Q. Below is a list of some of the achievements of Gough Whitlam’s Government from 1972-75. Which of them do you think were the three most important achievements?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
| Established Medibank – the national health insurance system |
68% |
73% |
66% |
75% |
67% |
61% |
65% |
84% |
||
| Abolished university fees |
39% |
47% |
32% |
57% |
32% |
42% |
39% |
35% |
||
| Ended conscription |
28% |
28% |
30% |
17% |
41% |
20% |
29% |
38% |
||
| Protected the Great Barrier Reef |
25% |
21% |
28% |
22% |
30% |
24% |
27% |
22% |
||
| Established diplomatic relations with China |
25% |
26% |
31% |
13% |
20% |
23% |
22% |
31% |
||
| Aboriginal land rights |
22% |
26% |
14% |
30% |
23% |
23% |
19% |
26% |
||
| Passed the Racial Discrimination Act |
22% |
25% |
16% |
39% |
18% |
27% |
25% |
11% |
||
| Direct Commonwealth funding to non-Government schools |
14% |
13% |
17% |
3% |
10% |
14% |
16% |
10% |
||
| Introduced the policy of multiculturalism |
13% |
11% |
11% |
25% |
9% |
20% |
12% |
5% |
||
| Lowered voting age to 18 |
11% |
6% |
15% |
9% |
20% |
7% |
13% |
13% |
||
| Cut tariffs on imports |
10% |
6% |
14% |
5% |
5% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
||
| Independence for PNG |
5% |
2% |
6% |
* |
9% |
8% |
4% |
4% |
The most important achievements of the Whitlam Government were thought to be establishing Medibank (68%), abolishing university fees (39%) and ending conscription (28%).
Among those aged 55+ (who were more likely to recall the Whitlam Government) the most important achievements were establishing Medibank (84%), ending conscription (38%), abolishing university fees (35%) and establishing diplomatic relations with China (31%).