Rss NFE P. E v, C
HARVEY, CHANNEL NINE NETWORK
12Z Nove: rs-ee:
THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER, MR WHITLAM AND A NUMBER OF HIS
MINISTERS ARE SUGGESTING THAT BACK DOOR DEALS WVERE DONE
BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND OTHERS TO
BRING ABOUT THIS SITUATION
FRASER THIS IS ABSOLUTE NONSENSE. I UNDERSTAND ITS BEEN OFFICIALLY
DENIED BY GOVERNMENT HOUSE. I CERTAINLY DENY IT. THE
SITUATION HAS COME ABOUT BECAUSE MR WHITLAM HAS BEHAVED
AS NOBODY HAS FOR TWO OR THREE HUNDRED YEARS HAS BEHAVEDTRIED
TO GOVERN WITHOUT FUNDS AND IF HE HAD TAKEN THE NORMAL
COURSE WHEN FUNDS STARTED TO RUN OUT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN
AN ELECTION LONG BEFORE THIS
MR FRASER MR. WHITLAM ALSO SAID YOUR CAR WAS AT GOVERNMENT
HOUSE YESTERDAY SOME MINUTES BEFORE HE GOT TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE
TO BE ADVISED THAT HIS COMMEISSION HAD BEEN ' WITHDRA. WN AND THAT
YOU IN FACT WERE IN ANOTHER ROOM IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT THE
SAME TIME HE WAS.
FRASER
AS YOU KNOW THERE WAS WIDE SPECULATION THAT MR WHITLAM WAS
GOING TO RECOMMEND A SENATE ELECTION AND I HAD A MESSAGE THAT
CAME FROM MY OFFICE THAT MR WHITLAM WI1AEGOING TO GOVERNMENT
HOUSE IMMIEDIATELY TO STOP SPEAKING IN PARLIAMENT. I WENT
WITH HIM TO STOP SPEAKING. HE DIDN'T LEAVE FOR GOVERNMENT
HOUSE THEN. I'D BEEN ADVISED THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO GO TO
GOVERNMEN. T HOUSE ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER MR WHITLAM WOULD HAVE
LEFT. I ASSUMED THE INSTRUCTIONS I HAD BEEN GIVEN WERE
ACCURATE. MR WHITLAM IN FACT DID NOT GO FOR CONSIDERABLE
TI. E AFTER THAT
WHEN W: ERE YOU ADVISED TO TO GO GVERNMIENT HOUSE?
FRASER I WAS IN THE HOUSE. I WAS ADVISED ' HAT MR W'IITLAM WAS GOING
IMMIIEDIATELY HE STOPPED SPEAKING. / 2
7 / 4i
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MR FRASER THE RUMOURS PERSIST THAT YOU IN FACT KNEW WHAT
WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE PRIME MINISTER WELL BEFORE HE DID
FRASER
WELL ITS JUST NOT TRUE. THE GOVERNOR GENERAL, SAID IT WAS NOT
TRUE. MR WHITLAM IS TRYING TO SAY THAT IT IS TRUE. NOW WE
CAN'T DO MORE THAN THAT.
IN THIS CONTEXT, WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE GOING TO BE
THE PRIME MINISTER
FRASER
AFTER THE GOVERNOR GENERAL HAD HAD HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE
FORMER PRIME MINISTER.
THE SUGGESTIONS THAT MEMBERS OF YOUR STAFF KNEW AT 11 A. M.
YESTERDAY IS WIHAT?
FRASER COMPLETE NONSENSE. THIS IS TYPICAL OF THE TACTICS THAT THIS
PAST GOVERNMENT HAS TRIED TO PURSUE FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD
OF TIME. THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH THE FACTS, THEY ARE
CONCERNED ONLY TO GET-THE PARTICULAR STORY OR THE PARTICULAR
SLANT ACROSS AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE WORDS THAT MR WHITLAM
USED YESTERDAY IN SOME OF THE THINGS HE SAID TODAY DEMOSTRATE
QUITE CLEARLY THE DEPTHS TO WHICH HE HAS TAKEN POLITICAL DEBATE
IN AUSTRALIA. WE'RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER IN KIND. IF HE WANTS
TO PLAY THAT SORT OF GAME LET HIM DO IT. THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE
WILL BE BETTER JUDGES THAN TO BE PERSUADED BY THAT SORT OF
ACTIVITY. MR FRASER WAS IT A FACT THAT YOUR DRIVER HID YOUR CAR AROUND
A TREE'OR AROUND A CORNER AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE?
