NationMaster - Encyclopedia: 1975 Australian constitutional crisis

The Australian constitutional crisis of 1975, commonly called The Dismissal, refers to the events that culminated with the removal by Governor-General Sir John Kerr of Australia's then Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam and appointing the Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister. It has been described as the greatest political and constitutional crisis in Australia's history.^[1] Michael Jeffery, the current Governor-General of Australia The Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australias head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, who lives in the United Kingdom. ... Sir John Robert Kerr, AK, GCMG, GCVO (24 September 1914 â€“ 24 March 1991), 13th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and 18th Governor-General of Australia, dismissed the Labor government of Gough Whitlam on 11 November 1975, marking the climax of one of the most significant... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... Edward Gough Whitlam AC QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... 1 Note that Gough Whitlam refused to use the title Leader of the Opposition between the dismissal of his government in November 1975 and the first meeting of the new parliament in February 1976. ... This article is about the former Prime Minister of Australia; for the Western Australian public servant, see Malcolm Fraser (surveyor). ... Look up caretaker in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... A constitutional crisis is a severe breakdown in the smooth operation of government. ... The history of Australia began when people first migrated to the Australian continent from the north, at least 40,000-45,000 years ago. ...

The crisis began in the upper house of the Australian Federal Parliament, the Senate, where the opposition Liberal-National Country Party coalition had a majority. The Senate deferred voting on the annual Budget bills that appropriated funds for government expenditure, attempting to force the Prime Minister to call an election. The action was unprecedented in Australian history and has never since been reattempted. The Whitlam Government simultaneously dismissed the calls and attempted to pressure Liberal Senators to support the bills while also exploring alternative means to fund government expenditure. The impasse extended into weeks, the threat of the government failing to meet its financial obligations being ever present. An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ... Parliament House Canberra: The main entrance and the flag The Parliament of Australia is the legislative branch of Australia. ... Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... Parliamentary Opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian conservative political party, which claims to represent rural voters. ... The Coalition in Australian politics refers to the grouping of two political parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922, with only brief breaks (e. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ...

On 11 November 1975, the Governor-General dismissed Whitlam as Prime Minister and appointed his Liberal opponent Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister; coalition Senators then approved the appropriations bills and Fraser subsequently called the 1975 federal election which saw the coalition win a majority in the House of Representatives, thus resolving the crisis. November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... This article is about the former Prime Minister of Australia; for the Western Australian public servant, see Malcolm Fraser (surveyor). ... The word caretaker may have numerous meanings, but the most common two are (1) a person or persons who cares for a property in exchange for rent-free living accommodations and (2) temporary government which takes control until a stable rule can be restored. ... Federal elections were held in Australia on December 13, 1975. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ...

Background

The Whitlam government, which was elected in 1972 after decades of conservative rule, had pioneered several social reforms immediately after gaining office. These included the creation of the Medibank universal health care system (later renamed Medicare), the introduction of no-fault divorce legislation, and the abolition of fees for tertiary education. Many of these reforms were widely felt to be long overdue, and were popular in the electorate. On the other hand, many people were confused by what seemed to be a breakneck pace of reform, and what was seen as Whitlam's "crash through or crash" style of governance, especially after the long period of very staid, conservative policies that had preceded it. These concerns were amplified by concerted anti-Whitlam pressure from increasingly hostile mass media, and by the tendency of inexperienced and idealistic Ministers to "shoot themselves in the foot". Relations with bodies such as the public service (particularly the Treasury) and the trade union movement were often tense. The economy was beset by stagflation and other problems. Many of these problems had their origins in the time of the previous government, or with the 1973 oil crisis, and continued unabated after the Whitlam government fell, but were successfully associated in many people's minds with alleged "Labor mismanagement". Within this context, the government came under increasing attack. In particular, the opposition-controlled Senate became increasingly obstructive to government legislation. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Universal health care is a state in which all residents of a geographic or political entity have access to health care by means of provision of health insurance or direct provision of health care. ... Medicare is Australias publicly-funded, universal health scheme, providing affordable treatment by doctors and in public hospitals for all citizens and permanent residents except for those on Norfolk Island. ... No-fault divorce is the dissolution of a marriage, upon petition to the court by either party, without the requirement that the petitioner show fault on the part of the other party. ... Students attend a lecture at a tertiary institution. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Byzantine civil service in action. ... The term treasury was first used in classical times to describe the votive buildings erected to house gifts to the gods, such as the Siphnian Treasury in Delphi or the many buildings put up in Olympia, Greece by competing city-states, to impress each other during the Ancient Olympic Games. ... A trade union or labor union is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... This article uses excessive clichÃ©s and jargon. ... At the height of the crisis in the United States, drivers of vehicles with odd numbered license plates were allowed to purchase gasoline only on odd-numbered days of the month, while drivers with even-numbers were limited to even-numbered days. ...

