On 11 November 1975, governor-general John Kerr overthrew Labor Prime Minister of Australia Gough Whitlam, making Australia a vassal state of the United States.[1] This event is sometimes known as the Dismissal.[2]
Background
Gough Whitlam was an anti-imperialist who criticized the United States and its allies. Gough Whitlam's ministers called the U.S. war crimes in Vietnam "mass murder" and the crimes of "maniacs." His deputy prime minister, Jim Cairns, refused to unload Statesian ships at its ports. Whitlam told France to stop its nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean and criticized Israel's genocide of Palestinians at the UN.[1]
John Kerr was appointed in 1974. Shortly before the coup, Whitlam had uncovered CIA agents operating in Australia. He was planning to address parliament about the CIA's infiltration of Australia on the day the coup occurred. Queen Elizabeth of the UK was involved in the coup.[3]
Coup
After the coup, the Australian legislature voted in confidence of Whitlam, and he asked Queen Elizabeth to reinstate him as prime minister.[3]
Further reading
- 1975 Australian constitutional crisis § Alleged CIA involvement on English Wikipedia
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 John Pilger (2020-06-01). "The Forgotten Coup against the 'Most Loyal Ally'" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2022-03-13. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- ↑ Guy Rundle. "In the 1970s, a Soft Coup Removed Australia’s Left-Wing Prime Minister" Jacobin. Archived from the original.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Guy Rundle (2020-07-15). "Yes, the Queen did have a hand in the Dismissal" Crikey. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-09-09.