Editorial: Elizabeth II's role in 1975 is debatable but Australians should not have to call the Palace before taking political decisions
between the Queen’s private secretary Sir Martin Charteris and governor-general Sir John Kerr about the time of the dismissal of the Whitlam government on November 11, 1975 will be hard to understand for anyone under 60.
The crisis arose because even though the ALP had a solid majority in the House of Representatives it lost control of the Senate in highly controversial circumstances and could not pass its budget. After weeks of deadlock Kerr decided to use the “reserve powers” he held under the constitution to resolve the crisis by sacking Whitlam without warning.
Yet, leaving to historians the task of processing this fascinating background, the big picture for us today is that Kerr took very seriously his responsibility to act as the Queen’s representative, to keep her informed and consult with her. The first step should be to resolve the model for appointing the president of a future Australian republic who would take over the functions of the governor-general. The referendum in 1999 failed because many republicans were sceptical about appointing a president with a two-thirds majority of Parliament and wanted a direct popular election.
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Palace letters reveal Sir John Kerr dismissed Gough Whitlam without informing the QueenIt's been revealed Sir John Kerr did not tell the Queen of his intention to dismiss then-prime minister Gough Whitlam before the historic decision on 11 November, 1975.
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'Palace letters' reveal Sir John Kerr sacked Gough Whitlam before telling the QueenA first look at the newly released 'Palace letters' reveals then governor-general Sir John Kerr dismissed the Whitlam government before telling the Queen, because 'it was better for Her Majesty not to know'.
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'Palace letters' to show what Queen knew about Whitlam dismissalThe &x27;Palace letters&x27; - correspondence between the Queen and Australian governor-general Sir John Kerr in the lead-up to the Whitlam government&x27;s dismissal - will be released to the public later today.
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Buckingham Palace: Queen had no role in sacking Whitlam | Sky News AustraliaBuckingham Palace has responded to the historic release of the Palace Letters, saying they confirm the Queen had 'no part to play' in the dismissal of the Whitlam government. \n\nThe release of the letters ends decades of secrecy surrounding the events of 1975, with the most significant revelation being that Sir John Kerr did not inform the Queen in advance of his decision to sack the Whitlam government. \n\nDespite this, Whitlam biographer and historian Jenny Hocking said discussion between the palace and its Australian representative about a last report option to dismiss Whitlam was inappropriate. \n\n“The head of a constitutional monarchy must at all times remain politically neutral and remain above the politics of the day,” she said. \n\n“The really startling thing about these letters is the extent to which the Governor-General is communicating with the Queen about these issues. \n\n“These are not appropriate conversations to be had between a Governor-General and a member of the Royal Family.” \n\nBuckingham Palace responded overnight, saying “the release of the letters by the National Archives of Australia confirms that neither Her Majesty nor the Royal Household had any part to play in Kerr’s decision to dismiss Whitlam”.
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More than 40 years in the making: Read the Palace Papers in fullThe documents behind the 1975 dismissal of the Whitlam Government illuminate one of the biggest events in the nation's history.
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Governor-General's intentions to dismiss Whitlam 'likely known to the palace' | Sky News AustraliaPolitical Consultant Jim Middleton says it is likely the Palace was aware Sir John Kerr wanted to dismiss Gough Whitlam.\n\nPrivate letters between Queen Elizabeth II and former Governor-General Sir John Kerr were released on Tuesday revealing Sir John dismissed then-prime minister Gough Whitlam without first informing the Queen. \n\nThe National Archives released more than 1,000 pages of documents from Mr Whitlam’s 1975 dismissal, including much sought-after correspondence between the Governor-General and Buckingham Palace. \n\n“I decided to take the step I took without informing the Palace in advance … it was better for Her Majesty NOT to know,' one of the letters penned by Sir John Kerr reads.\n\nMr Middleton said it was ‘unsurprising’ Sir John Kerr withheld his decision to act from the palace because the palace seemed to know such a dismissal was possible.\n\n“What we see in the palace papers so far … is that they were well aware it was on his mind and indeed there was communication between the palace and Sir John Kerr about this very matter,” he said.\n\n“The palace also knew that Sir John Kerr feared that Gogh Whitlam would sack him.”\n\nMr Middleton said the dismissal demonstrates an imbalance in the relationship between the governor-general, the Queen and the elected prime minister of Australia, and wonders whether the place should have given warning to Mr Whitlam. \n\n“On this occasion, the Queen chose to do and observe what her appointed representative wanted rather than what Australia’s elected Prime Minister desired,” he said. \n\n“Constitutionally, should the palace have informed Gogh Whitlam that their appointed representative the governor-general was worried about being sacked by the prime minister? \n\n“Should they have been informing him that dismissal was an option in some form or another?” \n
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