In 1974, Whitlam called a double dissolution in an effort to gain a government majority in the Senate. His government (contrary to widespread expectation) was returned, but the Senate result in particular was not as favourable as he had hoped, with the balance of power being in the hands of two (conservative) independent Senators. However, after the election, bills which had been rejected three times by the Senate in the previous parliament were able to be put to a historic joint sitting of both houses of parliament. This ensured such social reforms as Medibank were able to be instituted. Desperate to raise revenue, a number of Ministers sought finance through unorthodox channels, triggering what became known as the Loans Affair - this resulted in the government becoming increasingly scandal-plagued. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... A how-to-vote card from the Australian federal election of 2004, showing voters how to fill in the squares on the ballot paper if they wish to vote for the Liberal Party of Australia. ... A joint sitting of the Australian parliament was convened in August 1974, comprising members of both the Senate and House of Representatives. ... The Loans Affair (also called the Khemlani Affair) is the name given to the political scandal involving the Whitlam Government of Australia in 1975, in which it was accused of attempting to illegally borrow money from Middle Eastern countries by bypassing standard procedure as dictated by the Australian Treasury. ...

The crisis was triggered by two casual vacancies in the Senate arising from the appointment of one sitting NSW Labor Senator, Lionel Murphy, as a judge on 9 February and the sudden death of Queensland Labor Senator Bert Milliner on 30 June. It fell on two non-Labor State premiers to choose their replacements, Tom Lewis of New South Wales and Joh Bjelke-Petersen of Queensland. Both chose candidates who opposed the Whitlam government. On 27 February, Lewis appointed replacement Senator Cleaver Bunton from New South Wales. Bunton was independent and not a member of any political party. On 3 September, Bjelke-Petersen refused the Labor Party's candidate as replacement Senator, Mal Colston. Bjelke-Peterson had been presented only with Mal Colston, when he had requested multiple candidates from which to choose. Bjelke-Peterson chose to appoint obscure French-polisher Albert Patrick Field. Field was a Labor Party member but openly critical of the Whitlam government. Hon Lionel Murphy Lionel Keith Murphy (30 August 1922 - 21 October 1986), Australian politician, was Attorney-General in the Government of Gough Whitlam, and a Justice of the High Court of Australia. ... February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... Various people share the name Tom Lewis: Tom Lewis the Canadian folksinger/songwriter Tom Lewis the British obstetrican This is a disambiguation page â€” a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Sir Johannes Joh Bjelke-Petersen KCMG, (13 January 1911 â€“ 23 April 2005), New Zealand-born Australian politician, was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of the state of Queensland. ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 28 - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05) - Product ($m) $158,506 (3rd) - Product per capita $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of September 2006) - Population 4,070,400 (3rd) - Density 2. ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Cleaver Bunton (5 May 1902 - 20 January 1999) was a long serving public official in Albury, New South Wales who shot to prominence in 1975 when he was controversially appointed to the Australian Senate. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr Malcolm Arthur Colston (1938 â€“ 2003), Australian politician, was a Senator in the Parliament of Australia representing the state of Queensland between 13 December 1975 and 30 June 1999. ... French Polishing is a wood finishing technique (and not a substance, as commonly assumed) for wooden furniture that results in a very high gloss, deep colour and tough surface. ... Albert Patrick Field (1910 - 1 July [1990]]) Senator from Queensland who appointment was instrumental in precipitating the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975, known as The Dismissal. ...

