PRIMEL MINISTER'S PRESS STATEMENT TO DRiSPAi-PRES CONFEP E
NOVUIDER 1974
ISHOULD-EXPLAIN W~ HY I INTEND TO TAKE SUCH AN
ACTIVE ROLE IN THIS CAMJ'PAIGN, IDO SO BECAUSE I HAVE KNOWN
AND ADMIRED PERC TUCKER FOR HANY YEARS, KNOW-Hill! AS A
GREATr OULENSLANDER A1ND A GREAT ALISTRALIA1,1 WHO WILL MAIKE
AN EXCELLENT PREMIER AND STA14D UIP FOR THE INT'RESTS OF THIF,
STATE AS EFFECTIVELY AS DON DUNSTAN STAN~ DS FOR THE INTERESTS'
OF SOUTrH AUSTRALIA OR ERIC iE 2C!: FOR TPOSE OF TAS-MANIA,
IDO N07 EXPECT THAT1 WE WILL ALW. AYS ASREE ON THE APPLICATION
OF ALL POLICIES BUT IDO KNOW TH\ Tq CAM I-ALK' TO FACH
ClH'ER, THAT WE RESPECT LACH OTHER AND iHA~ r WE 111I1L SE ABLE
WORK rOGETHER 114 THlE jINTErfESTS OF 7' HI .), ATE.
IDO NOT COME HIRF. 10 DISCUSS FEDEFPAL
ISSUES& THE ISSUES THAT I MIAL DIlSCUSS~ i 71HIS CAMFV--AIGN
ARE STATE I. SSUES4 DO NOT FLELIEVE 714AT U SL' 3WL
BC FOOLED BY THE PREMIERS TACTIC'OF IN'fR0[ DULCiNG COMPLFELY
IRREVELANT ISSUES JN'A S*[ ATE. ELECTION. 0UEEN-SLANDEr'l':' MUST
DECIDE WHE71HER* THEY WANT A STATE GOVFRNUM NT THAT CAN WO) RK,
EFFECTIVELY WqITH THE PRESENT AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
CO-OPERATE WVITH IT B~ UT NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS AGREE WITH
IT. AT PRESpia You HAVE IN OUEE_: NSLAN~ D AS THE PREMIER
H~ AS ALREADY 114DICATED IN4 THIS CAMPAIGN--A GOVERNMENT WHICH
CONTINUES TO OBSTRUC7, WHICH REFUSES TO CO-OPEPATE, W[ HCH
ON SOME OCCASIONS EVEN REFUSES TO DISCUSS HAT1EI: S AIND OIN
OT14ERS FAILS TO FULFIL THE ELEMENTARY C01J R T ESY OF
REPLYIN4G 10 CORRESPONDENCE FROM * IHE Aus$ ThALIA?' OVERMEN
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S-2-THE PEOPLE OF OUEENSLAND. MUST DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT
A CONTINUATrION OF* THIS POLICY OF NON-CO-OPERATION,
OBSTRUCTIOR4 AND INDEED VLICTO. IT IS A* POLICY WHIC; H
I BELI EVE AVREYAFFECTS THE' WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT
OF THE STATE.. THI s IS' A. STATE ISSUE -NOT A FEDERAL
ISSUE -AND ICOME INTO THIS CAMPAIGN TO SHOW YOU HO1-FAR THE
WELFARE AND DEVELOP'ENT. OF THIS STATE HAVE BEEN IDI
BY THE STAND OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT OF* QUEC-hLAND.
THINGS HAVE . COME -TO A SORRY STATE INDEED
WHEN THE PREMIER ' OF THIS GREAT STATE AND THE FRIt?.-MIIIST: p,
OF. THIS -COUNTRY CANNOT EVEN MELO. 1 TO DISCUSS MAiT; 7 R OF
IMPORTANCE BECAUSE TH RME EUES TO DO SO, TH C
PREMIER REFUSE D TO COME TO A PRIVATE* ROUNC-TAPL DlitNER
WITH MYSE2LF A D ALL THE0O HER F IYE PR EM I Ei ', S TO DI SCUS
* THE PROBLEMIS OF INiFLATION, AND IMiAT TE R S C1 ICE RNI G TH E
CONST. ITUT ION. TH E PREMIER SIMPLY IGNORED A LLETTER ( I. IC
IVWROTE TO HI1M VERY EARLY ' IN OUR ( JOVERNUHUUt Pi-OIi
DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN OUR OFFICIALS ON THE GOENET$ PLCES
FOR GROWTH CENTRES AND STABLE LAND PRICES, Auio WHEI IfH
AUSTRAL IAN MINSITER FOR ABORIGINAL. AFFAIRS SOUGH' TO ClO." I
WITH STATE MINISTERS ABOUT THE ' RECOMMENDATIONS. OF A ROYAL.
