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PRINE MINISTER'S QUEENSLAND BROADCAST NO Pl
WOMEN
SUNDAY 10 AUGUST 1975
A FEW WEEKS AGO MY WIFE AND ONE,, OF MY
ADVISERS, ELIZABETH REID, RETURNED FROM -qINTERNATIONAL
WOMEN'S YEAR CONFERENCE IN MEXICO CITY. IT'S NOT MY
USUAL STYLE TO PAY PUBLIC TRIBUTES TO MY STAFF, BUT
IT'S FAIR TO POINT OUT JUST HOW MUCH CREDIT ELIZABETH
REID BROUGHT TO AUSTRALIA DURING THAT CONFERENCE AND
HOW MUCH SHE HAS DONE TO HELP THE CAUSE OF WOMEN IN
AUSTRALIA AND, INDEED, IN OTHER COUNTRIES, SHE WOULD
BE THE LAST PERSON TO CLAIM CREDIT FOR THE MANY
REFORMS MY GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED FOR WOMEN, BUT
HER VERY APPOINTMENT TO MY STAFF SAYS SOMETHING,
I THINK ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO WOMEN'S
NEEDS AND INTERESTS, INTERNATIONAL WIOMEN'S YEAR HAS
BEEN A REMARKABLE EXPERIMENT IN GETTING PEOPLE EVERYWHERE
TO THINK ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF WOMEN AND PERSUADING
GOVERNMENTS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM, THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT HAS MADE SUBSTANTIAL GRANTS TO ORGANISE
CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, BOOKS AND DISCUSSIONS DURING
THE YEAR. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONFERENCES WILL BE
HELD IN BRISBANE LATER THIS MONTH ON THE THEME OF
WOMEN'S HEALTH, s / 2
2. 2
SOME OF YOU MAY FEEL THAT ALL THIS TALK
ABOUT WOMEN IS RATHER HIGH-FLOWN AND IMPRACTICAL,
AND THAT THE ONLY WOMEN WE ARE CONCERNED TO HELP
ARE THE MINORITY OF YOUNG, CAREER-MINDED WOMEN
WITH HIGHER EDUCATION, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER
FROM THE TRUTH, I DON'T THINK EVEN THE MOST
RADICAL WOMEN'S ORGANISATION WOULD WANT TO
FORCE WOMEN INTO ANY ROLE THAT THEY WOULDN'T CHOOSE
FOR THEMSELVES, IT MAY WELL BE TRUE THAT IF THEY
WERE COMPLETELY FREE TO CHOOSE, MOST WOMEN TODAY
WOULD CHOOSE THE TRADITIONAL ROLE TO BE WIVES, TO
BE MOTHERS, TO STAY AT HOME, WOMEN WHO CHOOSE
THOSE ROLES, THOSE HONOURABLE ROLES, HAVE AS MUCH
RIGHT TO HELP AND GUIDANCE AS ANYONE ELSE, THE
POINT IS TH; AT WOMEN SHOULD BE FREE TO MAKE THEIR
CHOICE; THEY SHOULD HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME
OPPORTUNITIES AS MEN TO EDUCATION, TO HIGHLY PAID
AND SATISFYING JOBS, TO POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY
AND PERSONAL FULFILMENT, IT IS THIS FREEDOM THAT
WE WANT TO ENLARGE, ./ 3
OF COURSE THE MOST OBVIOUS WAY THAT A
GOVERNMENT CAN HELP WOMEN IS IN THE MATERIAL THINGS
PAY AND CONDITIONS FOR WORKING WOMEN, YET EVEN
THESE OBVIOUS THINGS WERE NEGLECTED FOR MANY YEARS,
WITHIN DAYS OF COMING TO POWER IN DECEMBER 1972,
THE GOVERNMENT :' ADE ITS ATTITUDE TO THE QUESTION
OF EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN VERY CLEAR, WE SUPPORTED
THE A. C. T. U.' S CASE FOR EQUAL PAY AND THE ARBITRATION
COMMISSION UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED THE PRINCIPLE OF
EQUAL PAY FOR WORK OF EQUAL VALUE. EQUAL PAY FOR
WOMEN UNDER FEDERAL AWARDS HAS NOW BEEN FULLY
IMPLEMENTED, AND FROM THIS MONTH THE MINIMUM WAGE
APPLIES EQUALLY TO WOMEN AND MENi IN ADDITION, WE
HAVE VASTLY IMPROED THE STATUS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF
WOMEN IN THE FIELD OF EMPLOYMENT WHERE WE HAVE FULL
RESPONSIBILITY AS A GOVERNMENT IN THE AUSTRALIAN
PUBLIC SERVICE, ,1/ 4
4,
UIT THIS IS A VERY SMALL PART OF THE
PROBLEM, IN BRISBANE TWO YEARS AGO, IN ONE OF MY
FIRST SPEECHES ON THIS SUBJECT, I SAID THIS:
HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE INEQUALITY OF WOMEN
