1975 Australian constitutional crisis

A constitutional and political crisis in which Governor-General John Kerr dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam on 11 November 1975 and appointed Opposition Leader Malcolm Fraser caretaker prime minister.

Reserve powers: Constitutional powers exercised by a head of state without or against ministerial advice in exceptional circumstances. Kerr invoked these powers to dismiss Whitlam, though their scope and proper use remained disputed.
Whitlam government: The Australian Labor government led by Gough Whitlam from 1972 to 1975. Its reforms and strained relations with the Senate formed the political setting for the crisis.
Westminster system: A parliamentary system of government in which the executive is drawn from and accountable to the legislature. The crisis tested conventions governing confidence, ministerial advice, and a ceremonial head of state.
Australian constitutional law: The body of law governing Australia's Constitution, federal institutions, and distribution of public power. The crisis became a central case in debates over the Governor-General's authority and parliamentary deadlocks.
Supply (parliamentary procedure): Legislative authorization for government spending, usually provided through appropriation bills. The Senate's refusal to pass supply threatened the government's ability to fund public services.
Loans affair: A 1974–75 controversy over the Whitlam government's attempt to obtain overseas loans through unorthodox channels. The affair intensified opposition attacks and helped trigger the Senate's decision to block supply.
Responsible government: A system in which ministers remain accountable to Parliament and ordinarily hold office while they retain its confidence. Whitlam's House majority supported his claim to govern despite the Senate's refusal of supply.
Constitutional reform in Australia: Efforts to alter Australia's Constitution through amendment or institutional change. The dismissal renewed proposals to clarify or constrain reserve powers, though major reform did not follow.
Section 57 of the Australian Constitution: A constitutional procedure for resolving certain deadlocks between the Australian House of Representatives and Senate. The government's proposed double dissolution did not resolve the Senate's blockade of supply.
1974 Australian federal election: An Australian federal election that returned the Whitlam Labor government with a reduced House majority. The election left the government vulnerable to Senate resistance while preserving its lower-house mandate.

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