PRIE MINIS" I" ER
FOR~ PRESS 10M~ 97
ADDIR. SS. AT CAN. MPATGil DII1RIVR AT[. X2\ 3JINCE8STON
It is good to be in la-unces-bn zaqain. The Bass electoratc-has
a very special place In the heart of all. Liberals.
Just two years ago B3ass voters gave Australia the lead by
elcetIng IYevin Newman in a magnificent by-election victory-
It was one of my f irst duties whien elected Leader of the
Parliamentay Ljiberal Payrty to lead the campaign. That win gave
us all great heart, a-nd sp-uxrcd our efforts, culminiatimy in the
election victory of December 1975, in which Liber~ als won all.
five Tasitanian seatz in, the Hlouse of Representatives, a. 9d wbhich
charged us with the t-ask of restoring thje economy and defeating
inflation.-
Oux task was clear. To gain control over Governnment spcanding
and inflation. To argue for-wage restraint, and to restore*
confidence and strength to the'private sector so t-hat employment
opportunities would be created.
We said from the out~ et this task would take three years. Bt
already we are seeing~ the beginniings of sustained ' growth, and a
reduction in inflation. The Consumer Price Index.-for the Karch
q-uarter showed a rise of only the lowest for a March quarter
in four years.
The most Teliable evidence available to us indicates an inflation
rate of jugt over 10% for the course of 1976. Still too high,
but markedly lower than the inflation rate for the precedinhg two
years. flut further progress will only be made if our policies
are maintained. We have set about holding Governixment zpending . in
the next budget, and estimates for-the coinn year are currently
being subjected to thie most extens~ ive review.
In successive national wage cases3, the Governmnent: has argued for
wagie restraint. However, it is tak-ing a long time to reduce
unemployment because of high inflation, and the fact that rapid
wage increases have priced many people out of the laboux market.
The extent: to which Australians acc'ept wage restraint wi111 largely
determine the extent. to which further reductions in inflation and
unemployme-nt can be achieved in 1977. lin spite of
2-
in spitLe of the severe restraints which we have had to impose on
Government spending, we have taken a number of steps to alleviate
particular problems faced by Tasmania, and to spur Tasmanials
developmnent. We have introduced a freight equalisation scheme which
enables Tasmanian busines. to compete more favourably on interstate
markets. The estimated cost of the northbound scheme this financial
year is almost $ 16 million.' In addition, as I annotinced in George Tow
last November, there will be a southbo-w-id scheme which will operate
retrospectiv; , ely from I. July 1976. ' The linister for Transport,
Mr. Nixon, will be announcing details of' the southbou-nd scheme
The Government recently gave approval to IPEC to import two ai. rcraft
which will considerably increase capacity for the Bass Strait air
freight service. This deci~ sion h as--4-ee n challenged in the High
Court and we await their judgemnen t.'! The Government also approved
the import o~ f two now replacement aircraft by air express.
In Launceston, vin are proceeding with acquisition of the land for
the Australian Maritime College*, and the interim council has been
working actl. vely to get this fine ' project under way.
We have granted a substantial sum for the Invercsk Urban Redevelopment
Scheme; an exciting initiative involving co-op~ eration between the
Cormonwealth, the state, local government, and a community group.
The Con-ionwealth is also spending more than $ 20 million nn the
Launceston Ge-neral Hospital.
In Hobart, the new Advisory Council for Inter-Governmental Relations
is establishing its Secretariat, and the headquarters for our activity
. in the Antarctica is being relocated there. The Government has
contributed $ 36 million to restore the TaSman Bridge and related
works. We have also contributed to the intern ational ly acclaimed
south west National P~ ark.
We recognise that Tasmanian Industry has experienced particularlydifficult
problems in recent times, and we expect to receive within
the next few weeks an interim report from Sir Bede Callaghan who we
commissioned to inqluire into the problems of Tasmanian industry.
I believe that the initiatives which we have taken after only 18
months in office, amply demonstrate the Government's very real
concern with the special problems and needjs of TaSmantia.
