FOQR P'RESS 9 1AY. 197 7
CAMPIGNE&. IN. IWIISTEtm.
AllWesernAUStralianS a4vhio ar the-rnaintenaace of the powers
of.. their State a-na of, the Senate shoula vote i aoro h
.* imultaneous elections . refelrendtm proposal on Sa. turaay.
*.-his proposal was considered and adopted -= animu3y at the
Robaxt Constitutional Ccnveiitioa. last Octob> er*..
That Convention was set up at tlhe instigat-ion of the Statesand.
was dowiinated bythen States.. The: ' Stateg ba-d 72 of the 92
vote B.
Page 80 of the published . minutag of the Convention shaow that
every Western Australian delegate voted in favour of-' the
saThlutaneous elactions proposal, iclig & Sir Charles Co. uxt,
r Iiecalf, I~ x. Mc~ harlin and l cN e i 31
WbeA thtw decision to hold the reieiendumns was announced, Sir
Ch. arleq Court comma-nte~ a thait tbe ' proposal ; Eor sirultaeo
elections made " goo-d setse'
ThiS, BUPppOrt was enti-rely consistent with the support giv! en by
S; Lr Charles Court and other niembeis of the Wegtern Austzalian
delegation -at Ioba-t.
I regret tbe Premier's puzzling last minute reversal of ' hi s
attitude on proposals theti-are . stzighfowat3, reasonalle and
fair. This is out of. clbiacter for Oir ChaleB, esxpecially in
-the light of the co~ 2ent by Sir Eric Wli
The four proposals on which-Western Australians and all o tber
Australians will ba asked to vote for~ on Saturaay ax-e:
1. That elections for the House of Representatives an-the
oldbe held at the ' same time. This is a rnatter
of simple co~ ont Bense. Unless this proposal is pnssed,
. ther-e could be as nany as four Federal elections in the
next four years. The coiuntry does not want or need this.
A ' Yes answver will strengthen the Senate anid, in par-ticular,
pr-otect Western Australia and the: other leEss populous States.
/ 2.
2. Thal if a Senator dieos or r4 sign3 he wl erpao o
thie remainder of his to= n Of office b) Y a m.( e; Tber of the
saume party.
AYes vote on -ths i-roposal willI ensure that-the voters
choio-e at the el~ cr'-tion -dill bra preserved. This i~ basic
to our demnouracy.
3. That e-leci-ors in Northern Territory and the Australi3an
Capital ' Ierritory should be ab'le to vote in referendcums as
do all other Itustralians.
A Yes vcte V. gill give Territorial voters the same fundamental.
rights. as -their fellow Australians.
4-That, High Courb Judges should retire at the aqeof 70 and
that a retiring age should be set for other Pedexal Judges,
The Western Australian Government bas Bet a retirement age
of 70 for their State Judges, and it is only fair that at
the age of 70 judges in the V'cderal area should pass the job
on to younger people.
Western Austzralia has tha most progressive record of any State
wi-th respect to constitutional reforms.
I urge all Western PAustralians t~ o vote Yes on all fouir proposals
on Saturday.