ADDRESS BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR E, G, WHITLAM, M. P.,
TO THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY STATE COUNCIL, NSW. BRANCH,
SYDNEY, 13 APRIL, 1975
SINCE I ADDRESSED YOU LAST YEAR, OUR OPPONENTS HAVE
CHANGED LEADERS BOTH IN NEW SOUTH WALES AND IN CANBERRA.
THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT THE NEW LIBERAL LEADER IN
PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN DESTROYING THE FEDERAL
LIBERAL LEADERX I DON'T WANT TO GET STUCK INTO MR SNEDDEN,
BUT THERE ARE IMPORTANT LESSONS TO BE DRAWN FROM WHAT WAS
DONE TO HIMX THERE ARE LESSONS NOT ONLY TO BE LEARNT BY
THE LIBERALS BUT BY USX
A BASIC WEAKNESS IN MR SNEDDEN' S POSITION WAS HIS
INABILITY TO ESTABLISH A SOUND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
STATE NON-LABOR PARTIES AND THE FEDERAL LIBERAL PARTYy
PARTICULARLY AFTER THE QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS IN DECEMBER, THE
STATE NON-LABOR LEADERS THOUGHT THE EASY WAY FOR THEM, THE
CHEAP ROAD TO POLITICAL POPULARITY WAS JUST TO KNOCK CANBERRA,
TO BE AS UNCO-OPERATIVE AS POSSIBLEX MR SNEDDEN FELL INTO
THEIR TRAPX HE HAS PAID THE HEAVIEST POSSIBLE POLITICAL
PRICE FOR LETTING HIS STATE COLLEAGUES MAKE THE RUNNING''
2/,
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WHEN THE SENATE VACANCY OCCURRED WITH LIONEL
MURPHY'S MOVE TO THE HIGH COURT BENCH THERE WAS ONLY
ONE PROPER COURSE OPEN TO THE NEW LIBERAL PREMIER OF
NS. W. AND TO THE NS. W. PARLIAMENT THAT WAS TO
OBSERVE THE ESTABLISHED CONVENTION AND TO APPOINT A
LABOR REPLACEMENT ANY OTHER COURSE NOT ONLY SET ASIDE
A VALUABLE CONVENTION BUT SET ASIDE THE CLEAR WISHES OF
THE PEOPLE OF N. S. W. RECORDED AT THE DOUBLE DISSOLUTION
LAST IIAYX MR LEWIS THOUGHT HE COULD PLAY IT SMART4
MR SNEDDEN KNEW WHAT THE RIGHT COURSE WAS, BUT FAILED TO
BRING MR LEWIS INTO LINEX MORE THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR, THAT
FAILURE SPARKED THE EVENTS WHICH LED TO MR SNEDDEN'S DOWNFALL
AS LEADERX HIS FAILURE TO ASSERT ANY AUTHORITY AS THE
NATIONAL LIBERAL LEADER, HIS SURRENDER TO MR LEWIS'
MAVERICK BEHAVIOUR, GAVE HIS OPPONENTS IN THE LIBERAL PARTY
THE AMMUNITION THEY NEEDED TO SHOOT HIM DOWN AND THEY DIDX
NOW THERE IS A LESSON FOR US ALL TO LEARN. AFTER
THE QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS, AND WHEN THE POLLS BEGAN TO GO
AGAINST US THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE IN THE STATE BRANCHES WHO
THOUGHT THAT THE SAFE COURSE WAS TO GO IT ALONE, TO STAND
ASIDE FROM A LABOR GOVERNMENT IN CANBERRAX 14OW THE FACT
IS THE STATE PARTIES, WHETHER THEY BE LABOR OR LIBERAL,
CANNOT LIVE TO THEMSELVESX FOR GOOD OR ILL THE PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO JUDGE THE PARTIES AS ONEK
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IT IS TRUE OF BOTH THE GREAT PARTIES BUT ESPECIALLY TRUE
OF THE LABOR PARTYX No MEMBER, NO CANDIDATE, NO LEADER
WILL GET ANY KUDOS FROM THE PUBLIC BY JOINING ANY CHORUS
