-lj4. AU8TlALlA
PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST PEI: IVEF-Y EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
LAUNCH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
OF THE WHITLAM GOVERNMENT BY GOUGH WHITLAI
AT THE PRESS CLUB CANBERRA
MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER 1985
GOUGH WHITLAM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GUESTS,
THIS IS IN EVERY WAY AN HISTORIC DAY AND AN HISTORIC
OCCASION. AND IT SAYS A GREAT DEAL, NOT ONLY ABOUT GOUGH
WHITLAM THE MAN, BUT ALSO ABOUT OUR PARTY THE AUSTRALIAN
LABOR PARTY WHICH HE LED FOR SO LONG, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO
COME TOGETHER ON THIS DAY OF ALL DAYS NOT TO COMMISERATE,
BUT TO CELEBRATE.
WE ARE CELEBRATING OF COURSE THE PUBLICATION OF THIS BOOK.
AND BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS BOOK IS THE RECORD OF THE WHITLAM
GOVERNMENT OF 1972 1975 WE ARE ALSO CELEBRATING THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS IMPORTANT PLACE IN
THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA.
MOST OF ALL, WE ARE CELEBRATING GOUGH WHITLAM FORMER LABOR
PRIME MINISTER AND A GREAT AUSTRALIAN, WHO LED LABOR TO
GOVERNMENT IN 1972 AFTER 23 LONG YEARS IN OPPOSITION AND,
WHO IN DOING SO, SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED THE POLITICAL AGENDA
OF AUSTRALIA SOME ( INCLUDING FREUDY) EVEN SAY, CHANGED THE
WAY WE SPEAK.
AND BECAUSE or THOSE TEINGS, WF ARE ::: TLED TO CELEBRATE
TODAY THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PAFTY ITSEIF DEVASTED TEN YEARS
AGO, TODAY ASCENDANT THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA.
AND WE CAN NOW SEE THAT THE RESILIENCE WHICH MADE THAT
RESURGENCE POSSIBLE, IS AS MUCH PART OF THE WHITLAM LEGACY
AS ANYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE PARTY'S
CAPACITY TO SERVE LAY VERY MUCH IN GOUGH'S WORK OF
REFORMATION, RE-EDUCATION, AND RECONSTRUCTION, DURING HIS
LEADERSHIP. I THINK THERE IS A SIMPLE MEASURE OF GOUGH WHITLAM'S PLACE
IN MODERN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY. IN THE DECADE UP TO 1966, ONE
FIGURE ABSOLUTELY DOMINATED AUSTRALIAN POLITICS. THAT WAS,
OF COURSE, SIR ROBERT MENZIES.
THE NEXT DECADE WAS DOMINATED BY GOUGH WHITLAFI
MENZIES, SECOND TIME AROUND, WAS PRIME MINISTER FOR SIXTEEN
YEAR; GOUGH FOR JUST UNDER THREE.
YET WHO TODAY, IN TERMS OF POSITIVE ACHIEVEMENT, IN TERMS OF
CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE, IN TERMS OF CHANGES AND REFORMS
AFFECTING THE WAY WE LIVE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN NOW
ENJOY, COULD PUT MENZIES IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS WHITLAM?
AND I THINK IT IS SIGNIF HS FEGIAFL, THAT WHILE
MANY BOOKS HAVE ALREADY -TEI: ABOUT rVEP. Y ASFECT CF
THE WHITLAM GOVERNMENT AND THE WHITLAM YEARS AND TODAY
SEES THE PUBLICATION OF GOUCGH'S VERY DEF: I;: T: VE ACCOUNT WE
STILL AWAIT, NOT ONLY THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY, BUT ANY
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNT AT ALL OF THE MENZIES ERA, NEARLY TWENTY
YEARS AFTER HIS DEPARTURE.
THIS BOOK IS UNIQUE IN MANY WAYS. GOUGH IS NOT BY ANY MEANS
THE FIRST FORMER AUSTRALIAN PIRME MINISTER TO HAVE WRITTEN
BOOKS: DEAKIN, HUGHES, PAGE, FADDEN AND MENZIES HIMSELF
COME TO MIND. BILLY, I UNDERSTAND, IS UP TO HIS THREE
MILLIONTH WORD.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A FORMER AUSTRALIAN PRIME
MINISTER HAS SERIOUSLY ATTEMPTED TO GIVE A FULL AND SERIOUS
ACCOUNT OF HIS STEWARDSHIP.