FRASER I WOUND'NT HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HE DID WITH IT AFTER I GOT OUT
OF IT. / 3
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WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE GOVERNOR GENERAL WAS SEEING THE
PRIME MINISTER?
FRASER IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE
DID YOU SEE THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AT ALL BEFORE THE PRIME
MINISTER SAW HIM
FRASER
NO I DID NOT
SO YOU WERE RECEIVED AT GOVERNNENT HOUSE AND YOU JUST WAITED
UNTIL AFTER THE PRIME MININSTER HAD LEFT.
FRASER I WAS PUT INTO A SIDE ROOM
WEREN'T YOU EMBARASBED BY THIS MR FRASER?
FRASER THERE ARE MANY ROOMS IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE
DID YOU FEAL UNEASY CALLING AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE KNOWING THAT
THE PRIME MINISTER WASN'T AWARE OF WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN?
FRASER I DIDN'T KNOW vWHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN EITHER
MR FRASER IN A RADIO INTERVIEW WITH US ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON
LAST YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULDN'T BACK DOWN AND YOU THOUGT(' i
MR WHITLAM WOULDN'T BACK DOWN BUT YOU SAID THERE IS ANOTHER
ALTERNATIVE BUT YOU W'OULDN'T EXPLAIN. WOULD YOU SAY THAT ' IAT
HAS HAPPENED IS TIE ALTERNATIVE TH., Tr YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT?
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FRASER WHAT I POINTED OUT GOING BACK OVER THREE OR FOUR WEEKS THAT
THE PARLIAMENT OF AUSTRALIA IS COMPOSED OF THE QUEEN AND HER
REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND
THE PRIME MINISTER ALL ALONG WAS TRYING TO SAY IT IS COMPOSED
ONLY OF MR WHITLAM AND I WAS POINTING OUT THAT WASN'T TRUE
THAT W'AS A FACT OF LIFE THAT MR WHITLAM HAD IGNORED THROUGHOUT.
SO THE ALTERNATIVE YOU WERE REFERRING TO ON THURSDAY IS THE
COURSE OF EVENTS
FRASER I'M NOT ADDING TO. OR DETRACTING FROM THE ANSWER I HAVE ALREADY
GIVEN MR . FRASER CAN I ASK YOU SIR WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PERSONAL
STAFF OF FORMER MINISTERS, THEIR ENTITLEMENTS TO COMM! ONWEALTH
CARS AND ANY ENTITLEMENTS MINISTERS HAD TO VIP AIRCRAFT
FRASER WELL MR WHITLAM WILL HAVE THE ENTITLEMENTS TO A VIP AIRCRAFT
THAT THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION HAS. FORM'ER STAFFS WHO ARE
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE WILL BE IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.
OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF WOULD BE GIVEN UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER
BY WHICH TIME AN ELECTION WOULD BE CLEAR AND THEREFORE THEIR
FUTURES WOULD BE CLEAR
MR FRASER I WONDER IF I COULD ASK YOU DID YOU HAVE AT ANY STAGE
BEFORE YESTERDAY ANY CONSULTATION ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
WITH THE CHIEF JUSTICE SIR GARFIELD BARWICK.
FRASER NO I DID NOT
'. 7 PRIME MINISTER YOU MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO THAT THE CABINET
CONSIDERED THE RUN DOWN OF THE ECONOMY. WHAT IS THE STATE
OF THE ECONOMY AS REPORTED IN CABINET TODAY?
MR FRASER
A GOOD DEAL . MORE SERIOUS THAN WE HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE.
