Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Parliaments of Australia
Case example: 1975 – a failure to secure supply
In October 1975, the opposition in the Commonwealth parliament, led by Malcolm
Fraser, determined to block supply by deferring consideration of Appropriation
Bills in the Senate. The opposition coalition had an effective majority of 30 to 29
in the Senate. The opposition’s tactic was to deny the government supply to either
force the prime minister to call a general election or cause the governor-general to
dismiss the government and issue writs for a general election. Supply – the funding
for government – would run out on 30 November. The Whitlam government was
determined to advise the governor-general to call a half-Senate election in order to
tryandobtainamajorityintheSenate.
On 11 November 1975, with supply still not passed, the governor-general
dismissed Whitlam and his government and appointed Malcolm Fraser as prime
minister on the condition and assurance that he could guarantee supply and would
then advise the dissolution of the parliament and a general election.
Laterthatday,theSenatepassedtheAppropriationBillsandtheyreceivedroyal
assent,andsosupplywasensured.Inthelowerhouse,theHouseofRepresentatives,
the new Fraser government suffered defeats, including a vote of no confidence and a
motion instructing the speaker to advise the governor-general to dismiss Fraser and
reappoint Whitlam. However, the governor-general dissolved parliament and writs
for a general election were issued.
The dismissal of the Whitlam government remains one of Australia’s most
controversial constitutional and political events for a number of reasons. The
Whitlam government retained the confidence of the House of Representatives, and
the newly appointed Fraser government obviously did not have the confidence of
that house, as the subsequent motions indicated. The convention that the upper
housewouldnotblocksupplyhadalsonotbeenfollowed. 17
Confidence
A successful vote of no confidence means that the parliament no longer has
confidence in the government. It is the parliament’s ultimate expression of power to
withdraw its support for the government. Once support is withdrawn the governmentusuallyfallsoranelectionistriggered.
Inquisitorial
Eachhouseisabletoinquireintoallinstancesofallegedabuseormisconductand
institute inquiries with coercive powers in order to perform any of its functions
and bring about reform. In practice, the inquisitorial function of each house is
usually exercised through its parliamentary committees. Committees are made up of
a specified number of members delegated a responsibility by the house and provided
17 Kelly 1983.
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