The action by both Premiers went against a previously unbroken convention under which a Senator who dies or resigns mid-term is replaced with a nominee from the former Senator's political party. This cannot now happen, as this particular convention has been written into the constitution, although often, the same result could be achieved by simply failing to fill the vacancy, as there is no compulsion to do so. The referendum of the 21st May, 1977 approved an amendment to the Australian constitution concerning the filling of casual vacancies in the Senate. ...

Field's appointment came under challenge in the High Court. Field was on leave from the Senate, unable to exercise a vote, for the period of the crisis. The number of nominally Labor Senators was thus reduced. However, the Liberal-Country opposition would not provide a "pair". A pair is an informal but well-established tradition whereby whenever a sitting member or Senator is through circumstances outside their control unable to attend and vote, the opposite party reduces its own numbers accordingly by having one of their own members abstain from the vote. Pairing is a system whereby two members of parliament from opposing political parties may agree to abstain where one member is unable to vote, due to other commitments, illness, travel problems, etc. ...

Quoting financial mismanagement, the Opposition refused to vote on the passage of the government's budget through the Senate. They considered that having lost the support of Parliament, the Prime Minister was obliged to resign and to advise the Governor-General to call an election.

The Liberals defended their action in blocking supply by arguing that Whitlam himself had openly flouted conventions. The 'Loans Affair' (among other issues), in their opinion, justified their use of any legal means, however unconventional, to force what they saw as a reckless and incompetent government out of office. Less justifiably, they pointed to polls that indicated that they would probably win an election if one were held at that time. Loss of Supply occurs where a government in a parliamentary democracy is denied a supply of treasury or exchequer funds, by whichever house or houses of parliament or head of state is constitutionally entitled to grant and deny supply. ... The Loans Affair (also called the Khemlani Affair) is the name given to the political scandal involving the Whitlam Government of Australia in 1975, in which it was accused of attempting to illegally borrow money from Middle Eastern countries by bypassing standard procedure as dictated by the Australian Treasury. ...

Whitlam on the other hand had a low regard for the status of the Senate. It had been long-standing Labor policy (implemented in Queensland) to abolish upper houses as anti-democratic. He adamantly insisted that the upper house had no power to dictate terms for the election of the directly-elected lower house. The lower house, the 'house of the people', was more democratic and representative than 'the house of the states' and thus, in a modern democracy, had to be supreme. Whitlam emphasised the long-established principle of the Westminster system that as long as a government has a majority in the lower house it is entitled to stay in office and serve its full term. Paul Kelly, in his book November 1975, stated that Whitlam viewed the crisis as a chance not only to force Fraser into a humiliating back-down, but also to permanently and definitively establish the supremacy of the lower house. Paul Kelly is a well-known Australian political journalist and historian. ...

Public opinion during the crisis months of October and November was mixed. The Whitlam government remained unpopular largely because of economic problems but also because of the scandals; however, opinion polls showed that, as the deadlock wore on, a growing majority blamed the Opposition for the crisis and wanted it to pass the budget bills.

The dismissal

The situation was complicated by the relationship between Kerr and Whitlam. Kerr had long felt that he had been taken for granted and not given the respect due to his office. Originally a Labor sympathiser with ambitions to gain parliamentary office earlier in his life, Kerr had started to drift towards the conservatives and felt isolated from the Government.^{[citation needed]} This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ...

Constitutional precedent had long established that the Governor-General was expected only to act on advice received from the Prime Minister, and Whitlam confidently assumed this would be the case during the crisis. However, according to the Australian Constitution, and in accordance with established practice in other Westminster style constitutional monarchies, the Governor-General still possessed wide ranging reserve powers to dissolve parliament and sack the government on his own initiative, in certain limited circumstances. This power had not been carried out by any monarch since King William IV. It would later become apparent that Kerr and Whitlam were at odds over whether the Governor-General had the power to act independently in times of crisis. Kerr had a much more pro-active interpretation of the office's role than any of his predecessors. The Whitlam Labor Government assumed he would take no action unless prompted. As the government money threatened to run out Kerr came under increasing pressure from the Liberals, who insisted that constitutionally, a Prime Minister who could not obtain supply must either resign or be dismissed. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... The Houses of Parliament in London The Westminster system is a democratic, parliamentary system of government modeled after that of the United Kingdom system, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the head of state of a country in certain exceptional circumstances. ... William IV may refer to the following monarchs: King William IV of the United Kingdom (reigned 1830-1837) Stadtholder William IV of The Netherlands, Prince of Orange, (1711â€“1751) When Prince William-Alexander , son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, takes the throne he may do so under this regnal...

