2 - The Political Debate in Australia

Summary

These five years fall politically into two clear divisions . Superficially the dividing line might be marked by the death of Harold Holt in December 1967, but more realistically by the departure of Mr Hasluck in February 1969 when Prime Minister Gorton announced Hasluck’s elevation to the Govemor-Generalship. The resignation of Sir Robert Menzies on 20 January 1966, after being continuously in office as Prime Minister since 1949, was in itself a watershed. Harold Holt, the favourite son who had long been forced to wait in the wings, succeeded unchallenged to the prime ministership with William McMahon as deputy leader of the Liberal Party. Mr Holt’s cabinet showed little change with Mr McEwen as deputy Prime Minister, Paul Hasluck as Minister for External Affairs, and Allen Fairhall as Minister for Defence in succession to Senator Paltridge who had died in January 1966.