ComI ss IoN ON ABORIGI NAL. LAND) Ri GHrS, THE 0U E ISL AN D1
MINISTER REFUSED TO EVEN DISCUSS THE MATTER, UNTIL A FEW DAYS'
* AGO, WHEN. I WROTE TO THE PREMIER OFFERING TO ACCEPT
RESP ONSIBILITY FOR THE STATE RAILWAYS AND REMOV0' E THE
FINANCIAL BURDENS THEY IMPOSE ON THE STATE, TEPREMIER
REPLIED NINE MONTHS LATER THAT HE WAS NOT EVEN PREPARED
TO. DISCUSS THE MATTER, AND YET DISCUSSIONS ARE PROCEEDING
ON' A NO COM14ITMENT BASIS WITH OTHER LIBERAL STATE GOVERNMENTS1
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TO BE QUITE FRANKI IT SURPRISES 1ME THAT THE
LBERAL-COUNTRY PARTY STATE GOVERNMENT. OF QUEENSLAND FINDS
IDEOLOGICALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND BERATES-IN THE-MOST
VIRULENT TERMS MATTERS WHICH OTHER L! BERAL-COUNTRY PARTY*
STATE GOVERNMENTS* FIND PERFECTLY. ACCLPTAPLE. ' IF THE
OVRMETOF THIS STATE WERE WILLING TO SIGN PRECI* SELY
ri1 W. Mm 44 IE,-CGNT DA/ PpCCi-IL_-7HL= -MC-r T~ A& M A-S _ rH ATWHI1CH
V'VE S. IGNED WITH THE LIBERAL PREMIERS OF NE1' I SOUTH~
WALES AND VICTORIA, THEN THE GROWTHvC ETR N OfSLL EG
VOULD ' BE, A BLE TO PROCEED AS RAPIDLY AS THE GROWTH CENTRE
IS PROCEEDING IN ALBURY-WODONGA. IF THE GOVERNMENT OF
THIS STATE WERE-WILLING TO SIGN THE SAME AGREEIMENTS IN
PRECIS$ ELY -THE SAME TERMS AS' THE L I IERAL GOVERNMENTS IN
NEW. SOUTH WALESp V. ICTORIA AND WESTERi AUSTRALIA, ALL THC
OTHER LIBERAL'COUNTRY' PARTY GOVERNPIENTs IN THIS COUNTRY1
HAVE EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO SIGN OR HAV'E ALREADY
SIGNED OiN LAND COUNCILS, THE14 W'E WOULD BE AB3LE TO ENSURE
THAT HOME PURCHASERS CAN AFFOR. D -THE. PRICE OF LAND,
THESE TWO EXAkMPLES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS STATE REFUSING
TO0 DO IWHAT OTHER* GOVERNMENTS OF THE SAME POLITICAL COLOUR
ARE WILLING TO DO HAVE ALREADY COST QUEENSLAND TENS OF
MILION OFDOLLARS IN FEDERAL GRANTS AND LOANS, M. O
HERE TO ARGUE THE MERITS OF OUR GROWTH CENTRE POLICY OR iD
OUR LAND COMMISSION ' POLICY. THAT IS A MATTER FOR A FE-DERAL."~
ELECTION.-I AM HERE TO SAY THAT QUEENSLANDERS SHOULD NOT
ACCEPT A STATE GOVERNMENT WHICH IS WILLING TO IMPEDE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE IN THIS WAY. THAT IS PROPERLY
A. MAT. TER FOR A STATE ELECTION.
c r
T I DO NOT BELIEVE QUEENSLANDERS DESERVE A
GOVERNMENT WHICH, WHATEVER ITS DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
WITH THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, REFUSES TO EVEN ANSWER
LETTERS FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA TO THE
PREMIER OF. QUEENSLAND. SUCH UNANSWERED LETTERS CONCERN
A PROPOSAL TO STUDY THE MEANS OF REDUCING ELECTRICITY Li,~ Ti't
S COSTS IN QUEENSLAND; A PROPOSAL TO ASSESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT. OF.. BEACH SAND MINING; A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FAC
S ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF AMENDMENTS TO QUEENSLAND LEGISLATION
FOR ABORIGINES; A REQUEST TO THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEENSLAND
FOR THEIR VIEWS ON MY GOERNMmENT'S PROPOSALS CONCERNING
ABORIGINES. WE OFFERED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR LAND
'. STABILISATION AND GROWTH CENTRES. I 1ROTE IN AUGUST 1973
CONCERNING OUR FI-NANCIAL PROPOSALS FOR THAT YEAR AND AGAINi
IN SEPTEMBER 1974 CONCERNING OUR PROPOSALS ARISING FROM
THE MOST RECENT BUDGET. I HAVE RECEIVED NO REPLY TO THE
FIRST AND THE MOST CURSORY REPLY TO T1E SECOND. AS EARLY
AS DECEMBER 1972, WHEN THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR GOVERNMENT HAD
BEEN IN OFFICE FOR LESS. THAN TWO WEEKS, I WROTE SEEKING THE
AGREEMENT OF THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT FOR THE AUSTRALIAN i
NATIONAL LINE TO OPERATE BETWEEN QUEENSLAND PORTS. IN
SHMAY 1973, THE PREMIER TOLD. ME THAT HE WAS CONSIDERING THE
MATTER. DESPITE SUBSEQUENT LETTERS IN APRIL AND JUNE 1974,
THERE IS NO REPLY.. WROTE SEEKING THE VIEWS OF THE L
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT ON THE AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE PLAN, I
I HAVE RECEIVED NO SUBSTANTIVE REPLY. I WROTE SEEKING THE
VIEWS OF THE GOVERNMENT ON THE PROPOSAL RELATING TO THE
MUTUAL REFERENCE OF POWERS, WHICH WAS BASICALLY AGREED
UPON AT THE MEETING WITH MYSELF AND THE FIVE PREMI-ERS
SWHICH THE QUEENSLAND PREMIER REFUSED TO ATTEND. ' I
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TRICS-LETR WA SiE TIBUAPRL, O TAIS EANDI . AVEO
CONERETEC WAS HEL O INOELUWRTSIO ND SETPJOONCT
THESE REPORTS TO ALL STATE-PREMIERS FOR THEIR COViAENT
TWO MONTHS. AGO. ONLY THE PR EMI1ER OF OUEENSLAND HAS
FAILED TO REPLY Ilf ANY WAY WHATSOLVERI
THIS IS NOT'TH* E WAY THAT RELATIONS BETniEFI4N
AN AUSTRALIAN AND A STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE CONDUCTED.
WHATEVER THEIR POLITICAL PERSUASI'ONS MAY BE.
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