Love him or loathe him Gough Whitlam was a great Australian who has left a deep and lasting mark on our society and culture. May he rest in peace.
Dave
johnq said
01:20 AM Oct 22, 2014
"Now see here, I DID walk across Lake Burley Griffin and that should count for something" - Gough to God, explaining why he should have a go at the Heavenly Leadership, while Margaret looks on resigned.
RIP
jules47 said
08:26 AM Oct 22, 2014
RIP Gough - gone to join Margaret.
Just read this elsewhere, and thought I would share Gough Whitlam's term of office with you all -
RIP Gough Whitlam. We are unlikely to see his like again. He changed Australia allowing us to start emerging from the skirts of the British Empire and brought about such things as universal health care, land rights for indigenous Australians, free and open access to tertiary education, the start of equal rights for women and many more the least of which was to stop conscription and bring our troops home from Vietnam. There is no doubt that the Australia we all enjoy today had its beginning with Gough. My thanks for a great man.
It was the Whitlam Government that:
1. ended Conscription, 2. withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam, 3. implemented Equal Pay for Women, 4. launched an Inquiry into Education and the Funding of Government and Non-government Schools on a Needs Basis, 5. established a separate ministry responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, 6. established the single Department of Defence, 7. withdrew support for apartheidSouth Africa, 8. granted independence to Papua New Guinea, 9. abolished Tertiary Education Fees, 10. established the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme (TEAS), 11. increased pensions, 12. established Medibank, 13. established controls on Foreign Ownership of Australian resources, 14. passed the Family Law Act establishing No-Fault Divorce, 15. passed a series of laws banning Racial and Sexual Discrimination, 16. extended Maternity Leave and Benefits for Single Mothers, 17. introduced One-Vote-One-Value to democratize the electoral system, 18. implemented wide-ranging reforms of the ALP's organization, 19. initiated Australia's first Federal Legislation on Human Rights, the Environment and Heritage, 20. established the Legal Aid Office, 21. established the National Film and Television School, 22. launched construction of National Gallery of Australia, 23. established the Australian Development Assistance Agency, 24. reopened the Australian Embassy in Peking after 24 years, 25. established the Prices Justification Tribunal, 26. revalued the Australian Dollar, 27. cut tariffs across the board, 28. established the Trade Practices Commission, 29. established the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, 30. established the Law Reform Commission, 31. established the Australian Film Commission, 32. established the Australia Council, 33. established the Australian Heritage Commission, 34. established the Consumer Affairs Commission, 35. established the Technical and Further Education Commission, 36. implemented a national employment and training program, 37. created Telecom and Australia Post to replace the Postmaster-General's Department, 38. devised the Order of Australia Honors System to replace the British Honors system, 39. abolished appeals to the Privy Council, 40. changed the National Anthem to 'Advance Australia Fair' (confirmed at 1977 Referendum), 41. instituted Aboriginal Land Rights, and 42. sewered most of Sydney. (Hard to believe, isn't it, that Sydney wasn't even sewered 40 years ago???)
The Dismissal of the Whitlam Government on November11, 1975 was the most dramatic political event in the history of Australias Federation."
-- Edited by jules47 on Wednesday 22nd of October 2014 08:34:53 AM
GaryKelly said
08:33 AM Oct 22, 2014
Gough often joked about his status as a deity but he was also a regular bloke. One Saturday morning in '75 when he was at 2KY in Kings Cross to record a radio broadcast, he came down the grand winding staircase in the foyer (the building used to be a nightclub) when the young technician leading the way lost his slip-on shoe. Gough stooped to pick it up, and then handed it to the young bloke who was quite chuffed. A small gesture but significant nonetheless.
jules47 said
08:36 AM Oct 22, 2014
GaryKelly wrote:
Gough often joked about his status as a deity but he was also a regular bloke. One Saturday morning in '75 when he was at 2KY in Kings Cross to record a radio broadcast, he came down the grand winding staircase in the foyer (the building used to be a nightclub) when the young technician leading the way lost his slip-on shoe. Gough stooped to pick it up, and then handed it to the young bloke who was quite chuffed. A small gesture but significant nonetheless.
Yes indeed a lovely "regular" bloke. Loved a joke, was a great orator - in a room of 3,000 people, you felt he was speaking directly to you!
