Assessment Resource Centre (ARC)

Sir John Kerr - Response

Sir John Kerr is well known for being a prominent figure at the centre of the Whitlam dismissal in 1975.

After many years under the Liberal party, Whitlam and the Labor party were elected after the landmark ‘It’s Time’ campaign. Whitlam implemented many changes, such as abolishing conscription, increasing spending on the arts and forming the free healthcare fund now known as Medicare.

However some controversy surrounded the Whitlam government. The loans affair and the sacking and resignation of ministers tarnished the Labor government’s reputation. The major downfall for the government came in 1975. The number of people in the Labor party was not enough to pass bills without opposition support. Supply bills, or money bills, were usually automatically passed in order to give the government funds to carry out their actions. However, the opposition blocked the supply bill and continued to do so until the parties were stuck in a deadlock.

Sir John Kerr, the governor general who was appointed by Whitlam himself, was alerted of the situation by the opposition. He consulted constitutional lawyer Garfield Barwick who informed him that he was able to sack Whitlam.

Whitlam intended to call a double dissolution, meaning an early election to gain more control over the Senate. However it was too late and Kerr ‘withdrew his commission’ on November 11th. Malcolm Fraser was appointed caretaker Prime Minister.

The dismissal is still a heated issue today. It is important to learn about Kerr’s actions so we can make decisions about what is and isn’t constitutional. It poses questions about what powers the governor general has over the parliament, who they can consult when making government decisions and whether or not the opposition should have the power to block supply bills. It also opens up the republican debate and gives reasons why our country should be independent from the monarchy.

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