Takingail ' the measures I have referred* to, Tasmania has
benefitted by over $ 87 million in capital works and $ 17,000,000
In recurrent expenditure from -the special provisions made for your
state by this Governmevnt. Itwould
-3
I would now liko to turn to refevendums which Australians will
be voti. nq on in 11. days time. It is important that we talk about
this bccause the success of the referendums will make a major
contribution to the coiistitutioia. development of our country.
It will establish whether as a nation we are willing to make
constitutional chanqes which will-introduce major and considered
reformis to improve our constitution
The four const itutional. refeL-en'd.-ws propose fair, sensible and
just Changes to reform the cons,-itution and I am sure that they
will be successful.
In the past, people h ave tended ' to ' vote no on cr-nstitutional
questions. But these referendumus are different, They do not
seek more power for politicians. They do not seek more power
for Can~ orr~ a. They do riot weak~ e" the states. These referendums
meet all the requirements ' Augstral ians have set for consLitutional
changes. The propoosals have been carefully considered-and there has been
extensive consialtation about them. There was detailed discussior
of the principles of. all four referen~ dums at the Hobart Constitutional
Convention last year. The Corruonwealth, all the stateas,
local government, and all the miajor parties, war e represented
at the Convention. The priflcipieB of the four proposals were
adopted overwhelmingly by the Convcntion.
The changes are supported on a bipartisan basis by all the major
federal parties. Each of the four proposails we are now supportin(
' was passed in the House of Representatives without a single
dissenting voice, and each was passed by an overwhelmIng majority
in the Senate.
Putting the four proposals fo. ward is evidence of our concern to
make necessary constitutional reforms, and of our support for
the constitutional convention which was initiated-and this should
be emphasised by t-he states.
The people have to be allowed to vote on these proposals which arc
generally supported and which are sound, otherwise the
Constitutional Convention would be ai meaningless exercise.
Clearly, the issue of constitutional reform is ' more important
than that.
The four changjes are these. First, thiat elections for the Senate
and House of Representatives should be held simnultaneously. it
is simply common sense that elections always be held at t-he same
time, anid that the only time you have to vote in a federal elcctic
is when you have to choose Auatralia'S Goverrnent. This proposal
will maintain and strengthen the Senate. It also means we will
not have to vote in as many federal elections. Otherwise we
could have as many as fouxr elections in the next four years.
If this proposal is not passed, the future of the Senate could
ultimately be put in jeopardy. It is sometimes said that
simultaneous elections can be achieved by bringing the House
of Representatives election forward to coincide with that of
the Senate. Unfortunately, that Is just not practical. At t-he
last election, the two Houses were elected at the same time
because there was a double dissolution. Despite this,. they are
/ now,
-4
now out of phase once again. This is because under the constitution
Senators terns are back-dated to the previous July 1. The term for
the House of Representatives' on the other hand only begins when
Members are sworn in, us3ually some weeks after thle election. This
means that unless the constitution is changed, the only way to bring
the elections together would be repeatedly to cut short the term of
the House of Representatives. The three year term is however
already relatively short. One of the shortest Parliamentary terms
in the dem~ ocratic world. Further reducing it would damage good
Government. Far from weakening the Senate as some have alleged, the simultaneous
elections proposals will strengthen the Senate and itzs capacity to
protect the states. It waa an accident that in 1975 tdiere were bills
enabling the Gover-nor G3eneral to dissolve both flouses and make them
both face tlie people. Had the Senate not been able to face the people'
themselves, so that their actions might be judged, -a number of
Senators would not have agreed to block supply. This attitude was
soundly based because any House of Parliament that sends another lHouse
to the polls, while not itself being judged by the people, will not
survive. A numiber of Senator5 at the time knew this, and as grave
as the errors of the forzmer" Goverinent wiere, these Senators were only
prepared to use the Senate's major power because the Senate would
Itself face the people of Australia and be judged. I myself would
never have sought the blocking of supply from a Senate that would not
itself have also faced the people of Australia. If the Senate was
not In the position to go to the people, there would have becri no
douledissolution, there would have been no election.
The Senate's powers are great, and anyone who wants them to remain a
living reality will campaigni for this proposal and vote for it.
