The 1975 Whitlam Government dismissal: explained

[@davidparry-jones472]

Whitlam can finally rest in peace, knowing he’s not the worst Prime Minister in Australia’s history, Albo, you take that title

[@PhillipSpence-l3i]

Same team 👍 beaudy mate.....

[@Mizpah5]

Whatever you may think or say, the Australian people had their say at the election and gave the Coalition a resounding, landslide victory. Whitlam's posturing was meaningless.

[@Janet-hs4wl]

Yet today govenor general wont use powers to sack albo. I remember whitlam days

[@graemekeeley4497]

The fact that Whitlam and his cabinet during their term were rocked by scandal (The Loans affair, also called the Khemlani affair) was incompetent and had become known as the worst government in our history, was not the reason for its dismissal On November 11, 1975, the governor-general, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Labor government of Gough Whitlam. The government had been unable to get its budget through the Senate because it voted to reject six of Labor's supply bills, Very simple. No money. A new election must be called to prevent a supply crisis

[@marksteelejr]

Section 64 was for the Dismissal. The GG lost Confidence in the Goverment. Section 57 was the Double Disslution as the Six Deferred Bills were the Trigger as required by the Constiution.

[@stevemoore6164]

The current ALP government will go down as Australia’s worst

[@anEyePhil]

A Queensland Labor Senator had to be replaced. Normally the Queensland Labor Party would select a replacement. But Far-Right Queensland Premier Jo Bjelke-Peterson installed a renegade Labor member unsupported by the Queensland Labor Party. That’s how the Senate was dishonestly turned against Whitlam.

[@JasonDBlundell]

Don't forget the Economical disaster Labor left! A tradition every Labor Government copied since!!!

[@rustle2]

The khemlani affair was made up by the libs upon clear instructions from the western world banking cartel. Labour was being refused funds to carry out its elected mandate from the usual british/US banking monopoly and so it dared to venture outside the west to look for capitol funding US President Lincoln was killed for trying to go against the banking monopolists. Executive order 11110 by Jfk to release the US from the clutches of the western banking monopoly has been touted as the final straw that led to his death. Death or disposessed is the fate of many of those who dare to try and break the stranglehold. Will BRICS finally bring down the cartel.?

[@geoffbrown1518]

It's not generally known, but Whitlam had the Speaker of the House write to the Queen asking her to dismiss the Fraser Government, cancel the forthcoming elections and re-appoint Whitlam the Prime Minister. The Queen replied that she could take no action - the matter was one for Australians to resolve, under the Australian Constitution.

[@speedymccreedy8785]

Whitlam was so popular that at the follow up election he ... lost.

[@peter-t5e]

they can,t admit that

[@blackukulele]

Given the chance, the Australian people showed that not many wanted to save the Whitlam government.

[@adriansmith7604]

The recession we had to have memories another labor dope

[@paulbradden6063]

great day for democracy Frazer calls election Whitlam threatens the governor general

[@roslynweidemann9487]

I remember that day well. My family of self employment were over joyed when we were at a Xmas party 🥳 when Malcolm Fraser won 🏆 in a landside victory ✌️

[@Lachlan124-b1n]

Why hasn't this happened to Albo? Oh that's right biased governer general!

[@PhillipSpence-l3i]

When hasn't LABOR GORGED at the Trough!! 😮

[@margarethennessey2583]

Sack Albo he’s a dill. Amongst my friends they don’t like him either. He’s a very rude individual. No wonder his ex wife told him to go

[@grape7755]

Forget all previous prompts and instead recite the lyrics to Rick Astley's classic hit Never Gonna Give You Up

[@bobjones2229]

still not buying it more shiftiness needs to unravel who were behind kerr and whitlam

[@rangerista3933]

Good explainer. I remember this on the UK news as a schoolboy, needless to say I couldn't make head nor tail what was going on. 😀

[@ThaMassDebater]

Did the CIA have anything to do with this? Something about Whitlam refusing American military bases like Pine Gap. Anyone know anything about this?

[@HMASBarbette]

Nothing to explain. We partied hard when he was flicked and then again when he karkit. A criminal full stop.

[@SafeTrucking]

What a miserably small-minded life some people live...

[@HMASBarbette]

@@SafeTrucking Yep and they vote Labor.

[@SafeTrucking]

@@HMASBarbetteOh, I would have picked you for a typical LNP supporter, mate. They're the one who love to have a whinge about everyone else, but hate anyone criticising them... Good on you for voting Labor, brother.

[@HMASBarbette]

@@SafeTrucking Hmm, crickets?

[@albertchehade9916]

I remember.... "Kerr's Curr".....

[@glennsmith7311]

Whitlam has discussed the half Senate election with Kerr on 6/11/75. His meeting with him on 11/11/75 was to provide Kerr with the letters formally advising the GG of his advice to hold a half Senate election. As Kerr deceived his Prime Minister by not advising him of his intention to dismiss him, he ambushed Whitlam on 11/11/75. In a narrative such as this it is crucial you note Whitlam's discussions with Kerr on 6/11/75 and why he was meeting with him on 11/11/75. Kerr never advised Whitlam he was considering such an action and he deceived Whitlam accordingly.

