BROADCAST: 3HA -21 March 1976
3YB 2.5 March 1976
AUS LL IA(
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 21 March 1976
ELECTORAL TALK
Just on 100 days ago the Australian people elected the
Liberal-National Country Party coalition to lead the nation
for the next three years.
They rmade-no bones about what they wanted.
First, they asked us to rescue the nation from a level of
inflation and unemployment that was attacking the social
fabric of every section of society. A~ climate of uncertainty,
doubt, and fear put strong pressure on family relationships.
It hit business, large and small. -Farmers crie-d out in vain for
help a independent IAC reports on the ru: ral indus-try were
cons isten~ tly ignored.
Australians also asked us to restore decency and integrity
back into Government. They wanted politician--that were
accountable first-to the Parliament,
As Leader of the new Government, I told Austra'ians that
our first commitment was to beat and then shackle inflation.
I said it would be a full three year job.
We could not simply wave a magic wand. Unlike Labour we could
not just close our eyes and hope the problem would vanish.
We could not constantly look for scapegoats, yet still do nothing.
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2.
We had to start being responsible and accountable to the
Australian electorate for our actions. We had to look at our
own expenditure, and balance it against receipts. In other
words, we had to start making decisions that would hurt for
a while; we had to start saying
Today Australians are acutely aware of Labour's legacy -the
highe'st unemployment since the Depression, a $ 7,000 million
deficit over two years, business confidence shot to ribbons
and the real worth of pensions ana welfare prograrimes
destroyed by inflation.
Australians know of our task to help rebuild the private
business sector and the rural community. They know we have
to slow down the massive growth in the Federal Governnent sector.
Australians now know that everything has a price, including
Government programmes. Everyone pays. Under Labour the
programmes got out of hand, they v'ere often badly administered
and a5 a result they ran inpfficiently and at great cost.
During my Government's first 100 days in office, we have
returned to responsibility in economic management.
Our economies in the public scrvi: e, the Bland inquiry, our
monetary measures, have knitted together to start Australia back
on the road to economic recovery.
The Government's programmes are now~ well administered in the
Parliament. Many people do not seem to understand that a
vitally important part of Government is the dull and
often difficult slog of spending hours behind a desk as a manager.
I said earlier that Australians also wanted us to restore integrity
to the national Parliament, and to Government.
In the first 100 days in office the Guvernment has launched
its policy to restore authority and responsibility back to
the States and local government.
Under the policy the States will once again be responsible
for the money they spend.
We are already examining how we will introduce a system of
personal income taxation, which will at last protect peoples'
earnings against inflation.
This will stop government rais. ng its tax revenue without telling
the people what it is doing.
It will make Government honest again. If they want to raise taxation
they will have to say so.
Politicians in Australia have mad(-too many promises. Australia
cannot afford them all. Politicians have sought to buy votes
by promising more than the nation's resources permit governments
to provide.
In other words, the Government's aim is to give people greater
control over their own earnings. People will be able spend
that money more wisely for themselves than it has been spent
in the past by big government.
Our programmes will bring inflation under control, and secure
jobs for all who want to work. Australia will once again
start to produce more and the resultant real wealth will enable
us to provide the services the schools, aid to the disadvantaged,
protection for the environment that the nation requires and
that people today expect.