Maintain the rage.
It was November 11, 1975.
The place, the year seven classroom of the Ormiston State Primary School.
The principal, Col Blanchard had entered for some reason or another, and as he left just breezily announced that (Governor-General) John Kerr had sacked Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia.
Even twelve-year olds knew that that was pretty momentous situation.
After a constitutional crisis caused by the conservative dominated Senate’s refusal to pass supply, John Kerr, acting on the advice of Chief Justice Garfield Barwick (whom he had no right to consult) sacked the Prime Minister, installing Malcolm Fraser as Prime Minister, who then directed his senate colleagues to pass supply and promptly called an election for which John Kerr issued the writs.
It lead to one of the greatest pieces of public theatre in Australian history, with Gough Whitlam appearing on the front steps of the Old Parliament House where he uttered these iconic words:
Well may we say “God save the Queen”, because nothing will save the Governor-General! The Proclamation which you have just heard read by the Governor-General’s Official Secretary was countersigned Malcolm Fraser, who will undoubtedly go down in Australian history from Remembrance Day 1975 as Kerr’s cur. They won’t silence the outskirts of Parliament House, even if the inside has been silenced for a few weeks … Maintain your rage and enthusiasm for the campaign for the election now to be held and until polling day.
Whitlam’s government was crushed at the subsequent election. It’s easy to forget he was still leader when the party lost again in 1977 as well. His two electoral victories were sandwiched by three defeats.
History has to judge the Whitlam government as inept and politically naive, as well as being hindered by international circumstances beyond their control. All subsequent Labor governments promote their management skills instead of their vision as a result.
I think the rage has somewhat mellowed over the years. The political hijinks that went on in Australia earlier this year have not evoked anything like the deep and lasting passions that became embedded in the political psyche of a generation of Australians in 1975.
Politics now seems about proving that you’ll do less damage to the place than the other mob.
And November 11 has been returned to the Remembrance of Armed Service Personnel.
Which is a good outcome.
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