PM Transcripts

FOR PRESS 21 DECEMBER 1977
The Prime Minister today announced that he had notified the
Governor General that he did not intend to proceed with the
appointment of Senator Glenister Sheil to the Ministry.
He had taken this action after consultation with the Deputy Prime
Minister, Mr Anthony.
It had been intended that, upon passage of necessary legislation
allowing an increase in the size of the Ministry from
twenty-seven to twenty-eight, Senator Sheil would be appointed
the Minister for Veterans' Affairs.-.
The Prime Minister said he had informed Senator Sheil that it would
be inappropriate for him to be a member of the Ministry.
The Prime Minister re-affirmed the Government's complete opposition
to apartheid.......
* The Prime Minister recalled his statements earlier this year when
he had described apartheid as a pernicious and evil doctrine which
had long-been condemned from Australia. Sir Robert Menzies had
condemned apartheid as early as 1961 indicating that in his view
it was a policy that would end in the most frightful disaster.
The Prime Minister indicated his Government's policy in relation to
apartheid would not change. Any policy based on the belief that
one race is superior to another is an affront to human dignity
and to the well-being of mankind, and must be condemned.
Mr Fraser-said-that he regretted thesedevelopments and he hoped
that nobody would for one moment doubt Australia's unequivocal
opposition to apartheid...
The Prime Minister indicated, as he had affirmed to the Ministry
yesterday, that once a person was a member of the Ministry team,
whatever his personal or private views might be, he must at all
times support the Ministry view and that there is no room within
his Ministry for a person who is not prepared to accept that
and abide by it.