"He promised free hospital care, free childcare, a government insurance office, estate duty exemptions and other new programs," the story on the front page read.

"But the speech as delivered concentrated not on promises but on his account of his government's record. He left the great mass of his 42-page policy speech and its contents to be reported by the press while he spent his half-hour speech getting his message - and his personality - over to the television audience."

"Mr Whitlam appealed for a period of stable government in Australia and of stable leadership."

Mr Whitlam said he was appealing to the intelligence of the electorate to re-elect him, and was declining to try to buy their votes.

"I am not in the business of selling you short and I am not in the business of buying you off," he said.

See: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/12217051