Holt government | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In office | |
| 26 January 1966 – 19 December 1967 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Harold Holt |
| Deputy | John McEwen |
| Parties | Liberal Country |
| Origin | Holt wins1966 Liberal leadership election |
| Demise | Holt disappears, presumed drowned |
| Predecessor | Menzies government (II) |
| Successor | McEwen government |
TheHolt government was the federal executive government of Australia led by Prime MinisterHarold Holt. It was made up of members of aLiberal-Country Partycoalition in theAustralian Parliament from 26 January 1966 to 19 December 1967. Holt governed until his unexpected death while swimming in rough surf in 1967.
The Holt Government was responsible for significant reforms, includingDecimalisation of Australia's currency and the1967 Referendum that removed provisions of theAustralian Constitution that discriminated againstIndigenous Australians. Holt also presided over increasing Australian trade links with Asia and expansion of Australia's commitment to defendingSouth Vietnam during theVietnam War.
TheLiberal Party of Australia-Country Party of Australiacoalition had governed in Australia since 1949 under Prime MinisterRobert Menzies. Menzies retired in January 1966, ending theSecond Menzies Government, and the Liberal Party electedHarold Holt as party leader and he becamePrime Minister of Australia.[1]
Holt was sworn in as prime minister on 26 January 1966. He had entered Parliament in 1935, serving as minister in the First Menzies Government from 1939-1941 and in the Second Menzies Government from 1949 to 1966, including seven years as treasurer, and a decade as Deputy Liberal Leader.[2]
Holt was sworn in as prime minister on 26 January 1966, following the retirement of Robert Menzies six days earlier. He wonthe leadership election unopposed, withWilliam McMahon elected as his deputy.[3] He went on the lead thecoalition to victory in the November1966 Australian Federal Election against theAustralian Labor Party opposition led byArthur Calwell.[4]
On 26 November 1966, Holt fought his first and only general election as prime minister, winning a landslide victory. The Coalition secured 56.9 percent of thetwo-party-preferred vote, gaining 10 seats and bringing its total number of seats in theHouse of Representatives to 82 out of 124, the largest majority government in Australian history at the time. The Liberals finished only two seats away from forming majority government in its own right. It was a higher margin of victory than Menzies had achieved in eight elections as Liberal leader, and was theLabor Party's worst electoral defeatin 31 years.[5]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Newsreel footage of the 1966 election fromPathé News |
Following the 1966 election,Gough Whitlam replaced Arthur Calwell as Leader of the Opposition.
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TheFirst Holt Ministry contained few changes from thelast Menzies ministry, but had some notable appointments, with future Prime MinisterMalcolm Fraser becoming Minister for the Army, and SenatorAnnabelle Rankin becomingMinister for Housing - the first woman to hold a ministerial portfolio.[6][a] In cabinet,John Gorton andLes Bury were promoted to replace the retiring Menzies and the deceased Shane Paltridge, andBilly McMahon was promoted to Treasurer in place of Holt. The Country Party leaderJohn McEwen remained de factoDeputy Prime Minister.
A minorreshuffle occurred after the 1966 election, with theSecond Holt ministry havingDoug Anthony andIan Sinclair added to cabinet andCharles Barnes demoted to the outer ministry. The only new government department created during Holt's tenure was theDepartment of Education and Science, established in December 1966, which was the first federal department specific to either of those areas.[7]
During his time in office, Holt increased Australian commitment to the growingWar in Vietnam. His government oversaw conversion todecimal currency. Holt faced Britain's withdrawal from Asia by visiting and hosting many Asian leaders and by expanding ties to the United States, hosting the first visit to Australia by an American president, his friendLyndon Johnson. By the end of 1967, the Liberals' initially popular support for the war in Vietnam was causing increasing public protest.[8]
Holt's government introduced theMigration Act 1966, which effectively dismantled theWhite Australia Policy and increased access to non-European migrants, including refugees fleeing theVietnam War.
In 1967, the Holt government amended the constitution to altersection 51 (xxvi) and removesection 127. This gave the federal government the power to legislate specifically forIndigenous Australians, and also mandated counting Indigenous people in thecensus. The constitutional amendments requireda referendum before they could be enacted, which passed with over 90 percent of the vote; it remains the largest referendum majorityin Australian history.
Following the success of the referendum, Holt toured Aboriginal communities and consulted with indigenous leaders, includingCharles Perkins andKath Walker.[9] In September 1967, Holt outlined his policy for Aborigines, including the establishment of an Office of Aboriginal Affairs under the Prime Ministers' control, and continuance of the government's goal of "assimilation", which he said would not mean losing Aboriginal identity or pride in their culture or an objective of eliminating Aboriginal physical features, but rather "Assimilation means that Aborigines can be similar to other citizens, not of course in looks but with regard to all the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship."[10]
Our aim is to help the Aborigines to become an integral part of the our Australian community life... Last year the Commonwealth and the States spent $21 million specifically on Aboriginal advancement and this year the figure will be higher [up from just $500,000 in 1944]... In a legal and a formal sense, none of the opportunities open to all Australians generally are closed to Aborigines. What is needed in many cases is [not money but] help which will equip the Aborigines, by education and in every possible way... to avail themselves of those opportunities.
— Harold Holt, Sept 1967[11]
In November, Holt announced the formation of the Council for Aboriginal Affairs to be chaired byReserve Bank of Australia GovernorH. C. Coombs.[12] Following Holt's death in December, it was left to theGorton Government to appointBill Wentworth as the firstMinister in charge of Aboriginal Affairs under the Prime Minister.
On 17 December 1967, Holt disappeared in heavy surf while swimming offCheviot Beach, near Melbourne, becoming the third Australian prime minister to die in office.[13] He was not formally declared missing until 19 December. Country Party leaderJohn McEwen served as prime minister from 19 December 1967 to 10 January 1968, pending the election of a new leader of theLiberal Party of Australia.[14] McEwen ruled out maintaining the coalition if deputy liberal leaderWilliam McMahon became prime minister.John Gorton won the leadership election with a small majority and resigned from the Senate to stand for election to Higgins, the House of Representatives seat formerly held by Harold Holt, which he achieved on 24 February 1968.[15]
