Marking a century since the birth of Gough Whitlam
Today would have marked Gough Whitlam‘s first century of life — had he of course lived to 100.
Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh paid tribute to him during a media interview earlier today.
“It is an extraordinary moment just to think about what Gough brought to the nation,” Leigh said.
“Not only economic reform, but social reform — a sense that Australia wasn’t a little country, but a serious middle power.
“Be ambitious and think big.”
“A gravitas in the parliament, and an ability to hold our head to all on the world stage,” Leigh said.
An important aspiration for Labor in 2016 was to take a leaf out of Whitlam’s leadership.
“Be ambitious and think big,” Leigh said.
“Gough’s 100th — what would have been his 100th birthday — will be acknowledged at Old Parliament House with the launch of a new collection of speeches that were given on his passing, a moment to recognise the mark that he made on our parliament.”
This article originally appeared in the Labor Herald.