A precedent had been set in Australia for the use of the reserve powers at a state level in the dismissal of New South Wales Premier Jack Lang by Sir Philip Game - but in this situation Game had warned Lang that his dismissal was imminent. Kerr was unwilling to warn Whitlam that he was contemplating dismissing him, fearing that Whitlam's reaction would be to advise Elizabeth II, the Queen of Australia, to remove him as Governor-General instead. Though this might appear to be an unlikely proposition, it was constitutionally possible, and in the peculiar circumstances of the crisis could not have been ruled out. The senior state Governor at the time, Sir Roden Cutler, Governor of New South Wales, gave Kerr the advice that he should warn the Prime Minister of his actions. Kerr refused to take such advice. Kerr subsequently claimed that he was not so much fearful of the loss of his own position but of the prospect that the monarch could become involved in Australian domestic politics, doing severe damage to her constitutional status. This idea however has since been ridiculed openly by Sir William Heseltine, then Private Secretary to the Queen.^{[citation needed]} Kerr was also mindful of threats from Fraser that the Opposition would begin publicly criticising him unless he "did his duty". Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 50 - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05) - Product ($m) $305,437 (1st) - Product per capita $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006) - Population 6,817,100 (1st) - Density 8. ... List of Premiers of New South Wales Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in New South Wales. ... Jack Lang John Thomas Lang (December 21, 1876 - September 27, 1975), Australian politician, usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, familiarly known as Jack and nicknamed The Big Fella, was Premier of New South Wales for two terms. ... Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip Woolcott Game (March 30, 1876–February 4, 1961) was a British Royal Air Force commander and Governor of New South Wales, Australia. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1952 and 2002 The title Queen of Australia has existed since 1973, when the Parliament of Australia passed the Royal Style and Titles Act (1973). ... Arthur Roden Cutler Sir (Arthur) Roden Cutler (VC, AK, KCMG, KCVO, CBE) (May 24, 1916 - February 22, 2002) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... List of Governors of New South Wales See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor. ... Rt Hon Sir William Heseltine, GCB GCVO AC QSO (born 30 July 1930), Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1986 to 1990. ...

This prompted Kerr to seek advice from the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Sir Garfield Barwick. Before appointment to the High Court bench, Barwick had been a Minister in successive Liberal-Country party governments and was therefore seen as hardly impartial. This action was criticised after the event by Whitlam on two grounds: firstly, since the High Court does not issue advisory opinions, Barwick was not speaking with constitutional authority but only as an individual, and secondly, Barwick was in fact a former Attorney-General in a Liberal Party government. Whitlam as Prime Minister had specifically requested Kerr as Governor-General not to seek Barwick's advice. Kerr maintained that he did what was necessary to resolve the crisis. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (524x700, 114 KB) Summary Front Cover of the Age November 11 1975 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (524x700, 114 KB) Summary Front Cover of the Age November 11 1975 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. ... The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth- or other countries with an Anglosaxon type of justice, such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of New Zealand, the Supreme... High Court entrance The High Court of Australia is the final court of appeal in Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. ... Sir Garfield Edward John Barwick, AK GCMG, PC (22 June 1903 - 14 July 1997) was the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General or Attorney-General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ...

Kerr also met with Fraser. Fraser argued that the Senate represented the displeasure of the Australian people with the government's management; that there was a practical impasse for the government; and, stressing the necessity for action well before government revenue dried up, that if the Governor-General did not act decisively then the Prime Minister could without notice dismiss the Governor-General and maintain the deadlock indefinitely.

