NOTES FOR THE PRIME MINISTER, MR, E. G. WHITLAM, M. P.,
AT THE OPENING OF THE HENTY ELECTORATE OFFICE OF MRS, JOAN
CHILD, OAKLEIGH, MELBOURNE, VIC.
FRIDAY, 16 AUGUST 1974
1. THE PEOPLE OF HENTY MADE HISTORY THIS YEAR BY ELECTING
MRS, JOAN CHILD AS THE FIRST WOMEN TO REPRESENT THE AUSTRALIAN
LABOR PARTY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HENTY HAD ELECTED A WOMEN TO THE
PARLIAMENT. THE 1968 RE-DISTRIBUTION CHANGED THE ELECTORATE
IN A WAY WHICH STRENGTHENED THE LIBERAL PARTY'S PROSPECTS
OF HOLDING THE SEAT, BUT AT HER SECOND ATTEMPT, MRS. CHILD
WON IT. IT IS SOMETHING OF A LABOR OASIS IN A LIBERAL DESERT.
AS IT IS SURROUNDED BY FIVE LIBERAL SEATS HOTHAM, BRUCE,
CHISiHOLM, BALACLAVA AND HIGGINS.
2. MRS, CHILD DELIVERED HER MAIDEN SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES ON 16 JULY, SHE DEVOTED MOST OF HER SPEECH
TO ARGUING THE NEED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE
FOR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE. THIS IS AN AREA IN WHICH THE
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS DONE MUCH. IN THE LAST 20 MONTHS.
WE ARE DETERMINED TO ENSURE ADEQUATE HELP FOR THE HANDICAPPED,
BOTH YOUNG AND OLD. IN LAST '' EAR'S BUDGET THE HANDICAPPED
CHILDRENS BENEFIT WAS DOUBLED FROM $ 1.50 A DAY TO $ 3,00 A DAY,
THIS BENEFIT, WHICH IS PAID UNDER THE NATIONAL HEALTH ACT,
WAS INTRODUCED IN 1969. IT HAS TWO PURPOSES:
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TO ASSIST PARENTS OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND TO HELP
ORGANISATIONS MEET THE RUNNING COSTS OF HOMES. THE BUDGET
CONTAINED FOUR SPECIFIC BENEFITS FOR THE REHABILITATION OF
HANDICAPPED PEOPLE. IT REMOVED THE THREE-YEAR LIMIT FOR
ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE WELFARE REHABILITATION SERVICE.
PREVIOUSLY PEOPLE WERE ACCEPTED FOR REHABILITATION ONLY
IF THEY WERE CONSIDERED TO HAVE REASONABLE PROSPECTS OF BEING
ENGAGED IN A SUITABLE VOCATION WITHIN THREE YEARS. THE
TRAINING ALLOWANCE FOR PEOPLE UNDERGOING FULL-TIME VOCATIONAL
TRAINING THROUGH THE WELFARE REHABILITATION SERVICE WAS
INCREASED FROM $ 4,00 A WEEK TO $ 8.00 A WEEK, THE LIVINGAWAY-
FROM-HOME ALLOWANCE WAS DOUBLED AND SET AT $ 10.00 A WEEK
FOR UNMARRIED TRAINEES UNDERGOING FULL-TIME TRAINING THROUGH
THE REHABILITATION TRAINING SCHEME AND AT $ 16.00 A WEEK FOR
MARRIED TRAINEES. THESE ALLOWANCES ARE DESIGNED TO ASSIST
HANDICAPPED PEOPLE WHO MUST LIVE AWAY FROM THEIR USUAL PLACE
OF RESIDENCE IN ORDER TO UNDERGO VOCATIONAL TRAINING. IN
ADDITION THE BUDGET PROVIDED A $ 2 FOR $ 1 GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY
ON MONEY BORROWED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES FOR PROJECTS
UNDER THE SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT ( ASSISTANCE) ACT AND THE
HANDICAPPED CHILDREN ( ASSISTANCE) ACT. THIS MEASURE IS
AIMED AT ENCOURAGING LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES TO SPONSOR
SHELTERED WORKSHOPS, TRAINING CENTRES AND HOSTELS FOR HANDICAPPED.
ADULTS AND CHILDREN. PREVIOUSLY, LEGISLATION HAD PREVENTED
THESE FUNDS FROM ATTRACTING A SUBSIDY.
