Writing and Editing Services
  Rosebud Communications
  • Home
  • About
  • Projects
    • Clients
  • Rose's Red Pen Blog
  • A Rose in Oz Blog
  • Photos Down Under
  • Contact

Another Government Shutdown

1/23/2019

2 Comments

 
Picture
At a recent lunch with Australian friends, we commiserated over the U.S. government shutdown (now in its 33rd day with 800,000 federal workers still unpaid). One said, “We did this once too, you know.” And he shared with us the story of Australia’s 1975 government shutdown.

The Parliament of Australia consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In October 1975, the ruling Labor party had passed appropriation bills in the House of Representatives, where they held a majority. The opposition Liberal party, which controlled the Senate, refused to pass those bills. The Liberal party objected to what they saw as expansive spending, particularly since signs indicated the country could be moving into a recession. The Liberal party wanted Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, leader of the Labor party, to call an election for the House of Representatives. Instead, Whitlam planned to call for an election in the Senate, hoping to seize control there.

Meanwhile, because Australia is a constitutional monarchy, Parliament has another element: Queen Elizabeth II is the head of State. The Queen’s representative at the time, Sir John Kerr, served as Governor-General. Kerr negotiated with both parties and recognized that neither the Labor nor the Liberal party would give in. He also knew that the supply (appropriations money) would run out on 27 November. Prime Minister Whitlam’s planned election to break the Senate stalemate wasn’t until 13 December.

Kerr sacked Whitlam on 11 November 1975 and put Liberal party leader Malcolm Fraser in his place. Fraser quickly passed the appropriations bills in the Senate. Kerr released the following statement on 19 November 1975:
Because of the federal nature of our Constitution and because of its provisions the Senate undoubtedly has constitutional power to refuse or defer supply to the Government. Because of the principles of responsible government, a Prime Minister who cannot obtain supply, including money for carrying on the ordinary services of government, must either advise a general election or resign. If he refuses to do this, I have the authority and indeed the duty under the Constitution to withdraw his Commission as Prime Minister.
The Labor party, outraged by the change of government, sought a no-confidence vote against the new prime minister. No doubt exasperated, Kerr then dissolved Parliament. An election was held the next month, which resulted in Fraser and the Liberal party controlling Parliament with a large majority.

The resulting political turmoil from Kerr’s controversial actions has lasted many years, up until the current day. It is unknown how much Queen Elizabeth II was involved with her Governor-General’s decision. While Buckingham Palace maintains she knew nothing at all, there is a pending lawsuit to make her communications with Kerr public.

There has never been a government shutdown in Australia since. Those long-lasting reverberations from the 1975 crisis have convinced Australian politicians to never again hold appropriations bills hostage. There is an unspoken agreement between the parties that appropriations bills will always be passed, and Parliament will keep the government running.

Looking at our current crisis, I find myself wondering: Where’s Queen Elizabeth II and a Governor-General when you need them?
2 Comments
Diane
1/24/2019 03:05:30 am

Wow, politics from a different view.

Reply
Rose
1/24/2019 01:27:03 pm

Absolutely. That's one of the best parts of living in another country -- getting that whole different perspective. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rose Ciccarelli is an American writer and editor living in Canberra, Australia.

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018

    Categories

    All
    Daily Life
    Events
    History
    Holidays
    Nature
    People
    Places

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.