PRIME MINISTER TUESDAY 26 JUNE 1979 37
From the Press Office
SUMMARY OF ABC'S
A special conference has been called by Mr. Justice Staples
in the Arbitration court in Melbourne tomorrow to try and
sort out the Telecom dispute. The Australian Telecommunications
Employees Union has lodged a claim for a 20 percent across
the board payrise for its members employed by Telecom. To
support the claim the union has imposed a series of work bans
which are already seriously affecting telephone and telex
services out of Sydney. The problems are likely to shift to
other States in the next few days. Interview with General
Manager of Industrial Relations for Telecom and General
Secretary of ATEA, Mr. Mansfield.
It was reported today that Mr. Fraser has moved to end a
s ic survey which was being carried out by an American
cc.= any along the Great Barrier Reef. The survey had been
apzrjved by both the Federal and Queensland Governments.
Reorted from Brisbane that Mr. Fraser's intervention was
ur-inece ssary.
Report from Brisbane: Last week's story on " PM" obviously
caused the Prime Minister some embarrassment because it
w-as on June 4 that he had announced that " there should be
no further exploration for petroleum in the Great Barrier
Reef region". On Thursday, two days after we reported on
the survey work, Mr. Fraser wrote to his Minister for
National Development, Mr. McLeay and drew his attention
to the statement of June 4. He pointed out, in the letter
that the seismic surveys were contrary to the spirit of
the Government's policy. The letter asked Mr. McLeay to
ensure that no survey work take place in the Barrier Reef
region. Last night, Mr. Fraser's office let it be known
that the letter had been sent. The story was duly reported
this morning with headlines such as " Fraser moves quickly
over Reef petroleum exploration" in the Financial Review,
and " PM stops Reef survey" in the Brisbane Courier-Mail.
Mr. Fraser's decisive action, however, was just a little
bit too late, as the Queensland Premier, Mr. Bjelke Petersen
gleefully revealed after seeing Mr. Fraser's headlines. In
fact, the survey was completed last week and the ship is
already heading back for its own base in Perth.
Bjelke Petersen said that he was at a loss to understand
reports of Mr. Fraser's putting an end to the work, and
a-sid he would bring the facts to Mr. Fraser's attention when
he saw him in Canberra later this week at the Premier's
Conference. Bjelke Petersen: First of all, Canberra gave approval
wi-en this matter was raised by Mr. Camm, not through Cabinet
but through himself and his Department. They gave an
agreement, a green light to go ahead with it, and I have a
letter to that effect. Of course, I don't know what prompted
the Prime Minister to come in and say he would stop it because
it has stopped. It's finished long ago. The ship's gone.
Question: When did it stop?
Mr. Bjelke Petersen: I don't know. But the ship's gone
long ago. / 2
-2
Question: Mr. Premier, what are they doing, what is the
survey for?
Mr. Bjelke Petersen: Well, the survey is just by a large
world organisation that does this sort of work in connection
with shipping lanes, or fishing, or anything at all.
But nobody can get a permit unless the Government, State and
Commonwealth grant it, so that gets rid of the argument
that it's going to be definitely used and oil drilling is
going to start. That's not correct.
Question: These surveys aren't cheap though. Obviously
th-ey are going to charge a lot of money and they must be
looking for money from mineral companies?
Bjelke Petersen: They might be. They can be looking
ozr money from people who are interested in all these other
areas and it gives Governments a very clear, or interesting
: cture of the seabed as such from a shipping lane point of
Vlew. Question: What I am saying is, it wouldn't be economical
just to do it for the shipping lanes would it?
Mr. Bjelke Petersen: No, well anyway they no doubt know
their business and they are prepared to spend money to do
these things and obviously that's their concern. I'm not
interested in whether they make money out of it or not.
Question: Did-n't you ask when you granted the permit?
, Mr. Bjelke Petersen: I didn't grant the permit. The
Commonwealth and thTe Mines Minister, the two Ministers were
the ones that organised it and they both agreed.
Question: Don't they have to provide the information why
they are doing the survey. When they ask
Mr. Bjelke Petersen: No, they don't have to provide the
information at all. There is nothing to it.
Question:_ Do you know for a fact the survey hasn't been
commissioned by oil companies?
Emr. Bjelke Petersen: It hasn't been commissioned by oil
o-panies, no. I am not aware of that at all. I am sure
:-at is o correct, because they haven't got a permit to-
N -ze haven't got an authority.. to-go in drilling there.
The Government hasn't given them that authority.
Rep~ ort Just a footnote to the story, I rang Geophysical
Services International in Perth a short while ago. A spokesman
confirmed that the survey was completed last week and the ship was
on its way back to Perth. / 3
-3-
The State Premiers are bracing themselves for some savage
cuts in funding from the Commonwealth at the Premier's
Conference which begins on Thursday. Economist Allan Woods
of Syntec interviewed.
Federal Cabinet has meeting today to discuss, among other
things, how Australia can conserve fuel. It is believed that
one of the proposals is to reduce the speed limit to 90 kph
across the country. Executive Director of Australian Institute
of Petroleum says this would reduce the country's petrol
consumption by from 10% to 15%: interviewed.
Troops of Zimbabwe Rhodesia have carried out a helicopter
attack on an outer suburb of Zambian capital, Lusaka, where
it is believed officials of the patriotic front, ZAPU, live.
Lusaka is to be the venue for the forthcoming Commonwealth
in August to be attended among others by Mr. Fraser and
rs. Thatcher. Reuters AAP says the raid was carried out
about an hour and a half ago.
The ALP called today for a national media policy to replace
what it has described as the present piecemeal ad hoc
developments by the Federal Government. Senator Susan Ryan
said the ABC should be re-structured and measures taken in
the commercial sector to stop ownership being concentrated in
too few hands. Senator Ryan interviewed.
There has been an announcement from the finance company,
Beneficial in response to the publicity about the company.
The company delivered a letter to the Adelaide Stock Exchange.
The Directors said they believed it was their responsibility
to comment on the recent publicity concerning the possible
effects on the company of the publicly known difficulties
affecting ASL and the Bank of Adelaide Finance Corporation of
Australia group. The Directors said the company continues to
cperate soundly, has available unused borrowing limits within
its trustees and has substantial unused lines of credit.
They said " in view of the unprecedented circumstances currently
f. cing the finance industry, the Company's major shareholders
have been involved in preparing a package of measures which
will further strengthen the capital base and provide additional
borrowing facilities in order to demonstrate publicly their
on-going substantial support for the long-term success of the
m. r& any"
Dr. Shelley Phillips has published a book, released today,
e---led " Young Australians" based on a survey of 2000 children
z--:-ney between ages of 9 and 13: interviewed.
000---