One of the first things Whitlam did when he became prime minister was end conscription
One of the first things Whitlam did when he became prime minister was end conscription
When WW1 started in 1914, Britain controlled Canada’s foreign policy. As the war raged, Canadians disagreed over Canada’s future role in the British Empire. But some people sided with the Conservative Prime Minister Robert Borden, who wanted Canada to remain in the British Empire. His government used Propaganda to keep Canadian patriotism at a high pitch, during the War. To maintain the strength and numbers at the front lines, Prime Minster Robert Borden passed the Military Service Act in July 1917. The act introduced Conscription-forced military service. The conscription divided Canada, but it made little difference to the war effort. In 1919 , when Canada had to go the peace conference held in Paris, Robert Borden argued that Canadians’ wartime record give them the right to sit independently because even at that time Canada was still controlled by Britain. And Canada also signed the treaty by itself. Robert Borden did make huge difference in Canada’s identity by taking that small step and he made the world realize that we can be an independent country too.…
Major Policies Gough Whitlam came to office claiming a demand for a wide-ranging program of social reforms. In a lot of activity the government: • Ended conscription and withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam giving students and mothers the peace of mind. • Implemented equal pay for women which influenced more females to work and enjoy the benefits all other males do. • Launched an inquiry into education and funded government and non- government schools on a needs basis to provide equal and more education and resources to students.…
SINCE MALCOLM FRASER, WHO HAS BEEN AUSTRALIA’S ‘BEST’ POLITICAL LEADER, AND WHY? During his time as Australia’s Prime Minister, Bob Hawke helped the Australian Labor Party win four consecutive elections, made changes to education and training system, had the highest popularity rate since the introduction of public opinion polls, and developed the ‘Wages Accord’. Despite this, Hawke’s popularity rating decreased throughout his time in power and was criticised for moving Labor away from its traditional socialist and working class roots; attracting more Liberal voters, and anxiety over his ability to win another term prompting his removal from as leader. (National Museum Australia, 2018).…
Want' aimed to provide cash benefits to the people who needed them; 'Disease' aimed to provide the National Health Service; Ignorance aimed to provide free compulsory education; Squalor aimed to help people who were homeless due to the war by providing more houses; Idleness aimed to provide full employment. These were all major issues during wartime Britain and the Labour Party's support in their cleansing was a huge factor in their victory at the 1945 general…
• Many were excluded and not given the right to vote; it was very biased towards those who vote pro-conscription…
Effecting a nationwide draft during World War I modelled a noteworthy trial to American political front-runners, and the conscripting of nearly four million males arose with numerous difficulties. In the year 1917, Head of state Woodrow…
In 1918 the army was decommissioned which gave the coalition government and Lloyd George problems. At first they attempted to release key holders of civilian jobs and leaving the ordinary ‘rank and file’ soldiers last. But this alarmed the public causing them to protest which made the government change its tactics of how they were going to achieve things. The government adopted a ‘first in, first out’ policy which luckily rebooted the public’s opinion and avoided disaster. By late 191 over 4…
On the back of the recent landslide referendum on the recognition of Aboriginal people in the national census, the Whitlam government greatly increased the social and political rights of first nation Australians. The government instituted a policy of ‘self-determination’ which decentralised decision making powers to indigenous communities. They allowed Aboriginals to claim land and brought more Indigenous voices into the policy making process. From the outset, Whitlam made Indigenous affairs a top priority for his government and indicated that justice had to be served in order for Australia to move forward as a country. The subsequent Fraser Government committed to continue these reforms. A powerful example Whitlam’s loyalty to this issue was in his remarks to an Aboriginal tribe where he declared Indigenous ownership of a Victorian river. Whitlam in his speech to the Gurindji people stated “these lands belong to the Gurindji people and I put into your hands this piece of the earth itself as a sign that we restore them to you and your children…
Whitlam had always been interested in politics and joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1945, In 1952 Whitlam was elected to the house of representatives by winning the seat of Werriwa in a by-election. He kept this seat for 23 years and through eleven elections. In 1967 Whitlam became the Leader of the opposition, and played a central role in getting the ALP re-elected to power, he did this by modernising the…
