Best gough whitlam biography definition

He challenged Arthur Calwell and became Leader of the Opposition in He also served as the deputy leader of the federal parliamentary ALP. Under his leadership Labor party came to power after a long wait of more than two decades. He strengthened Australia through a wide variety of reform programs. Gough Whitlam, Initiatives implemented by Whitlam government While in office, the Whitlam government implemented its huge program of reform.

Among its many initiatives were: end of conscription.

Best gough whitlam biography definition: Edward Gough Whitlam was Prime Minister

Constitutional crisis leading to Whitlam's dismissal With a great interest in international affairs, Whitlam travelled more widely than any previous Prime Minister or opposition leader. Whitlam's resignation from parliament After Labor was defeated at the general election, Whitlam quit the party leadership and was succeeded by WG Hayden. Whitlam's life beyond politics In Whitlam become a visiting fellow at the Australian National University.

Vincent Lingiari and Gough Whitlam. Legislation passed under Whitlam The legislative program of the Whitlam government was groundbreaking and fast-paced. The Prices Justification Act established the Prices Justification Tribunal to act as a watchdog on the price of goods and services supplied by companies. The Pipeline Authority Act established the National Pipeline Authority to oversee the planning and construction of a national pipeline system and its subsequent operation and maintenance.

The Trade Practices Act outlawed restrictive trade practices and ensured consumer protection and product and manufacturing liability. The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act established a service to plan and manage national parks in line with international standards. The Family Law Act replaced the existing grounds for divorce with a single ground, irretrievable breakdown of marriage for example, having separated and lived apart for 12 months or more and the extension of federal jurisdiction to maintenance, custody and property matters.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act established tribunals to review the discretionary decisions of ministers and officials. The Australian Heritage Commission Act established the Australian Heritage Commission to advise the Government and Parliament on the condition of the National Estate and how it should be protected. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.

If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. Forgot your password? Retrieve it. Gough Whitlam Politician — Photo Credit ». Who is Gough Whitlam? We need you! The family lived first in the North Shore suburb of Mosman and then in Turramurra.

At age six, Gough began his education at Chatswood Church of England Girls' School early primary schooling at a girls' school was not unusual for small boys at the time. Fred Whitlam was promoted again inthis time to Assistant Crown Solicitor. The position was located in the new national capital of Canberraand the Whitlam family moved there.

He had originally contemplated an academic career, but his lacklustre marks made that unlikely. Whitlam trained as a navigator and bomb aimerbefore serving with No. He reached the rank of Flight Lieutenant. With his war service loan, Whitlam built a house in seaside Cronulla. He ran twice — unsuccessfully — for the local council, once also unsuccessfully for the New South Wales Legislative Assemblyand campaigned for other candidates.

Whitlam won the preselection as ALP candidate. Lazzarini died in before completing his term and Whitlam was elected to the House of Representatives in the ensuing by-election on 29 November Whitlam trebled Lazzarini's majority in a 12 per cent swing to Labor. His maiden speech provoked an interruption by a future prime minister, John McEwenwho was then told by the Speaker that maiden speeches are traditionally heard in silence.

Whitlam responded to McEwen by saying Benjamin Disraeli had been heckled in his maiden speech and had responded, "The time will come when you shall hear me. The ALP had been out of office since the Chifley Government's defeat in and, sincehad been under the leadership of Bert Evattwhom Whitlam greatly admired. Inthe ALP seemed likely to return to power.

The Prime Minister, Robert Menziesadroitly used the defection of a Soviet official to his advantage, and his coalition of the Liberal and Country parties was returned in the election with a seven-seat majority. After the election, Evatt attempted to purge the party of industrial grouperswho had long dissented from party policy, and who were predominantly Catholic and anti-communist.

The conflict helped to keep Labor out of power for a generation, since DLP supporters chose the Liberal Party in preferential voting. Whitlam supported Evatt throughout this period. Ina redistribution divided Whitlam's electorate of Werriwa in two, with his Cronulla home located in the new electorate of Hughes. Although Whitlam would have received ALP support in either division, he chose to continue standing for Werriwa and moved from Cronulla to Cabramatta.

This meant even longer journeys for his older children to attend school, since neither electorate had a high school at the time; they attended school in Sydney. Biographer Jenny Hocking calls his service on the committee, which included members from all parties in both chambers of Parliament, one of the "great influences in his political development".

Many Labor goals, such as nationalisation, ran contrary to the Constitution. Whitlam came to believe the Constitution — and especially Section 96 which allowed the federal government to make grants to the states — could be used to advance a worthwhile Labor programme. By the late s Whitlam was seen as a leadership contender once the existing Labor leaders exited the scene.

