Why is it not surprising that those suggesting Rudd and Gillard were good economic managers also re-write history to suggest Whitlam was? Gough gave us public spending out of control, he set up the public service as wage pacesetters, a host of unfunded promises [like Rudd and Gillard], interest rates that topped out at 21.75%, inflation topping out at 13% and on the list goes.
Gough was rightly tossed out by voters in 1975, just as the Rudd/Gillard era was in 2013 - and for many of the same reasons, including reckless economic policies.
I met both Gough and Rudd; the difference between the 3 is Gough had a towering personal charisma that made him likeable.