IN SOCIETY IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED NOT JUST IN THE
INSTITUTIONS BUT IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE SOCIETY,,,
IT'S THAT PSYCHOLOGY, THOSE OLD HABITS OF THINKING,
THAT REALLY MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN. THERE'S
THE FEELING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT GIRLS SHOULD HAVE A
DIFFERENT SORT OF EDUCATION FROM BOYS THAT THEY
SHOULDN'T AIM TOO HIGH, THAT THEY SHOULD STICK TO
CERTAIN SUBJECTS AND LEAVE SCHOOL EARLIER AS INDEED,
3T GIRLS DO, THAT JUST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH; AND THE
SCHOOLS CMISSION WHICH MY GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED
IS CURRENTLY SEEKING TO REMOVE DISTINCTIONS IN BOYS'
AND GIRLS' SCHCOLING AND PUT THE EMPHASIS ON RAISING
THE ASPIRATIONS OF GIRLS, WE ARE ALSO ENGAGED IN
A STUDY CALLED fIMOE N AND PLANNING, IT'S INVESTIGATING
ALL THE OBVICUS AND NOT-SO-OBVIOUS RESTRICTIONS ON
WOMEN S OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKFORCE, IN
SHOPPING AND RECREATION FACILITIESt IN HEALTH AND
WELFARE SERVICES AND TRANSPORT,
i 2E REALISTIC WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
THE GREATEST HELP iWE CAN GIVE TO WOMEN AND NOT JUST
WORKING WOMEN IS IN THE CARE OF BABIES AND YOUNG
CHILDREN, GOOD SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL
SERVICES AREN'T SUFFICIENT IN THEMSELVES THERE
MUST BE SPECIAL PROVISION FOR CHILDREN OF PRE-SCHOOL
AGE, THIS YEAR WE SET UP THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSION
TO ADMINISTER A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF SERVICES FOR
CHILDREN PRE-SCHOOL, DAY CARE, PART-TIME AND
EMERGENCY CARE SERVICES, AFTER SCHOOL AND HOLIDAY
PROJECTS, ~ ELL OVER 100,000 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN
CATERED FOR ALREADY UNDER THIS PROGRAM, IN
QUEENSLAND IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR WE PROVIDED
MORE THAN $ S5 MILLION TO MEET THE COST OF STAFF IN
PRE-SCHOCLS A. D PLAY CENTRES OPERATED BY LOCAL
GOVERNMENT BODIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AND TO HELP
ESTABLISH 77 NEW PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES THROUGHOUT THE
STATE, THIS -ON1EY HAS BEEN PAID THROUGH THE STATE
GOVERNMENT, i: TOP OF THAT WE HAVE MADE DIRECT GRANTS
TOWARDS THE COST OF OTHER CHILD CARE CENTRES. WE
BELIEVE THAT EVERY AUSTRALIAN CHILD SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT
TO A PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION, EVERY MOTHER WHO NEEDS OR
WANTS CHILD CARE FACILITIES SHOULD HAVE THEM. THESE
THINGS SHOULDN T BE PRIVILEGES FOR THOSE WHO CAN PAY,
61
LL I I\ L" TO TELL YOU OF ALL THE OTHER
TH! INGS ' tiE -AVE FO) R WOM" EN HIGHER SOcITAL
SERVICE PAY>! 4ENTS, THE SUPPORTING NOTHER' S BE! iN-El: IT
FOR S INGLE WOMEIN AIND DESERTED IVES, THLE NEW WMEN S
COrMMUNrITY HEAT CENTRE AND THE RAPE CR~ ISIS CENIh
INj BRf. ISBANE YrU CAM FIND OUT iMORE ABOUT THESE
BN EF ITS A ND S ER VI C ES F RO0M THE AUSTRALIANi GoVERIhIEN'T
OFFI~ CES OR YOUC" R MEMB1ER OF PA'RLIA]" IfENT. 10E ARE THE
FIRST AUTLNGOVERNMEINT TO TACKLE WOMEN'" IS PROBLE! M: S
AND LOOK DELEPLY ADSERIOUSLY AT WOMEN'S LONG-TERM
NEEDS. BUTl THERE IS A LlIMIT TO WH0 GOVERNMENTS
CAN DO, OUljR GREATEST DIFFICULTY LIES IN THE OLD
H+ A3T-S AND PRJDCSTHAT PERSIST THROULiGHrOUT THE:
CO0Mt 1U NIT Y~ ' IOMEN HAVE TO OVEPCONE THOSE FtEELINGS,
C i I~ V'A U TS E THE IIR PR IDl) E D -1G iIT Y,, AN11D
INDEENDECEAND TRY TO SEE THAT MEN, AND M'ORE~
liMPORTANT PE THlEIR FELLOW-WMEN, SHARE THOSE
FEEE_' NGS ADAPRTOS