Perhaps the most significant political and constitutional crisis in Australia's history occurred on 11th November 1975.
2005 marks the 30th anniversary of the event commonly referred to as "The Dismissal" in which then Governer-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, used his Constitutional powers and dismissed the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, and appointed the Opposition Leader,Malcolm Fraser, as the caretaker Prime Minister.
The events of this momentous day in Australia's political history occurred on the same day as Rememberance Day, when the nation remembers its war dead, and on the anniversary of the hanging of Ned Kelly, Australia's most notorious bushranger.
Gough Whitlam and his Labor Government had been elected on 2 December 1972 after 23 years of Liberal/Country Party (Conservative) coalition rule.
Whitlam took office determined to implement a wide-ranging program of political and social reforms. Unfortunately his government was also beset by a number of political scandals involving his ministers,the most controversial became known as the Loans Affair.
Throughout this time the opposition continually threaten to block appropriation bills for government expenditure, due to their majority in the Senate, the upper house of federal Parliament. Then in 1975, the crisis came to a head when, the Senate deferred voting on expenditure bills, attempting to force the Prime Minister to dissolve the lower house, House of Representatives and call an election.
Such an action was unprecedented in Australian history, and has not been attempted since. The government dismissed such calls, and attempted to pressure Liberal Senators to support the bills while also exploring alternative means to fund government expenditure. The impasse continued for some weeks, during which the threat of the government being unable to meet its financial obligations hung over the country.
The crisis finally came to a head on 11 November 1975 when the Governor-General dismissed Whitlam as Prime Minister and appointed his opponent, Malcolm Fraser, as caretaker Prime Minister. Fraser was offered a commission as caretaker Prime Minister which he accepted, and immediately sought a Double Dissolution election for 13 December at, which the Whitlam Government was soundly defeated. In the meantime, the Senate passed the Supply Bills, with the Labor senators unaware that their government had been dismissed.
The announcement and its implications shocked many Australians and culminated in Whitlam's famouse speech on the Parliament House steps which included the comments "Well May We Say God Save The Queen . . . because nothing will save the Governor-General" and where he also described Fraser as "Kerr's Cur" and urged his supporters to "maintain the rage".
Thirty years on many Australians no long "maintain the rage" but they are still divided over the ethics and legitimacy of Whitlam's dismissal and Fraser's subsequent caretaker government. Speculation continues also around the the constitutional and political effects and that the Australian Constitution has not been changed and so in theory the "The Dismissal" could happen again.
Despite his short term in office, Gough Whitlam has managed to leave a considerable legacy in Austalia not only in political terms but also in social terms in education and the arts. He is also responsible for making the legendary Edna Everage a Dame.
Peter Shuttlewood is the author of webzine freshread which contains articles on Popular Culture with an Australian slant. freshread - the everyday in a fresh way.