GOUGH Whitlam has been remembered as a man of great compassion and vision by Mount Isa Mayor Tony McGrady.
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Cr McGrady said Mr Whitlam was a politician he looked up to and admired.
“He was an action man and one of my political heroes,” Cr McGrady said.
When Cr McGrady was the minister for police he remembers a lady telling him she was one of “Gough’s babies” because of Mr Whitlam’s push for free university education.
“Education will go down as one of Gough’s greatest legacies,” Cr McGrady said.
“He had his detractors but when you look at his accomplishments, he is up there with the best of our prime ministers.”
“Of all our prime ministers he would have the most runs on the board.”
Cr McGrady said Mr Whitlam’s transformation of healthcare, including his introduction of Medibank, the ancestor of Medicare, as Australia’s first national health insurance system, would be remembered fondly.