PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER
MACQUARIE NETWORK WEEKLY BROADCAST
BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE RT. HON.
WILLIAM McMAHON 1I,_ MP.
UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES 18 OCTOBER 1972
Interviewer Paul Lynch
* Prime Minister, some weeks ago in your weekly
report on Macquarie stations you said that you would be
pleased with the unemployment figures to be released
this week and that they would be figures not capable of
misinterpretation. The figures have come out and evidently
people on your side of the House in Canberra are very pleased
with them. I wonder what you would like to say about these
figures now that they are public?
PM: I want to confirm what you have said that most
people would have to be pleased with them because both in
actual numbers, that is, the fact themselves, there was a
substantial reduction in unemployment, and as well, there was
a reduction in the numbers of people seasonally unemployed.
And as I think I pointed out on that occasion, you didn't
want to take too much notice of seasonally unemployed figures.
They are for the experts and not for the ordi! r., ry person,
the average person, because the average person wants to look
at the numbers and the facts, and doesn't want to care too
much about analysis.
Q. There was, of course, a lot of speculation about
the improvement you are talking about. A lot of people said
the figure would be something like 5,000 more people that is
of course about 8,000. Were you, yourself, surprised that the
decrease in unemployed was so great?
PM: Yes. I thought that it would be about 5,000 and
I had taken the view that unless it was more than 4,500, we
would have to take some supplementary action to reduce the
numbers. When it turned out a reduction of 8,000, I can assure
you I was delighted. ./ 2