I WILL BE MAKING A CONSIDERED STATEMENT ABOUT THIS IN A
DAY OR TWO BECAUSE THE BRIEFINGS LED TO FURTHER QUESTIONS
BEING ASKED BUT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF INVESTMENT AND
CREATION OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF
BEING ABLE TO CONTAIN INFLATION, MUCH MUCH MORE SERIOUS
THAN WE HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE
DO YOU SEE IT TAKING MORE THAN THREE YEARS FOR THE ECONOMY
TO RECOVER UPON YOUR PREVIOUS ASSESSMENT
FRASER UNDER NX~ OUR GOVERNMENT NO BECAUSE WE ENH1C HAD ALWAYS BELIEVED
THAT IT WAS MORE SERIOUS THAN THE FORMER GOVERNMENT HAD
INDICATED. WERE YOU SUGGESTING THAT THIS SPECI-FIC INFORMATION THAT THE
LABOR GOVERNMENT HAS CONCEALED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY?
FRASER
YES I'LL BE MAKING A CONSIDERED STATEM. ENT ABOUT THIS IN A
DAY OR TWO.
COULD YOU INDICATE THE AREAS
FRASER
NO I'M GOING TO MAKE A CONSIDERED STATEMENT ABOUT THIS IN A
DAY OR TWOS TIME
IN BRINGING THE ECONOMY TO HEEL MR FRASER ILL IT BE NECESSARY
FOR YOU TO CUT BACK ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES OR LAY OFF ANY
PRESI. ENTLY EMPLOYED GOVERNMENT STAFF?
.1 I.
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MR FRASER
THE FULL DETAILS OF OUR ECONOMIC POLICY WILL BE UNFOLDED
IN A POLICY SPEECH AND SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENTS THAT COME
OUT AFTER THAT. I MADE IT PLAIN AT AN EARLIER PRESS
CONFERENCE THAT I WOULDN'T BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON
FUTURE POLICY UNTIL THAT TIME. IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT
IF WE WERE FURTHER THAN A WEEK AWAY OR ABOUT A WEEK AAWAY
FROM A POLICY SPEECH BUT SINCE ITS AS CLOSE AS THAT WE'LL
WAIT UNTIL THEN
MR FRASER COULD I ASK YOU IN YOUR PRESENT ROLE AS THE CARETAKER
OF THE GOVERNMENT IS THERE ANYTHING YOU PROPOSE TO DO ABOUT
TACKLING THE STATE OF ECONOMY GIVEN THAT YOU . SAY THAT IT IS
FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN...
MR FRASER
ONE OF THE CONDITIONS OF MY COLMISSION FROM THE GOVERNOR
GENERA-kL IS THAT THE POLICIES OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT
CONTINUE UNTIL AN ELECTION DETERMINE THE RESULT. NOW THAT
CONDITION WILL BE FOLLOWED THROUGH SCRUPULOUSLY.
IN OTHER WORDS THERE IS NOTHING YOU COULD DO FOR THE
ECONOMY IN THE TIME YOU ARE A CARETAKER
FRASER UNTIL THE 13th OF DECEMBER
WHY DECEMBER 13 MR FRASER
FRASE R
THATS THE DAY OF THE ELECTION
WHY DID YO. U CHOSE DECEMBER 13
FRASER
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F RAS ER
ITS HIGHLY DESIRABLE FOR THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA TO BE GIVEN
AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUDGE, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT MR IWHITLA14 WAS
SEEKING TO DENY THEM ON THIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO
THAT IT CAN BE CLEANED UP THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA HAVING
EXPRESSED THE PROPER AND DEMOCRATIC JUDGEMENT THAT OUGHT
TO BE OPEN TO THEM BY PUTTING A PIECE OF PAPER IN THE
BALLOT BOX AND THE 13th IS THE EARLIEST DATE THAT THAT
COULD BE ORGANISED. BY THE 20TH IT STARTS TO GET INTO
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES FOR THE RETURNING OFFICERS.
COULD I ASK YOU ONE MORE QUESTION
THE CABINET TEAM WHICH YOU HAVE CHOSEN TODAY, IS THAT LIKELY
TO BE THE SAME TEAM SHOULD YOU BE SUCCESSFUL ON DECEMBER 13
FRASER WELL THE GOVERNOR GENERAL HAS CALLED US A CARETAKER CABINET
AND THATS THE TERMS OF THE COMMISSION. THATS PRECISELY WHAT
IT IS AND NO ASSUMPTIONS SHOULD BE DRAWN UPON IT EXCEPT THE
ANSWER TO QUESTIONS I GAVE EARLIER ABOUT THE TREASURER AND
MR ANTHONY.