New Liberalism believed in interventionism for those who are ‘deserving’ and aimed to close the gap for those in poverty. Furthermore, New Liberalism supported taxation in order to fund social reforms. This new ideology also supported the movement away from a ‘laissez-faire’ economy, proposing that the state had an obligation to intervene. New Liberalism continued to build the legacy of Joseph Chamberlain (former Liberal who left over the issues of Home Rule and reforms), a politician that sought after the implementation of reforms such as old age pensions, and the provision of loans to the working class for the purchase of houses. Additionally, David Lloyd George believed that social reform would alleviate the threat of socialism – a view shared by Winston Churchill, who had defected from the Conservatives. Another Liberal thinker, J.A. Hobson spoke of “the sovereignty of social welfare”, crucially illustrating that social welfare was the paramount concern for the…
For the first few years of World War I, the CEF relied solely on volunteers. (Valiante, “The Legacy of Canada's WWI Conscription Crisis”). However, the longer the war progressed, the more casualties increased, and the less men volunteered. The Prime Minister at that time, Robert Borden, had seen the decline in volunteers, and once he had returned from a trip to the trenches he became convinced that conscription was the only way to do soldiers justice (Jones, “Conscription”). The Military Service Act of 1917 was issued on August 29, 1917 and became law (“War on the Homefront”). The majority of French-Canadians and pacifists who have implored the government to not enforce conscription were infuriated. The results of the Conscription act culminated in riots and protests that required soldiers to bring order to chaos, and many searched for ways to be exempted from conscription (Canadian War Museum, “Recruitment and Conscription.”).…
Edward Gough Whitlam (commonly known by his middle name) was born in Melbourne in 1916. He graduated in Law from the University of Sydney, and served as a navigator in the Air Force during the Second World War. Whitlam entered federal parliament in 1952 by winning the seat of Werriwa in a by-election. He kept this seat for 23 years, through eleven elections. He became Leader of the Opposition in 1967, and played a central role in getting the ALP re-elected to power, by modernising the policies of the party so as to appeal to the new generation of well-educated Baby Boomer voters (those born in the post World War II 'Baby Boom', who were young adults in the 1960s). Whitlam also won the ALP widespread support for his policy of government funding for non-government schools and for reaching out to Asia as Opposition Leader.…
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 is that there is a depleting amount of soldiers who are fighting and even less who are enlisting. This year was one of worry and despair. After the recruiting effort in Quebec failed Canada turned to its only unused option; conscription (Wikipedia). Conscription is the horrid act of a government forcing individuals to go to war. After countless years of discrimination Canada is now forcing French Canadian to enlist, although Prime Minister Borden promised not to result to this. To make matters worse they are making conscientious objectors (people whose religious beliefs went against the war) go to war (The History Archive). After countless protests and outcries from the people this so called democracy did not listen (The History Archive). They also did not consider the families that would be torn apart and the men who had not chosen this to be their fate. Although war efforts are looking bad conscription should never be the choice.…
When the war ended in 1945, the Labour Government, led by Clement Atlee, were faced with tackling numerous problems that existed in Britain. Their aim was to meet the welfare needs of the British people who, during the war, got used to support provided by the government. In 1942, a Civil Servant and an experienced worker on social welfare named William Beveridge constructed a report which would go on to become the basis for the Labour reforms. By 1951, Labour had introduced many different reforms aiming to tackle the problems that faced Britain. The Beveridge Report identified what is known as the 5 giants; these include disease, want, squalor, idleness and ignorance. Arguably the most important and successful were the acts introduced to tackle disease and want, but some may disagree. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Labour government met most of the needs of the British people between 1945-1951.…
Canada became a large contender in history’s two largest wars- World War I and World War 2. Canada, a colony of Britain at the time, was determined to help by any means necessary during WWI. Thereafter, the nation became less enthusiastic about participation in future wars, especially with the inevitable WWII. Canadians were still determined to fight in the war despite the Great Depression and lingering memories of World War I. As time progressed, Canada got more tranquil and kind hearted while leaning towards the principles of pacifism and peacemaking. If Canada had to conscript its people into war in this modern age, the old method would simply be ineffective. Hence, Canada should modify its conscription policy in order to best fit this generation.…