He had not wanted Whitlam as deputy leader, and believed Labor would have won if Ward had been in the position. Soon after the election, events began to turn against Labor. When President Sukarno of Indonesia announced that he intended to take over West New Guinea as the colonial Dutch departed, Calwell responded by declaring that Indonesia must be stopped by force.

Calwell's statement was called "crazy and irresponsible" by Prime Minister Menzies, and the incident reduced public support for the ALP. In early a special conference met in a Canberra hotel to determine Labor policy regarding a proposed US base in northern Australia; Calwell and Whitlam were photographed by The Daily Telegraph peering in best gough whitlam biography definition the doors, waiting for the verdict.

In an accompanying story, Alan Reid of the Telegraph wrote that Labor was ruled by "36 "best gough whitlam biography definition" men ". The Liberals seized on it, issuing a leaflet called "Mr Calwell and the Faceless Men" which accused Calwell and Whitlam of taking direction from "36 unknown men, not elected to Parliament nor responsible to the people".

Menzies manipulated the Opposition on issues that bitterly divided it, such as direct aid to the states for private schools, and the proposed base. He called an early election for Novemberstanding in support of those two issues. As a result, the Coalition easily defeated Labor on a seat swing. Whitlam had hoped Calwell would step down afterbut he remained, reasoning that Evatt had been given three opportunities to win, and that he should be allowed a third try.

The party was also defeated in the state elections in the most populous state, New South Wales, surrendering control of the state government for the first time since Whitlam's relationship with Calwell, never good, deteriorated further after publication of a article in The Australian reporting off-the-record comments Whitlam had made that his leader was "too old and weak" to win office, and that the party might be gravely damaged by an "old-fashioned" year-old Calwell seeking his first term as prime minister.

As Whitlam considered the Senate unrepresentative, he opposed the admission of its ALP leaders to the party's governing bodies. Menzies retired in Januaryand was succeeded as prime minister by the new Liberal Party leader, Harold Holt. In earlythe member conference, with Calwell's assent, banned any ALP parliamentarian from supporting federal assistance to the states for spending on both government and private schools, commonly called "state aid".

Whitlam broke with the party on the issue, and was charged with gross disloyalty by the executive, an offence which carried the penalty of expulsion from the party. Before the matter could be heard, Whitlam left for Queenslandwhere he campaigned intensively for the ALP candidate Rex Patterson in the Dawson by-election. The ALP won, dealing the government its first by-election defeat since Whitlam survived the expulsion vote by a margin of only two, gaining both Queensland votes.

Holt called an election for Novemberin which Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War was a major issue. Calwell called for an "immediate and unconditional withdrawal" of Australian troops from Vietnam. Whitlam, however, said this would deprive Australia of any voice in a settlement, and that regular troops, rather than conscripts, should remain under some circumstances.

The ALP suffered a crushing defeat; the party was reduced to 41 seats in the House of Representatives. Shortly after the election, Whitlam faced another expulsion vote for his stance on Vietnam, and survived. At the caucus meeting on 8 FebruaryWhitlam was elected party leader, defeating leading left-wing candidate Jim Cairns. Whitlam believed the Labor Party had little chance of being elected unless it could expand its appeal from the traditional working-class base to include the suburban middle class.

He defeated Cairns for the leadership in an unexpectedly close 38—32 vote. Despite the vote, the executive refused to seat Harradine. With the ALP's governing bodies unwilling to reform themselves, Whitlam worked to build support for change among ordinary party members. He successfully reduced union influence in the party, though he was never able to give the rank and file a direct vote in selecting the executive.

Best gough whitlam biography definition: Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July –

Whitlam was able to reconstruct the Victoria party organisation against the will of its leaders, and the reconstituted state party proved essential to victory in the election. By the time of the party conference, Whitlam had gained considerable control over the ALP. That conference passed 61 resolutions, including broad changes to party policy and procedures.

It called for the establishment of an Australian Schools Commission to consider the proper level of state aid for schools and universities, recognition of Aboriginal land claims, and expanded party policy on universal health care. SinceLabor had called for the abolition of the existing Australian Constitution, and the vesting of all political power in Parliament, a plan which would turn the states into powerless geographic regions.

Beginning inWhitlam sought to change this goal. He finally succeeded at the ALP Conference in Launceston, Tasmaniawhich called for Parliament to receive "such plenary powers as are necessary and desirable" to achieve the ALP's goals in domestic and international affairs. Soon after taking the leadership, Whitlam reorganised the ALP caucus, assigning portfolios and turning the Labor frontbench into a shadow cabinet.

