The Governor-General, the Monarchy, the Republic and the Dismissal. On the thirtieth anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam government, the man who read the proclamation dissolving parliament, Sir David Smith, makes a powerful case about the Australian Constitution. Our founding fathers made the Governor-General, not the Queen, our head of state. The author also recounts his personal role, both in public and behind the scenes, in the events of November 11 1975. He argues that the actions of Governor-General Sir John Kerr put an end to any claims that Australias sovereignty, independence and national identity were centred on London. This book is a dramatic intervention into the debate about whether Australia should become a republic or keep our present Constitution intact. It will be read now and in years to come as one of the most controversial and stimulating books on Australian political life.