 Kerr told Whitlam and other government ministers that he considered Ellicott's view to be 'bullshit'.On 17 October, Whitlam told an interviewer that the Governor-General could not intervene in the crisis in view of the convention that he must always act on the advice of his Prime Minister.Whitlam said later that he intended these remarks to protect Kerr, by making clear his view that the Governor-General had no power to intervene.