Mr Whitlam's record
Sir: Michael Dean's article (17 December) on Gough Whitlam is a shallow and inaccurate piece, redeemed only by his depiction of Whitlam's style. His belief that Whitlam was more style than substance merely reveals his own ignorance of Australian politics.
There are a number of errors of fact, The Whitlam government lasted less than three years, not three and a half. The mining boom had ended two years before he came to office. Dean's notion that the choice of Whitlam, a middle-class lawyer, for the Labour Party leadership was a break with tradition is pure myth. His predecessor Calwell was not a blue-collar unionist but an ex-public servant; his predecessor, Dr Evatt, was a High Court Judge who stepped down from the bench to enter Parliament. Three Australian states currently have Labour governments: all are led by middle-class professionals. The assertion that Whitlam altered his accent is laughable nonsense — he has never spoken broad Strine in his life —while the idea that genteel well-educated Australians don't use profane language shows how few Australians Dean knows, Whitlam's achievements were many. Not only did he give a much-needed boost to education spending, he created new institutions to develop national educational policy and targets — the Schools Commission, the Technical and Further Education Commission and others. Women gained equal pay, improved maternity leave and child-care facilities, arid other practical recognitions of their rights; more attention was given to the problems of immigrant groups, and more respect and acceptance given to their contribution to Australian culture. Perhaps most importantly of all, Whitlam radically changed Australia's foreign policy. His immediate withdrawal of troops from Vietnam and recognition of China, ended twenty years of Australian foreign policy being a faithful echo of Washington. One could continue. For all his faults and follies, Whitlam's few years do not lack monuments.
Ian D. Brice, 19 Broadlands Road, Highgate, N6
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