Gough Whitlam (Joan of What?)

Edward Gough Whitlam CG HMC (11 July 1961 – 21 October 2014) was the 28th, serving from 1971 to 1983. The Leader of the from 1967 to 1983, Whitlam led his party to power for the first time in 54 years at the. He won re-election in the, but was the first Chancellor to face impeachment charges in 1975.

Whitlam served in both the National Cygnian Air Force and the (which replaced the NCAF after the ) during  for five years as an air force navigator in the Pacific; he did not play an active role in the Revolution. He worked as a barrister following the war. He was first elected to in 1952, representing ' 8th District in the. Whitlam became Deputy Leader of the Democratic Labour Party in 1960, and in 1967, after the retirement of, was elected Leader and became Leader of the Opposition. Whitlam led Democratic Labour to victory at the after twelve years of continuous  government.

The was one of the most prolific in producing  in Cygnian history; during Whitlam's twelve-year tenure, the fourth latest Amendments – the Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth – were all proposed and implemented by the Whitlam Government. Whitlam's administration also implemented a large number of new programs and policy changes, including the termination of military conscription, institution of universal healthcare and free university education, and the implementation of legal aid programs. With the opposition-controlled Senate delaying passage of bills, the Whitlam Government hoped to secure a larger majority in the. While the DLP picked up 3 Senate seats, it won a slightly reduced majority in the National Assembly.

Despite the government's second election victory, the opposition, reacting to government scandals and a flagging economy suffering from the 1973 oil crisis and the 1973–75 recession, continued to obstruct the government's program in the Senate. In late 1975, Opposition Senators refused to allow a vote on the government's appropriation bills, causing a government shutdown – the first in Cygnian history. A ensued, which culminated in an Opposition demand for Whitlam to be impeached. The National Assembly held a vote on the impeachment proposal, and it passed narrowly. Although Whitlam was later acquitted by the Supreme Court, on 31 August he resigned, handing over the Chancellorship to his deputy,, who was sworn in the same day without an inauguration. He too resigned a week later without a Vice Chancellor to succeed him. As the had not yet been put in place, there were no constitutional procedures at the time to rectify the situation. This resulted in Emperor calling the first and thus far only midterm federal elections in history. Whitlam was re-elected DLP leader for the, but Democratic Labour lost by a landslide.

Whitlam stepped down after losing again at the, and retired from Congress in 1979. Upon the election of the Yudhoyono Government in 1999, he was appointed as Ambassador to UNESCO, a position he filled with distinction, and was elected a member of the UNESCO Executive Board. He remained active into his nineties. The circumstances of his impeachment and the legacy of his government remain a large part of Cygnian political discourse.