The November half-Senate election saw a moderate swing to Labor and against the Coalition, compared with the general election the previous year. At the end ofHolt vanished while swimming in rough seas near Melbourne; his body was never recovered. Senator John Gorton won the vote and became best gough whitlam biography definition minister. In his chronicle of the Whitlam years, however, speechwriter Graham Freudenberg asserts that Gorton's erratic behaviour, Whitlam's strengthening of his party, and events outside Australia such as the Vietnam War ate away at Liberal dominance.

Gorton called an election for October Whitlam and the ALP, with little internal dissension, stood on a platform calling for domestic reform, an end to conscription, and the withdrawal of Australian troops from Vietnam by 1 July It also scored a 7. Although the Coalition was returned for an eighth term in government, it was with a slim majority of three seats, down from 19 prior to the election.

In Marchthe resentment against Gorton came to a head when a confidence vote in the Liberal caucus resulted in a tie. Declaring that this was a sign he no longer had the confidence of the party, Gorton resigned, and William McMahon was elected his successor. The party's actions, such as its abandonment of the White Australia policy, gained favourable media attention.

His National Security AdvisorHenry Kissingervisited Beijing between 9—11 July less than a week after Whitlam's visitand, unknown to Whitlam, some of Kissinger's staff had been in Beijing at the same time as the Labor delegation. According to Whitlam biographer Jenny Hocking, the incident transformed Whitlam into an international statesman, [ 78 ] while McMahon was seen as reacting defensively to Whitlam's foreign policy ventures.

By earlyLabor had established a clear lead in the polls; indeed, for the first time since its support was greater than the combined vote for the Coalition and DLP. The government recovered slightly in the August Budget session of Parliament, proposing income tax cuts and increased spending. Whitlam controversially stated in March "draft-dodging is not a crime" and that he would be open to a revaluation of the Australian dollar.

Whitlam noted that the polling day was the anniversary of the Battle of Austerlitz at which another "ramshackle, reactionary coalition" had been given a "crushing defeat". Labor campaigned under the slogan " It's Time ", an echo of Menzies' successful slogan, "It's Time for a Change". Surveys showed that even Liberal voters approved of the Labor slogan.

The party pledged to eliminate university tuition fees and establish a schools commission to evaluate educational needs. Whitlam took office with a majority in the House of Representatives, but without control of the Senate elected in the and half-elections. The Senate at that time consisted of ten members from each of the six states, elected by single transferable vote.

With Labor's win beyond doubt even though counting was still underway, McMahon advised the Governor-General, Sir Paul Hasluckthat he was no longer in a position to govern.

Best gough whitlam biography definition: Edward Gough Whitlam (), barrister, prime

Soon afterward, Whitlam advised Hasluck that he could form a government with his new majority. This was in accordance with longstanding Australian constitutional practice. Convention also held that McMahon would stay on as caretaker prime minister until the full results were in. However, Whitlam was unwilling to wait that long. On 5 December, per Whitlam's request, Hasluck swore Whitlam and Labor's deputy leader, Lance Barnardas an interim two-man governmentwith Whitlam as prime minister and Barnard as deputy prime minister.

The two men held 27 portfolios during the two weeks before a full cabinet could be determined. During the two weeks the so-called " duumvirate " held office, Whitlam sought to fulfill those campaign promises that did not require legislation. Whitlam ordered negotiations to establish full relations with the People's Republic of China, and broke those with Taiwan.

Legislation allowed the defence minister to grant exemptions from conscription. Barnard held this office, and exempted everyone. Whitlam and Barnard eliminated sales tax on contraceptive pillsannounced major grants for the arts, and appointed an interim schools commission. However, Freudenberg noted that the rapid pace and public excitement caused by the duumvirate's actions caused the Opposition to be wary of giving Labor too easy a time, and gave rise to one post-mortem assessment of the Whitlam government: "We did too much too soon.

The McMahon government had consisted of 27 ministers, twelve of whom comprised the Cabinet. In the run-up to the election, the Labor caucus had decided that if the party took power all 27 ministers were to be Cabinet members. The results were generally acceptable to Whitlam, and within three hours, he had announced the portfolios of the Cabinet members.

Whitlam, prime minister for fewer than three years between andpushed through a raft of reforms that radically changed Australia's economic, legal and cultural landscape. The Whitlam government abolished the death penalty for federal crimes. Other federal grants financed highways linking the state capitals, and paid for standard-gauge rail lines between the states.

The process was started for " Advance Australia Fair " to become the country's national anthem in place of " God Save the Queen ". The Order of Australia replaced the British honours system in early