AGAINST CANBERRAA IT IS EASY ENOUGH; BUT IT IS DECEPTIVELY
EASY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ARE NOT AT ALL IMPRESSED* THEY
KNOW THAT THE LABOR GOVERNMENT IS CARRYING OUT THE PROGRAM
OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY ONE PROGRAM, FOR ONE PARTYK
WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE JUDGED BY OUR SUCCESS OR FAILURE
WITH THE PROGRAMA WE WILL SUCCEED WITH THE PROGRAM TO THE
EXTENT THAT THE WHOLE PARTY AT ALL LEVELS GETS BEHIND IT
AND GOES OUT TO SELL ITX
THERE ARE TWO ASPECTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM WHICH CALL
FOR A SPECIAL EFFORT BY ALL MEMBERS TO PROMOTE IT4 ONE
IS THAT A GREAT MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE FIRST. DESIGNED TO
BENEFIT THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CAN'T SPEAK FOR
THEMSELVES OR WHO CAN'T MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD VERY WELL)
ANOTHER ASPECT IS THAT SOME VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES LIKE
EQUAL ELECTORATES AND EQUAL REPRESENTATION DON'T ALWAYS
MAKE AN IMMEDIATE OR DRAMATIC APPEAL TO THE IMAGINATION OF
THE GENERAL PUBLIC OR, IT MUST BE SAID, FOR OUR OWN* MEMBERS
AND SUPPORTERS4
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THE PROGRAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE CHALLENGED, THE
PROGRAMS MOST LIKELY TO BE REVERSED BY OUR OPPONENTS ARE
THOSE WHICH BENEFIT THE INARTICULATE UNDER-PRIVILEGEDA
THE PROGRAMS MARKED FOR THE AXE ARE THOSE WHICH BENEFIT
THOSE WITH THE LEAST POLITICAL LEVERAGE) MR FRASER HAS
ALREADY MADE IT PLAIN THAT HE WILL CAMPAIGN FOR MASSIVE
CUTS IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING No MORE THAN HIS PREDECESSOR
WILL HE BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE AREAS IN WHICH HE WOULD
MAKE THOSE CUTSX BUT THE IRRESISTIBLE LOGIC THE LOGIC
OF ECONOMICS, THE LOGIC OF POLITICS IS THAT THE CUTS
WOULD BE MADE IN THE POLITICALLY EXPENDABLE AREASK
WHO IS POLITICALLY EXPENDABLE FOR MR FRASER? ALL
THOSE UNDER-PRIVILEGED GROUPS WHO WERE ENTIRELY NEGLECTED
IN THEIR 23 YEARS, WHOSE NEEDS WE HAVE TRIED TO IDENTIFY
AND TO MEETX THERE IS ALREADY A READY-MADE LIST OF
EXPENDABLE PROGRAMS THE PROGRAMS IMPERILLED BY THE HIGH
COURT CHALLENGE, ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL VALIDITY OF THE
AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE PLAN AND THE REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT
DEVELOPMENT SCHEMEX THE CHALLENGE WAS INITIATED BY THE
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT, AND IS SUPPORTED BY THE N. S. W.
GOVERNMENTX ALL THESE PROGRAMS BENEFIT THE RELATIVELY
INARTICULATE OR UNDER-PRIVILEGEDK THE BENEFICIARIES ARE,
FOR THE MOST PART, SCARCELY IN A POSITION TO SPEAK UP FOR
THEMSELVESK THIS IS WHY THEY, AS OUR FELLOW-CITIZENS, ARE
SO VULNERABLEX THIS IS WHY PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO BENEFIT THEM
ARE, POLITICALLY, SO VULNERABLE.