On the morning of 11 November 1975, Whitlam was summoned by the Governor-General to Government House at Yarralumla. The Prime Minister arrived without the knowledge that Fraser had also been summoned but had arrived earlier. Whitlam also carried with him a letter officially requesting official approval for a half-Senate election in order to break the deadlock but his request was pre-empted by Kerr.^[2] Stating that there was no prospect of the crisis being resolved otherwise, Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Whitlam and appointed Malcolm Fraser as the caretaker Prime Minister, on the basis that Fraser had promised to pass supply, then to immediately advise the Governor-General to dissolve parliament and call a double dissolution election. Fraser instructed his Senators to pass the budget and gave Kerr the advice to call a double dissolution election for 13 December 1975. The Liberal and National Country Party Senators voted to pass the Supply bills, along with the Labor Senators. However, the Labor Senators were largely not yet aware that Whitlam and his government had been dismissed (because Whitlam, plotting to defeat Fraser on the floor of the House of Representatives, had omitted to tell them). In any case it would have been useless for the Labor Senators to vote against supply — all through October and November two independents, Lewis's appointment Cleaver Bunton and Steele Hall, a former Liberal Party but now Liberal Movement Senator from South Australia, had supported the Labor Party — the motions for deferring the Budget bills were passed by 30-29 — an outcome which would have been 31-27 in favour of passing the Budget bills had the Labor Senators tried to reject them on 11 November. Kerr ignored two immediate motions of no confidence in Fraser from the House of Representatives as by the time he received them Parliament had already been dissolved by proclamation. November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... This is a disambiguation page; if one followed a link here, one might want to adjust that link. ... The word caretaker may have numerous meanings, but the most common two are (1) a person or persons who cares for a property in exchange for rent-free living accommodations and (2) temporary government which takes control until a stable rule can be restored. ... A how-to-vote card from the Australian federal election of 2004, showing voters how to fill in the squares on the ballot paper if they wish to vote for the Liberal Party of Australia. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Cleaver Bunton (5 May 1902 - 20 January 1999) was a long serving public official in Albury, New South Wales who shot to prominence in 1975 when he was controversially appointed to the Australian Senate. ... Raymond Steele Hall was Premier of South Australia from 1968 to 1970, Senator for South Australia from 1975 to 1977 and federal member for Boothby constituency from 1981 to 1996. ... The Liberal Movement was a minor Australian political party that flourished in the 1970s. ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 11 - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05) - Product ($m) $59,819 (5th) - Product per capita $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006) - Population 1,558,200 (5th) - Density 1. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... A Motion of No Confidence, also called Motion of Non Confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ...

Upon the steps of Parliament House, Whitlam proclaimed to the assembled press and onlookers: The original parliament house of Australia, now referred to as Old Parliament House, or OPH, served as the official Parliament House of the Commonwealth of Australia from 1927 to 1988. ...

Alleged Role of the United States government

Following the end of the Second World War, the influence of British institutions on Australian public institutions weakened, while the influence of United States public institutions increased. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The actions taken by the Whitlam government were generally left-wing policies relative to those desired by government and business in the United States, and relations between Gough Whitlam and the United States became tense during 1975, especially after Whitlam publicly declared that Richard L. Stallings was a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative and that he had been in charge of the Pine Gap satellite tracking and communication base near Alice Springs. According to Tony Douglas,^[3] In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... Warning sign on the road to Pine Gap. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Global Navigation Satellite System. ... U.S. military MILSTAR communications satellite A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications using radio at microwave frequencies. ... Alice Springs on a large scale map Alice Springs is a large town in the Northern Territory of Australia located at 23°42′ S 133°52′ E. Its population of 28,178 (2001 Census) makes it the second-largest settlement in the Territory (the only other towns of...

Christopher Boyce, convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, has claimed that the CIA wanted Whitlam removed from office because he wanted to close United States military bases in Australia, including Pine Gap,^[4]^[5], and had begun making diplomatic overtures to China, as President Nixon had previously done. Boyce said that the US government considered that "Mr. Whitlam's Government was a threat" because of Whitlam's interest in US security operations on Australian territory.^[5] November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... The official crest of ASIO The ASIO logo The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is the domestic security agency of Australia which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage (especially sabotage of critical infrastructure), politically motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system... Christopher John Boyce was an American citizen who was arrested in 1979 for selling US spy satellite secrets to the Soviet Union. ... Spy and secret agent redirect here; for alternate use, see Spy (disambiguation) and Secret agent (disambiguation). ... Warning sign on the road to Pine Gap. ...

