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FOR PRESS 27 OCTOBER 1977
STATEMENT TO PARLIAMENT
Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the Government has
recommended to His Excellency the Governor General that the
House of Representatives be dissolved on 10 Novemberinext
and that a general election for the members of the House of
Representatives be held onSaturday, 10 December.
His Excellency has accepted my recommendation.
Mr Sp. eaker,.-the._. p-laces-of-one half of the members of the Senate
will become vacant on 30 June next. If their places are to
be filled by 1 July 1978, an election to fill them must be
held no later than May.
Under the second paragraph of Section 13 of the Constitution an
election to fill vacant Seante places may be held within one year
before the places become vacant.
Members of this House were elected on 13 December 1975; its
term expires on 16 February -1979. However, Section 28 of
the Constitution enables the House of Representatives to be
dissolved before then. It was the general practice prior to
1963 to hold elections forthe House of Representatives and for
half the Senate on the same date. Indeed, in 1955, the Governor-
General, Sir William Slim on the advice of the then Prime Minister
dissolved the House of Representatives much earlier than its
three year term to synchronise the elections for the two Houses.
In that case, the election for both Houses.. was held some
18 months after the previous election for the House of Representative!
In May this year, the Government put to the people a referendum
proposal which was intended to ensure that elections for both
Houses would have to be held simultaneously. The proposal was
supported by all political parties in the Parliament and the
arguments in favour of it were widely canvassed.
It was approved by a significant majority 62 percent of all
voters and by a majority of voters in three States.
It is the view of the Government that at the next election for
half the Senate, an election should also be held for the
House of Representatives. / 12
This clearly accords with the view of the majority of the
Australian people as reflected in the referendum vote.
Mr Speaker, it is a veiw shared by the Opposition.
Indeed, in a Monday Conference interview on November 1, 1976,
the Leader of the Opposition thought it would be entirely
appropriate to have a combined half Senate and House of
Representatives election at the ned of 1977. I quote the
words he uttered almost exactly a year ago:
" In a year's time, which I would think would be about the
earliest that there could be an election, although
quite a likely' time for the election, it would be a
perfectly reasonable time to have a half Senate election
and once could have the whole of the House of
Representatives at the same time to synchronise the elections.
Mr Speaker, if the elections are not held together it will mean
that -there must. be an -: lection for half the Senate at least by
May 1978, an election for the House of Repre ' sentatives before
April 1979, another electiin for half the Senate before July 1981
and so on.-a major Federal alection every one or two years.
A situation in which a Government is constantly concerned with the
holding of elections is not conducive to sound Government and
hence is not in the public interest.
If the elections for both Houses-are to be synchronised, the question
arises as to when they should be held. In practical terms, this
means should they be held in December this year, or before
the end of May next year? The Government has come to the
conclusion that the elections-for both Houses should be held in
December 1977, and I have recommended accordingly to His
Excellency. Sir, it is appropriate that I should tell the House what
considerations have led the Government to this decision.
At the time the Government was elected in December 1975, Australia
was in a state of severe depression marked by rapid inflation,'
rapidly rising unemployment, and declining output.
Since -that eliection, the Government has pursued policies designed
to correct the situation. These policies have required steady
and resolute action.. There-are now encouraging--signs that they
are succeeding.*-
The economy is strengthening, there is now indisputable evidence
that we are winning the fight against inflation. Interest rates
are falling. Investment is rising, confidence is returning.
The conditions under which real economic growth can proceed
are bein g restored. The Government takes much satisfaction
from these encouraging developments.
Nevertheless, there~ isstill much to be done. The reduction in the
rate of inflation, the achievement of real economic growth and
the progressive reduction of unem~ ployment which is a vital part
of the Government's goals can only be sustained by the continuance
of these policies. .3