Did Govenor-General Kerr do the right thing in dismissing the Whitlam government?

Question

This was during the 1975 constitution crisis. and can you please tell me in a simple way what the constitution crisis was.

Answer 1

The Liberal Party, led by Malcolm Fraser was in opposition. They had blocked supply on the budget being brought down by Treasurer Bill Hayden. Inflation was very high at the time because Whitlam had spent three years undoing the neglect of two decades of conservative rule.

He had made tertiary education free for every Australian. He brought in Medicare. He brought the troops home from Vietnam.

Anyway, Fraser was facing a back bench revolt. There was no real reason to continue blocking supply (the money needed to run the country) because the budget was a good one. His back benchers told him that when the Senate re-convened they were voting for Supply ti go through. The Budget of 1975 had reined in spending and would have exerted strong anti-inflationary pressures. With supply let through Fraser could no longer force a Double Dissolution as was his plan.

Fraser approached Kerr with the proposal that he should sack Whitlam and install Fraser himself as caretaker PM until a Double Dissolution election could be called. Kerr did so. There are persisitent rumours that he did so at the behest of the CIA as much as Fraser.Whitlam was said to be against allowing the Yanks to continue at Pine Gap Nuclear facility because he was too disturbed by its military implications.

In any case it was unconstitutional. No provision exists in the constitution for the GG to sack the PM. That order would have to come from the Queen herself and HRH was never asked. She was reported at the time to be furious that her name had been associated with such an action. She would not have allowed the sacking if she had been approached.

Answer 2

Will, good way to cheat!!! Why didn't you mention the 300 words limit,too?