Don’t come the raw prawn with me

Let’s set the scene

It’s the night of Tuesday 2 April 1974. Some people are at the movies seeing The Exorcist, others are at home watching This Day Tonight, or listening to Alvin Stardust’s 'My Coo Ca Choo' on the radio. But at Parliament House, a dramatic plot is unfolding.

Gough Whitlam’s Labor government has been in power for about 18 months. The opposition, the Liberal and National Country Parties, are convinced the government’s program is dangerous. Reg ‘The Toecutter’ Withers, the tough Opposition Leader in the Senate, referred to the 1972 election result as ‘temporary insanity’ and the opposition is willing to go to great lengths to stifle the Whitlam government’s agenda.

Labor want to pass national health insurance and electoral reform. They need a majority in the Senate to do so but they don’t have one. The opposition has the majority in the Senate and they have no intention of passing the bills. What can Whitlam do?

Complicated rules FTW

Scene set. Before we get onto the plot here are a few ground rules that will help you follow what happens next.

There is a senate election every three years when half the seats are up for re-election. This affects half of every state’s senate seats.

If a senator resigns before their term expires, the parliament of their state will appoint a replacement up to the next election.

In April 1974 an election for the senate was coming up in about a months’ time and Whitlam, an expert in constitutional law, comes up with a plan to use the upcoming election to his advantage.

If Gair were to resign, Whitlam thinks Labor would be able to win his seat and thus gain a majority in the Senate. It’s a gamble, but it’s his best shot.

Knowing Gair has strong Roman Catholic beliefs and loyalties, Whitlam offers him the tempting role of Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and the Holy See (the Vatican).

It is an offer too good to refuse and Gair accepts the appointment. The next step is to resign his Senate seat. On the morning of Tuesday 2 April, the newspapers carry the story of the appointment and everything is set for Whitlam’s master plan.

Still with us? There’s more.

Maunsell decides to chaperone Gair in and out of the chamber. The two men leave Maunsell’s office and go to the chamber to vote. Maunsell never leaves Gair’s side. Labor senators are totally unaware of what’s happening and, as far as Whitlam knows, his plan is working perfectly. But, it’s not over yet.

Safe and sound?

Meantime in Brisbane, Premier Bjelke-Petersen is practically tearing his hair out. In order for the writs to be official, they need to be affixed with the Governor’s official seal. The seal is inside a safe at Government House, and only one person has a key – and he’s at his home in Sandgate. The premier, who has lost all patience, demands they send a cab to Sandgate to retrieve the key.

Finally, at 1.20am on Wednesday 3 April, an exhausted Bjelke-Petersen tells his parliament that the deed is done and the writs have been issued for five senate positions. Down south, in the chilly darkness of an autumn Canberra night, Gair and Maunsell pack up and leave Parliament House at 3am. The plan has succeeded. Gair’s resignation has been delayed, there will only be five senate positions up for election, and Whitlam won’t get his way.

Or will he? 

Whitlam’s plan may have been foiled, but he has an ace up his sleeve. The Senate has blocked legislation often enough to warrant a double-dissolution. Both chambers and all seats will be up for election. A week later on 10 April, Whitlam announces that the Governor-General has agreed to dissolve parliament. All Senate spots are up for grabs.

The Aftermath

The Australian newspaper dubbed it ‘The Night of the Long Prawns’, an historical reference to The Night of the Long Knives. Whitlam goes on to win the election, but still doesn’t get the numbers in the Senate. But, that’s another story.

Still in the public mind

To this day, we still talk about the Gair Affair. Why? The opposition used the Gair Affair as ammunition over the next 18 months, citing it as evidence of moral or ethical corruption in the government. It was one of the catalysts for the Coalition’s decision to block supply in the Senate, which ultimately led to Whitlam’s dismissal from office in November 1975.

The affair also showed the lengths to which the opposition would go to stop Whitlam. To this day, Whitlam supporters cite the whole affair as an example of conservative maliciousness.

There’s clearly a lot of bad feelings to go around, and while it’s certainly not the only dramatic incident of Whitlam’s eventful term of office, it’s one of the most famous and colourful.