People Power and Politics in the Post-war Period

Inquiry Questions:

·  What role has Australia played in international affairs in the post-war period?

·  What have been some important political developments in the post-war period?

·  How have significant individuals and groups exercised their democratic rights in the post-war period?

Topic / Terms / Sub-topics / Main points / Details
Australia as a global citizen
(Compulsory section) / General Assembly
Security Council
Charter
Peacekeeping
SEATO
ANZUS
APEC
UNESCO
International Court of Justice
People:
Dr Evatt
Jessie Street
Norman Makin / Australia’s role in the UN / ·  Involved in establishment – significant achievement for a small nation
·  Involvement in peacekeeping
·  Other involvement
·  Aust and UN today / ·  Australia one of 50 founding nations and a founding member of Security Council
·  Dr Evatt – helped draw up charter – argued for inclusion of economic and social bodies; first President of General Assembly
·  Jessie Street – got gender equity incorporated in Charter
·  Norman Makin – first President of Security Council
·  Peacekeeping in over 20 missions - Indonesia, Cyprus, Cambodia, Somalia, East Timor. Military involvement in Korean War, First Gulf War, Afghanistan
·  Aust is active in UNESCO, has had judges on the International Court of Justice, representatives in the UN Commissions on the Status of Women, and on Human Rights
·  Labor govts support UN; Lib govts limit involvement
·  We defied UN to join USA and Britain in invasion of Iraq 2003
·  We have been criticised for the way we treat Abs and illegal migrants
Regional agreements / SEATO
ANZUS
Colombo Plan
APEC / Anti-Communist agreements – to stop spread of Communism – both involve USA
Aid to developing countries
Largely initiated by Aust; trade negotiation body – aims for free and open trade in Pacific region.
People Power
(Choice in this section – you did Kerr and the Whitlam Dismissal. You might also be able to do Charles Perkins and the Freedom Rides if you did a good job of the webquest) / Double dissolution
Senate
Reserve powers
Supply Bill
Inflation
Constitution
Labor
Liberal
Blue Poles
“The Loans Affair”
Casual Senate vacancy
Joint sitting
People:
Gough Whitlam
Malcolm Fraser
Jim Cairns
Rex Connor
Tirath Khemlani
Sir Garfield Barwick
Juni Morosi
Sir John Kerr / Sir John Kerr and the Whitlam Dismissal / ·  Problems faced by the Whitlam Govt:
o  The economy
o  Scandals
o  Lack of control of the Senate ->
·  Events of the Constitutional Crisis of 1975
·  Role of Gov. General:
o  Appoints PM
o  Can call elections
o  Reserve powers – to dismiss govt and PM if he feels Govt is unable to govern / ·  Oil crisis
·  Inflation
·  Rising unemployment
·  Difficult to keep election promises
·  Rex Connor – the loans affair – forced to resign as Minister for Minerals and Energy
·  Jims Cairns – Treasurer and Deputy PM – Juni Morosi and loan scandals.
·  Govt accused of wasting money – Blue Poles
·  Liberals blocked Supply Bill in the Senate -> double dissolution election -> equal nos in Senate and joint sitting of parlt to pass Supply Bill
·  Two Labor senators had to be replaced – not replaced with members of Labor Party -> Labor did not control Senate
·  Libs threatened to block Supply again -> govt forced to hold election - Whitlam wanted half Senate election
·  Fraser persuaded Kerr to dismiss govt, appoint him caretaker PM and call election
·  Labor lost election
·  Kerr has been blamed for:
o  He should have acted only on advice of PM
o  He should not have appointed Fraser – people had elected Whitlam govt
o  He allowed himself to be influenced by people such as Garfield Barwick of the High Court
o  Reserve powers were not expected to be used
Prime Ministers and Policies
(Choice in this section – you did it for your research assignment, I gave you notes on Whitlam) / Policy
Domestic
Foreign
Multiculturalism
Self-determination
Medicare
Land rights / Policies of Gough Whitlam
(NB the syllabus only requires you to know ONE policy) / Domestic policies / 1.  Indigenous policy / ·  Land rights and self-determination
·  1973 Woodward Royal Commission into Ab Land Rights -> NT Land Council set up
·  1975 – Wattie Creek returned to Gurindji
·  Funding for Aboriginal affairs increased - $23m in 1971, $141m by 1975
·  Ministry for Ab Affairs set up
2.  Rights for women / Equal pay, Office of Women’s Affairs, Family Law Act, single mothers allowance, no sales tax on pill
3.  Multiculturalism / Support for migrants, Racial Discrimination Act 1975, got rid of White Aust. Policy
4.  Other policies / Medicare, education, votes at 18, arts funding
Foreign policies / 1.  More independent foreign policy / National anthem, Order of Aust. honours system, more active in international bodies
2.  Recognition of Communist China / Visits in 1971, 1973. Formal recognition – Embassy; trade and cultural exchanges
3.  Human Rights initiatives / Anti-apartheid, signed ICCPR and ICSECR, Racial Discrimination Act, involvement in WHO, UNESCO
4.  Other policies / Opposed French nuclear tests; less emphasis on SEATO
Assessment of Whitlam as PM / ·  Domestic policies
·  Foreign policies
·  Overall assessment / ·  Gave recognition to arts, education, rights of indigenous people, migrants and women; set up Medibank
·  Decisions about immigration no longer based on race
·  Good relationships and trade with Asia
·  Increasing independence from Britain (not from USA)
·  Australia sees itself as a leader in human rights, environment, conservation (not necessarily true)
·  A charismatic leader who introduced issues that later govts have adopted; changed the way Australians see themselves
·  But – his govt lacked discipline and cohesion,
inexperienced
-  Failed to prioritise spending – seen as economically irresponsible – but did have the bad luck of coming to power at a time of international economic trouble.