Editing Gough Whitlam (section)

===Reforming the ALP===
[[File:Gough and Margaret Whitlam - Holt's memorial service.jpg|thumb|upright|Whitlam and his wife Margaret entering the memorial service for Harold Holt in December 1967]]
Whitlam believed the Labor Party had little chance of being elected unless it could expand its appeal from the traditional working-class base to include the suburban middle class.{{sfn|Kelly|1995|p=3}} He sought to shift control of the ALP from union officials to the parliamentary party, and hoped even rank-and-file party members could be given a voice in the conference.{{sfn|Freudenberg|2009|p=95}} In 1968, controversy erupted within the party when the executive refused to seat new Tasmanian delegate [[Brian Harradine]], a Whitlam supporter who was considered a right-wing extremist.<ref>Lawrence, Jeff [http://www.unitedvoice.org.au/news/vale-ray-gietzelt Vale Ray Gietzelt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407162330/http://www.unitedvoice.org.au/news/vale-ray-gietzelt |date=7 April 2015}} at [[United Voice]], 20 December 2012, citing ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' obituary of Ray Gietzelt: "Kingmaker fought for democratisation of unions".</ref> Whitlam resigned the leadership, demanding a vote of confidence from caucus. He defeated Cairns for the leadership in an unexpectedly close 38–32 vote. Despite the vote, the executive refused to seat Harradine.{{sfn|Lloyd|2008|pp=337–339}}

With the ALP's governing bodies unwilling to reform themselves, Whitlam worked to build support for change among ordinary party members. He successfully reduced union influence in the party, though he was never able to give the rank and file a direct vote in selecting the executive.{{sfn|Freudenberg|2009|pp=95–96}} The Victoria branch of the party had long been a problem; its executive was far to the left of the rest of the ALP, and had little electoral success. Whitlam was able to reconstruct the Victoria party organisation against the will of its leaders, and the reconstituted state party proved essential to victory in the 1972 election.{{sfn|Lloyd|2008|pp=337–339}}

By the time of the 1969 party conference, Whitlam had gained considerable control over the ALP. That conference passed 61 resolutions, including broad changes to party policy and procedures. It called for the establishment of an Australian Schools Commission to consider the proper level of state aid for schools and universities, recognition of Aboriginal land claims, and expanded party policy on [[universal health care]].{{sfn|Hocking|2008|pp=321–325}} The conference also called for increased federal involvement in urban planning, and formed the basis of "The Program" of modern socialism which Whitlam and the ALP presented to voters in 1972.{{sfn|Hocking|2008|pp=325–326}}

Since 1918, Labor had called for the abolition of the existing Australian Constitution, and the vesting of all political power in Parliament, a plan which would turn the states into powerless geographic regions. Beginning in 1965, Whitlam sought to change this goal. He finally succeeded at the 1971 ALP Conference in [[Launceston, Tasmania]], which called for Parliament to receive "such plenary powers as are necessary and desirable" to achieve the ALP's goals in domestic and international affairs.{{sfn|Sawer|1977|p=3}} Labor also pledged to abolish the Senate; this goal was not erased from the party platform until 1979, after Whitlam had stepped down as leader.{{sfn|Kelly|1995|p=12}}