AUSTRALIA
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 30 NOVEMBER 1978
Ministerial Changes
The Prime Minister anno-nced today changes in the Ministry
flowing from the decision to establish a separate Department
of Industrial Relations and a Department of Employment and
Youth Affairs. Mr. Street will become Minister for Industrial
Relations and Mr. Viner, Minister for Employment and Youth
Affairs. Under Mr. Street as Minister, the activities undertaken by the
present Department of Employment and Industrial Relations have
been considerably expanded.
There has been a major e: x-ansion of employment and training
programmes under this C-: vernment and a re-organisation and
ex-ansion of the Cormmonw-; alth Employment Service. The
programmes being implermnted in this area now include the
National Employment and Training System, Special Youth
Ep loyment Training Programme, Community Youth Support Scheme,
Aoorenticeship Support Programmes, Commonwealth Rebate for
A orentice Full-time Training, Relocation Assistance Scheme
and the activities of the Trade Union Training Authority.
In all, over 300,000 people have been helped through these
schemes since the Government came to office.
In the area of Industrial Relations substantial progress
has been made over the last three years in reducing the
level of industrial disruotion in terms of time lost, number
of disputes and workers involved.
In 1974 under the Labor Government there were 6.3 million
ran days lost due to strikes. Last year, this had fallen to
1.6 million; one quarter of the man days lost just three
years earlier.
This owes much to Mr. Street's firm but fair administration
and his sensitive handling of his portfolio. The major
reforms Mr. Street has -ade in this area include the establishment
of the Industrial Relations Bureau and the National Labour
Consultative Council; the introduction of secret postal ballots
for union elections; greater protection for conscientious
objectors; and the requirement that unions have their accounts
audited and report regularly to their membership.
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The expansion and impOortance of these areas nake it nlow necessary
that they should fall under separate portfolios, each of
which will be under the control of a Cabinet Minister.
Industrial Relations is a matter of great social and economic
importance. These changes will introduce a new phase in the
Industrial Relations of our nation. The mew arrangements will
enable Mr. Street to devote greater attention to the avoidance
and resolution of industrial disputes before significant
damage is caused to the economy and inconrenience to the
public. The Government will build on the advances already made
in the industrial relations area by ensuring that the Department
has greater resources to further encourage and stimulate the
processes of communicationl and consultation at national,
industry and enterprise level.
The Department of industrial Relations will also havea
positive role in developing policy advice in relation to
the improvement of employer/ employee relations across industries,
including aspects of the working environzent. A unit within the
Department will be established to perform this role. In its
co-ordinating role, it will work in close liaison with the
Working Environment Division in the Department of Productivity.
Mr. Viner will be ! Minister of Employment and Youth Affairs,
an area of high priority for the Government. Z-1r. Viner will
have responsibility for employment and the various training
programmes which a-re at the present time under review.
Mr Viner will be responsible for the Office of Youth Affairs,
the establishment which was announced by this Government in
February 1977. The office, whose charter is to coordinate
and consult with Comm= onwealth Departments, States, Local
Government and non-Government agencies on Commonwealth,
Government programmes and proposals affecting youth, will be
expanded and strengthened. Mr Viner will continue to be
MiRister Assisting the Prime Minister.
Senator Chaney will be appointed to become Minister for
Aboriginal Affairs, and Mr: McLeay will he appointed Minister
for Administrative Services. Senator Chaney will continue
to be Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and
Mr McLeay will continue to be Minister Assisting the Minister
for Defence.
A re-examination of the diverse functions of the Department
of Environment, H~ ousing and Community Develoment has led
the Government to conclude that greater Impetus would be
given to the Government's policies by allocating these
functions to Departments in which they fit logically and
naturally.
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Mr Groom will become Minister for Housing and Construction.
Responsibility for government policy on sports will be
transferred to the Department of Home Affairs. The Minister
for Home Affairs, Mr Ellicott, will thus have overall
responsibility for government policy on cult'-ral and sporting
affairs. Mr Newman, the Minister for National Develop. ent, to
complement his existing responsibilities for decentralisation,
will assume responsibility for urban planning and local
government. Senator Webster will become Minister for Science and the Environment.
This in particular will enable the Government's scientists
and advisers on the environment to work more closely together
to give effect to the Government's commitment to preserving
and enhancing Australia's environment.
As a consequence of the changes I have annou-ced today, the
number of Ministers and the number of Departzents will remain
unchanged. Further details of the changes in Ministerial and
Departmental responsibilities and fuctions are contained in the
attached statement. 0000000
CHANGES MINISTERIAL AND DEPARP TAL RESPONSIBILITIES
AND FUNCTIONS
The follow: ing details of changes wo be made to administrative
arrangements supplement the Price Minister's announcement.
