October 23, 2021
November 11, 1975: The Dismissal of the Whitlam Government
This prime ministerial press conference took place in the aftermath of the special one-day sitting on the Loans Affair and the sacking of Dr. Jim Cairns.
Whitlam took a number of questions on the Loans Affair and the possibility of public servants being called before the Senate to answer questions.
As criticism of the Loans Affair rained down on Gough Whitlam, Bruce Petty looked at the credibility of European criticism.
Gough Whitlam turned 59 on July 11, 1975. Preoccupied by political trouble on multiple fronts, he found time to greet his grandson returning from overseas.
Gough Whitlam recalled the House of Representatives from its winter recess for a one-day sitting to debate the Overseas Loans Affair.
The sitting took place on July 9, 1975, two days before Whitlam’s 59th birthday.
The morning newspapers around the country on July 9 were uniformly bad for the government. In South Australia, the Labor Premier Don Dunstan, facing an election three days later, attacked the Whitlam government. Dunstan suffered a 5.3% two-party swing, lost three seats and survived by forming a minority government.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, the sitting of the House began at 2.30pm and continued until the adjournment at 10.09pm.
Proceedings began with the announcement of the return of the writ for the Bass by-election. Following the ousting of Lance Barnard as Deputy Prime Minister, he was appointed Ambassador to Sweden, Norway and Finland, a by-election was held to replace him in his Tasmanian electorate. A 14.3% swing to the Liberals saw Labor lose the seat with just 39.7% of the two-party-preferred vote. Malcolm Fraser was entitled to believe he could now win a general election.
The sitting then offered condolences for Queensland ALP Senate Bert Milliner, who had died on June 30. Milliner’s death allowed Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen to further alter the balance of power in the Senate by the appointment of a non-Labor replacement, Albert Patrick Field. Earlier in the year, following the appointment of the Attorney-General, Senator Lionel Murphy, to the High Court, the NSW government of Premier Tom Lewis had also refused to appoint a Labor replacement.
On July 9, 1975, the House of Representatives was recalled for a special one-day sitting to debate the Overseas Loans Affair.
The Age had more documents and an editorial saying it was a time of national trial.
The Australian reported on attempts (ultimately successful) by the South Australia’s Labor Premier, Don Dunstan, to distance himself from the Whitlam government in an attempt to win his state election.
The Melbourne Sun covered the activities of Philip Cairns, son of the former Treasurer, Dr. Jim Cairns, who had been sacked the week before.
Cartoon by Les Tanner, The Age, July 1, 1975, following Labor's defeat in the Bass by-election.
