Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows newsreel footage of the then prime minister, Gough Whitlam, addressing a state dinner at Malacanang Palace, Manila, on an official visit to the Philippines in February 1974. Whitlam speaks about greater cooperation in the Asia–Pacific region and endorses the proposal of a Pacific forum made by Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. The clip then shows Gough and Margaret Whitlam along with Marcos and his wife Imelda taking their seats to watch a performance of the Bayanihan Dance Company. In the final sequence Whitlam lays a wreath on a memorial to the Philippine national hero José Rizal, who inspired the revolution that led to the overthrow of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. The clip includes narration.

Educational value points

• The clip shows Australia’s growing relationship with nations in South-East Asia during this period, in this instance the Philippines. Prior to the election of the Whitlam Labor government in 1972, Australia’s foreign policy was closely aligned firstly with that of Britain, and after the Second World War with that of the USA. However, while Whitlam sought to maintain a close relationship with the USA, he pursued an independent foreign policy that emphasised regional engagement. Whitlam believed that Australia’s foreign policy should address the nation’s interests rather than be tied to the global objectives of the USA. The focus on the Asia–Pacific region was prompted by Australia’s location in the region and a desire to strengthen relationships with neighbouring countries in the interests of national security and trade.

• In his speech Edward Gough Whitlam (1916–) refers to and endorses the concept of a Pacific forum where neighbours in the region could meet regularly and share ideas. His host, Ferdinand Marcos (1917–89) helped found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 and was an advocate of regional cooperation. The members of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Whitlam supported the proposal of a Pacific forum that would include the People’s Republic of China and Japan and would strengthen economic and political ties between countries in the Asia–Pacific region. However, it was not until 1989, under the leadership of the then prime minister Bob Hawke, that the first meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum took place.

• Whitlam travelled overseas more extensively than had any previous Australian prime minister, and while the federal opposition and tabloid press dismissed these trips as ‘junkets’, visits to Asian countries were a symbolic and practical means of cementing relations in the region. As seen in the clip these visits involved not just the sharing of political ideas and strengthening of diplomatic ties, they were a means of sharing and acknowledging the rich and diverse cultures of the region. The Whitlam’s are seen enjoying the Bayanihan Dance Company and Whitlam honours Dr José Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines.

• During his period in office (1972–75), Whitlam strengthened trade relations with and increased overseas aid to the countries of Asia, including the Philippines. His government also withdrew the remaining Australian military units from the Vietnam War, established diplomatic relations with the communist governments in North Vietnam and North Korea, and formally recognised the People’s Republic of China. The removal of the last remnants of the White Australia Policy, which used a dictation test to exclude non-European migrants and was perceived within Asia as being racist, also sent a signal that Australia wanted to be an equal and active partner in the Asia–Pacific region.

• Margaret Whitlam, seen in the clip, provided active support for her husband’s career, including accompanying Whitlam on official visits overseas, to places such as China, Japan, India, North America and Europe. She also wrote a column for a women’s magazine and regularly appeared as a guest on television and radio, where she discussed political and social issues such as women’s rights and conservation. Her outspoken manner was a departure from the norm at the time. Her political activism has continued throughout her life, which was documented in a 2006 biography by Susan Mitchell.

• Dr José Rizal (1861–96) is a national hero in the Philippines. His execution by the Spanish inspired the Philippine Revolution, which brought an end to 333 years of Spanish colonial rule. Rizal trained as a medical doctor in Madrid and was also a prolific writer whose two novels, Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which were critical of the Spanish colonialists, inspired nationalist dissent. In 1892, after founding the non-violent reform society La Liga Filipina, Rizal was exiled to the island of Mindanao, where he spent the next four years conducting scientific research and setting up a school and hospital. He was executed in 1896 on charges of sedition.