Name: Australia marks 50 years since Whitlams historic dismissal
Uploaded: 2025-11-11T06:23:55.691Z
Duration: 2 min 22 s
Description: Australia is commemorating 50 years since Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, a defining moment in the nation’s political history. The anniversary included the unveiling of a Whitlam statue outside Old Parliament House.

Australia is commemorating 50 years since Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, a defining moment in the nation’s political history. The anniversary included the unveiling of a Whitlam statue outside Old Parliament House.

Canberra

Australia is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by Governor-General Sir John Kerr, an event widely regarded as one of the most dramatic episodes in the nation's political history. The 1975 dismissal followed a budget deadlock and resulted in Malcolm Fraser being appointed caretaker Prime Minister, who subsequently won the election.

The incident remains a defining moment for Australian democracy, with reflections on its impact and the enduring powers of the Governor-General. A statue of Whitlam will be installed outside Old Parliament House to honor his legacy and the resilience of the country's democratic system.

Australia marks 50 years since Whitlam's historic dismissal

Political execution, never before and never since. We want God! We want God! 50 years since Gough Whitlam was sacked by the Governor-General. Well, may we say, God save the Queen. God save the Queen! Because nothing will save the Governor-General. His call to maintain the rage still echoes through Canberra. Anthony Albanese was in Year 7. November 11, 1975 was not a constitutional crisis. It was a partisan political ambush. Gough Whitlam had been Prime Minister for almost three years. Social reforms were overshadowed by scandals and the opposition, led by Malcolm Fraser, was blocking Labor's budget in the Senate, starving the government of funds. To resolve the deadlock, Whitlam went to the Governor-General proposing a half-Senate election. Instead, he was dismissed. Sir John Kerr, appointing Fraser as caretaker PM, he went on to win the election convincingly. Who will undoubtedly go down in Australian history from Remembrance Day 1975 as Kerr's kerner. He soon came to acknowledge that it was a tough business and Fraser was playing tough and, on that occasion, won. Paul Keating, then a brand-new minister, now revealing he'd suggested asking the Queen to fire Kerr. And in the event that Kerr resisted, I said to Gough, I thought he should be put under police arrest. The monarch's representative still has the power to dismiss a democratically elected PM. Sam Mostyn doesn't believe the closed-door dealings of 1975 would be replicated. I could not imagine a situation in modern Australia where a Prime Minister would be surprised or blindsided. The important thing is that democracy worked and that people had a say. The scenes on these steps are the most explosive in Australia's political history. The three main players, giants of another time. And now Gough Whitlam will be immortalised with a statue outside Old Parliament House. It will commemorate the sternest test our democracy has known. Chloe Boris, 10 News.

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