PRIMIZ M~ AINISTER
FOR PRESS APRIL 1976
ELECTORAL TALK
Australians everywhere in cities, rural townships and small
farming communities are fully aware of our national problems.
7uztralians, I believe, also know of the Government's pledge to
ovez: rcome these problems and are looking confidently to the future.
O _ r policies that aim to get Australia on its feet again bave
been clearly mapped out and spelled out to every segment of
Australian society.
But because of our seeming single iiiinded occupation with inflation,
budget deficits, stimulation of consumer spending and investment
in the private sector many people are unaware of our work in
political, legal and social reform.
The Liberal. Party is part of a tradition that has alwal-3 believed
in progressive reform.
This tradition achieved the secret ballot; the factory acts which
helped secure decent working conditions for Australians; the
ending of convict transportation; the system of tarrif protection;
and the concept of a fair wage and the arbitration system which
is the envy of the Western World.
Today, the Liberal National Country P:% rty Coalition is continuing
with reform programmes.
These programmes differ from the so-called reforms of the previous
Government in many ways and I will touch on this later.
One of our most important contributions to social reform in the
area of the riglhts of citizens in relation to decisions of
government officials.
we are concerned that people directly affected by the decisions of
officials should have proper and aaequate rights of appeal and recourse.;.
To this end, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal will be brought
into operation later this year. / 2
This Tribunal will provide ind'ividuals with two specific sfeguardi.
it wi. lilr . ptr ovide a totally in1 1, dz6L ze v -Lew Lilt way LL
which Ministerial and official discretions are used. It will also
deal with appeals against administrative decisions on as wide a
basis as possible. In other words, this will be a citizens tribunal.
Another social reform that ! oncerns the individual riahts of all
meii and women is the creation of a federal Ombudsman.
When in Opposition, we supported this concept. The Ombuasman
legislation lapsed when the national Parliament dissolved late
last year, and we are now in the process of reviewing that legislation
The task of the Ombudsman would be to investigate complaints or to
initiate enquiries concerning administrative actions of Federal
departments and authorities.
I believe that provision could be made for the Ombudsman to report
direct to the Prime Minister in some circumstances. This could
happen if the Ombudsman believed that his recommendations had net
been adequately carried out by the bo'dy concerned.
Because of the growing complexity of Government and because of
: lack of information for some disadvantaged groups and migrants
many people are unaware of how to get redress when problems do occur.
Clearly, this makes the appointment of an Ombudsmaai ail the more
important.
Alongside specific measures we have taken to slow down the growth
of bureaucracy we are equally determined that people are not
unjustly treated as a result of bureaucratic decisions.
Both the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Ombudsman will be
s'ignificant steps towards that objective.
Taking this a step further problems of securing protection for
individual arise for the poor and disadvantaged in particular.
We believe that no one must be denied justice because of their
economic position.
The Attorney-General is at present reviewing the legal aid
situation to determine the most efficient, economical and simple
system of distributing this aid.
It is worth noting that in some areas the current legRl rights
of some groups should be increased by new legislation. Land
rights for aboxiginals is such a case. Cabinet will shortly
discuss details and legislation will be introduced in the national
Parliament after a thorough liaison with all the people it affects.
I said earlier that our reforms differed from those of our
predecessors in many ways. Surely the first rule of any reform
is that the costs should not outweigh the benefits.
Unlike Labor, we believe that the pure act of spending money on
welfare programmes is imply not good enough. ./ 3
It is clear that a very large number of problems which trouble
Australians cannot be solved simply be spending more money.
This is oecause they are not financial problems. They are
problems of human relations, of organisation and approach.
Assistance should be provided in a way that helps people to
be independent not dependent on Government.
Government assistance should not feed dependence but as far as
possible expand people's capacity to meet their families needs
as they see fiL.
Unfortunately, over the last couple of years some of the weakest
sections of the Australian community have suffered most as a
result of the failure to see Government spending as being only
one element in a programme of responsible and progressive reform.
This Government strongly believes that assistance for the
disadvantaged and needy will be effective only in an economic
climate where inflation is controlled and where the nation can
afford the bill.