q 4
IF WE DON'T SPEAK UP FOR THOSE PROGRAMS, IF WE
DON'T SPEAK UP FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE DEPRIVED BY
THEIR ABOLITION, THEN NO-ONE ELSE WILLK
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ANY CONSISTENCY IN THE
APPROACH OF. THE N. S. W. GOVERNMENT TO OUR PROGRAMS4 IT
WOULD BE WRONG FOR ME TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE
STORY HAS BEEN ONE OF TOTAL NON-COOPERATIONX THERE HAS,
IN FACT, BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF CO-OPERATION, ALTHOUGH THERE
HAS TOO OFTEN BEEN NEEDLESS DELAY EVEN IN AREAS WHERE THE
NS. W, GOVERNMENT HAS ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO COME TO THE
PARTYX IT WOULD BE CHURLISH NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE MATTER
IN WHICH THERE HAS BEEN PRAISEWORTHY CO-OPERATION FROM THE
NSW. GOVERNMENT MAKING AVAILABLE HIGHLY QUALIFIED PEOPLE
TO ASSIST IN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT INQUIRIES AND COMMISSIONSX
A NOTABLE EXAMPLE WAS THE WORK OF MR JUSTICE MEARES OF THE
SUPREME COURT ASSISTING SIR OWEN WOODHOUSE OF THE NEW
ZEALAND COURT OF APPEAL ON THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY ON
NATIONAL COMPENSATIONX
I MAY SAY THERE HAS BEEN IN CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE
MOVEMENT A DISAPPOINTING LACK OF SUPPORT FOR OUR PROPOSALS)
WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FOR A PARTY OF CHANGE AND REFORM
THERE IS, SURPRISINGLY, A GREAT DEAL OF CONSERVATISM WITHIN
OUR RANKSX
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THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE CERTAIN
FORMS OF COMPENSATION EXIST THROUGH THIRD PARTY INSURANCE
AND WORKERS COMPENSATION THEN NOTHING MORE NEED BE DONEK
" WHATE'ER EXISTS IS RIGHT" AN AMAZING ATTITUDE TO BE
FOUND IN A REFORMING PARTY) THE FACT IS THAT THE EXISTING
SCHEMES LEAVE THOUSANDS UNPROTECTED FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE
WHO ARE INJURED AT HOME, MANY OF THEM WOMENX OUR SCHEME
WILL COMPENSATE AND REHABILITATE PEOPLE WHO ARE INJURED OR
BECOME ILL ANYWHERE. AS I SAID IN THE POLICY SPEECH OF
1972: " WE WILL ESTABLISH A NATIONAL COMPENSATION SCHEME
TO REDUCE THE HARDSHIPS IMPOSED BY ONE OF THE GREAT
FACTORS FOR INEQUALITY IN SOCIETY INEQUALITY OF LUCK." I
HERE AGAIN THE BENEFICIARIES OF A LABOUR REFORM ARE NOT
WELL-ORGANISED AND ARE NOT ABLE TO DRUM UP PRESSURE, BY
CONTRAST THE OPPONENTS OR OBSTRUCTIONISTS ARE WELL-ORGANISED
SOME UNIONS, LAWYERS, INSURANCE COMPANIESX SOME-ONE HAS TO
SPEAK UP FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE THEIR
VOICES HEARD IN ANY POWERFUL OR WELL-ORGANISED WAYK THAT
IS A JOB FOR ALL OF US IN THE LABOR PARTY, NOT JUST A FEW
MINISTERS4 i
THIS IS NOT ONLY A MORAL OBLIGATION FOR MEMBERS
OF A PARTY LIKE OURSELVES; IT'S NOT JUST AN OBLIGATION
WE HAVE BECAUSE THESE PROGRAMS ARE PART OF OUR PLEDGES
PUT TWICE TO THE PEOPLE STRONG SUPPORT FOR THESE PROGRAMS
MAKES SOUND POLITICAL SENSE AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL AS
THE NATIONAL LEVEL THERE IS NO DIVIDEND FOR STATE BRANCHES
IN DOWNGRADING NATIONAL PROGRAMS OR TRYING TO DRAW A
DISTINCTION BETWEEN STATE AND NATIONAL POLICIESK THE WAY
TO WIN A N. S. W. STATE ELECTION IS TO SHOW THAT A STATE
LABOR GOVERNMENT WILL CO-OPERATE IN THE AREAS AND THE PROGRAMS
WHERE THE LEWIS GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN INACTIVE OR OBSTRUCTIVE
WHEN THE PEOPLE HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN SOLID PROGRAMS, SOLID
BENEFITS AND SLOGANS OR SHIBBOLETHS ABOUT STATE RIGHTS, THEY
WILL COME DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE GENUINE ARTICLE, BUT THEYHAVE
TO KNOW WHAT THE CHOICE REALLY ISAND THAT MEANS THAT
ALL OF US HAVE TO PUT THE CASE AS FULLY AND FORCEFULLY AS
WE CANS SILENCE, OBSTRUCTION, CONSERVATISM OR TIMIDITY ON
SUCH MATTERS AS NATIONAL COMPENSATION OR EQUAL ELECTORATES
WILL NOT GAIN VOTES IN A STATE ELECTION NOT LEAST BECAUSE
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, AND I MYSELF, WILL NOT CEASE TO
ADVOCATE THEM.( WE ARE NOT GOING TO BACK-TRACK ON'THEPLATFORM
OR ON THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN IN THE POLICY SPEECHESX
WE HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE; IT IS A COMMITMENT WE CANNOT ESCAPE?\
IT IS A COMMITMENT FOR THE WHOLE PARTY; IT IS A COMMITMENT
THAT NO-ONE IN THE PARTY CAN ESCAPE
Bilge.