Gerty Dancer said
08:47 AM Oct 22, 2014
Thanks for posting that Jules, you beat me to it. What an amazing 3 years!!!
How many of us would not have a university degree without him?
How many Vietnamese babies would not have been adopted because of the White Australia Policy?
How many women would still be working in the same job as men with less pay?
How many of us have been divorced with the dignity of the "No Fault" rule?
These are ways I've been affected, who else has had their lives changed for the better due to Gough?
RIP...
I reckon the saints are going to have to move over for him in heaven!
johnq said
02:21 PM Oct 22, 2014
It seems that not all of the media is enamoured of Gough though. The Courier Mail Brisbane,
However the Greens have now borrowed his image and record, so the politicking in Canberra continues.
It is a pity that politics have not been kept out of it until after the State funeral.
tonyd said
07:25 PM Oct 22, 2014
One of the enduring myths of the Left is that Gough brought the troops back from Vietnam.
He DID NO SUCH THING.
All our combat troops had been pulled out by about February 1972. The election was in December 1972. At that time there might have been a handful of advisers left in Vietnam, and a few Diggers to guard the Embassy. That's who Gough brought home.
Whitlam also refused to help any Vietnamese who had been working with Australian forces, saying he did not want Australia to play host to "(expletive) Vietnamese Balts."
And at the election immediately after he was quite rightly sacked, he lost by a record margin, proving what the public thought of the pompous, posturing poseur.
Tony
Big Gorilla said
07:52 PM Oct 22, 2014
We must be careful not to let this thread get political.
One area in which I am grateful to Whitlam, and I don't think this is mentioned in Jule's post, unless # 15 covers it, is the complete dismantling of the White Australia Policy. I found this in Wikipedia:
The Menzies and Holt Governmentseffectively dismantled the policies between 1949 and 1966 and the Whitlam Government passed laws to ensure that race would be totally disregarded as a component for immigration to Australia in 1973. In 1975 the Whitlam Government passed the Racial Discrimination Act, which made racially-based selection criteria illegal. In the decades since, Australia has maintained largescale multi-ethnic immigration. Australia's current Migration Program allows people from any country to apply to migrate to Australia, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion or language, provided that they meet the criteria set out in law.
Whether you agree with me or not, if it wasn't for America, we'd probably all be speaking Japanese today.When I had a Beach Resort in the Philippines, an African American guy came in to the bar most afternoons for a beer. He was one of several retired U. S. Military guys who lived in the area. This day I had a drink with him and we were talking generally. To cut a long story short, he said to me that he'd like to visit Australia. I said why don't you. He said I'm pissed off with Australia. I applied to go there after the war and my Visa Application was refused. I asked "Why" and he said because I'm black.... Well....I saw Red, I was absolutely livid...What could I say to him...Well that racist problem no longer exists, so I guess I can thank Whitlam as one of our Prime Ministers for that...
Vic41 said
02:21 PM Oct 23, 2014
jules47 wrote:
RIP Gough - gone to join Margaret.
Just read this elsewhere, and thought I would share Gough Whitlam's term of office with you all -
RIP Gough Whitlam. We are unlikely to see his like again. He changed Australia allowing us to start emerging from the skirts of the British Empire and brought about such things as universal health care, land rights for indigenous Australians, free and open access to tertiary education, the start of equal rights for women and many more the least of which was to stop conscription and bring our troops home from Vietnam. There is no doubt that the Australia we all enjoy today had its beginning with Gough. My thanks for a great man.
