' s I SPEECH NOTES FOR THE PRIMNE MINISTER.
THE HON,. E. G. WHITLAM, M. P.
FOR THE GOULBURN COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
12 SEPTEMBER 1975
1. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BE INVITED TO ADDRESS THIS
STUDENT BODY AND SEE YOUR NEW COLLEGE. THE COLLEGE WAS
ESTABLISHED IN 1970 AS THE GOULBURN TEACHERS' COLLEGE.
A MONTH AGO ON 8 AUGUST--IT BECAME THE GOULBURN
COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION. IT IS ALREADY PLAYING AN
ACTIVE, LIVELY ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY. IT HAS* ALREADY
MADE ITS MARK AS A VIGOROUS AND EFFICIENT INSTITUTION.
2. NOTHING SO ENRICHES AND INVIGORATES THE
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE OF A CITY, A TOWN, OR A REGION
AS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TERTIARY EDUCATION FACILITIES.
N~ E OF THE STRONGEST FORCES FOR DECENTRALISATION, FOR
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HAS BEEN
THE SPREAD OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO REGIONAL
CENTRES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU LIVE
CLOSE TO A CITY AS LARGE AS CANBERRA. THIS COLLEGE
REINFORCES THE DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER AND IDENTITY OF
GOULBURN. 3. THE ARGUMENT iS OFTEN HEARD THAT AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT FUNDING OF TERTIARY EDUCATION OR OUR FUNDING
OF ANYTHING, FOR THAT MATTER MEANS SOME KIND OF CENTRALIST
OR BUREAUCRATIC CONTROL. TH~ ERE COULD BE NO BETTER
REPUTATION OF THIS THEORY THAN THE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT
OF THIS COLLEGE.
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I HAVE DRIVEN HERE THIS MORNING FROM CANBERRA IN LESS
THAN AN HOUR. WE ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE, BUT NO ONE
SERIOUSLY BELIEVES THAT YOUR PROXIMITY TO CANBERRA, OR
YOUR RELIANCE ON AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FUNDS, LIMITS YOUR
AUTONOMY OR YOUR POWER TO MAKE LOCAL DECISIONS AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL. YET THE IDEA PERSISTS THAT BECAUSE
THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS AND ASSERTS A PROPER
RESPONSIBILITY IN SUCH FIELDS AS EDUCATION, IT IS
. IMPOSING SOME CENTRALIST, BUREAUCRATIC CONTROL.
4, ΓΈ L3ET ME DEVELOP THIS POINT FOR A MOMENT. TTHE
BEST RESPONSE TO THIS TALK ABOUT THE PERNICIOUS INFLUENCE
OF THE CANBERRA CENTRALISTS IS TO LOOK AT THE MAP OF
NEW SOUTH WALES, WE FIND THAT MOST OF THE IMPORTANT
RURAL POPULATION CENTRES, THE BIG COUNTRY TOWNS, ARE
CLOSER TO CANBERRA THAN THEY ARE TO SYDNEY. FOR THE
PEOPLE HERE IN GOULBURN, CANBERRA IS PROBABLY A MORE
NATURAL CAPITALS, A CLOSER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE URBAN
AND ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE, THAN SYDNEY. APART FROM
WOLLONGONG AND THE NORTHERN CITIES THIS IS TRUE FOR MOST
OF THE POPULATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES. WITHIN 150 MILES OF
CANBERRA WE FIND DOZENS OF CITIES AND TOWNS, LIKE
GOULBURN, CLOSER TO CANBERRA THAN THEY ARE TO SYDNEY. I
LIST THE PRINCIPAL ONES: " COWRA, PARKES, FORBES, WEST WYALONG,
CROOKWELL, YOUNG, GRENFELL, TEMORA, NARRANDERA, JUNEE,
WAGGA, GUNDAGAI, ALBURY, COOMA, QUEANBEYAN, TUMUT, MORUYA,
BEGA. IT IS DIFFICULT TO ARGUE THAT GOULBURN, OR ANY OTHER
PROVINCIAL CENTRE, SHOULD FEEL A CLOSER KINSHIP TO THE
STATE GOVERNMENT THAN IT DOES TO THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.