For Lunless the present situation is clianged, I can foresee two
alternative consequences. The Senate might. refuse to check a bad
Government uibless there happened to exist the circumstances which
would permit a double dissolution. Alternatively, if Senators were
to make the House of Representatives go to an election without facing
the people themselves, than thierc wouLd be a public outcry against the
Senate which could lead to thle Senate's powers being restrict-ed,
oraolsed ite o heeaternatives Would be bad for
democratic government, bad for the stato3, batd for Australia.
That is why it is imrportant that this referendi-mn be pasd. it
will-proserve the protect the Senate's. piowers anid hienice protect
the states.
The second referendum proposal io that, whenever a Senator dics or
resigns, he will 413e repl. aced, for the remainder of his term of office,
by a member of the sa-Lie party. Thi~ s w. ll guarantee that your choice
of parties for the Senate canunot be altered by acci. cient or desiqm.
Proportionai. represantatiorz ' for the Senate is intended to make the
Senate represent all sectors of the clector47ate in precisely tho
correct proportic'ns. Yet: under thie constitution now, a Senate
vacancy , can compie# Cte) y change the party balanco. It is funldamental
to our cdemocracy that only thc! people should determine the balance of
thie parties in the Senate. Once this propos al is accepted, the
peoples choice will be preserved until th. ey have an Opportunity to
make another choice at the next elction. / The third
RIP
The third referandumt proposal i~ s that voters in the IN. C. T. and
Northern Territoi. y should have a vote in all fu~ tture referendums.
This is a fu-ndamental right. all other Austral~ ians have. I know
of no rational or reasonable argument for denyinq ' Verritori. ia)
voters this baqic right. Territorial voters have the same
obligations as othier Austrqlians. They pay taxesi, they are
obliged to observe the L-= tws of thc Commonwealbh. rjhoy Vate for
Meombers of Parliament. The outcomne of referendums affect thlent
as much as they do other Austra). an5. our cdemocracy is the
w'eaker until the votors of the Territ-ories have the bagic r'Leht
to vote in referendums rest-ored to them.
The fourth and final rinferendum proposal i~ s to sot a retirinq age fo~ r
federal justices. High Court justices would retire at 70, andv the
retirement age for other Federal Couxt judJgzs would hc, determined
by Parliamnt. The proposal does not aff-ct the terrms of ju\-CqJSC
already appointed to the Bench. There is thus no question of
acting in breach of the existing~ judges terms of appointnient.
This proposal is only reasonable. Post jobst have retirement age_-
anid for good reason. Judge s are as affected by old agf-as the
rest of us. it is only fair that after the age of 70 responsibility
should be handed over to younger people. This is even m., ore
important now that the now systenn of V'ederal Fa-mily Courvt: have
been set up.
All four reforendum proposals are iair, just and reagonable. Tlhey
meet a-1l the requirements for success. They have been extensi-ve). y
considered. They haVe the support of all major fede-ral parties.
They do not Involve more power for Canbezrra. They will ma'Ke the
Constitution work better. The polls show-, that aill referendums have
sig-nificant support in all states. But on,-of the thinqs which has
surprised me is that there is not a great deal of passion about the
rcfereiidums. It has becomre apparent that one of the reasons for
this is that the araiuLnents in favour of the referendums are so
simple, straightfor.-ard and reasonable, that most people cannot
see how contrary argumenmts can bie put. This view is well founded,
but in it liee a danqer. A danger of complacency.
The referendums are important, to the future of Australia, to the
future of our political. system. Those people who think the
referendum propositions should be passed over ca-anot, afford t1o he
complacent. Althiouch the rightness of the referendum proposals is
not in question, e-xccpt on the most specious grownds, the referendums
will not pass themselves. All people who care about conititutiona.
and political reform in this countr-y have a responsibility to work
for the referendums. If we all do this, then the referndums will
be passed, and we will have a better constitution one which will.
serve Australia's needs more effectively now and in the future.
The people of Tasmani~ a have a critical part to pl. ay in the process
of niakIng the Australian constitution, a better docu-ment, in thle
task of improvinq the Australian political system,
In May 1975 you took the lead. I believe you will. do so agai~ n
on 21 May 1977.