Noel Pearson has been met with resounding applause in an address listing the achievements of Gough Whitlam.
Addressing those gathered at the state memorial service in Sydney for the former prime minister, the Cape York indigenous leader commended the Whitlam Government for achievements which changed the face of healthcare, divorce, Indigenous and foreign relations for Australia.
Citing a Monty Python sketch and referring to the late politician as a Roman, Mr Pearson said the country was changed forever under his three-year leadership.
“The modern, cosmopolitan Australia finally emerged like a technicolour butterfly from its long, dormant chrysalis,” he said.
“… There is no need for nostalgia and yearning for what might have been. The achievements of this old man are present in the institutions we today take for granted.”
His speech was heralded on social media as a speech for the ages.