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W4HAT WE ARE SEEKING -IN CITIES AND TOWNS LIKE
YOURS -IS NOT . STATE CENTRALISM OR CANBERRA CENTRALISM BUT
TRUE REGIONALISM. THE PROGRAM UNDERTAKEN BY THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT HAS MEANT A GREATER DEGREE OF INVOLVEMENT BY
THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN MATTERS LIKE SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS1
WELFARE AND CITIES THAN HAD HITHERTO BEEN ACCEPTED IN
AUSTRALIA. THE UNDERLYING PH) ILOSOPHY IS THIS: IN MODERN
COMMUNITIES, EVEN THE WEALTHIEST FAMILY CANNOT PROVIDE ITS
MEMBERS' WITH THE BEST EDUCATION, WITH THE BEST MEDICAL
TREATM , NT, THE BEST ENVIRONMENT, UNAIDED BY THE COMMUNITY,
INCREASINGLY, THE BASIC SERVI. CES AND OPPORTUNITIES WHICH
DETERMINE THE REAL STANDARD OF LIFE OF A FAMILY OR AN
INDIVIDUAL CAN ONLY BE PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY AND ONLY
TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE COMMUNITY IS WILLING TO PROVIDE
THEM. EITHER THE COMMUNITY PROVIDES THEM OR THE Y WILL NOT
BE PROVIDED AT ALL. IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT, THIS MEANS
THAT-THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, MUST
FINANCE THEM OR THEY WILL NOT BE FINANCED AT ALL. THE
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED THAT THESE SERVICES
AND OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE PROVIDED AND THAT THEY WILL
BE FINANCED.
6. OUR NATIONAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE INTENDED TO
REPLACE THE EXISTING STATE CENTRALISM WITH GENUINE REGIONAL
INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION. THE PROGRAMS PROVIDE FOR,
OR RATHER, POSITIVELY REQUIRE A LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT AND
INITIATIVE BY GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE SEEKING THIS PARTICIPATION PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELDS
OF SOCIAL WELFARE, CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND
THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE CITIES AND TOWNS IN WHICH WE LIVE.
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7, LET ME ILLUSTRATE SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS WITH
PARTICULAR REFERENCE To GOULBURN. THE AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE
PLAN IS A PIONEERING EXPERIMENT IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE IS TO'SEEK OUT AND MEET AREAS OF
SOCIAL NEED HITHERTO EITHER IGNORED OR UN'IDENTIFIED BY
THE EXISTING WELFARE AGENCIES NATIONAL, STATE, LOCAL OR
VOLUNTARY. ITS ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC IS THAT ITS WORK
IS BASED ON REGIONS, ON REGIONAL COMMUNITIES AND THAT ITS
WORK AND PLANNING IS TO BE DONE BY GENUINELY INDEPENDENT,
GENUINELY , COMMUNITY BASED GROUPS OF CONCERNED CITIZENS WHOKNOW
THE 3EPCIAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY OF WHICH THEY ARE
A PART. REGIONAL COUNCILS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SET UP IN
THIRTY-SIX REGIONS THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA, INCLUDING THE
SOUTH EAST REGION OF NEW SOUTH WALES. THE COUNCILS
ACT AS A COMMUNITY FORUM FOR DISCUSSION AND A COMMUNITY
INSTRUMENT FOR ACTION IN IMPROVING EXISTING WELFARE SERVICES
AND PERHAPS MORE. IMPORTANT IN THE LONG RUN, EXPERIMENTING
IN NEW FORMS OF WELFARE.
8. THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO ESTABLISH
A CHILDREN'S COMMISSION. AGAIN, WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE
PRINCIPLE OF INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY IN THE PLANNING AND
MANAGEMENT OF PROGRAMS SPONSORED BY THE COMMISSION. THE
CHILDREN'S COMMISSION WILL PROVIDE HELP FOR A WIDE RANGE
OF IMAGINATIVE AND FLEXIBLE PROGRAMS DEVOTED TO LOOKING
AFTER CHILDREN BEFORE THEY REACH SCHOOL AND CARING FOR
OLDER CHILDREN OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS. A NUMBER OF PILOT'
PROGRAMS ARE ALREADY BEING SET UP AND WILL BE FUNDED BY
THE COMMISSION. AMONG THEM IS A COMMUNITY CARE PROJECT
SPONSORED BY THE CHURCHES IN GOULBURNI as a
THE IDEA IS TO MAINTAIN FAMILY GROUPS IN THEIR OWN HOMES
WITH DAY CARE, CRISIS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. THE PROGRAM
WILL COST AN ESTIMATED $ 60,000 A YEAR AND WILL-COMMENCE
NEXT FEBRUARY WITH A THREE-YEAR FUNDING PROGRAM. THROUGH
THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSION THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS
PROVIDING RECURRENT ASSISTANCE TO THE LADY MCKELL CHILD CARE
CENTRE AT GOULBURN. THE CENTRE HAS RECEIVED OVER $ 27,000
TO DATE. ', THE AREA IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO
IMPROVE THlE QUALITY OF LIFE IN NOMINATED REGIONS THROUGH
PROJECTS DETERMINED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION. A
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY
!' PARTICIPATION IN MAKING DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THEIR REGION
AND THEIR WAY OF LIFE.