It was the Whitlam Government that:
1. ended Conscription, 2. withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam, 3. implemented Equal Pay for Women, 4. launched an Inquiry into Education and the Funding of Government and Non-government Schools on a Needs Basis, 5. established a separate ministry responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, 6. established the single Department of Defence, 7. withdrew support for apartheidSouth Africa, 8. granted independence to Papua New Guinea, 9. abolished Tertiary Education Fees, 10. established the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme (TEAS), 11. increased pensions, 12. established Medibank, 13. established controls on Foreign Ownership of Australian resources, 14. passed the Family Law Act establishing No-Fault Divorce, 15. passed a series of laws banning Racial and Sexual Discrimination, 16. extended Maternity Leave and Benefits for Single Mothers, 17. introduced One-Vote-One-Value to democratize the electoral system, 18. implemented wide-ranging reforms of the ALP's organization, 19. initiated Australia's first Federal Legislation on Human Rights, the Environment and Heritage, 20. established the Legal Aid Office, 21. established the National Film and Television School, 22. launched construction of National Gallery of Australia, 23. established the Australian Development Assistance Agency, 24. reopened the Australian Embassy in Peking after 24 years, 25. established the Prices Justification Tribunal, 26. revalued the Australian Dollar, 27. cut tariffs across the board, 28. established the Trade Practices Commission, 29. established the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, 30. established the Law Reform Commission, 31. established the Australian Film Commission, 32. established the Australia Council, 33. established the Australian Heritage Commission, 34. established the Consumer Affairs Commission, 35. established the Technical and Further Education Commission, 36. implemented a national employment and training program, 37. created Telecom and Australia Post to replace the Postmaster-General's Department, 38. devised the Order of Australia Honors System to replace the British Honors system, 39. abolished appeals to the Privy Council, 40. changed the National Anthem to 'Advance Australia Fair' (confirmed at 1977 Referendum), 41. instituted Aboriginal Land Rights, and 42. sewered most of Sydney. (Hard to believe, isn't it, that Sydney wasn't even sewered 40 years ago???)
The Dismissal of the Whitlam Government on November11, 1975 was the most dramatic political event in the history of Australias Federation."
I might have missed it in your list Jules, but also gave the vote to 18 year olds, said if they are old enough to serve their country and die for it they should be able to vote (before that the voting age was 21). RIP Gough!
(he had a nice chat to me many years ago in the Liverpool RSL in NSW, I was in uniform at the time).
-- Edited by Vic41 on Thursday 23rd of October 2014 02:23:29 PM
GarrynLyn said
09:10 PM Oct 24, 2014
When I was doing VIP traffic duties at RAAF Fairbairn in 1974, Gough was the only PM who returned my salute. When he visited the Officers Mess, he signed in as 'Gough Whitlam FLTLT Rtd'.
tonyd said
10:44 PM Oct 24, 2014
I liked the young female interviewed on TV who said she was glad Gough had given women the vote. She seemed genuinely surprised when informed that it had happened in 1908 BG (Before Gough).
Cheers, Tony
Vic41 said
11:04 PM Oct 24, 2014
She probably got mixed up with giving 18 years olds the vote Tony, needs to do her homework!
Love him or loathe him Gough Whitlam was a great Australian who has left a deep and lasting mark on our society and culture. May he rest in peace.
Dave
RIP
RIP Gough - gone to join Margaret.
Just read this elsewhere, and thought I would share Gough Whitlam's term of office with you all -
RIP Gough Whitlam. We are unlikely to see his like again. He changed Australia allowing us to start emerging from the skirts of the British Empire and brought about such things as universal health care, land rights for indigenous Australians, free and open access to tertiary education, the start of equal rights for women and many more the least of which was to stop conscription and bring our troops home from Vietnam. There is no doubt that the Australia we all enjoy today had its beginning with Gough. My thanks for a great man.
It was the Whitlam Government that:
1. ended Conscription,
2. withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam,
3. implemented Equal Pay for Women,
4. launched an Inquiry into Education and the Funding of Government and Non-government Schools on a Needs Basis,
5. established a separate ministry responsible for Aboriginal Affairs,
6. established the single Department of Defence,
7. withdrew support for apartheidSouth Africa,
8. granted independence to Papua New Guinea,
9. abolished Tertiary Education Fees,
10. established the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme (TEAS),
11. increased pensions,
12. established Medibank,
13. established controls on Foreign Ownership of Australian resources,
14. passed the Family Law Act establishing No-Fault Divorce,
15. passed a series of laws banning Racial and Sexual Discrimination,
16. extended Maternity Leave and Benefits for Single Mothers,
17. introduced One-Vote-One-Value to democratize the electoral system,
18. implemented wide-ranging reforms of the ALP's organization,
19. initiated Australia's first Federal Legislation on Human Rights, the Environment and Heritage,
20. established the Legal Aid Office,
21. established the National Film and Television School,
22. launched construction of National Gallery of Australia,
23. established the Australian Development Assistance Agency,
24. reopened the Australian Embassy in Peking after 24 years,
25. established the Prices Justification Tribunal,
26. revalued the Australian Dollar,
27. cut tariffs across the board,
28. established the Trade Practices Commission,
29. established the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service,
30. established the Law Reform Commission,
31. established the Australian Film Commission,
32. established the Australia Council,
33. established the Australian Heritage Commission,
34. established the Consumer Affairs Commission,
35. established the Technical and Further Education Commission,
36. implemented a national employment and training program,
37. created Telecom and Australia Post to replace the Postmaster-General's Department,
38. devised the Order of Australia Honors System to replace the British Honors system,
39. abolished appeals to the Privy Council,
40. changed the National Anthem to 'Advance Australia Fair' (confirmed at 1977 Referendum),
41. instituted Aboriginal Land Rights, and
42. sewered most of Sydney. (Hard to believe, isn't it, that Sydney wasn't even sewered 40 years ago???)
