PM Transcripts

AUS RLIA
PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 284A
7 July 1974
COMMUNITY RELATIONS CONSULTANT
The Prime Minister, Mr Whitlam announced today
the appointment of the Honourable A. J. Grassby as Special
Consultant to the Australian Government on Community Relations.
Mr Whitlam said that the appointment was to lay
the foundations for legislative and administrative action to
ensure the abolition of all forms of discrimination on the basis
of race, colour or creed in Australia and to ensure a continuing
program to enable the Australian community as a whole to benefit
from the rich cultural and linguistic heritage which Australia
has acquired after 25 years of mass migration. Above all the
appointment is the first step of new initiatives to ensure that
the hopes and aspirations of the 3 million people who have settled
in Australia since World War IT have the fullest opportunities
for realisation. il
The Australian Parliament has responsibility to
legislate with respect to aborigines, migrants and international
treaties and obligations. Australia has not yet ratified the International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
which was adopted by the United Nations in December 1965 and
which came into force in January 1969.
This convention has already been ratified by
78 countries, including Britain, Canada and New Zealand.
Earlier this year Australian Attorney-General ( Senator
Murphy) introduced legislation which would have enabled Australia
to implement the convention.
This legislation lapsed when the old Parliament
was dissolved and Mr Whitlam said that Mr Grassby would also advise
on the form in which the legislation would be introduced in the
new Parliament. Mr Whitlam said that Mr Grassby would be appointed
commissioner under the legislation when it was passed by Parliament.
In the meantime he will act as adviser to the
Australian Government on matters of community relations affecting
migrants and other ethnic groups in Australia. / 2