AND THAT IS WHY, AS GOUGH EXPLAINS IN HIS INTRODUCTION, THIS
BOOK CONCENTRATES ON POLICY, ITS DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION. THIS IS NOT THE OCCAS: ON OR THE PLACE TO DISCUSS THESE
POLICIES, OR THEIR DEVELOPMENT OR IMPLEMENTATION. HOWEVER,
I WOULD LIKE, BRIEFLY, TO DRAW PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO SOME
OF YOUR GOVERNMENT'S REFORMS, REFORMS WHICH HAVE ENDURED,
AND REFORMS WHICH ARE INTEGRAL TO THIS LABOR GOVERNMENT'S
POLICIES.
YOUF. FIONEEF;! I C T. E RELATI. AS3HIP WITH CHINA IN 1971 WAS
ONE OF THE : CST INEFIPED AND INSPIRING EAMPLES OF POLITICAL
VISION IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY.
THE FRASER GOVERNMENT CONTINUED YOUR PATHBREAKING WORK IN
CHINA AND WE HAVE VERY CONSIDERABLY AND ENDURINGLY BUILT
UPON THAT SOLID FOUNDATION.
THE EFFORTS WHICH YOUR GOVERNMENT MADE TO ENHANCE
AUSTRALIA'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOUTHEAST ASIA HAVE GIVEN OUR
GOVERNMENT A BASIS FOR WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE ASEAN
COUNTRIES, AND SEEKING TO FACILITATE A SETTLEMENT TO THE
TRAGIC CAMBODIAN CONFLICT.
IT WAS YOUR GOVERNMENT WHICH GAVE AUSTRALIA DECENT AND
ACCEPTABLE POLICIES TOWARDS SOUTH AFRICA. THE FRASER
GOVERNMENT TOOK YOUR LEAD AND MADE AUSTRALIA'S APPROACH
BI-PARTISAN.
AND YOUR ROLE, FIRST IN COURAGEOUSLY CHANGING AUSTRALIAN
ATTITUDES TOWARDS PAPUA NEW GUINEA INDEPENDENCE FROM
OFFOSITION AND THEN IN SEEING IT TO FRUITION FROM
GOVERNMENT, HAS ALSO BEEN OF ENORMOUS INFLUENCE IN CREATIT: C
A HEALTHIER REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT FROM WHICH SUCCESSOR
GOVERNMENTS IN AUSTRALIA HAVE BENEFITTED.
AND ON THE DOMESTIC FRONT SO MANY REFORMS WERE INITIATED.
BUT LET ME MENTION ONE MEDIBANK. DESPITE FRASER'S PROMISE
IN THE 1975 ELECTIO': TO RETAIN IT WAS ALL BUT
DISMAN1TL-E WUtr: IE C.' E TO OFFICE.
rrr i I
BUT v: EFrr r. ETEF. rMINEl AN:-COMMITTED TO RESTORE LABOR'S
HEAL71. POLICiLS.. AND F. AVE.
THE FF. INC1PLE EKB; OD] EZ IN MEDIBANK THAT EVERY AUSTRALIAN
HAS THE RIGHT TO THE VEFY BEST AVAILABLE HEALTH AND HOSPITAL
CARE ACCORDING TO NEED IS NOW, BY OUR ACTION, EMBODIED IN
MEDICARE. MEDICARE IS ONE OF MY GOVERNMENT'S MOST SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL
REFORMS. MEDICARE'S UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE HAS
BROUGHT TO AN END THE UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION WHERE UNDER THE
CONSERVATIVES OVER TWO MILLION POOR AND DISADVANTAGED
AUSTRALIANS WERE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE.
AS I HAVE SAID, THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT POLICY AND NOT ABOUT
INTRIGUE OR INFIGHTING. ITS APPROACH AND CONTENT REPRESENT
THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH THAT THE CENTRAL WORK OF GOVERNMENT IS
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY.
AND AS GOUGH POINTS OUT, IN THE CASE OF THE WHITLA;':
GOVERNMENT, EVEN WHEN IT WAS BEING DEPICTED AS BEING
PARA. LYSED BY INTERNAL CRISES AND TURMOIL, THE REAL WCF. OF
GOVE?. NMENT WAS BEING CARRIED ON TO THE END.
