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PRIME MINIISTER
FOR PRESS 24 MARCH 1979
EXTRACT FROM SPEECH AT
NSW YOUNG LIBERALS AND NSW SENATORS' COCKTAIL PARTY
The Young Liberal Movement has a vital role to play in providing
the training ground and support for the future leaders of this
State and Australia as a whole. In addition, it's contribution
to policy formulation is well known and highly valued, especially
where there are issues of special concern to young people.
The Young Liberals played a big part in the Government's decision
to establish the Office of Youth Affairs, and has taken a keen
interest in its operation ever since. It also made important
representations to the Government, just prior to the recent
formation of the new Department of Employment and Youth Affairs
under Ian Viner.
I know the Young Liberals' interest will continue to be of
invaluable assistance to the Government in this and other
areas. In ways such as these, the Young Liberal Movement is
playing an important part in Federal and State political affairs.
The benefits the Government receives from New South Wales
doesn't stop there. In the Federal Parliament we are fortunate
to have Senators of the calibre of Senator Carrick, Senator Baume,
Senator Lajovic, and Senator Puplick. Their efforts, both within
the Ministry and in the Senate itself, have in no small way
enabled the Government to achieve the progress it has.
And we have achieved progress, despite the attempts of Bill Hayden,
that prophet of doom and gloom, to talk down our successes.
Inflation has been reduced; business confidence has returned;
investment has increased dramatically; large developments are
in the offing, and Australian businesses are once again competitive.
The employment situation is of continuing concern to us, but it
is only by pursuing our firm commitment to beating inflation will
there be jobs for all those that want them. Already there are
heartening signs of improvement in the labour market. Civilian
employment, seasonally adjusted, has been rising. overtime is
now over three hours a week per employee, seasonally adjusted,
the first time this has happened since 1974. / 2
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These are early signs, but they are encouraging. We alihave a
responsibility to see that our policies and our achievements are
placed before the people of Australia and understood by them so
that Australians will never again let their affairs be managed
by those political and economic bankrupts who were in Government
between 1972 and 1975. And we must not forget that Australia's
State Socialist governments are still putting forward the same
irresponsible policies.
The Wran government has decided that thousands of power workers
in this State will have a 37 hour week. The State industrial
Commission denied the Commonwealth the opportunity to put, forward
the national consequences of granting these new conditions.
The Wran government seeks to achieve the 37 2 hour week by
legislating arbitrarily and capriciously, without awaiting
Q the Industrial Commission's decision. This is totally against
the national interest. With a large majority in the State
Parliament, Labor's true Socialist colours are now showing
through. The extreme left in New South Wales is demonstrating
its power. Inevitably, the decision will create demands for
flow-ons, will add to labour costs, and lead to inflationary
pressures, and can only put Australians out of work.
If there are productivity gains in the industry, they should be
used in the battle against inflation. They should be passed on
in lower prices to the home owners and industries of this State.
The Commonwealth condemns the Wran government's irresponsible
action. The States now receive Commonwealth funds under
guarantee provisions that give them protection against wage
increases. We will not continue to support by way of guarantee
a system of State funding which is used to underwrite such wage
increases by providing automatic adjustments for changes in the
average level of Australian wage increases.
Mr Wran's government can increase its wage bill but not have to
meet the whole cost itself, because it automatically gets more
funds from the Commonwealth. We shall be taking this up at. the
next Premieres Conference. We cannot and we will not ig~ nore
this irresponsible action by the Wran government.