tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post2486146447860664673..comments2024-02-11T19:28:27.997+11:00Comments on Personal Reflections: Personal musings on the death of Gough WhitlamJim Belshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-82225367482661513672014-10-29T05:08:41.665+11:002014-10-29T05:08:41.665+11:00Not just the ABC, DG. Pretty much wall to wall! An...Not just the ABC, DG. Pretty much wall to wall! And I do indeed remember Mr Grassby.Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-16587510769534031902014-10-29T00:17:59.021+11:002014-10-29T00:17:59.021+11:00Listening to the ABC was reminiscence of the waili...Listening to the ABC was reminiscence of the wailing that went on in China after the death of Mao.<br /><br />There were some awful Ministers in this government. Little mention has been been of Al Grassby. What a disgrace.<br /><br />DG Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-68753823858323190712014-10-24T19:56:21.279+11:002014-10-24T19:56:21.279+11:00That's a lovely personal story, Winton.It real...That's a lovely personal story, Winton.It really is. It fits with the story about my grandfather, the same pattern. Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-50339649944213682212014-10-24T19:19:35.933+11:002014-10-24T19:19:35.933+11:00Jim
Gough rang me at the IAC (now Productivity Com...Jim<br />Gough rang me at the IAC (now Productivity Commission) after he had left politics. He was looking for some data, but he was particularly interested in how people at the IAC were faring. When I said that we were viewed as unreconstructed Whitlamites, he didn't laugh it off in the way I had thought he would. He immediately began to suggest people whom I should talk to who might help to further my career. <br />I think the Whitlam government was the worst one we have ever had, until about 7 years ago, but everything I have heard about Gough indicates that he had a genuine interest in other people.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-73786439293743595102014-10-24T18:57:43.222+11:002014-10-24T18:57:43.222+11:00Thanks, LE,for both the compliment and the list of...Thanks, LE,for both the compliment and the list of legislation. Austin, its interesting how many people list conscription. David Leyonhjelm is another example - http://www.smh.com.au/comment/good-or-bad-gough-whitlams-legacy-lives-on-20141023-11acpk.html Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-32662603826880454452014-10-24T18:51:22.222+11:002014-10-24T18:51:22.222+11:00China falls into the beatification class, Evan. Go...China falls into the beatification class, Evan. Gough was his own foerign minister until 6 November 73, then Don Willesee held the position from there until the dismissal. Outside China, East Timor,the strained relations with the US, the rush to give PNG independence and a selective focus on Asia, I'm not sure that I know as much as I should. <br /><br />I think that Gough did help the Australian arts explosion, although the seeds of that were laid earlier. La Mama, for example, opening in 1967, while production of feature films was on the up by 1972. Ditto, I think for art and more so. <br /><br /> Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-68908553014484003172014-10-24T18:24:23.474+11:002014-10-24T18:24:23.474+11:00Hi David. I don't remember that. Intuitively i...Hi David. I don't remember that. Intuitively it's unlikely, for that would mean that he was away from his electorate. Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-42641705820278574892014-10-24T12:25:09.222+11:002014-10-24T12:25:09.222+11:00I ran into him about 3 years ago walking along Eli...I ran into him about 3 years ago walking along Elizabeth Street in Sydney. I thanked him for saving me from conscription and Vietnam, I missed it by about 2 months. Austinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-75519010788663902722014-10-24T09:29:27.419+11:002014-10-24T09:29:27.419+11:00That's a really interesting post, Jim. I reall...That's a really interesting post, Jim. I really enjoyed your personal observations.<br /><br />As a lawyer, from my perspective the revolutionary part of what the Whitlam government did to Australia related to the laws they passed: the Trade Practices Act, the Racial Discrimination Act, the Family Law Act etc.<br /><br />However, I think that the Whitlam government just didn't know how to govern. They had been out of power so long, and Whitlam himself was a big ego surrounded by other egos. My own obituary would be: "A great man, but a man not without flaws." Legal Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01096038577529334966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-25774189147374283292014-10-24T09:06:24.716+11:002014-10-24T09:06:24.716+11:00The beatification focuses on his domestic policies...The beatification focuses on his domestic policies. Visionary etc.<br /><br />His foreign policy I think was decidedly real politik - hence the shameful decisions re Vietnam and East Timor.<br /><br />In hindsight I think Gough helped an Australian Arts explosion. Though this was happening anyway - though it did mean Australians (for a couple of decades) didn't have to go overseas (now, sadly, true again).Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13355215688351759230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-80769070263253829952014-10-23T23:21:33.996+11:002014-10-23T23:21:33.996+11:00James,
I think I remember an election night with ...James,<br /><br />I think I remember an election night with DHD and Gough Whitlam visited. Am I wrong<br /><br />Davidcbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11557571173550311078noreply@blogger.com