Boyce also claimed that at least one CIA agent referred to Sir John Kerr as our man Kerr. Kerr had earlier been a member of the executive board of the CIA front organisation, the Australian Association for Cultural Freedom.^[5] Sir John Kerr Alternative meanings: John Kerr (disambiguation). ... The Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF)) was an anti-communist advocacy group founded in 1950. ...

Claims were made by Tony Douglas, although no significant evidence was produced, that the dismissal happened just hours before Whitlam planned to reveal secret information about the nature of the CIA communications facility at Pine Gap in Parliament.^[3] Warning sign on the road to Pine Gap. ...

Few people consider the United States government pressure to have been a significant factor in the dismissal of Whitlam by the governor general Sir John Kerr, and mainstream historians generally do not even mention it.^[1] Whitlam himself appointed Kerr as Governor-General, the Liberals blocked supply, and the Australian public had the opportunity to vote Whitlam back in immediately after the dismissal. None of these factors were felt to have been able to be controlled by a foreign power. Sir John Kerr Alternative meanings: John Kerr (disambiguation). ...

The Central Intelligence Agency has been actively involved in promoting United States interests abroad by overthrowing foreign governments. ...

Aftermath

In the ensuing December 1975 federal election, the ALP's campaign focused entirely on the illegitimacy of the dismissal (with the slogan of "Shame Fraser, Shame"), while the Coalition focused on Labor's alleged economic management shortcomings. Although some people expected a major backlash against Fraser in favour of Whitlam (who had launched his campaign by calling upon his supporters to "maintain your rage"), based on the fact that opinion polls in October and early November had shown most voters tended to blame Fraser for causing the crisis and to disagree with his tactics, once an election was called the majority of people focused on the economy and accepted the Liberals' line that confirming the change of government was necessary to "turn on the lights" (the Liberal election slogan). Despite the passion of die-hard Labor supporters, furious at what they saw as an Establishment plot to destroy a Labor government, the ALP suffered its greatest ever loss (losing 7.4% of its previous vote at the 1974 election) against Fraser's Coalition. This might be seen as a popular endorsement of Kerr's actions. However, Kerr became a reviled figure among ALP supporters, was never again received anywhere in Australia without protest, and resigned from office in December, 1977. Fraser directed Kerr's successor to appoint Kerr to the diplomatic post of Australian ambassador to UNESCO, but public protest was so strong that Kerr never took up the position. After his resignation, he mostly lived in self-imposed exile in Surrey. The Sydney Domain on 24 November 1975, at the ALP policy launch for the election precipitated by the 1975 Australian Constitutional Crisis. ... The Sydney Domain on 24 November 1975, at the ALP policy launch for the election precipitated by the 1975 Australian Constitutional Crisis. ... The Domain is a large open space in Sydney, Australia, immediately east of the central business district. ... November 24 is the 328th day (329th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Federal elections were held in Australia on December 13, 1975. ... Not to be confused with Surry. ...

Legacy

The crisis is significant in analysing Westminster systems for the large number of conventions that were involved. Constitutional texts cannot cover every conceivable reality, and the political process almost always relies to some extent on custom and convention in operation. The Australian Constitution, drafted by those steeped in the British tradition of an unwritten constitution, relies on established unwritten customs to determine and guide the application of what appears in the Constitutional text. Some have seen expressed in the 1975 crisis a fundamental contradiction deriving from the Australian Constitution's melding of the principles of the Westminster system, with a dominant lower house that determines the government, and United States-style federalism, with a "state's chamber" (the Senate) with powers very nearly equal to those of the House of Representatives. The Houses of Parliament in London The Westminster system is a democratic, parliamentary system of government modeled after that of the United Kingdom system, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... The Constitution of the United Kingdom is uncodified, consisting of both written and unwritten sources. ... For the entry on the naval ship U.S.S. Constitution, see: USS Constitution. ... The Houses of Parliament in London The Westminster system is a democratic, parliamentary system of government modeled after that of the United Kingdom system, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. ... Political federalism is a political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. ...

The Australian crisis illustrates how unwritten conventions can operate flexibly during a crisis, seen by some as a benefit, while being used by others as an argument for the codification of the reserve powers. The latter view is not accepted by many prominent Australian constitutional scholars, who argue that the flexibility is needed, and would be lost in codification. It is argued that in a system where the Houses have equal power, a head of state with wide reserve powers is required to serve as umpire. Codification of powers essentially eliminates the vice-regal ability to use discretion in their exercise, and these scholars argue this discretion is necessary in order to resolve unforeseen difficulties. A reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the head of state of a country in certain exceptional circumstances. ...

