Changing Work Patterns
Whitlam Dismissal Essay
Assess the causes of the dismissal of the Whitlam Government on November 11th, 1975
Gough Whitlam was the first Prime Minister of Australia to be dismissed from office, by the then-Governor-General Sir John Kerr. The dismissal was the most dramatic day in Australian political history, however the causes cannot be pinpointed to just one reason. Among other minor factors, it can be determined that the dismissal of Whitlam’s government was caused by the Senate’s acts of blocking supply and breaking political conventions, and the Governor-General’s actions against convention.
The original point of the Constitutional crisis, which led to the dismissal of Gough Whitlam and his government, was the senate’s decision to break political conventions and hold up supply. In 1975, the treasurer Bill Hayden brought down the government’s budget for 1975-76. Attached were the common appropriation bills, which were required to be passed by both houses of parliament to give the government its supply. At this point, the Labour party, led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, had the majority of seats in the house. However, 2 Labour senators left their seats. Convention stated that the premier would appoint a new senator of the same political party- yet; despite this, 2 non-labour senators were appointed to fill the vacancy, giving the Liberal-Country party the power to block the appropriation bills if desired, and therefore hold up supply. Malcolm Fraser, leader of the opposition, confronted Whitlam and asked him to resign. At this point it was clear to both parties that Liberal would win such an election, and so Whitlam refused. Fraser then decided as predicted, to use his numbers in the senate to hold up supply, which in turn would force the government to run out of money and therefore call an election, highlighted by Fraser’s statement in the House of Representatives in 1975 – “We will use the power vested in us and delay the passage of money through the
Assess the causes of the dismissal of the Whitlam Government on November 11th, 1975
Gough Whitlam was the first Prime Minister of Australia to be dismissed from office, by the then-Governor-General Sir John Kerr. The dismissal was the most dramatic day in Australian political history, however the causes cannot be pinpointed to just one reason. Among other minor factors, it can be determined that the dismissal of Whitlam’s government was caused by the Senate’s acts of blocking supply and breaking political conventions, and the Governor-General’s actions against convention.
The original point of the Constitutional crisis, which led to the dismissal of Gough Whitlam and his government, was the senate’s decision to break political conventions and hold up supply. In 1975, the treasurer Bill Hayden brought down the government’s budget for 1975-76. Attached were the common appropriation bills, which were required to be passed by both houses of parliament to give the government its supply. At this point, the Labour party, led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, had the majority of seats in the house. However, 2 Labour senators left their seats. Convention stated that the premier would appoint a new senator of the same political party- yet; despite this, 2 non-labour senators were appointed to fill the vacancy, giving the Liberal-Country party the power to block the appropriation bills if desired, and therefore hold up supply. Malcolm Fraser, leader of the opposition, confronted Whitlam and asked him to resign. At this point it was clear to both parties that Liberal would win such an election, and so Whitlam refused. Fraser then decided as predicted, to use his numbers in the senate to hold up supply, which in turn would force the government to run out of money and therefore call an election, highlighted by Fraser’s statement in the House of Representatives in 1975 – “We will use the power vested in us and delay the passage of money through the