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Former prime minister John Howard has reportedly taken a swipe at actress Cate Blanchett, declaring her speech at Gough Whitam's memorial service "outrageous".Â
During her address at the Sydney Town Hall in November, Ms Blanchett said news of Mr Whitlam's death filled her with an "inordinate sadness".Â
"The loss I felt came down to something very deep and very simple. I am the beneficiary of free, tertiary education," the actress told the state memorial service.
Former prime minister John Howard takes his seat at Gough Whitlam's state memorial service. Photo: Peter Rae
The Whitlam government abolished university fees in 1974. The policy would remain in place for 14 years.
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However, News Corp publications report Mr Howard believed Ms Blanchett's praise was misdirected as there were a large number of scholarships available for students before 1974.
"That speech of Cate Blanchett's was outrageous," Mr Howard said. "Cate Blanchett is a talented actor, I admire her talent, but to suggest that Whitlam introduced free university education is wrong.
Cate Blanchett during her celebrated address to Gough Whitlam's state memorial service in November. Photo: Peter Rae
"The last three years of my university education were completely free and that was 11 years before Whitlam came to power.
"This idea that it just arrived [with Whitlam] is complete nonsense and it ought to be called out more frequently."
In 1989, Labor education minister John Dawkins established HECS, meaning students would pay tuition fees but only when earning a decent wage.
The architect of the HECS system, Bruce Chapman, has said Whitlam's impact on higher education should not be underestimated.
"Whitlam's higher education agenda and Dawkins' had one thing in common: to take away any need for people to find money to enrol in university," Chapman said in November. "Gough Whitlam left a legacy of a system without upfront fees that has lasted for 40 years."
Mr Howard attended Mr Whitlam's memorial service along with former prime ministers Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. Prime Minister Tony Abbott also attended.