Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Gough Whitlam is a true legend of our times, a Labor hero and a giant in our nation's political history. He believed so strongly in the power of governments to improve people's lives. Central to this belief was a strong agenda based on equity, social justice, and reforms that reflected a changing society. With that goal, he spent his entire political life striving to improve the lives of Australians. In doing so he redefined our nation and changed the life of a generation, and also changed the lives of generations beyond. He changed our country for the better into a more modern multicultural nation with so many more opportunities.

I was privileged to meet Gough Whitlam on a number of occasions and was always in awe of his incredible legacy. It is a legacy that many people of my generation were beneficiaries of, particularly, access to free university education, access to universal health care and the introduction of equal pay for women. Many people of my generation, particularly women, have had so many opportunities due to the vision, determination and courage of Gough Whitlam.

In leading the Australian Labor Party back into government, Gough Whitlam wasted no time in implementing the most ambitious government agenda in Australian history. In three short years, his government did so much including: introducing universal health care, through Medibank, the precursor to Medicare; the introduction of a free university education, which meant that it was a student's merit rather than their wealth that determined their ability to access higher education; he also increased funding to all schools and introduced needs-based funding; he increased age pensions; he introduced indigenous land rights; Gough withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam and ended conscription; he abolished the death penalty; he introduced the one vote, one value system to democratize the electoral system; he introduced the Racial Discrimination Act; and he established diplomatic relations with China

Many of Gough's policies significantly improved the lives of women. He fought for equal pay for women; introduced the single mother's benefit; funded support services for women; instituted no-fault divorce; established the Family Court of Australia; and he appointed the first ever Women's Adviser to the Prime Minister. Importantly, the Whitlam government also funded and supported community based organisations that provided specialist health and welfare services for women. These included support for women's health centres, refuges and crisis centres.

As well as his massive social justice reforms, Gough was also an incredible pioneer of environmental protection. The Whitlam government was the first to make protection of our natural world a key part of Labor's values. He ratified the World Heritage Convention, which gave the federal government a powerful tool to defend sites such as the Franklin River, in 1983. He also protected the Great Barrier Reef from oil drilling and created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Since Gough's passing, we have heard so many stories about how his life and legacy touched the lives of so many. He inspired us all in different ways and will continue to inspire us. He meant so much to so many, which is why his dismissal was so devastating at the time. I was eight years old, and my recollection is of my mother and I going to a very large demonstration outside the Liberal Party headquarters in Brisbane city. I can certainly recall the massive sense that an injustice had occurred—that the Prime Minister had been unfairly sacked.

Gough fought the good fight, and Labor will continue that fight in his honour. We will always fight to protect his legacy and continue the struggle for social justice in Australia. We have so much to thank Gough for, and naturally our thoughts and sympathies are with his family at this time, a family that has given so much to this nation. We especially remember Margaret, a remarkable and wonderful woman in her own right.

Gough Whitlam was a truly visionary prime minister who changed our country and improved our lives, and he will always be remembered. Thank you, Gough Whitlam, for an outstanding contribution to our nation. Because of your life and legacy, Australia is a much better country. Rest in peace.

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