Whitlam would have been the death of this country, he was reckless with his spending, his ideas were grand but impractical, and impossible in the long term.
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Please expand.... Whitlam's ideas were hardly impratical:
- ended conscription and withdrew Australian troops from Vietnam.
- implemented equal pay for women.
- launched an inquiry into education and funded government and non-government schools on a needs basis.
- established a separate ministry responsible for aboriginal affairs and supported the idea of land rights.
- recast our foreign policy by withdrawing support for South Africa, recognising China, granting independence to Papua-New Guinea and distancing Australia from USA foreign policy.
- abolished tertiary education fees and established the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme.
- increased pensions.
- established a universal system of health insurance known as Medibank.
- established controls on foreign ownership of Australian resources.
- passed the Family Law Act, establishing no-fault divorce.
- passed a series of laws banning racial and sexual discrimination.
- extended maternity leave and benefits for single mothers.
- sought to democratise the electoral system by introducing one-vote-one-value.
And reckless with spending?.... what about the international factors, such as the inflation caused by the trebling of oil prices by the Middle East Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which created great economic difficulties.
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