The Whitlam dismissal

11 November 1975

Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his government had come under increasing criticism over government spending and a series of controversies reported in the press. On 15 October 1975, the Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Fraser, announced that the opposition would use its majority in the Senate to block the governments' supply bills until an election was called. Supply bills allocate money to pay public servants and keep services running. If supply is blocked, then the government may not be able to continue all services and may have to stop paying government employees. 

Whitlam had been confident that the Governor-General would follow convention – unwritten rules of how to act based on tradition – and act only on the advice of the Prime Minister. The government still had the support of the majority of the House of Representatives, but convinced that a crisis was at hand, the Governor-General used his reserve powers under the Australian Constitution to dismiss the government.

The opposition formed a caretaker government and called for a double dissolution. At the following federal election on 13 December 1975 the Australian Labor Party, led by Gough Whitlam, was defeated.

The constitutional implications of the dismissal continue to be debated. For some, the events threatened the foundations of Australia’s democracy. Others argue the Constitution was used effectively to restore stable government.