PRIME MINISTER 17 OCTOBER 1979
from the Press Office SUMMARY OF ABC'S 7.45 NEWS
Arbitration commissioners are expected to meet today to
discuss the proposed changes to industrial law. Most of
the 25 commissioners and some deputy presidents are likely
to attend the meeting, along with the President of the
Commission, Sir John Moore. In Parliament yesterday,
the Opposition claimed the amendments would create problems
for commissioners in the handling of disputes and urged
the Government to withdraw the legislation. The Bill
goes into the Senate today where some Government backbenchers
have reservations about the measures, as Ron Sinclair reports:
The areas of primary concern to Senators with whom I spoke last
night were both that giving the Government easier means by
which to apply for union deregistration, and the fact that
individual commissioners will no longer have the right
to make award rulings without the approval of a commission
deputy president. The Government in the form of the Prime Minister
and Mr Street made it clear yesterday that it would not be
swayed in drawing legislation by protest from commissioners.
* The-sNew SoutihWales Bar Association has condemned the practice
-of-tabl. ing-in % Parliament: reports' which could lead--to criminal
chargesdbeing'laigad againstnndividuals. . The Association's council,
described:: the-tabling. of-the irecent Einnane Report-i as a -grave
' thre~ ati~ thepr6per administration: of justice.' The council
made it quite clear that it was not commenting on the correctness
or otherwise of the Finnane Report. It said that trial by
investigator or public debate was not an acceptable substitute
for-trial by the judicial process. The. council also-took-pains.-
to -defend-the-p rofess ionaiintegrity. of -Mr" Michael Finnane,-
saying; he was-a-iBarrister'of -unblemished reputation6h . inid
condemned imputatiobns made-against Mr Finnane both-inside
and . out-of--Par--ilament,~-saying there ? had been. no supporting
evidence-for, the " allegations. f: f
A politicial activist has been sentenced to 15 years gaol
in the first political trial since the cultural revolution.
He was accused, of writing articles critical of the Communist
Party and of giving State secrets to an unnamed foreigner.
Latest reports from the Thai/ Kampuchean border say refugees
are flowing through at the rate of about 4,000 a day. About
are dying each day before reaching safety in Thailand.
Thai military forces estimate that up to 100,000 have fled
the fighting and the famine in Kampuchea. Vietnam has accused
Thailand of siding with China by supporting the ousted
Pol Pot government in Kampuchea. Thailand has replied that
it won't be dictated to or threatened by anyone.
A new fishing agreement between Australia and Japan is being
signed in Canberra inspite of vocal campaign against it.
A deputation representing the fishing and tourist industries
in New South Wales and Queensland spent more than an hour
with the Minister for Primary Industry, Mr Nixon, last night
but failed to pursuade him to delay the signing of the fishing
agreement. However, Mr Nixon has agreed to set up a committee
to monitor and collate information during the 12 month agreement. / 2
2
Conservationists in Tasmania are confident a proposal for a
power scheme on the State's western rivers will be rejected.
Director of the Wilderness Society said that things had
changed since the last big conservation battle when the
wilderness lobby lost the fight over Lake Pedder, and that
opinion polls this year showed the people of Tasmania
opposed the new scheme by a two to one majority.
, The. New South Wales Minister-. for.; Resources. and Development-:
tas rejected applications. from-: several " countries for uranium
prospecting licences. The-Minister -made. theo decision to ban-.-
* uranium-.. exploration in New-South-Wales without consulting
cabinet, .' and informed the-. Premier-only-yesterday. He said
this morning the decision was in line with the anti-uranium
policy agreed to at both State and Federal Labor Party
conferences. ICI Australia will spend $ 450,000 landscaping the site of
its proposed petro chemical complex at Point Wilson near
Geelong in an attempt to protect the habitat of the rare,
oranged belly parrot.
Legislation making changes to West Australian industrial
law has been introduced in the State's Parliament by the
Minister for Labour and Industry. The legislation proposes
to remove all pressure on employees to join unions, to allow
a strike only where union members have voted for it in a
secret ballot and to allow deregistration of unions.
Thousands of people in the Perth metropolitan area will be
left without bus services after this morning's peak period.
Drivers will attend a stop work meeting to discuss a manning
dispute.
More than 400 people have been injured in a collision involving
four trains packed with commuters in Philadelphia.
Moves to restrict pin ball parlours are being considered
in New South Wales and Queensland following complaints
from parent that children have been spending up to $ 6 a day
in them.
The Australian Democrats are seeking a new classification
for films, for violence.