Fax from PRIME MINISTER
I December 1996* TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISER
THE HON JOHN H~ OWARD MEP
ADDRESS AT WA COALITION POLICY LAUNCH
IS MAJESTY'S THEATRE PERTH
Thank you very much klcndy Cowan, to Dr David Honey, the President of fte
Wester Aushralian division of the Liberal Party; Dexter Davies, the President of
the Westcrii Australian National Party-, my umny parlipmeatary colleagues both
Fedcral, and State; ladies and gentemen.
I am both haWp and proud to be here al the launch of the campaign to re-lect
Richard Court as Prmmer of Western Austraa He deserves, and his Governaet
demeres re-election for many reasons, not least of which has been the progressive
but reqxxisible leadership and vision that he has dwsatdsince has clection
onl a few yew ago.
t~ evyone kniows the extramordin ary ms thMt-a h= e-, i nheri-itd. I notice my coutr
in the Federal Parliawast said this moining on television that in Western Anshraia
Labor carries a few burdens. It's a bit lke saying Christopher Skase pinched a few
bob, or Shane. Wa= n plays a bit of cickct. Labo certainly does cary nmy
burdens'in Wester Ausbralia, but more important than the burdens that Labor
Faoxm0 1/ 12/ 96 15: 36 Pg: 1
lax from 81/ 12/ 96 15: 36 Pg: 2
curies in Wegten Australia were the burdens that were left behind by the retreatn
LAbor ( kwemment when Richard and Hendy took over.
And the last few years have see prgessive, intelligent, vigorous Government
here in Wcstarn Amftrgaia. It is without doubt the strongest growing Stale in
Australia. It has a youth unemploymeat rat of 20% compared with a national
average of 27% or 29%. It has an un= mnloynwnt rate which is well below Ihe
national averge. It has an ocornoiic growth r= t which is well above the n~ ioWa
average. Theme figures are not accidenta. They wre the result of vwa has been
achieved over the lasn few years. They are the result of a group of mmn and women
1h, rz a diffiult job and finding the courage and vision and thie energy to tackle
Itatzremly difficult task.
Your budt here in Western Australia is now strongly in suplus. You have
resored standards of honesty and aountability in Government You are for the
first time blazing the trail in opening the books so that no more can we have thewe
ridiculous options tha have occurred in the past at election time, both at a State
and Federal level, and I warmaly commend the Wester Australian Coalition
Goverrnent for having done that
But you have Veryitaty through a united Coalition broiagh togedthej
forces of free eterprise and market forces and private prperty in this State. The
coalition between the Libeal Party and the National Party in West= r Australia has
been a % meat success and it proves once again the tUth of the proposition in
Australian politics that when the Liber-al and National parties work together they
win together and that baa been true nationally, it has been true in other States and it
has been, demnstrated-here in Western AUstala.
And finally mnay I say tha you have in Richard Court as your Premier somebody
who is a great fighter for the inerests of Wistern Australia. Whatevez our unity
may be' across the nation as fellow Liberals, when it comes to the intereMt of
Western, Austraia there is no peron anywhere in the country who fights harder for
the particular interests and rails against the particular disabilities that Western
Ajiustzaliaam Sometimes sufer.
Nowy it -As against. -that. background . of. cleaning up the mess, a vimionary
Govarmnt of unitod Coalition purpose and also very effective co-operation with
us at a federal level that I am absolutely delighted to be heme and most particularly
invite you to welcome Richard Court and his wife, Jo.
ends