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PRIME MINISTER MONDAY,' 15-OCTOBER ' 197-9
From the Press Office SUMMARY OF ACS"..
Predictably, Bob Hawke won ALP pre-selection for Wills
yesterday. The State's electors may have ended the promising
career of woman Senator Jean Mel zer. She has been placed third
on the Senate ticket, which going by previous elections, gives
her only a slight chance of winning. Naturally, there have been
cries of ' sexism'. But according to the Senator, there may have
been another motive.
Senator Mel zer:
I don't know why I have been moved. So far as I am
aware I have promoted ALP policy. I have worked as hard
as I can in the electorate and in the Parliament. It
appears that there is a group of about 20 people in the
ALP in Victoria who for their own reasons wanted me moved
and they achieved it.
Question One story that I was told was that it was a political
pay-back because you failed to support Simon Crean for
pre-selection in 1977.
Senator Mel . zer
Well, I can't say that. But Simon Crean is in the group,
and when that ballot came up I, after a lot of agonising
over two very good candidates gave my vote to Clyde Holdpv4?
Question Could you be reaping the pay-back?
Senator Mel -zer
Well you would hope not. You would hope that people in
the ALP would be more adult, more attune to the sort of
decisions that people have to make. I didn't make the
decision lightly. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but
I had to choose one of the two.
Question_ In the light of what's happened, could it'. be said that
the ALP is unsympathetic towards women, even a sexist
party now?
Senator Mel' zer
I suppose tghe ALP has always in a sense been a sexist
party;. but I thought we had come to the point where we had
faced'up to the fact that we may have been sexist in the past,
we understood that women being more than 50 per cent of the
population deserve to have at least some representation / 2
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Senator Mel Zer ( cont)
We've got a.: report awaiting discussion at the next
State Conference which talks about positive discrimination
for women, which hardly makes sense when you remove the e
only woman Federal politician you've got..
Quest ion
How many women actually supported you being moved to the
number three position?
Senator Mel . zer
So far as I know, no women supported me being moved.
Question So could it be. said that as far as this. decision is concerned
it was a positive discrimination against women?
Senator Mel zer
, Yes.
-Question How do you feel about what's happened. Do you feel bitter?
Senator Mel zer-
No. I don't feel bitter, because in politics all sorts of
things can happen. I feel a bit shocked. I feel
disappointed. But I am not dead. Not by a long shot.
Firmly backing Senator Mel zer are members of the Women's Electoral
Lobby. Interview with Victorian Secretary, Priscilla Todd.
Said they will be advising people all over to support her as
number one of the ticket, regardless of their political persuasions.
The right of the Japanese to fish within our 200-mile limit
could be the cause of a diplomatic incident. A group of people in
Cairns claim that the Japanese will wipe out the Marlin breeding
grounds and consequenly North Queensland.' s multi-million dollar
big game fishing industry. They intend to shoot across the bows
of any Japanese boat fishing in North Queensland waters.
There has been an enormous, but peaceful, anti-nuclear
demonstration in West-Germany. with about 100,000 people converging
on Bonn.
President Castro has returned to Cuba today after making another
move in New York towards official relations with the United
States. The Cuban leader has met many Third World diplomats in
New York to seek backing for his international plan; to persuade
rich countries to cancel the debts of developing nations and to
start a new era of economic co-operation with a 10 year fund of
at least $ 300,000 million for low interest loans and grants to the
needy countries. He also talked with some American Congressmen
to strengthen his links with America's black community.
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President Castro did make a case before leaving the US for
improved relations with the US which was supported by the few
Congressmen he talked with and by Governor Gerry Brown, California.
Australian-' actor Leonard Teale returned from Kampuchea yesterday
with disturbing descriptions of the sufferingthere. As Chairmanof
the Kampuchea Relief Appeal he called for all donations to'
be made tax deductibœ l;. donations that are needed immediately.
Mr. Teale interviewed.
On the Thai-Kampuchean border 100,000 Khmer Rouge supporters
are gathered. Until last night about 28,000 had crossed over
into Thailand and if the Vietnamese offensive intensifies many
more could follow.
Hundreds of shareholders inthe Bank of Adelaide are expected to
cram Adelaide's Tow'nH all ' this morning for a meeting that will,.
decide the Company's. 1future. ? They have to vote on the proposed
merger with the ANZ. It appears that behind-the-scenes moves
have been going on right up until the last minute.
A German businessman has become the first foreign national
to be killed in Iran since the revolution.
British Leyland has landed itself with another problem.
Opposition Labor politicians and trade unionist are hopping mad
at the company's decision to sponsor Captain Mark Phillips and
a team of show jumpers for $ 36,000 in an effort to promote their
Range Rover cars report from London.
The French Government of Giscard d'Estaing is under attack for
the way in behaved in the recent coup in the Central African
Empire which resulted in the deposing of Emperor Bokassa.
It has been claimed that documents incriminating the French
Government, including details of an alleged gift to d'Estaing
were removed from the Emporer's Palace and taken to the French
Embassy as soon as the coup took place.
Plans to mark the second anniversary of President Sadat's
visit to Jerusalem in November 1977 have been called off.
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