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Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 8:35 am
by dedja
A giant in more way than one, passed away at 98.

Depending which side of the fence you sit, he was either the messiah or one of Australia's worst PMs.

Regardless, he was always a colourful figure.

I still remember the events of 1975 like they were yesterday, the joke at the time was that the Queen was woken up with the news that Whitlam was out and Fraser was in, and she said you woke me up to tell me the cricket score?

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 9:35 am
by mal
11/7/1916
21/10/2014
R.I.P
Gough Whitlam

Adelaide weather forecast for today is for a maximum of 37
37 celsius converted to fahrenheit = 98 [ in round figures]
Gough Whitlam died today aged 98

The 1972 song slogan 'Its time' was a catchy tune
Always has and always will remind me of Gough Whitlam
I used to sing that jingle myself
That tune is attributed as being one of the reasons why the ALP got elected in 1972

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:04 am
by Dogwatcher
Not too many PMs have been the subject of a flattering pop song:

http://youtu.be/rdo1uRIZMcc

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 11:10 am
by dedja
A campaign ahead of it's time!



If anyone has any doubt about Gough's contribution to Australia, here's a list of his reforms as documented by a facebook post:

It was the Whitlam Government that

1. ended Conscription,
2. withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam,
3. implemented Equal Pay for Women,
4. launched an Inquiry into Education and the Funding of Government and Non-government Schools on a Needs Basis,
5. established a separate ministry responsible for Aboriginal Affairs,
6. established the single Department of Defence,
7. withdrew support for apartheid–South Africa,
8. granted independence to Papua New Guinea,
9. abolished Tertiary Education Fees,
10. established the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme (TEAS),
11. increased pensions,
12. established Medibank,
13. established controls on Foreign Ownership of Australian resources,
14. passed the Family Law Act establishing No-Fault Divorce,
15. passed a series of laws banning Racial and Sexual Discrimination,
16. extended Maternity Leave and Benefits for Single Mothers,
17. introduced One-Vote-One-Value to democratize the electoral system,
18. implemented wide-ranging reforms of the ALP's organization,
19. initiated Australia's first Federal Legislation on Human Rights, the Environment and Heritage,
20. established the Legal Aid Office,
21. established the National Film and Television School,
22. launched construction of National Gallery of Australia,
23. established the Australian Development Assistance Agency,
24. reopened the Australian Embassy in Peking after 24 years,
25. established the Prices Justification Tribunal,
26. revalued the Australian Dollar,
27. cut tariffs across the board,
28. established the Trade Practices Commission,
29. established the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service,
30. established the Law Reform Commission,
31. established the Australian Film Commission,
32. established the Australia Council,
33. established the Australian Heritage Commission,
34. established the Consumer Affairs Commission,
35. established the Technical and Further Education Commission,
36. implemented a national employment and training program,
37. created Telecom and Australia Post to replace the Postmaster-General's Department,
38. devised the Order of Australia Honors System to replace the British Honors system,
39. abolished appeals to the Privy Council,
40. changed the National Anthem to 'Advance Australia Fair' (confirmed at 1977 Referendum),
41. instituted Aboriginal Land Rights

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 11:47 am
by mal
I was a nervous teenager in the 1970s
We had one family member fighting in the Vietnam war.
Gough and his cohorts pulled Australians out of that war.

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 11:59 am
by Psyber
mal wrote:I was a nervous teenager in the 1970s
We had one family member fighting in the Vietnam war.
Gough and his cohorts pulled Australians out of that war.

I had a personal interest in those days too, not wanting to be balloted into a conflict I thought we should stay out of, and was pleased it turned out I was a couple of months too old for the first ballot. I voted for Gough twice despite being off the hook personally - in 1972 and 1974.

The only disappointments for me were allowing Indonesia to grab western Papua as "West Irian", the financial dealings that emerged shortly before the dismissal, and the using of sickness benefits and pensions to hide the unemployment levels.

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 2:14 pm
by Footy Chick
dedja wrote:A campaign ahead of it's time!



If anyone has any doubt about Gough's contribution to Australia, here's a list of his reforms as documented by a facebook post:

It was the Whitlam Government that

1. ended Conscription,
2. withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam, - sending troops to battle the terrorists
3. implemented Equal Pay for Women,
4. launched an Inquiry into Education and the Funding of Government and Non-government Schools on a Needs Basis,
5. established a separate ministry responsible for Aboriginal Affairs,
6. established the single Department of Defence, - tony selling off the subs
7. withdrew support for apartheid–South Africa,
8. granted independence to Papua New Guinea,
9. abolished Tertiary Education Fees, - highest fees EVER
10. established the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme (TEAS),
11. increased pensions, - they haven't increased that much since, refugees get more
12. established Medibank - tony is selling it off
13. established controls on Foreign Ownership of Australian resources, - Tony is selling every spare block of land to China
14. passed the Family Law Act establishing No-Fault Divorce,
15. passed a series of laws banning Racial and Sexual Discrimination, - Tony hates women and gays
16. extended Maternity Leave and Benefits for Single Mothers, -Tony gave us maternity payments but is now taking them away to pay for war
17. introduced One-Vote-One-Value to democratize the electoral system,
18. implemented wide-ranging reforms of the ALP's organization,
19. initiated Australia's first Federal Legislation on Human Rights, the Environment and Heritage,
20. established the Legal Aid Office,
21. established the National Film and Television School,
22. launched construction of National Gallery of Australia,
23. established the Australian Development Assistance Agency,
24. reopened the Australian Embassy in Peking after 24 years,
25. established the Prices Justification Tribunal,
26. revalued the Australian Dollar,
27. cut tariffs across the board,
28. established the Trade Practices Commission,
29. established the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service,
30. established the Law Reform Commission,
31. established the Australian Film Commission,
32. established the Australia Council,
33. established the Australian Heritage Commission,
34. established the Consumer Affairs Commission,
35. established the Technical and Further Education Commission,
36. implemented a national employment and training program,
37. created Telecom and Australia Post to replace the Postmaster-General's Department,
38. devised the Order of Australia Honors System to replace the British Honors system,
39. abolished appeals to the Privy Council,
40. changed the National Anthem to 'Advance Australia Fair' (confirmed at 1977 Referendum),
41. instituted Aboriginal Land Rights


