Series 02: Alan Gibson Stewart papers, 1987-1989 - Page 57
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17
elected Government be summarily dismissed?
Memories of the anti-Vietnam War marches flooded into my mind. Surely, we should all be back on the streets, demonstrating against tyranny again.
At home, in Manly, there was a strange quiet, as if everybody was holding their breath. On television, Whitlam was standing on the steps of Parliament House in Canberra, exhorting us to "maintain your rage!"
In the next few days there was much speculation and confusion about how to support Whitlam. Someone told me that the Harbord ALP was holding an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis.
"It will be on Tuesday night at the Institute."
"I'm not a member of the party."
"Nevermind, just turn up if you want to do something to help Gough."
So I attended my first party meeting.
The small meeting room at the old Harbord Literary Institute was packed with local people, most of whom wanted to join the Party. A harassed chairman tried to keep order according to the normal rules. Everybody wanted to speak, to express their anger and commitment to the cause of our fallen Leader. The core of party stalwarts were calmest: being accustomed to working in the shadow of defeat, they wanted to get on with the traditional battle in the electorate. We were enlisted to work for our local ALP candidate.