THE AIP HAS BEEN OR EXERCISE IN CO-OPERATIVE
FEDERALISM WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BEING INVOLVED
CLOSELY IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM. THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING $ 14.1 MILLION IN 1974-75 FOR AREA
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS. THE SOUTH EAST REGIONAL OF NEW SOUTH
WALES RECEIVED GRANTS TOTALLING $ 750,000 IN 1974--75 AND
WILL RECEIVE A SIMILAR AMOUNT IN 1975-76. THE GOULBURN
CITY COUNCIL RECEIVED $ 8,000 IN 1974-75.
THROUGH THE GRANTS COMMISSION, THE GOULBURN CITY
COUNCIL RECEIVED $ 150,000 LAST FINANCIAL YEAR AND WILL
RECEIVED $ 200,000 THIS FINANCIAL YEAR AN INCREASE OF
33 PER CENT. THESE GRANTS COME WITHOUT STRINGS. THE COUNCIL
IS FREE TO SPEND THEM AS IT WISHES. THEY DO NOT REDUCE
ANY NORMAL INCOME THE COUNCIL MAY RECEIVE FROM TRADITIONAL SOURCES.
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11, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM PROVIDES HEALTH
SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE LIVE OR WORK
AS DISTINCT FROM THOSE AVAILABLE IN HOSPITALS AND
SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS. COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES HELP
PEOPLE MEET THEIR HEALTH AND WELFARE NEEDS AT
CONVENIENT LOCATIONS AND TO RETURN HOME AFTER ATTENDENCES.
THIS LESSENS DEPENDENCE ON INSTITUTIONS AND FREQUENTLY
PRESENTS AN ALTERNATIVE TO GOING TO HOSPITAL.
THE GOULBURN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE IN
MONTAGUE" STREET WAS OPENED IN APRIL LAST YEAR, IT IS
READY TO HELP EVERYONE WITHOUT. RESTRICTION OR COST.
IT COOPERATES WITH, BUT DOESN'T DUPLICATE, OTHER
HEALTH AND WELFARE AGENCIES. IT SEEKS TO INVOLVE
THE PEOPLE-IN MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH AND HYGIENE,
THE CENTRE COST $ 57,000 LAST YEAR. WE HAVE $ 65 MILLION
IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH AND
MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS.
12. THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMS HELPING GOULBURN
AND THIS DISTRICT. UNDER THE NATIONAL SEWERAGE PROGRAM
WE PROVIDED $ 100,000 LAST FINANCIAL YEAR FOR THE
GOULBURN TREATMENT WORKS. THE RED SCHEME, WHICH WE ARE
NOW SCALING DOWN, HAS . HELPED 16 LOCAL PROJECTS. WE
HOPE TO EXTEND THE AUSTRALIAN LEGAL AID OFFICE TO
GOULBURN BY USING THE SERVICES OF A LAWYER FROM CANBERRA,
,/ 7
13. 1 PASS NOW TO SOME COMMENTS ON EDUCATION
BECAUSE IT IS YOUR CHIEF CONCERN AS STUDENTS AND IN MANY
WAYS IT HAS BEEN OUR CHIEF'CONCERN AS A GOVERNMENT.
SINCE MAY 1973 WE HAVE HAD FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE FUNDING OF ALL COLLEGES OF ADVANCED EDUCATION AND
TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE IMPRESSION
THAT THE GOVERNMENT' S REFORMS , IN EDUCATION HAVE BEEN
CONFINED. TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ALONE:
THAT IS NJOT SO. IT IS TRUE THAT OUR FIR ST PRIORITY WAS
IN THESE,-AREAS BECAUSE THESE WERE THE AREAS OF GREATEST
NEED. OUR PLANS, HOWEVER, ARE . DIRECTED ACROSS THE
WHOLE SPECTRUM OF EDUCATION. WE REGARD ALL LEVELS
AND SEGMENTS OF EDUCATION AS PARTS OF A CONTINUING
AND ALL-EMBRACING PROCESS. MOREOVER, THERE HAS BEEN NO
SLACKENING IN OUR EFFORTS. WE HAVE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
OUR BUDGET IS REDUCING THE GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE.