Hating politics with a passion, normally I couldn't care if a politician dropped dead but took some interest to his story in high school.

Amazingly looking at the list above - and the good work he did - and put an "X" next to the stuff that has since been taken away, or Tony Abbot is now trying to reverse.

Also interesting to see some of the older generation be so scathing of him too.

I think no matter what he did or didn't do, you should never speak ill of the dead. (except if the dead is Miley Cyrus or Justin Beiber)

RIP

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:27 am
by mick
I was happy when he was elected on my 17th birthday, he made many changes that needed to be done, he ****** the economy and I was equally happy when he was soundly defeated in 1975. No doubt he was a great man, and in the age of beige politicians we are unlikely to see his kind again.

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:30 am
by shoe boy
RIP Gough
A true visionary .

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:03 am
by Corona Man
I can only really remember him getting the boot. I am from the other side of politics, however the list here has some impressive entries. Be interesting to see how history remembers the Rudd/Gillard era...... Gave us dodgy insulation schemes, and union slush funds, not too mention Craig Thomson!

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 8:10 am
by shoe boy
Corona Man wrote:I can only really remember him getting the boot. I am from the other side of politics, however the list here has some impressive entries. Be interesting to see how history remembers the Rudd/Gillard era...... Gave us dodgy insulation schemes, and union slush funds, not too mention Craig Thomson!


Or even the current mob TEAM AUSTRALIA on mission destroy Australia's credibility .

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 1:10 pm
by mick
I'm surprised only 10 posts on (whatever you think of him) one of Australia's most notable and colorful PMs. I suppose it was nearly 40 years since he was in office? Gough would certainly be pissed off with only 10 replies :D

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 1:12 pm
by dedja
That's probably because most of the active posters left on this site weren't even born when he came to power!

I nearly disowned my daughters when they said they didn't know who he was ... #-o

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 12:19 pm
by Leaping Lindner
dedja wrote:
If anyone has any doubt about Gough's contribution to Australia, here's a list of his reforms as documented by a facebook post:

It was the Whitlam Government that

1. ended Conscription,
2. withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam,
3. implemented Equal Pay for Women,
4. launched an Inquiry into Education and the Funding of Government and Non-government Schools on a Needs Basis,
5. established a separate ministry responsible for Aboriginal Affairs,
6. established the single Department of Defence,
7. withdrew support for apartheid–South Africa,
8. granted independence to Papua New Guinea,
9. abolished Tertiary Education Fees,
10. established the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme (TEAS),
11. increased pensions,
12. established Medibank,
13. established controls on Foreign Ownership of Australian resources,
14. passed the Family Law Act establishing No-Fault Divorce,
15. passed a series of laws banning Racial and Sexual Discrimination,
16. extended Maternity Leave and Benefits for Single Mothers,
17. introduced One-Vote-One-Value to democratize the electoral system,
18. implemented wide-ranging reforms of the ALP's organization,
19. initiated Australia's first Federal Legislation on Human Rights, the Environment and Heritage,
20. established the Legal Aid Office,
21. established the National Film and Television School,
22. launched construction of National Gallery of Australia,
23. established the Australian Development Assistance Agency,
24. reopened the Australian Embassy in Peking after 24 years,
25. established the Prices Justification Tribunal,
26. revalued the Australian Dollar,
27. cut tariffs across the board,
28. established the Trade Practices Commission,
29. established the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service,
30. established the Law Reform Commission,
31. established the Australian Film Commission,
32. established the Australia Council,
33. established the Australian Heritage Commission,
34. established the Consumer Affairs Commission,
35. established the Technical and Further Education Commission,
36. implemented a national employment and training program,
37. created Telecom and Australia Post to replace the Postmaster-General's Department,
38. devised the Order of Australia Honors System to replace the British Honors system,
39. abolished appeals to the Privy Council,
40. changed the National Anthem to 'Advance Australia Fair' (confirmed at 1977 Referendum),
41. instituted Aboriginal Land Rights


Yeah. But what have the Romans ever done for us?? :lol:

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 3:24 pm
by mick
Aqueducts, roads??

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 3:39 pm
by Mr Beefy
Orgies?

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 4:44 pm
by dedja
crucifying Jesus?

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:16 pm
by Dogwatcher
sandals

Re: Vale Gough Whitlam

PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:23 pm
by dedja
Biggus Dickus and Roderick