BUT THE TRAGEDY OF YOUR TIME WAS THAT WHILE THIS WAS BEING
DONE, EVENTS AND INDIVIDUALS WERE CONSPIRING TO BRING YOUR
GOVERNMENT TO A PREMATURE END.
AMD O THIS DAY 10 YEAR-LATLFR I WOULD WISH SIMPLY TO
IkAXI TMEFE rC::. TS ABOU! TPOSE AND THOSE I: NDNC;.'
:: FERVAT: VE r: OU-ES AND FORCES WHOSE ACTIONS CULMINATED
D; SI:: SSAI-ENGAGED IN THE MOST MASSIVE EXERCISE IN
HYPF.:: RISY IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY. THE TRADITIONAL
ESP'CzERS, DEFENDE!. r OF LAW ANE ORDER, INVOLVED THEMSELVES
IN THE SMASHING OF THE VERY CONVENTIONS UNDER WHICH OUR
SOCIETY HAD OPERATED FOR 75 YEARS.
I CANNOT CONDONE AND DO NOT FORGET THE ROLES PLAYED BY THE
PRINCIPALS, INCLUDING THAT BY MALCOLM FRASER AND THE
LIBERAL-COUNTRY PARTY.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER THESE THINGS. WE SHOULD COMMIT OURSELVES
TO ENSURING THEY DO NOT OCCUR AGAIN. BUT WE SHOULD NOT
DWELL WITH HATRED UPON THE PAST.
BUT, FOR THE MOMENT, BACK TO THE BOOK.
MUCH OF THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS BOOK COMES FROM THE
UNIQUENESS OF ITS AUTHOR.
IT IS ALL THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.
IT IS IN EVERY SENSE A BIG BOOK.
IT IS LUCID, FRANK AND DIRECT; THERE ARE PLENTY OF
CRITICISMS BUT, I THINK, LITTLE VINDICTIVENESS OR RANCOUR.
THERE IS OF COURSE, NO FALSE MODESTY AND WHY SHOULD THERE
BE?
ymy 1-I I I I
). N1 1 SUPPC" 5E 7E MOST REMARKABLE THING ABOUT THIS BOOK,
, i:: LE : T IS ACCOUNT AND A REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST, IS
THAT : T IS ESSENTIALLY A BOOK ABOUT THE FUTURE ABOUT THE
FAP. Y'S FUrUT.:, ABOUT AUSTRALIA'S FUTURE.
THEREFORE WE CAN ALL BE GRATEFUL TO GOUGH FOR THIS UNIQUE
BOOK, JUST AS WE ARE ALL DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO HIM FOR HIS
MAGNIFICENT AND UNIQUE CAREER.
AND ON THIS DAY, 11 NOVEMBER, AS I HAVE SAID, WE OF THE
LABOR PARTY CAN BE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL THAT THROUGH THE
PUBLICATION OF THIS BOOK AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, ALL THAT
THIS BOOK REPRESENTS AND STANDS FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT IT
RECORDS, THE LESSON IT TEACHES THIS DAY IS A DAY OF
CELEBRATION. WE CAN ALL TODAY CELEBRATE THE PARTY, THE NATION, THE EVENT,
THE MAN.
GOUGH, IN 1942 ROOSEVELT WROTE TO CHURCHILL THAT IT WAS FUN
TO BE IN THE SAME DECADE WITH HIM.
I CAN TRULY SAY THAT FOR ALL OUR UPS A0 AN4D1 ) ZTSE ERE
WERE A FEW IT WAS FUN BEING WITH YOU Ill THF SAME DECADE THAT
WE WERE TOGETHER AS THE LEADERS OF THE POLITICAL AND
INDUSTRIAL WINGS OF OUR MOVEMENT. IT WAS MORE THAN FUN. IT
WAS GREAT.
A! C THE CATACLYSI OF 11 NOVEMBER 1975 DID NOT STOP THE FUN
C'F BrING WITh E N TH, LAST DECADE.
-7 AND THE COMPLETION OF THIS 7-:-; IIOUS WORK BY SOMEONE IN HIS
SEVENTIETH YEAR IS ITSELF I. 7ANE OF A LOT MORE FUN
TOGETHER IN THE DECADE TO C: E