Gough Whitlam was the first prime minister I was aware of. Actually, I recalled yesterday that I had seen every Australian Prime Minister since (up until the current one) in the flesh. What other country is that possible?
I saw Whitlam for the first time, in the flesh as it were, when I was 5 year’s old. It is one of my earliest memories. We were at Coogie Beach. I thought we were there for the clown show but, in fact, we were there to hear Whitlam speak. I remember him shouting at the crowd — that is what one of his speeches sounded like. It is clear in my mind today as I thought about it ever since.
A year or so later, he was part of another very early memory. I remember a newspaper on November 12th 1975 with the headline “Dismissed.” I asked my father what that was about and he told me that the PM had been sacked. I asked why and he said that he had lied. My parents, you might guess, were not Whitlam supporters.
Fast forward another 7 years or so later and I watched the wonderful ABC Mini-series, The Dismissal. It was before the Hawke election. There is a moment in many people’s lives when their political leanings are set. I personally think there is a large element of choice to that — especially for people who have not known personal suffering in their childhoods. That series was my moment. It made me left leaning and pro-economy at the same time. The Whitlam government was both (think pipelines not saving rainforests). I softened each of these since then (in fact, on the environment, I flipped from my 14 year old days). But that series was the moment and I was outraged that it had happened. Suffice it to say, I was no fan of Fraser; at least, not until recently when he joined Twitter and became the voice of reason in Australian politics.
Everyone has a politician that is formative to them. For me, Whitlam was that person at a ridiculously young age. He may have been PM for only 4 years of his 96 but what a 4 years it was.
[Update: my parents tell me that they voted for Whitlam on at least three occasions. So I guess I was wrong about my inference there.]
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A couple of minor points. Gough lived to 98 and his term as PM was just on 3 years, not 4.
I among many others joined the ALP after the dismisal, having supported its election to office in 1972. Over the ensuing 10 years I for one discovered how morallly corrupt and venal the party really is. That experience forged my political leanings ever since.
Gough did forge a new landscape for Australia, although much of what his government did achieve has since eroded away. His greatest weakness was his ego – he was never a humble man. In hindsight I recognised that although a reformer he was an inept manager, surrounded by some equally inept managers.
The singular achievement of his government is that it laid a foundation for the Hawke goverment. Some of its best ministers were blooded during 1972-75 and others were driven by the experience.
Gough was a notable man, and history will most probably treat him more gently than perhaps is justified.
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Reg Withers died soon after Whitlam. Nobody even noticed. Perhaps there is justice after all.
Also, I think Joshua underplays the Whitlam government achievements. He was more than a warm up act for Hawke. Moreover, Whitlam’s reforms were mainly social while Hawke’s were mainly economic. So I think of them as complementary.
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