CREATIONS AND ABOLITIONS
The DeparLtment of Employment and TIdustrial Relations is to
be abolished, and the Department of Employment and
Youth Affairs, and the Department of Industrial Relations
established.
The Department of Environment, Housing and Cor-unity
Development is to be abolished and its functions reallocated.
The total number of departments will therefore remain at 28.
DEPARTMENTS TO BE RETITLED
The Department of Science will be renamed as the Department
of Science and the Environment, the Department of
Construction as the Department of -ousing and Construction.
DETAILS OF FUNCTIONS AND BODIES TO BE RE-ALLOCATED
Employmen: and Youth Affairs
The following functions of the Department of Employment and
Industrial Relations will be re-allocated to the new
Department of Employment and You-h Affairs:
manpower and training policy and programmes
S economic and international aspects of manpower
general employment services ( Commonwealth Employment
Service) vocational guidance
S youth employment
S special employment ( incl-ding handicapped persons,
migrants and professionals) / 2
Aboriginal employment ser-v-zes
ap? renticeship and industry-training
the Women's Bureau.
The new Department will also assume responsibility for
youth affairs ( from the Department 1* nvironment, -ousin,
and Community Development).
3odies associated with the Departmenzt of Employment and
Youth Affairs will include:
Australian App-renticeship, AiVisory Commitzee
CES Advisory Committees
National Aboriginal E-ploy-mant Developmenz Cc-__ ixttee
National Coriittee on Disc---'--*, nation in E~ jlo-" enp_
and Occupation
National Trainingr Council.
ñ ndustrial Relations
The Department ofL Indust-rial Relations.-: will take ova-r t: nep
following = fumctions of the Department of" Employment and
ñ ndus trial Pe1 ations:
industry-oriented industrial relations
national indus: rial relat1cmns legislationn
miachinery
nat-ional industrial relaticns policies wages and
working conditions
industrial relations in'forrat-ion and liaison
economic-ind ineratonal aspects of inedu. strial
relations Industrial Registries.
The Minister for Industrial RelationS w.. ill assume re sDons ibi
. or administration of the Conciliaio adAbttin At
ezecpt for those provisions administearrd by the Attorney-General. .13
3.
Bodies associated with the new Department will include':
Australian Trade Union Training Authority
Coal Industry Tribunal
Industrial Relations Bureau
National Labour Consultative Council
Public Service Arbitrator
Stevedoring Industry Consultative Council and
Finance Committee.
The Department of Industrial Relations will also have a
position role in developing policy in relation to the
improvement of employer/ employee relations across industries,
including aspects of the working environment. In its
co-ordinating role it will work closely with the Working
Environment Division of the Department . of Productivity.
Science and the Environment
The functions of the Department of Science will be broadened
by the addition of responsibility for environment and
conservation matters ( from Environment, Housing and-Community
Development). Ministerial responsbility for the following bodies will be
re-allocated to the Minister for Science and the Environment:
Australian Environment Council
National Advisory Committee on Chemicals
Australian Ionising Radiation Advisory Council
Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service
Council of Nature Conservation Ministers
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Great Barrier Reef Consultative Committee
Office of the Supervising Scientist ( with the
Alligator Rivers Region Research Institute and
Co-ordinating Committee) ./ 4
6
4.
Housing and Construction
The functions of the Department of Construction will be
broadened to include:
building industry ( from EHCD)
housing, including Home Savings Grants,
Commonwealth/ State housing, housing policy and
research ( from EHCD)
Ministerial responsibility for the follo-..-ing bodies will be
re-allocated to the Minister for Housing and Construction:
Australian Housing Research Council
Housing Loans Insurance Corporation
Indicative Planning Council for the Housing Industry
Non-Residential Building Consultative Committee
National Development
The urban planning and development function and the local
government function of the Department of Environment, Housing
and Community Development will be transferred to the
Department of National Development. Ministerial responsibility
for the Local Government Ministers' Conference will be
re-allocated accordingly.
Home Affairs
Functions relating to leisure, including sport, physical
fitness, conmuntiy development and recreation ( currently
with the Department of Environment, Housing and Community
Development) will become the responsibility of the
Department of Home Affairs.
Ministerial responsibility for the Recreation Ministers'
Council, the Sports Advisory Council, and also the Australian
Heritage Commission will be re-allocated to the Minister for
Home Affairs.
Administrative Services
On abolition of the Department of -=--? loyment and Industrial
Relations, responsibility for transitory accommodation
matters will transfer to the Department of Administrative
Services, which already has a major role as the
Commonwealth's property managemen agency. Ministerial
responsibility for Commonwealth Accommodation and Catering
Services Pty Ltd ( formerly Co-mmonw-ealth'Hostels Ltd) will be
re-allocated accordingly.
Productivity The Department of Productivity will assume responsibility
for any residual food services research and advising
activizies currently performed by the Department of Employr. ent
and Industrial Relations.