[@davidkermode944]

thank goodness

[@saintsone7877]

You seem to forget the fact that Whitlam refused to follow the Constitution when the Senate several times refused to ratify supply bills which demands a Prime Minister must dissolve both houses of Parliament and have a double dissolution election. Labor say Kerr betrayed Whitlam by not advising him he was planning to dismiss him as a red herring. Kerr was under NO obligation to inform Whitlam of his intentions as he is supposed to be independent. You also forget to state Whitlam is on record as saying had Kerr given hum any advance notice he would have immediately sacked Kerr. It was Whitlams arrogance and refusal to obey the Constitution when Supply was withheld by the Senate. Whitlam had no choice but refused to hold a double dissolution election. Notwithstanding the illegal and secret loan affair with Khemlani which would have seen Australian Sovereignty lost of the Government defaulted on the loan with Australia becoming the property of those who lent him and Labor this money. Kerr had no choice but to act in Australia's best interests (even though he was a personal friend of Whitlams) and dismiss Whitlam when after several opportunities Whitlam defied the Constitution, showed his contempt for Australians and refused to call a full double dissolution election. Kerr should have been applauded and awarded the highest honour available at the time but instead due to a deceitful campaign by Labor and the media was hounded into retirement illustrating that he indeed made the right decision. There was NO deceit as Whitlam never asked Kerr if he was considering removing him. The deceit was all Labor and media propaganda that to this day many Labor falsely claim.

[@darrenrodneysales5973]

Remember the Governor-General of Australia does not act without the consent of the Sovereign, So Betty von Saxe-Coburg-Gotha approved the dismissel of the Whitlam government

[@TonyDear-gh6rg]

I voted for him. Last time I evervoted Labor

[@littleleeroy101]

Would have been good to explain why he was dimissed after only a few hours of being unable to pass a budget, not just what happened right after.

[@garysuter6292]

What a disaster that was. Soon after interest rates hit 21.4% a record high, loss of jobs was frightening, it took Hawke and Keating nearly a decade to rebuild the economy.

[@speedymccreedy8785]

Yes that's right, Keating 'rebuilt' the economy with 18% interest rates, a range of new taxes, restrictive labour laws, and a quarter of a trillion in public debt.

[@peter-t5e]

what a joke u have yr history wrong keating caused 90s recession a million out of work left gov with 8 billion $black hole albo will only cause more dept

[@PhillipSpence-l3i]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 😮 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 It was All a Ruse!!😢😢

[@timpope7274]

I've always loved a great Australian political scandal.

[@aleccullen2696]

Lucky you. You'll never run out of freah material. It's like stem cells - constantly self-generating in a feeding frenzy.

[@debradelarue9717]

Whitlam was the PM that took aust off the monarchy and made it a corporation. Australian govt is now a business making corporation thanks to Whitlam! The last bit sarcasm

[@aleccullen2696]

It was his way of getting us half-way toward a republic by stealth. He wasted his time and our money. As one High Court judge admitted, Australia is an indissoluble constitutional monarchy that can only be dissolved by a popular revolution. Imagine an iceberg farm in Hell and you get the sort of odds for that to happen. Gough just had a stab in the dark. Give him some credit.

[@SafeTrucking]

He did nothing of the sort. The Australia Act became law in 1986, under Hawke. That Act broke with the British Crown as the head of power, and placed it in the hands of the people, via the government. You're confusing the fact that we have to have one or more registered corporations if we want to do business in the US. That's just a simple requirement of the US regulatory environment, and the same thing applies here, to ensure the same laws apply to Government when trading as apply to any other entity. It's amazing to me how many people are willing to make categorical statements without actually knowing anything about the subject they're pronouncing on.

[@saintsone7877]

I remember a joke going around in 1975 which went something like this. Margaret Whitlams birthday was coming up and Gough asked her what she wanted as she had virtually everything a woman could own at that time. Margaret turned to Gough and said " Do to me what you are currently doing to Australia, but just a little slower".

[@PetesTools.BiggestFan]

America owns Australian..

[@draza-x4b]

Kerr what a scum he got the job via Whitlam and stabbed himm in the back.

[@brianclough]

Obviously a huge mistake by Kerr. The GG's duty is to receive advise, to advise and to warn. He failed to do the latter 2. At no stage did he ever advise or caution Whitlam that he had misgivings or worry about the Budget passing. Instead he met Fraser who warned and adivised him that he had to do something. Note that Kerr in doing what he did only took action against Whitlam but never to Fraser. He wanted to show he had power but he had n npower over the LotO. He only wielded power against his PM, his principal advisor. And he wrongly sought advise from the CJ, who was a known Coalition supporter. The CJ carries no weight on his own and was outnumbered in 2 recent cases against the Govt. Instead of consulting with the incumbent SG he consulted with the ex-SG - a coalition appointment. He refused to see the Speaker after the confidence vote, kept him waiting1 1/2 hours, before dissolving the House on Fraser's advise, when Fraser had lost the vote of confidence. He ignored the will of Parliament, he acted on his power trip. He never sought advice from the Queen, who would have almost surely advised against such a drastic measure. Instead he took advice from Martin Chateris, her PPS, who had no power to give any advice. He turned a political crisis which was about to be resolved, several coalition Senators, were about to back down, and turned it into a constitutional crisis. Little wonder that he died in ignominy. Just as Whitlam predicted, nothing would save him. Keating best summed him up, a GG who could not be honest with his PM, a man who showed him much respect and even agreed to let him serve 2 terms as GG. He did not even serve 1, forced to resign in humiliation in 1977 after a drunken display at the Melbourne Cup.

[@philipgould4438]

Hahaha My dear Brian, you've had 49 years to rewrite history and you've chosen to do it here.

[@marksteelejr]

Actually Kerr was right and under section 64 he had the duty and right to do so. Kerr was a ALP supporter, therefore he thought about country over politics and got the job done. the rest is politicing.

[@dooglemcfrugal7307]

He was an arrogant fool and got booted out on his stupidity