<iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-K3L4M3" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden">

Features Australia

Whitlam’s dismissal – it’s not like it was all that unusual

Those who claim the constitutional crisis of 1975 was a one-off are ignorant of their Australian history

1 November 2014

9:00 AM

1 November 2014

9:00 AM

How many Australian governments have been dismissed by a representative of the Crown? Two, you might think – Lang’s in 1932 and Whitlam’s in 1975. But you would be wrong. In the Australian psyche it is Labor governments that are brought down by the establishment, through the blocking of supply by a conservative upper house and dismissal by the representative of the Queen.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Easter flash sale:
10 issues for $1

Subscribe this Easter and get the next 10 issues of the magazine, plus website and app access, all for just $1.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to spectator.com.au and app
  • Spectator Australia podcasts and newsletters
  • Full access to spectator.co.uk
Or

Unlock 3 articles a month

REGISTER

Anne Twomey is Professor of Constitutional Law and Director of the Constitutional Reform Unit at Sydney University.

You might disagree with half of it, but you’ll enjoy reading all of it. Try your first month for free, then just $2 a week for the remainder of your first year.


Comments

Easter flash sale: 10 issues for $1

Join the conversation with other Spectator Australia readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Close