 On the nomination of ALP prime minister Gough Whitlam, Kerr was appointed governor-general in July 1974.The Whitlam Government did not hold a majority in the Senate, and following a series of controversies in 1975 – most notably the Loans Affair – the Liberal opposition leader Malcolm Fraser decided to block supply in an attempt to force an early election.Kerr regarded the situation as untenable, believing the prime minister was obliged to either resign or call a general election, which Whitlam was unwilling to do.