones its the Sex Pistols"

[@thedolphin5428]

Mick Jagger and The Rolling Bollocks.

[@NxDoyle]

Great minds discuss ideas. Australia resisted the change from constitutional monarchy to republic for a few quite simple reasons and one or two complex ones. The government of the day was pro-monarchy, but the referendum was geared for a negative, or anti-, response. Beyond that, the notion of a "president" confused people. They attached non-existent power to the title, believing that a two-thirds parliamentary majority did not give a president a mandate to govern. This despite the fact that an Australian president would not govern, they would simply be, effectively, a governor-general with a new title. Also despite the fact that the Prime Minister runs the government and they don't even need a two-thirds majority to run it. Technically they don't even need 50-50. If there had been an existing working model of a republic almost identical to Australia's system, we might be a republic now. But the three best models, the United States, Ireland and France, all had crucial differences. Ireland was and is the closest, but their president is popularly elected and lacks the reserve power of a vice-regal.

[@clubberlang589]

This is hilarious

[@460mas]

34:42 well said Gough.

[@richrockefeller3331]

What did he say?

[@anEyePhil]

Malcolm Turnbull did well in the English Courts. Did he change his accent?

[@johnball3634]

28:35 The problem of the Oz press summed up succinctly: concentration of media ownership; i.e. the arsehole is in control...

[@kingy002]

Rotten to the fuckin' core!

[@terrythekittie]

Paul Keating would have been the icing on this very tasty cake.

[@aybee63]

Unfortunately Clive was lost on the intellect of Whitlam. So many opportunities to deepen the discourse and probe but he didn't go there and just brought it back to a rather simple fire side chat. 26:23 for example and 34:32 Then there's 36:28 and Whitlam at his best!

[@nicholasjohnson6724]

16.50 Singo as foreign minister = YES !!!!!!

[@jameshenshall4232]

Clive James says that the republic debate is an intellectual exercise. This is unfair by Mr James. It is not more an intellectual exercise any more than any other debate on any area of pubic policy or topic of national interest.

[@JingleJangleJam]

I know, I thought that this charge made by Clive James was most unjust in quashing a record of a debate that could have been enlightening to future generations, which now we can't have for the sake of a few canned laughter one-liners - - Prompting Gough to take out the delightful story of the palace Corgis to us, at least keeping the humour within the limits of the topic of royalty and teaching us a higher point in a lower, more vulgar and easy to understand anecdotal way.

[@Master-AGN]

Extremely interesting. Nothing against the former p.m. but it’s obvious he suffered from intellectual snobbery. And that was his downfall. As his wife told him when the cabinet ministers came into announce the disillusion. “You should’ve slapped him!”

[@mrgoodwrench8181]

Going was and is a great statesman.

[@thedolphin5428]

Hail Gough. Hail Geoffrey. Clive was shown up as a bit of a lightweight in such company. Gough hates small talk, but his humour always hits the mark sharply and deeply. Geoffrey has a superb natural sense of intelligence and humour but Clive's is so forced (and scripted). It was a mistake for 2 such contrary guests to be put together.

[@brucelee-wo5ge]

A remarkable and poignant interview. Whilst James' verbal portrature can be brilliant, his paltry defense of Australia remaining a monarchy is classically shot down by both of his fantastically intelligent guests. The fact that it was recorded 12 years prior to the first Australian referendum on becoming a republic provides an insight into how apathetic and misguided a lot of Australian people were, and still are!

[@peterfeltham8065]

Speaking as a Pom, I found this very interesting and entertaining, three very intelligent men.

[@peregrinemccauley7819]

Alan ! Steve ! Andrew ! Gerald ! , all of youse , come quick ! Oh , uhm , ya better bring ya medical pills with youse too . Strewth !

[@sexobscura]

maybe now we'll get the order we paid for........

[@gavriloprincip1477]

Took a generation for Australia to recover (economically and financially) from Gough and his government. Australia is still suffering from his signing of the The Lima Agreement on Tariffs in 1975. I voted for him. In retrospect , I was very naive, very very very naive... Just saying...

[@rodneykiehne5212]

Perhaps as a Conservative you found Goughs changes were all to quick for you. I voted for him also and am very proud of that.

[@jholmzjholmz6592]

1975 Australian election Liberal Coalition 91 seats Whitlams high flyers 30?

[@richrockefeller3331]

Goats are very stupid animals. That is why I was compelled to name my goat, Gough.

[@richrockefeller3331]

In fact, my chicken just ate half a clothes peg. I think I will name her Gough too.

[@kingy002]

He's clearly a notch above your immaturity though.

[@richrockefeller3331]

@@kingy002 But not remotely in the same hemisphere as yours though, right? Pffft.

[@kingy002]

@@richrockefeller3331 All butt hurt because I called you out for name calling. Comedic!

[@richrockefeller3331]

@@kingy002 Naturally. You're a leftist. You attack anybody who criticises your tyrannical ideology. That's right - tyrannical. Naming my goat Gough though, was fn hilarious. It really burned you. Didn't it? Good.

[@stevencassidy6982]

I notice Gough gets his digs about London. Gough is nothing more then a puffed up backpacker.

[@davidarter6271]

What an embarrassment Gough Whitlam was. Couldn’t stand him.

[@kingy002]

Have you thought for a moment that maybe he wouldn't be able to stand you either?

[@davidarter6271]

@@kingy002 not for a second. For a start my opinion of him has been that low for over 50 years that I wouldn’t value his opinion at all. Secondly the prick was so full of his own self importance I am sure he would have been far too busy admiring himself to formulate any opinion on anyone else. To be fair though, I have warmed to him slightly since he died.

[@kingy002]

@@davidarter6271 Yip, I knew I was right.

[@herbie0408]

Whitlam loved the sound of his own voice, intelligent man but what a huge ego. Australia was lucky to come out of his Prime Minister-ship the way it did, Whitlam getting smashed in the 1978 election said it all, we had all had enough.

[@michaelboylan5308]

Frivolous vacuous rubbish,,,fancy talking about the Queens corgis,,,cringe making, Is James hoping for a knighthood. The archetypal Aussie joker,,,take it easy mate,,,dont get serious mate,,,have a larf mate, The colonial playing the clown,,as bad as that wretched Barry Humphries, Gosh,,,isJames really wearing The Garrick Club tie

[@neilwilliams929]

Gee mike ..".why NOT it's funny. I heard that story before .Lucky I wasn't Gough I would have said keep that little mongrel away from me Betty .

[@charlesmartella]

In WW2 France capitulated to save their historic buildings while the POMS fought and had al, their historic buildings bombed and that's a fact.

[@kingy002]

Please produce the evidence to substantiate your claim. Could you please also provide evidence of your credentials for me to ascertain as to whether you know what you are talking about, and as to whether I should give your comment any credence.