Dramatis PersonÆ:

Gough Whitlam, Member for Werriwa, former Prime Minister of Australia
Sir John Kerr, Governor General
Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister
Bob Hawke, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, future Prime Minister
Paul Keating, former Minister for Northern Australia, future Prime Minister
Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Premiere of Queensland
Sir Charles Court, Premiere of Western Australia
Tony Eggleton, Federal Director of the Liberal Party Secretariat
David Smith, Private Secretary to the Governor General
Peter Young, ABC Radio 2 newsreader
Two women interviewed on the street
Farmer

1 The Dismissal

News bulletin read by Peter Young

The Governor General has dismissed Mr Whitlam as Prime Minister, and appointed Mr Fraser to head a caretaker government to hold a general election for both houses of Parliament.

Earlier, in a statement after his dismissal of Mr Whitlam, Sir John Kerr said it had been necessary for him to find a democratic and constitutional solution for the crisis. He said the only solution consistent with the constitution and with his oath of office was to terminate the commission of Mr Whitlam as Prime Minister, and to arrange for a caretaker government able to secure supply and willing to let the issue go to the people.

Because of the principles of responsible government, a Prime Minister who could not obtain supply must either advise a general election or resign. Sir John Kerr said that if a Prime Minister refused to resign, or to advise an election, and this was the case of Mr Whitlam, then he had no alternative but to withdraw his commission and invite the leader of the Opposition, Mr Fraser, to form a caretaker government.  It was now for the people to decide the issue which the two leaders had failed to settle.

Scene: Parliament House Steps, 4:30 pm, 11 November 1975

Crowd outside Parliament House

We want Gough! We want Gough! We want Gough!

David Smith reading the end of the Governor General's proclamation dissolving Parliament:

From the Governor General of Australia to, by this my proclamation, dissolve the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

Given under my hand by the Great Seal of Australia, on the eleventh of November 1975 by His Excellency's command.

Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister. 

John R Kerr, Governor General. God save the Queen.

Paul Keating

(3:30 pm, 11 November 1975, Canberra ABC Studios)

Sir John Kerr's done a completely unprincipled act. He said to me three weeks ago, when I was sworn in, "Mr Keating, we'll be relying on your advice and the advice of your fellow members of the Executive Council." He's not sought our advice.

The point that needs to be considered here is that half of the Australian people are denied access to legitimate political power. Now we won forty-nine percent of the vote, f-forty nine and a half in '72 and formed a government; we got over half the votes in '74 and formed a government, and we can't govern! Now where does the Australian parliamentary system go, when you've got monarchs and queens and Governor Generals just dismissing elected governments? He's completely unjustified!  Completely and totally unjustified!

Gough Whitlam

Well may we say "God save the Queen" Because nothing will save the Governor General

Sir John Kerr

(Australia Day broadcast, 26 January 1976)

As history unfolds Major events and problems occur and the nation has to accommodate itself to the impact upon it of great forces. It has to make big decisions.

The events of the past three months have focused our attention on the basis of our system of parliamentary government and on our written Constitution. Regrettably, a most difficult and unusual situation developed in the parliament, making it necessary for me to make a difficult decision. Whatever change one group or another thinks should be made, whatever defects may be apparent to many, the Constitution is the instrument of government that we in fact have, and we must follow it. We cannot change it except in the constitutional way that it specifies.

As history unfolds, major events and problems occur, and the nation has to accommodate itself to the impact upon it of great forces. It has to make big decisions.

2 Kerr's Cur

Gough Whitlam

(4:30, 11 November 1975, Parliament House Steps)

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.

Malcolm Fraser

(Election policy speech, 26 November 1975)

Ladies and Gentlemen, my colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives, my colleagues in the organisation and the National-Country Party and in the Liberal Party, thank you for that tremendous welcome.

It augurs well for December 13^th when we face a historic decision. On that day, we'll be deciding the future of our country. Let us all as Australians determine to restore prosperity defeat inflation and provide jobs. This election results from the dishonesty, the incompetence of the Whitlam government. This election has been caused by the dismissal of two acting Prime Ministers for deceiving the Parliament. This election has been caused by a Prime Minister who refused to face the people; who tried to rule without Parliament; who took Australia the first significant step on the road to dictatorship, to defy the fundamental principle of our Constitution, and who finally forced, and who finally forced the Governor General to dismiss him.

3 Lopping Heads

Sir Charles Court

(Telephone interview from Perth, 4 pm, 11 November 1975)

Well, my reaction is one of great relief. I think the decision of the Governor General was not unexpected, ah, having regard for all the circumstances, it is in the best classical tradition of the role of Governors General in our system of government.

As boiled down it means that, ah, the people at last are going to be able to have a chance to say who's going to be the Government.  This is not a question of the Governor General or the Senate, or anyone else saying who's going to be the government.  It'll be a case of the people being able to pass judgement.  And I think that ah, it's a very fitting way that the matter should be resolved, because after all ah, Mister ah, Whitlam had no compunction in lopping heads like Crean, Connor, Cameron, Cass, Cope, Cairns, and he was about the last one left standing and ah, that was by the very Constitution he was trying to destroy.

4 Men that we can trust

Joh Bjelke-Petersen

(Telephone interview from Brisbane, 4:15 pm, 11 November 1975)

W. . .we no longer want a dis... a discredited government, a government that has been dishonest o...on various occasions.   We want an honest open government: men that we can trust.  Men that will inspire confidence in the community.

Farmer

(Perth CBD, around 4 pm, 11 November 1975)

Being a farmer and hearing the news today I think that is the best news that all the farmers in Australia could have received.

Tony Eggleton

(3:45 pm, 11 November 1975, Canberra ABC Studios)

The whole question of the honesty and method of government of the Whitlam, ah, administration must, must be one of the issues

Woman on Street

(Perth CBD, around 4 pm, 11 November 1975)

We didn't think it possible that he that he would give in and so we're glad the Governor General has taken the right course.

Second Woman on Street

First time I heard him and heard him I quite christened him "Mister Impudence."

5 Remembrance Day

Bob Hawke

(4:40 pm, Parliament House Steps)

There has never been in the history of Australia greater provocation in the Industrial Movement to come out and take direct industrial action because all the conventions have been broken, ah, just shattered.

One of the great dangers in today's events, ah, paradoxically on Remembrance Day (and surely there will never be a day in Australian history more remembered than this one), ah, is that ah, in, in these, these circumstances, ah, ah, y-y-you've got the position where ah, people have been, been provoked.  Ah, and we've got to show, I believe that ah, we're not going to allow this now to snowball, and I think there's a very real possibility to snowball into violence, ah, to try and substitute the processes of debate, and decent peaceable electioneering. . . We don't want that to snowball into a situation where we're going to substitute violence in the streets and anarchy for the processes of democracy.

There has never been in the history of Australia grea  ter provocation in the industrial movement to come out and take direct industrial action, because all the conventions have been broken, ah, just shattered. Ah, just shattered.

6 Fair Play

Gough Whitlam

(Policy speech, 24 November 1975)

My whole public career has been dedicated to the proposition that reform and change needed in Australia can and must be achieved through democratic, parliamentary means. For fifteen years as Deputy Leader of the Australian Labour Party, and Leader of the Party, and Prime Minister of Australia, I have maintained that faith.

Now, that faith is challenged in a way none of us would ever before have believed possible. I shall never abandon that faith because my faith rests not just in parliamentary democracy itself but in the Australian people themselves. In their common sense, their intelligence, their decency, their instinctive sense of fair play.