‘He could be a bit bolder’: What Albo could learn from Whitlam

TB: Yes, he had a defining flaw that was identified in the school reports, at university, and by his father-in-law, Bill Dovey. He found it difficult to make lasting friendships and connections with people on a normal human level. He was a loner, and not a great party or cabinet manager. His great strengths were his determination, courage and resilience. But those same attributes meant he did not consult, listen to advice, was naive about people, and it fuelled his downfall, in almost Shakespearean fashion. Fitz: But his achievements were many? TB: Yes. The first thing he did was he saved the Labor Party, which was on the edge of oblivion. He made it electable again, and when he became prime minister, he changed the nation. It was a turning point and his legacy lives on, all around us. He really did raise the curtain on modern Australia. Things like universal health care, university access for all, needs-based school funding, changing our anthem, Australian honours, lowering the voting age, recognising China – controversial at the time – are now bipartisan articles of faith. But it took time for people to really understand all that because the Whitlam government itself was so shambolic, scandal-ridden and its economic management was truly disastrous. Fitz: I was amazed that even his own daughter Catherine said to you, “He was always a bad politician. I don’t think he ever gave much thought to how he would win people over. I think he very much spoke his mind.”