Labor leaders argued that it had been the policy of total loyalty to the US, reflected in the “All the way with LBJ” catch cry, which had resulted in Australian involvement in Vietnam.
Labor’s foreign policy was focused on four points:
- Australia’s own national security
- A secure, united and friendly Papua New Guinea
- Closer relations with Indonesia
- Promotion of peace and prosperity of our neighbourhood
On its first day in power the Whitlam government withdrew all remaining Australian troops from Vietnam and it abolished conscription.
Whitlam’s government established diplomatic relations with Hanoi; communist governments in China, East Germany and North Korea, while still empathizing that America is Australia’s most important friend and ally. Despite this the government did not accept America’s war of intervention in Vietnam and it for example even questioned US bombing of North Vietnam. In a personal letter written to Mr Nixon Whitlam said:
“I am deeply concerned about the resumption of heavy and widespread bombing of North Vietnam. I continue to believe; as I am sure you do yourself, that the only practicable way to end the long-standing conflict in Vietnam is by means of negotiations. I want to reassure you, that I look forward to a period of massive cooperation between our two countries in the years ahead and on this particular question of Vietnam”.
(Whitlam, G The Whitlam Government, 1985, p116)
Whitlam thus clearly sought future American support, although he wasn’t ready to follow America’s policy on Vietnam as his predecessors did. Another example of Whitlam’s independent policy was when he visited China in July 1971. He was the first Western leader to do so and he again visited China in 1973, where he even had a private conversation with Chairman Mao. At that point in time, Australia was the first Western nation to establish diplomatic relations with China, while the Liberals were still criticizing Labor’s foreign policy.
They even tried to portray Whitlam as “walking under Vietcong flags”, when he appeared at an anti-Vietnam war rally outside Parliament House in May 1970. However when the president of the US, Richard Nixon visited China in 1972, the world was in shock and the rightness of Whitlam’s beliefs and in Australia’s change of foreign policy was confirmed. Despite making very important strategic changes to Australia’s foreign policy not all agreed in the rightness of Whitlam’s foreign policy.
This is the view of Grant Evans, a famous historian and expert on South East Asia:
“The Whitlam government dramatically revitalized the Australian political landscape. It was a meteorite, short and dramatic, rather than a star, stable and lasting. In particular it had not tackled the essential task of self-reliance in defense. Until Australia grasped the nettle, the alliance with the US would always offer itself to Australia’s governments as a simple and cheap way of apparently securing Australia.” (Ibid, p47)
In this statement Mr. Grant empathizes that Australia should become independent of the US, but he fails to look at Whitlam’s achievements in foreign policy in South East Asia, which set a stone in order for Australia to “grasp the nettle”, as he ironically implies.
Whitlam’s foreign policies did help create a more independent Australian nation. While Australia was only successful in its foreign policy before 1972 when it had the same interests as Britain and the US, such as in the Malaysian crisis, the Whitlam government clearly acted independently. Whitlam was the first Australian prime minister to decline the office of British “Privy Councilor”, which was the final court of appeal in Australia. The New Year’s Honours List, where the Queen granted titles to Australian citizens was abolished as well. This was a move intended to break away from the traditional close British links.
Australia’s allies weren’t of course too enthusiastic about the shift in Australia’s foreign policy. In a newspaper article published in 1973 it was reported that President Nixon was so displeased with Whitlam’s government that he would not like to receive Gough, who was portrayed as visiting Washington without a formal invitation. Whitlam however declared his actions in his book “The Whitlam Government”, in which he stated that a visit by an Australian Prime Minister to an American President should be as “as natural and informal as his visit to a British PM”. (Ibid, p94)
From this, it is clear to see that the Whitlam government recognized the importance of ANZUS for Australia’s security reasons, but that at the same time, it followed an independent path in foreign policy.
The Whitlam government established closer relations towards its Asian neighbours. This can best be seen in the development of a close relationship with Indonesia. Documents have just recently been published that the Whitlam government urged and supported Indonesia in its invasion of East Timor in 1975. The relationship towards Indonesia thus grew so important for Whitlam’s foreign policy that he was virtually willing to sacrifice East Timorese independence in order to maintain a strong association with Indonesia. Although this shows the darker side of Whitlam’s foreign policies it on the other hand confirms that the Whitlam government had a closer relationship with that country than previous Australian governments. During that time Australia also supported a neutralized South-East Asia through the creation of a zone of peace in the Indian Ocean. Whitlam further changed foreign policy by giving self-government to Papua New Guinea at once and further committing itself to cooperate with PNG in reaching its timetable for independence, which it finally did in September 1975.
Australia’s foreign policy was changed mainly to alter Australia’s relationship with major Asian powers. It is also, because since the beginning of the close alliance with the US, Whitlam was quick to recognize that US policy in South East Asia was taking the wrong path and that Australia should take a different approach. Whitlam believed in the reversal towards a more independent foreign policy since the 1950’s. On 15th September 1953 he made the following comment in parliament, opposing US policy in South East Asia:
“Traditionally, the USA has sympathy for peoples who are seeking self-government. One regrets that at the present time it does not seem always to show much sympathy in every part of the world”.
(Whitlam, G The Whitlam Government)
The US mistake in foreign policy, foreseen by the Labor leader in the 1950’s, was sadly realized too late, as another speech 20 years later depicts:
“We now enter a new and more hopeful era in our region. The settlement agreed upon by Washington and Hanoi is the settlement easily obtainable in 1954. The settlement now in reach – the settlement that 30 000 Australian troops were sent to prevent, the settlement which Mr. McMahon described in November 1967 as treachery – was obtainable on a dozen of occasions since 1954. “
From the evidence it can be said that Australian foreign policy was changed because of Whitlam’s wisdom, pre-knowledge and vision of a peaceful South East Asia and not one absorbed in fears, suspicion and war.
The Whitlam government implemented its policies, because it recognized the mistake in following the US policy and because it made changes to its foreign policy that were achievable within Australia’s constitution and that didn’t sacrifice Australia’s relationship with the US.
Australia from 1972-75 thus became a more independent and secure nation by the belief of the Whitlam government for peace and closer relations towards its South East Asian neighbours.
