Did the Governor General consult the Palace more than his Prime Minister?

Now that the Palace letters have been made accessible to the public, questions have again emerged about the dismissal of the Whitlam government and the roles played by key figures in one of the most unique events in Australian history.

Demonstrations - Australian capital territory - Demonstration against the Dissolution of Parliament by Sir John Kerr and support for Mr Gough Whitlam, 1975. Source: AAP Image/Supplied by National Archives of Australia, July 13, 2020.

Associate Professor Richard Chauvel, an Honorary Fellow at the Asia Institute at Melbourne University explains the reason for the dismissal of the Whitlam government and its legacy.

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A Buckingham Palace letter head is seen on a letter marked 'Personal and Confidential' during the Kerr Palace Letters release event in Canberra, July 14, 2020. Source: AAP Image/Supplied by National Archives of Australia, July 14, 2020.