Although the crisis was described as Australia's most dramatic political event since Federation in 1901, it caused no disruption in the services of government; it saw the parties remaining committed to the political and constitutional process by contesting the subsequent election and accepting the result. Further, in some of Whitlam's reflections of this period in the following years, he himself often referred to it as a "political" crisis, rather than a "constitutional" crisis. In either case, the crisis did precipitate one constitutional change, passed by referendum in 1977, that effectively requires that State Governments fill Senate vacancies with a member of the Party of the original holder of the seat, if they choose to fill the vacancy at all. The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federated on 1 January 1901, to form the Commonwealth of Australia, of which they became component states. ... The referendum of the 21st May, 1977 approved an amendment to the Australian constitution concerning the filling of casual vacancies in the Senate. ...

In the years afterwards, some Australian republicans have used the crisis as an argument for change, on the basis that Australia's current constitution is flawed over (a) the powers of the Upper House with regard to supply and (b) the lack of security of tenure of the Governor-General in dealing with a crisis. No attempts to constitutionally deny the Senate the power to block supply have been put to referendum, despite multiple changes of government since 1975. Strictly the crisis could have occurred whether Australia was a republic or a constitutional monarchy, since the structural causes of the crisis were the approximately equal powers of the two Houses of Parliament and the Governor-General's ability to invoke reserve powers - powers which would be transferred to the president under most models for an Australian republic. Whether and in what form these reserve powers would exist under any potential future republic is an as yet undecided issue. Look up tenure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ballots of the Argentine plebiscite of 1984 on the border treaty with Chile A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: A republic is a form of government maintained by a state or country whose sovereignty is based on popular consent and whose governance is based on popular representation and control. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the head of state of a country in certain exceptional circumstances. ...

Prior to the constitutional referendum of 1988, the convention responsible for deciding on which amendments would be put to a popular vote rejected a proposal to introduce an amendment to strip the Senate's power to block supply. The 1988 Australian Referendum was held on 3 September 1988. ...

The question of whether the Senate would ever block supply again remains uncertain. For most of the time from 1980 to 2004, the balance of power in the Australian Senate was held by the Australian Democrats who disavowed ever blocking supply to a government, thus reducing the question's urgency. At the 2004 elections the Liberal/National Coalition government won control of the Senate in its own right. With the Coalition now holding 19 of the 36 seats which will not be up for re-election, this leaves open the possibility of the Coalition controlling the Senate in opposition if they were to lose the next election, due in 2007. The Australian Democrats, who are often known simply as The Democrats in Australia, are a progressive social liberal party. ... Legislative elections were held in Australia on 9 October 2004. ...

Fraser and Whitlam have not kept up any enmity and are reconciled to the point where they have, on occasion, spoken jointly on political issues such as the referendum of 1999 as to whether Australia should become a republic. ...

Journalist Paul Kelly has produced a series of books generally regarded as forming the most comprehensive account of the crisis. His most recent is entitled November 1975. While Kelly criticises both Fraser and Whitlam heavily, and points out the flaws in the Australian constitutional system that made it possible, he ultimately shifts the majority of the blame on Kerr for doing little to encourage a negotiated solution to the crisis. Paul Kelly is a well-known Australian political journalist and historian. ...

A dramatised version of events exists in the form of a television mini series, The Dismissal, screened in 1983. Amongst those with directing credits are George Miller and Phillip Noyce, with cinematography by Dean Semler. The Dismissal was a Australian television mini series, broadcast in 1993 by Network Ten. ... George Miller (born March 3, 1945) is an Australian film and television screenwriter, film director and producer. ... Phillip Noyce on the set of Rabbit-Proof Fence with the films star, Everlyn Sampi. ... Dean Semler is an Australian cinematographer. ...

Contents

Background

The dismissal

Alleged Role of the United States government

Aftermath

Legacy

See also

Footnotes

References

External links

Contents

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The dismissal

Alleged Role of the United States government

Aftermath

Legacy

See also

Footnotes

References

External links

Background