• Advertise
  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Australian Times News
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
Australian Times News
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle Entertainment

Gough Whitlam’s best quotes

On the passing of Gough Whitlam, we remember the Australian political giant through some of his most famous quotes and memorable retorts.

Bryce Lowry by Bryce Lowry
21-10-2014 11:45
in Entertainment
Gough Whitlam (ALP) ii

Gough Whitlam, former prime minister of Australia and Labor party legend, died today aged 98.

Whitlam’s immense political legacy was matched by his towering frame, tremendous intellect, sharp wit, great oratory and, many if not all would say, his substantial ego.

These qualities were fondly remembered in numerous parliamentary speeches today, as standard proceedings were set aside in order that members of both sides of politics could pay their respects, drawing both tears of mourning and howls of laughter.

One of the better reflections was offered by the manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, who recalled:

“The late Cardinal Clancy used to often relate about his conversation with Gough when Gough had inquired as to whether or not St Mary’s Cathedral might be available for a funeral.

“This surprised Cardinal Clancy given he was not expecting Gough to convert to Catholicism.

“Gough explained: No, it was not for a Catholic funeral, it was because he wanted to be buried in the crypt, claiming he was willing to pay but would only require it for three days’”.

AlsoRead...

entertainment

The evolving nature of entertainment subscription packages

18 August 2023
Prestbury Cup

What Is The Cheltenham Festival’s Prestbury Cup?

3 March 2023

The funniest quip was recounted by communications minister Malcolm Turnbull, who recollected the occasion of Whitlam visiting his property:

“He was always very entertaining about those issues of the divine. I remember 25 years ago I was in business with his son Nicholas and Nicholas and Judy brought Gough and Margaret up to visit us at the farm in the Hunter Valley I’d inherited from my father some years before.

“Unfortunately, a fog had descended on this particular part of the country and you couldn’t see anything. It was just white everywhere you looked. Living in a white cloud.

“I said to Gough: “I’m really sorry, it is a nice view here, but sorry you can’t see it”. He said: “Don’t be concerned, I’m completely at home. It’s just like Olympus””.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA:  Federal opposition leader Mark Latham (L) and former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam (R) embrace at the Labor Party campaign launch in Brisbane, 29 September 2004. Latham promised to restore Australian society's "fair go" egalitarian ethos if he defeats Prime Minister John Howard's conservative government in the national elections on 09 October.  AFP PHOTO/Torsten BLACKWOOD  (Photo credit should read TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

And it was Turnbull who himself welled up and brought others to tears when he returned to the Olympus analogy, concluding his speech with:

“If Gough is in Olympus, I hope, I have no doubt, that he is there with Margaret.

“I think that in some respects, one of the things we can be happiest about today is the fact that that the old couple are no longer apart.”

Gough Whitlam’s best quotes

“Well may we say ‘God save the Queen’, because nothing will save the Governor-General!”
– Opening his most famous speech, given on the steps of Parliament House in response to his government’s dismissal on 11 November 1975.

“Let me make quite clear that I am for abortion and, in your case Sir, we should make it retrospective.”
 – To a persistent heckler on the campaign trail wanting to know Gough Whitlam’s stance on abortion.

“I remember.”
– Gough’s snap retort to political adversary Sir Winton Turnbull shouting: “I am a Country member!” (Think about it). Many years later, Whitlam colourfully recounted, “He could not understand why, for the first time in all the years he had been speaking in the House, there was instant and loud applause from both sides.”

 “We are the most effluent nation in what Liberals call the free world.”
– On implementing the National Sewerage Program. By the time the Fraser government cancelled the initiative, it had cleared the backlog of unsewered properties in Australia’s capital cities, which Whitlam described as “ludicrous”, by up to 50%.

“The punters know that the horse named Morality rarely gets past the post, whereas the nag named Self-interest always runs a good race.”
– Gough Whitlam in an op-ed he wrote for London’s Daily Telegraph in 1989.

“A conservative government survives essentially by dampening expectations and subduing hopes. Conservatism is basically pessimistic, reformism is basically optimistic.”
–
From Gough’s book The Whitlam Government 1972-1975

“I always thought of myself as an international treasure”
– When asked about how he felt being included in the National Trust’s 1997 public poll to find Australia’s living national treasures.

And finally…

“I’ve never said I’m immortal. I do believe in correct language. I’m eternal; I’m not immortal.”
– Edward Gough Whitlam

 

IMAGES: [Top] Gough Whitlam (Courtesy: www.alp.org.au/whitlamcondolences). [Mid] Gough Whitlam in 2004 (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

 

 

Tags: Australian historyAustralian Labor PartyAustralian politicsGough Whitlampolitics
DMCA.com Protection Status

SUBSCRIBE to our NEWSLETTER

[mc4wp_form id=”2384248″]

Don't Miss

The Broker who says ‘Yes’ when Banks say NO

by Pauline Torongo
8 July 2025
The Broker who says ‘Yes’ when Banks say NO
Business & Finance

When faced with constant loan rejection or last-minute withdrawals of support, Trelos Finance stands out as a solution.

Read more

Common Mistakes When Buying a Telescope — And How to Avoid Them

by Fazila Olla-Logday
1 July 2025
Common Mistakes When Buying a Telescope
Technology

You’ve spent hours scrolling through telescope specs online, dazzled by features and grand promises. The excitement builds—until your newly arrived...

Read more

From Portugal to Bali: Where Aussies Should Go for Your Next Coastal Holiday

by Fazila Olla-Logday
20 June 2025
Source: Flickr
Travel

Aussies, here is a guide to where you should go for your next coastal holiday.

Read more

Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era

by Pauline Torongo
5 June 2025
Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era
Business & Finance

If you're leading a software team today, you've likely noticed the shift: faster feature rollouts, routine automation, and AI taking...

Read more

How to Save on Airport Parking: Budget Tips Every Traveller Should Know

by Fazila Olla-Logday
3 June 2025
How to Save on Airport Parking
Travel

Saving money on airport parking can be a challenge,but here are some budget friendly tips to help you navigate.

Read more

Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin

by Pauline Torongo
28 May 2025
Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin
Business & Finance

Bélanger-Martin’s ambitions stretch beyond redefining inflight comfort—they’re rooted in resurrecting the romance of supersonic travel with a modern twist.

Read more

Why a Gluten Free Hamper is simply the Best Gift for a Coeliac

by Fazila Olla-Logday
22 May 2025
Gluten Free Hamper
at

Buying a thoughtful gift can be tricky at the best of times, but when someone has dietary restrictions like coeliac...

Read more
Load More

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status

  • About us
  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • T&Cs, Privacy and GDPR
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status