PRIME MINISTER'S INTERVIEW WITH PETER HARVEY, CHANNEL 9 NEWS
31 OCTOBER 1975
HARVEY: Prime Minister with the public opinion polls moving
towards you, as they are, you must be very tempted to go for
an election?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh yes there is a temptation, just a's there was
early in the year when Mr Snedden fell and was succeeded by
Mr Fraser, there was a great temptation to take advantage of
disarray in the Liberal Party.
HARVEY: Do you think you wouldwin now, sir?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes. I've thought all along that in any election
campaign we'd win. Because I'm sure that when the public is
faced with a choice between us and the Liberal alternative, they
will rally to us. But quite apart from that I think there are
two reasons why one doesn't have-a premature election for the
House of Representatives: one is that as recently as May last
year we sought, as the Liberals did, a three year term as a
Government. And the public gave us that three year term. And
accordingly we should fulfil the job which we sought. And the
other reason is, that last April and May when we had the last
Federal election, we were without a Parliament for three months.
The two Houses were disolved on the 10th of April, And holding
the election as quickly as possible and counting the votes as
quickly as possible, we still couldn't assemble the new Parliament
until the 9th of July. Now I don't think that in the present
economic circumstances you can have the Parliament and the
. Government and the administration suspended for three months.
HARVEY: Its. been said Prime Minister that Mr Fraser has got
himself into a corner. Now would you be prepared in anywayto a
help Mr Fraser out of that corner, does it have to come to/ crunch?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh it's not he's got himself into this corner.
He's done the wrong thing, as Mr Snedden did the wrong thing.
HARVEY: ', Couldn't the two of you perhaps...
-2-
PRIME MINISTER: Oh no. I've got a duty to see that the system
is preserved under which, if the people elect a government it
is given the opportunity to govern. I can't accept the proposition
that whenever the Senate sees fit to force or wish an election
for the House of Representatives then the House of Represenatives
has to oblige the Senate. Because this situation can arise every
six months, e very October the Parliament has to pass-the Budget
for the period from the previous 1st of July to the following
of June. And every April the Parliament has to pass the
Supply Bills to cover the period from the 1st of July following
to the 30th of November following. Twice a year this happens.
Now since we became the Government the Liberals -,, more priual
the Country Party have always threatened to block the Budget,
to block Supply. Now if we accept that then no government which
is elected will ever be able to govern with confidence or courage.
Every government goes through unpopular patches. And any
government which may have-to face the people in six months time
will do the popular thing, and very often the irresponsible thing.
All governments have to make some unpopular decisions, some tough
decisions. And accordingly they must have the three year period
in which to plan a whole program.
HARVEY: Well given then, what you've said and the fact that
Mr Fraser says that he has no intention of backing-down, how on
earth is this going to be resolved?
PRIME MINISTER: Well if it comes to the crunch, it is ' probable
that the Government can govern without the Budget. We are.
confident that all our employees, civilian and military, will
be able to get their incomes. Furthermore, we are pretty
confident that all our creditors and our suppliers and contractors,
will be able to get their debts met. Now we are satisfied of that.
It's a messy business, it's inconvenient to a lot of people but
nevertheless, the Australian Government's obligations will be met.
This doesn't say that there won't be a great deal of uncertainity
and disruption in the business community; it's already feeling
this. The Budget which is to be the principle instrument of economic
recovery is being delayed. The other things . we've done;
for instance, submissions to the Arbitration Commission are
obviously working very well. We are now in a very much position
than Augtranti ( ivorninonts , wore iriti. 1 quilto rocantllltO monitor
the money supply. In those respects thc Government is doing very
well. But it needs the Budget.
HARVEY: But you suggested a minute ago that you don't really need
the Budget, you can go ahead and govern?
PRIME MINISTER: It is not the regular, the easy way to do it.
There are legal ways to see that those people who depend on the
Australian Government for their incomes, or their debts to be met,
will in fact have all those obligations met. We are confident
that this can happen. But its still this air of uncertainty,
particularly among-the commercial community and the private
sector which the Liberal and Country Party Senators are bringing
about. HARVEY: Could it come to the crunch that you do have to govern
without the Budget?
PRIME MINISTER: It might, it might. We are prepared to do that.
And it is all completely legal. The methods upon which
we have sought and got advice.
HARVEY: Prime Minister, thank you.