On November 11, 1975, Governor General John Kerr dismissed Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam — creating the biggest scandal in modern Australian history.

The dismissal offered plenty of lessons for the nation about political secrecy, the manipulation of democratic rules, how power hungry figureheads can override public will, and Australia’s ultimate deference to the British monarchy. How many have been learned?

Professor Jenny Hocking joins the podcast to explain why the political weaknesses exposed by the Dismissal still exist, 50 years later. Plus, does she think the CIA had anything to do with it?

Read more:

• Whitlam dismissal secrets unearthed from the archives of the Canadian governor-general
• The Palace Letters: How one woman’s tenacity exposed an elite boys’ club
• The Palace Letters remind us of the real issue: our democracy is flawed
• It's been 50 years since Whitlam, yet the constitution remains unrectified

Sign up to Crikey’s free newsletter: https://bit.ly/crikey-newsletter

Crikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.