Australian Politics Forum - MARGARET WHITLAM DIES

red baron

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MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:04am

Strange title for a subject but today I finally got 'the monkey off my back' a story that I have been carrying inside of me of all my life and one in which I will now have closure.

This is the first time I have aired this story outside of my family.

Many years ago my Dad collapsed at work. He was diagnosed with being seriously ill with diabetes. So ill was he he could not continue to go to work.

My father was senior in years but not of pension age. My beautiful and gentle Mum was forced to go and see Margaret Whitlam who was in charge of assessing applications for an early age pension.

That woman treated my dearest Mother like a pariah and humiliated her before finally throwing the the crumbs of the pension.

It was one of the worst episodes in our family's life and one I will never forgive the true pariah in the matter Margaret Whitlam for.

She will be grieved by a Nation today but not by me.

I finally have closure after all these years.

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MOTR Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6646	Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me Reply #1 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:14am Who was the government of the day responsible for the crummy pension?
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adelcrow Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 20133 everywhere Gender:	Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me Reply #2 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:18am MOTR wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:14am: Who was the government of the day responsible for the crummy pension? Responsible for the policy and the pension of the day...it sounds like it was Menzies.
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olde.sault Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 2913	Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me Reply #3 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:23am MOTR wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:14am: Who was the government of the day responsible for the crummy pension? Who, but Gough would have appointed his wife to assess such pensions? No doubt she was acting by the rules however, she could have been more gentle with red baron's mother.
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MOTR Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6646	Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me Reply #4 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:26am It was a different time, but the Prime Minister's wife personally assessing pensions doesn't seem likely.
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olde.sault

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #5 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:28am

adelcrow wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:18am:

MOTR wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:14am:

Who was the government of the day responsible for the crummy pension?

Responsible for the policy and the pension of the day...it sounds like it was Menzies.

Idiot. . .

Why would Menzies had appointed Margaret Whitlam for the job?

As for pensions, well, there are countries that don't give pensions where, if there are no children to take care of their aged parents, they die.

As I've grown during the Great Depression, I was brought up to live within my means and am grateful for any support.

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MOTR Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6646	Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me Reply #6 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:40am Surely the job would've be carried out by an officer of the public service not a special appointee.
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blackadder

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #7 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:48am

In 2006 she courted controversy by refusing to apologise to Janette Howard, the wife of then prime minister John Howard, after calling her useless.

A biography of Ms Whitlam quoted her as saying Mrs Howard failed to carry out the obligations of a prime minister's wife.

"She is useless in terms of how little she really gives the community," she said in the book.

"She doesn't even go to the old people's homes that Howard visits. The only thing she goes to is big, public things.

"I fear she's a steely woman. Never contributing anything else but a smile. Nor a grin - a grin indicates some sense of humour."

What a bitter twisted woman Margaret Whitlam was.

Must be labor party policy.

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cods

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #8 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 9:00am

blackadder wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:48am:

In 2006 she courted controversy by refusing to apologise to Janette Howard, the wife of then prime minister John Howard, after calling her useless.

A biography of Ms Whitlam quoted her as saying Mrs Howard failed to carry out the obligations of a prime minister's wife.

"She is useless in terms of how little she really gives the community," she said in the book.

"She doesn't even go to the old people's homes that Howard visits. The only thing she goes to is big, public things.

"I fear she's a steely woman. Never contributing anything else but a smile. Nor a grin - a grin indicates some sense of humour."

What a bitter twisted woman Margaret Whitlam was.

Must be labor party policy.

I am sure we have all done things we wish we hadnt or at least had handled them better...

if you havent then you are a very blessed person.

RIP Margaret

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adelcrow Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 20133 everywhere Gender:	Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me Reply #9 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 9:22am The PMs wife personally assessed such things..I highly doubt it
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adelcrow

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #10 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 9:24am

olde.sault wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:28am:

adelcrow wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:18am:

MOTR wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 8:14am:

Who was the government of the day responsible for the crummy pension?

Responsible for the policy and the pension of the day...it sounds like it was Menzies.

Idiot. . .

Why would Menzies had appointed Margaret Whitlam for the job?

As for pensions, well, there are countries that don't give pensions where, if there are no children to take care of their aged parents, they die.

As I've grown during the Great Depression, I was brought up to live within my means and am grateful for any support.

Low level public servants are responsible for asssessing such things not PMs wives.

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red baron

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #11 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 10:12am

To those who have given sympathy I say thank you. To clarify a point, I didn't say that Gough Whitlam was P.M. at the time. I don't think he was.

It happened exactly as I have said. I have no reason to lie, nor an ulterior motive to bend the truth or lie.

All I can say is that sorry episode has hurt me over the years and now the cause of it is dead.

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cods

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #12 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 10:15am

red baron wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 10:12am:

To those who have given sympathy I say thank you. To clarify a point, I didn't say that Gough Whitlam was P.M. at the time. I don't think he was.

It happened exactly as I have said. I have no reason to lie, nor an ulterior motive to bend the truth or lie.

All I can say is that sorry episode has hurt me over the years and now the cause of it is dead.

a sad memory for you to have of your dear parents..I am almost sure Margaret would not have done that for the world..but thing happen and lets be honest times were different all those years ago..at least you can move on from that memory it shouldnt over shadow all the good ones you know.

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Frances

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #13 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 10:29am

At the beginning of her career, Margaret Whitlam worked at the Family Welfare Bureau, graduating in 1948 with a degree in social work from Sydney University. From 1964 to 1967 she served as a hospital social worker. If the events you are talking about relate to this period, surely any decisions made by a person in her position would of necessity have to satisfy the requirements set by the relevant department which would, in turn, have been dictated by government policy. While I sympathise with you for what happened to your father, I feel you are blaming the wrong person. You really should be blaming the government of the day for having unsatisfactory social welfare policies. Therefore, the cause of your grief has probably been dead for years.

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MOTR

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Re: MARGARET WHITLAM DIES - Nation grieves but not me
Reply #14 - Mar 17^th, 2012 at 10:30am

red baron wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 10:12am:

To those who have given sympathy I say thank you. To clarify a point, I didn't say that Gough Whitlam was P.M. at the time. I don't think he was.

It happened exactly as I have said. I have no reason to lie, nor an ulterior motive to bend the truth or lie.

All I can say is that sorry episode has hurt me over the years and now the cause of it is dead.

You may have no reason to lie, but oral family history can be notoriously unreliable. You must have been very young at the time to not know who the Prime Minister of the day was.

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Hunt says Coalition accepts IPCC findings

"What does this mean? It means that we need to do practical things that actually reduce emissions."

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