BUT OUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION IS UNIMPAIRED AND UNDIMINISHED.
WE ARE KEEPING FAITH WITH THE TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS.-
THE CHILDREN, THE EDUCATORS WHO LOOKED TO THIS GOVERNMENT
FOR GREAT AND PERMANENT REFORMS I-N AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION.
OUR TOTAL OUTLAYS FOR EDUCATION IN THIS BUDGET ARE
$ 1908 MILLION AN INCREASE OF $ 237 MILLION OVER LAST YEAR.
i14, I QUOTE FROM THE TREASURER'S BUDGET SPEECH:
IN THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF OFFICE OF THIS GOVERNMENT,*
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION ALMOST
DOUBLED. LAST YEAR, IT ALMOST DOUBLED AGAIN,
WE HAVE THEREFORE ALMOST QUADRUPLED EXPENDITURE
ON EDUCATION IN THESE TWO YEARS, AND WE ARE MAINTAINING
IN 1975-76 THE HIGH LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE NOW REACHED.
THIS ADVA~ NCE SINCE 1972-73 REFLECTS OUR DETERMINATION
TO MAKE OOD THE RELATIVE NEGLECT OF EARLIER YEARS.
OUR INITIATIVES INCLUDE PRONOUNCED INCREASES
IN EXPENDITURE ON SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS COLLEGES;
EXPANSION OF TECHNICAL AND FURTHER EDUCATION; ACCEPTANCE.
QF FULL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION
THROUGHOUT . AUSTRALIA; ABOLITION OF FEES FOR TERTIARY
AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW
STUDENT ASSISTANCE MEASURES; AND ! NCREASED ACADEMIC SALARIES
ADOPTED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE ACADEMIC SALARIES
TRIBUNAL, WITH EFFECT FROM OCTOBER 1974."
IN OUR APPROACH TO EDUCATION WE ARE TREATING
COLLEGES OF ADVANCED EDUCATION AND INSTITUTES OF'
TECHNOLOGY IN A MORE ENLIGHTENED WAY RECOGNISING THEIR
UNIQUE AND INDISPENSABLE PLACE IN THE EDUCATIONAL
CONTINUUM AND DISPELLING FOREVER THE IGNORANT IMPRESSION
THAT THEY WERE POOR RELATIONS OF UNIVERSITIES.-a I / 9
16. WE BELIEVE THAT THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY OF A
DYNAMIC AND. DEMOCRATIC EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS DIVERSITYBUT
A DIVERSITY OF EQUAL AND RELATED PARTS, EVERYONE
SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE TO THE FULL IN THE
TYPE OF EDUCATION THAT'SUITS HIM BEST. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
IN EDUCATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE
THE SAME EDUCATION OR THAT EVERYONE SHOULD WANT THE
SAME EDUCATION.' ONE OF OUR MISTAKES IN THE PAST WAS
TO PLACE TOO HIGH A SOCIAL PREMIUM ON CERTAIN KINDS
OF EDUcA-lriON AT THE EXPENSE OF THE COMMUNITY' S NEEDS.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MEANS THAT THE SAME STANDARDS OF
EXCELLENCE, OF PROFESSIONAL DEDICATION, OF MATERIAL
ENDOWMENT, OF TEACHING SKILLS SHOULD APPLY IN WHATEVER
INSTITUTION AN INDIVIDUAL CHOOSES. OF COURSE PEOPLE
6HOULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE THE KIND OF EDUCA TION THEY
WANT, BUT THIS CHOICE MUST BE ONE BETWEEN SYSTEMS AND
COURSES; BUT BETWEEN STANDARDS, NOT BETWEEN A GOOD
EDUCATION AND A BAD ONE, AN EXPENSIVE EDUCATION OR A
POOR ONE, A SOCIALLY ESTEEMED EDUCATION OR ONE THAT IS
SOCIALLY DOWNGRADED. THE PURPOSE OF my GOVERNMENT'S
REFORMS HAS BEEN TO ENTRENCH THIS GENIUNE PRINCIPLE OF
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, NOT IN A NARROW FINANCIAL SENSE,
BUT AS A BROAD PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLE BINDING ON US
AND ON ALL FUTURE GOVERNMENTS. / 8.10.
