Australia’s $5 note, which has borne the face of Queen Elizabeth II since 1992, will be redesigned to reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s connection to country and the overturning of terra nullius – a foundational moment in the fight for land rights.
Yes, that check on power. John Kerr acted because he knew that Whitlam was going to sack him and he dismissed the PM in a preemptive strike. He did not involve the Queen in his decision and he completely overstepped his (implied) authority. I don’t deny the one time the Governor General used their power to dissolve a government was an utter shitshow, but corrections were made in the wake of that act and I am confident there won’t be a repeat on just the whim of a future Governor General.
I was too young at the time to understand anything about the Pine Gap angle, but while I can see Whitlam losing power was good for US interests, I don’t believe they were directly involved in events as they played out. Kerr denied CIA involvement (of course he would) and Whitlam agreed that Kerr had more than enough incentive to act without the CIA being party to proceedings.
And I want to keep the government answerable to someone who can veto bills and force a new election in an emergency like we are seeing in the USA. Even if those powers were never used again.