The Dismissal of the Whitlam Government on November 11, 1975 was the most dramatic political event in the history of Australias Federation."
-- Edited by jules47 on Wednesday 22nd of October 2014 08:34:53 AM
Yes indeed a lovely "regular" bloke. Loved a joke, was a great orator - in a room of 3,000 people, you felt he was speaking directly to you!
How many of us would not have a university degree without him?
How many Vietnamese babies would not have been adopted because of the White Australia Policy?
How many women would still be working in the same job as men with less pay?
How many of us have been divorced with the dignity of the "No Fault" rule?
These are ways I've been affected, who else has had their lives changed for the better due to Gough?
RIP...
I reckon the saints are going to have to move over for him in heaven!
www.couriermail.com.au/news/gough-whitlam-a-martyred-man-of-myths/story-e6freon6-1227097994683
I thought that The Canberra Times was as balanced as any historian might wish for,
www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/obituaries/gough-whitlam-dead-the-ride-of-a-lifetime-20141021-zt04d.html
However the Greens have now borrowed his image and record, so the politicking in Canberra continues.
It is a pity that politics have not been kept out of it until after the State funeral.
He DID NO SUCH THING.
All our combat troops had been pulled out by about February 1972. The election was in December 1972. At that time there might have been a handful of advisers left in Vietnam, and a few Diggers to guard the Embassy. That's who Gough brought home.
Whitlam also refused to help any Vietnamese who had been working with Australian forces, saying he did not want Australia to play host to "(expletive) Vietnamese Balts."
And at the election immediately after he was quite rightly sacked, he lost by a record margin, proving what the public thought of the pompous, posturing poseur.
Tony
We must be careful not to let this thread get political.
One area in which I am grateful to Whitlam, and I don't think this is mentioned in Jule's post, unless # 15 covers it, is the complete dismantling of the White Australia Policy. I found this in Wikipedia:
The Menzies and Holt Governments effectively dismantled the policies between 1949 and 1966 and the Whitlam Government passed laws to ensure that race would be totally disregarded as a component for immigration to Australia in 1973. In 1975 the Whitlam Government passed the Racial Discrimination Act, which made racially-based selection criteria illegal. In the decades since, Australia has maintained largescale multi-ethnic immigration. Australia's current Migration Program allows people from any country to apply to migrate to Australia, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion or language, provided that they meet the criteria set out in law.
Whether you agree with me or not, if it wasn't for America, we'd probably all be speaking Japanese today.When I had a Beach Resort in the Philippines, an African American guy came in to the bar most afternoons for a beer. He was one of several retired U. S. Military guys who lived in the area. This day I had a drink with him and we were talking generally. To cut a long story short, he said to me that he'd like to visit Australia. I said why don't you. He said I'm pissed off with Australia. I applied to go there after the war and my Visa Application was refused. I asked "Why" and he said because I'm black.... Well....I saw Red, I was absolutely livid...What could I say to him...Well that racist problem no longer exists, so I guess I can thank Whitlam as one of our Prime Ministers for that...
I might have missed it in your list Jules, but also gave the vote to 18 year olds, said if they are old enough to serve their country and die for it they should be able to vote (before that the voting age was 21). RIP Gough!
(he had a nice chat to me many years ago in the Liverpool RSL in NSW, I was in uniform at the time).
-- Edited by Vic41 on Thursday 23rd of October 2014 02:23:29 PM
When I was doing VIP traffic duties at RAAF Fairbairn in 1974, Gough was the only PM who returned my salute. When he visited the Officers Mess, he signed in as 'Gough Whitlam FLTLT Rtd'.
Cheers, Tony
She probably got mixed up with giving 18 years olds the vote Tony, needs to do her homework!