No fateful swim

[La Rouge Beret]

What if Harold Holt observes the sea off Portsea and decides not to go for a swim in December 1967?

What are the longer term impacts for Australia and internationally of a continued Holt leadership?

 

[Riain]

Other than "All the way with LBJ", being a 'pants man' and the swim what is Holty known for?

 

[MattII]

Probably not very much, they'd already lost the senate after all. Possibly Labour gains even more seats at the next election.

 

[Pangur]

One less conspiracy story in Australia

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Well I always admired the nerve of the man, when he had a photo taken with him and wife + mistress.

If only Bob Hawke could have done the same...

 

[euromellows]

It seems Gough Whitlam's ascendance was inevitable, even with Harold Holt. Perhaps they could have lost power a little more gracefully than under William McMahon (one of the worst Prime Ministers we've ever had imo).

What is interesting to speculate is what Holt would have done after the electoral loss. Would he have stayed in parliament and if so who would get his support? Would McMahon become a failed Opposition Leader in 74' (after all he still hasn't had a chance) allowing Snedden to get a clear run for 77' election? (I don't think the blocking of supply would be a tactic employed by anyone other than Fraser).

IMO Snedden would have made a fine Prime Minister. Perhaps it would have been a Liberal Government that championed the much needed reforms later adopted by Hawke-Keating.

 

[Magniac]

There's the Gerard Henderson school of thought that Holt was going to lose the next federal election against Whitlam Labor, 1969.

Disclaimer: that's a theory that's tied up with the leadership struggle that was already brewing in the federal Liberal partyroom, even while Holt was still alive (I wrote a more comprehensive post on the subject in a RogueBeaver thread about 'WI Holt lives?' last year), so it should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[euromellows]

There's the Gerard Henderson school of thought that Holt was going to lose the next federal election against Whitlam Labor, 1969.

Disclaimer: that's a theory that's tied up with the leadership struggle that was already brewing in the federal Liberal partyroom, even while Holt was still alive (I wrote a more comprehensive post on the subject in a RogueBeaver thread about 'WI Holt lives?' last year), so it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Why exactly are the Liberal destined to lose 1969 with Holt? Is it contended that Gorton was more popular than Whitlam at the time?

 

[MattII]

They'd lost the senate already.

 

[euromellows]

They'd lost the senate already.

Yes but that didn't give Labor victory in the OTL election. They experienced a very large swing of 7% and it still fell just short of outright victory. I could be wrong but I just don't know if keeping Holt as PM would have given Labor an even bigger swing. 7% is bloody good as it is. Don't forget the DLP will still be there doing its best to keep Whitlam out of office.

 

[Cook]

Probably not very much, they'd already lost the senate after all. Possibly Labour gains even more seats at the next election.

I’d say they’d win less seats than they did against the Libs under Gorton; Holt was a popular guy.

William McMahon (one of the worst Prime Ministers we've ever had imo)

But with the best looking wife.

 

[RogueBeaver]

Here's the thread I started last year.

 

[Cook]

Well I always admired the nerve of the man, when he had a photo taken with him and wife + mistress.

If only Bob Hawke could have done the same...

There is a documentary about Holt’s disappearance: ‘The Prime Minister is Missing’. In it they interviewed Zara Holt and asked her about Marjorie Gillespie’s confession to being H.H.’s mistress. It’s hilarious; Zara said “The poor dear thought she was the only one. If she’d asked me I could have set her straight, there were a string of them.”

Th '60s.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

There is a documentary about Holt’s disappearance: ‘The Prime Minister is Missing’. In it they interviewed Zara Holt and asked her about Marjorie Gillespie’s confession to being H.H.’s mistress. It’s hilarious; Zara said “The poor dear thought she was the only one. If she’d asked me I could have set her straight, there were a string of them.”

Th '60s.

If only wives were as forgiving or accepting now.

 

[euromellows]

If only wives were as forgiving or accepting now.

Lol. Not under Gillard's post-misogynist Australia .

 

[Cook]

If only wives were as forgiving or accepting now.

Never mind the Mrs, the media was turning a blind eye too.