Gough...pity he didn't surf.

[Hollowed out]

He had that ratbag in him that would have fitted the surfing culture like a finger in a bum

[Nick Carroll]

well hollowed out, you can perhaps rest easy on this knowing that Gough's innings coincided with the most brilliant and creative generation of Australian surfers.

It was all pretty much in sync, the post war baby boom, the end of decades of tedious conservatism, the need to put an end to so many things and begin so many others.

Whitlam should have won the 1969 election but it was too much for the nation - it needed more young voters to come of age.

The lack of a powerful and energised young generation - a powerful urge for a future vision - is a huge issue for modern Australia. Today and into the next 15-20 years, the national demographics are gonna be almost exactly the flipside of that time. It's fertile ground for politicians to play to exactly what Gough's Blacktown speech posited as the choice for 1972 Australia: the habits and fears of the past.

The exact same thing stalks the lineups of surf spots around Australia, where older men dominate the scenery and kids choose other activities over Dad's sport.

Gough was a giant on the side of youth. God save us from a giant on the side of old people.

[foamy]

Nice line from a twitterer.
"In 1974, Gough Whitlam abolished university fees for all Australians. In 2014, Tony Abbott abolished university fees for his daughter.

[Nick Carroll]

I should add, for me, it's like losing an uncle or something. I dunno if anyone else has that sense. It might be generational.

[foamy]

Nick, for me, at the moment, it feels like a mighty tree has fallen.

[kayu]

I should add, for me, it's like losing an uncle or something. I dunno if anyone else has that sense. It might be generational.

...exactly how I feel..... My father never voted Labor in his life (or so he said) , but he did say that under Gough's government , he had the most profitable business years in his life.

[Cranked]

I agree wholeheartedly with those last comments from Kayu, Foamy and Nick.

Politics now seems sordid and pathetic with no vision and no leadership, unlike the idealism that seemed to permeate the very air when the "Its Time" campaign was rolling, things were exciting, something was happening. Is that feeling just generational, peculiar to a specific time and place? Do the younger generations feel that idealism and belief nowadays, I doubt it, but would welcome a rebuttal.

[Cranked]

I was just watching everyone reminisce,spout anecdotes and so forth, on the Drum, I was waiting with bated breath for someone to refer to, if only obliquely, to this:

Remember Goughs famous comeback line when a member of the opposition during a parliamentary debate, finished his speech with '' and that's why I am a country member''.
And Gough stood up and said '' we remember''.

[foamy]

re: Gough and surfing.
We can perhaps claim his wonderful wife, Margaret Whitlam, as a surfer. She was a champion swimmer who represented Australia in the Empire Games and grew up keenly enjoying swimming in the surf.

[Yuke Hunt]

Interesting reading ... if you're interested ...



Nothing mind-blowing, just a reasoned and fair perspective.

[steve shearer]

Straight after that it's incumbent to then read the rebuttal, which has the seeds contained in the Megalogenis book: Ross Garnauts' Dog Days.

[chrisb]

As an impressionable youngster I attended Gough's second 1972 campaign speech, opposite the Connaught Tower in Sydney and introduced by Bob Hawke. To quote Mick "I was stoked!"

Nick, don't despair about the 1969 loss - it provided David Williamson with the inspiration to write his brilliant play and film "Don's Party".

[chrisb]

Good article, is he related to election guru Anthony Green?

One of many paradoxes is that these modern day critics such as Miranda Devine received a free university education courtesy of Gough.

When Gough was elected the SMH had a list on its front page of "what the government did today". There was a long list every day for many months. Conscription was gone within the first week.

One of my uni tutors, who had ALP connections, said that Gough knew that his government would not last long so he pushed through change at a superhuman pace while he had the chance.

[chrisb]

re: Gough and surfing.
We can perhaps claim his wonderful wife, Margaret Whitlam, as a surfer. She was a champion swimmer who represented Australia in the Empire Games and grew up keenly enjoying swimming in the surf.

I heard a story on the radio a couple of days ago about how when Gough was at (an ALP conference?) at Bondi he said during a break that he was going for a surf. Wife Margaret wouldn't let him go and said "No way, we've already lost one PM that way!"