Sir John Kerr
Australian governor-general
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association with Whitlam
- In Gough Whitlam
…to resolve the parliamentary deadlock, Sir John Kerr, Australia’s governor-general (appointed by the British crown on the advice of the Australian government—in this case of Whitlam’s), dismissed him from office on November 11, 1975, and appointed a caretaker administration led by the political opposition. In the general election that followed,…
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role in Australian history
- In Australia: Domestic politics to 1975
…the adjudication of the governor-general, Sir John Kerr, the formal head of state under the crown. Kerr had been nominated (for the Queen’s approval) by Whitlam, but on November 11, 1975, he dismissed Whitlam and appointed Fraser interim prime minister. Kerr’s actions sparked excitement, and among Whitlam’s admirers, outrage. An…
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