PM Transcripts

FOR PRESS: PM. No. 98/ 1971
SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES
Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. William McMahon.
I have been informed that the Labor Party opposes significant
parts of the Bills relating to Mr Justice Kerr's rec~ ommendations on
salaries and allowances for members of the Commnonwealth Parliament.
In my statement in the House on 16 September, I said that the
Government had decided that there should be an enquiry into
Parliamentary salaries and allowances.
The Laad~ r of tne Opposition, in reply, said that the opposition
had suggested, arid it supported, the approach which the Government
had adopted. The Leader of the Opposition complimented me on having
sought and secured the services of a Judge of such distinction in
industrial matters.
Hitherto there has been a non-party approach to these issues
and it was implicit in the Leader of the opposition's statement of
16 September that this approach would be followed on this occasion.
The reported new attitude of the Labor Party is a breach of
this approach. In these circumstances, the Government reserves
the right to take whatever action it considers desirable.
CAN BE RRA
9 December 1971.