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3. DRAMATIC ADVANCES HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE BY OTHER AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED WITH HANDICAPPED PEOPLE,
SUCH AS THE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH, FOLLOWING
THE REPORT OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS
COMMISSION, THE GOVERNMENT IS MOUNTING A MAJOR ATTACK ON THE
PRESENT DEFICIENCIES IN THE EDUCATION OF MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY
HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, IN 1974 AND 1975 THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
WILL PROVIDE THE STATES WITH A GRANT OF $ 435 MILLION FOR SPECIAL
AND REMEDIAL EDUCATION. THIS WILL ENABLE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
A PROGRAM CONSISTING OF CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SCHOOLS AND THE
REPLACEMENT AND UPGRADING OF EXISTING SUB-STANDARD ONES, THE
PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL MATERIALS, AN INCREASE IN SUPPORT AND
SPECIALIST STAFF AND A REDUCTION IN CLASS SIZES, IN THE SAME
PERIOD WE WILL PROVIDE A TOTAL OF $ 3,63 MILLION FOR THE TRAINING
OF TEACHERS OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, THEFUNDS WE ARE PROVIDING
WILL REPRESENT THE FIRST SUBSTANTIAL RECOGNITION BY THE
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT OF THE NEED OF STATE EDUCATION AUTHORITIES
FOR SPECIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE EDUCATION OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN,
PROVISION HAS ALSO BEEN MADE FOR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN INITIATED BY THE
AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR HEALTH, DR. EVERINGHAM, AND THE NEWLY
ESTABLISHED HOSPITALS AND HEALTH SERVICE COMMISSION,
4, THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL AIM IS TO REPLACE THE PREVIOUS
AD HOC APPROACH TO WELFARE WITH A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH WHICH
TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND
FINANCIALLY DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE ACROSS THE NATION, WE WANT
TO SEE THE NATION'S WELFARE RESOURCES CO-ORDINATED FOR THE
FIRST TIME, THE MAJOR EFFORT DIRECTED TO THIS END IS IN THE
HANDS OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE COMMISSION, IT WAS ESTABLISHED
BY THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON COMMUNITY
NEEDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WELFARE PROGRAMS, TO DETERMINE
PRIORITIES AND EVALUATE PROGRAMS, TO ESTIMATE COSTS AND TO
ENCOURAGE THE CO-ORDINATTON AND INTEGRATION OF ALL WELFARE
SERVICES, THE COMMISSION HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR INITIATING
THE AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE PLAN AS THE VEHICLE FOR CO-ORDINATING
AND INTEGRATING ALL WELFARE RESOURCES IN'A WAY THAT WILL BEST
MEET THE NEEDS OF AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITIES, THE ASSISTANCE PLAN
HAS AS ITS MAIN PURPOSE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITYBASED
SOCIAL PLANNING UNITS, THEIR JOB IS TO INCREASE LOCAL
INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL WELFARE ACTIVITY, ALTHOUGH THE PLAN HAS
BEEN IN OPERATION FOR ONLY A FEW MONTHS, THE FIRST OF THESE
PLANNING UNITS KNOWN AS REGIONAL COUNCILS FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
ARE TAKING SHAPE,
I
IN HER MAIDEN SPEECH JOAN CHILD SAID:
" A NATION'S WEALTH IS MEASURED BY THE CARE AND COMPASSION
IT IS PREPARED TO EXTEND TO THE OLD AND LONELY, THE DEPENDENT,
THE DISABLED AND THE YOUNG WHO ARE IN THE SCHOOLS."
THAT VERY PRINCIPLE HAS GUIDED MUCH OF OUR ENDEAVOURS IN THE
LAST 20 MONTHS. I HAVE ALREADY OUTLINED WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR
THE DISABLED AND FOR OTHERS IN NEED OF WELFARE SERVICES.
IN THE CASE OF THE OLD, WE HAVE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE BIGGEST
PENSION INCREASE EVER GIVEN TO PENSIONERS. WE HAVE
SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED COMMONWEALTH ASSISTANCE FOR A WIDE RANGE
OF SERVICES FOR THE AGFn. ' ICH AS AGFn PERSONS HOUSING A
DOMICILIARY CARE AND SENIOR CITIZENS CENTRES. FOR THE YOUNG
WE HAVE. INTRODUCED A NEW CHARTER FOR THEIR EDUCATION. WE HAVE
ALMOST DOUBLED COMMONWEALTH EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION; WE HAVE
ESTABLISHED A PERMANENT SCHOOLS COMMISSION TO GIVE AID TO ALL
SCHOOLS, WITHOUT DISTINCTION, ON A ' NEEDS' BASIS; WE HAVE
ASSUMED FULL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOk IERTIARY EDUCATION,
AND HAVE ABOLISHED FEES; FOR THE FIRST TIME WE ARE GIVING
ASSISTANCE TO TEACHERS' COLLEGES AND PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS'
COLLEGES ON THE SAME BASIS AS UNIVERSITIES AND COLLFGES OF
ADVANCED EDUCATION; WE ARE GIVING MUCH MOF GiF'ROUS AI. OWANCES
TO STUDENTS AND HAVE MORE THAN TREBLED THE NUM1BER OF TEA-HINC,
SCHOLARSHIPS.
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6. THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO
HELP THE DISADVANTAGED, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, IN HIS SPEECH
AT THE OPENING OF THE PARLIAMENT ON 9 JULY, SAID THE
GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVIDE " FOR INCREASED ASSISTANCE FOR THE
HANDICAPPED AND DISABLED, FURTHER ASSISTANCE FOR ORGANISATIONS
CONDUCTING AGED PERSONS' HOMES AND NURSING HOMES AND HELP FOR
THE HOMELESS,"
O