17. OUR OPPONENTS GIVE A SPECIAL, NARROW
DEFINITION TO " EQUAL OPPORTUNITY" EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
-IN EDUCATION FOR THEM MEANS THAT EVERYONE HAS AN EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR UNIVERSITIES
IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT. OUR OPPONENTS HAVE SAID THAT THE
BUDGET PENALISES THOSE WHO WANT TO PROVIDE A DIFFERENT
KIND OF EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN. WHAT IN FACT THE
BUDGET DOES IS REMOVE A TOTALLY UNJUSTIFIED SUBSIDY FROM
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY FOR A MINORITY WHO ARE WEALTHY ENOUGH)
TO ATTRACT THE SUBSIDY. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US MEANS
JUST THAT: EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO THE BEST SECONDARY
EDUCATION AND THE BEST TERTIARY EDUCATION, WHATEVER HIS
FINANCIAL MEANS. My GOVERNMENT HAS ABOLISHED FEES FOR
TERTIARY EDUCATION OF ALL KINDS AND HAS PROVIDED MUCH*
MORE GENEROUS'STUDENT ALLOWANCES, UNDER A LABOR GOVERNMENT
THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY RESTRICTION ON ANYONE SEEKING
TERTIARY. EDUCATION WHOSE ABILITIES EQUIP HIM FOR SUCH A COURSE.
18. IT IS NOT ONLY IN EDUCATION THAT THE WHOLE
PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
BEHIND ALL my GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMS IS UNDER THREAT.
MEDIBANK IS THREATENED. A FAIR AND EQUITABLE TAX SYSTEM
GIVING REBATES OF EQUAL VALUE TO EVERY TAXPAYER, IS THREATENED.
THE COMMUNITY AID PROGRAMS I HAVE ALREADY DESCRIBED TO YOU
ARE THREATENED. THE AUSTRALIAN LEGAL AID OFFICE IS THREATENED.
MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL REGIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR
GRANTS TO SPORT, RECREATION, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE
NATIONAL ESTATE, FOR CHILD CARE, FOR A HOST OF PROJECTS ARE
UNDER CHALLENGE IN THE COURTS BY THE ANTI-LABOR STATES.. ./ 11
11.,
THE STATES CHALLENGED THE REDS SCHEME IN THE COURTS.
WE HAD THE ' FARCIAL SITUATION THE OTHER DAY OF PREMIERS
COMPLAINING AT THE SCALING DOWN OF THE REDS PROGRAM
WHICH THEY THEMSELVES HAVE SOUGHT TO DEMOLISH BY A
COURT CHALLENGE, THEY WANT US TO CONTINUE A SCHEME
WHICH THEY HAVE TRIED TO DESTROY.
19.* AS A GOVERNMENT WE OWE A DEBT TO THE STUDENTS
OF THIS COUNTRY. STUDENTS AND THE LABOR PARTY HAVE LONG
BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, IT WAS
STUDENT CONCERN, STUDENT ACTIVfSM, STUDENT PROTEST, THAT
HELPED DRAMATISE MANY GREAT POLITICAL ISSUES AND BRING
THEM TO PUBLIC ATTENTION. MY. GOVERNMENT'S VICTORIES
IN 1972 AND 19714 WERE DUE IN LARGE PART TO THE SUPPORT
OF STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE. WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT SUPPORT. No GOVERNMENT HAS DONE MORE FOR THE YOUTH
OF THIS COUNTRY IN GIVING THE VOTE TO 18-YEAR-OLDS,
IN ABOLISHING CONSCRIPTION, IN SUPPORTING THE ARTS, IN
REMOVING ALL FEES FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION, IN UPGRADING
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES OF EVERY KIND. THESE WERE THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF A VIGOROUS GOVERNMENT. A GOVERNMENT OF ACTION
AND IDEALISM. WE NEED THE SAME VIGOUR AND IDEALISM AMONG
STUDENTS OF TODAY8 THE GREAT ISSUES OF CONSCIENCE ARE BY
NO MEANS ALL BEH . IND US. ONE VERY GREAT ISSUE REMAINS:
IT IS NOTHING LESS THAT THE SURVIVAL OF OUR DEMOCRATIC
INSTITUTIONS, THE THREAT TO-THESE INSTITUTIONS FROM CONSTANT
ATTACKS ON CONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE AND DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS,
THE CONSCIENCE OF AN ALERT STUDENT COMMUNITY MUST RE69L
THESE THREATS TO DEMOCRACY. / 12
12.
I HOPE STUDENTS EVERYWHERE WILL REMEMBER THEIR GREAT
TRADITIONS OF DISSENT AND JOIN US IN RESISTING THREATS
TO DEMOCRACY FROM WHATEVER SOURCE, IN WHATEVER GUISE,
THEY MIGHT COME.