PRIME MINISTER THURSDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 1979
From the Press office
SUMMARY OF ABC'S 7: 45 am NEWS
Relations between Iran and the United States are worsening.
In the latest development, Ayatollah Khomeini is refusing to
meet special emissaries sent by President Carter. In a radio
broadcast the Ayatollah has warned that there will be no contact
with the Americans until the Shah is returned from New York.
He also supported the Muslim students holding the hostages but
criticised them for threatening to kill the Americans.
The American mission on its way to Iran has been told to remain
in Athens until the State Department clarifies whether Iranian
authorities will receive them.,
The Minister for National Development,' Mr. Kevin Newman, say s
any limitations on exports of crude oil from Iran will have very
little immediate impact on Australia's crude oil supplies.
Mr. Newman said Australia was 70 per cent self-sufficient in
crude oil and imports from Iran so far this year represented
less than 1 per cent of the total Australian requirements.
Senator Edward Kennedy has announced formally that he will be
standing for the Presidency of the United States. Senator Kennedy
made the announcement in Boston and used the occasion to deliver
a blunt attack against the Carter administration. His formal
announcement is to be followed by a similar declaration tomorrow
from another Democrat, Governor Gerry Brown of California.
President Carter is expected to announce his candidacy early
next month.
Mrs. Roslyn Carter is on her way to Thailand. The American
President's wife will be away for four days, inspecting refugee
camps on Thailand's border with Kampuchea and conferring with
the Thai Government.
Britain is to abandon Australia's Woomera Testing Range. The
Ministry of Defence in London has announced that missile testing
at Woomera will end from June next year.
Queensland Senator George Georges has undergone a number of
tests after being admitted to hospital suffering from a heart
attack. He was admitted to Woden Valley Hospital with chest
pains early yesterday. He is expected to remain in hospital
for some time.
There is speculation about the health of the Soviet Prime Minister.
For the first time in 15 years he has missed the parade to
mark the 62nd Anniversary of the October Revolution.
The Defence Department is considering court martialling an army
officer alleged to have released details of Dr. Peter Solomon's
military career.
The next national wage case is due to begin in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The ABC's Melbourne Office says the ACTU and other union groups
are expected to seek a full flow-on of 5.1 per cent in the CPI.
The employers are expected to argue that no wage increase is
justified.' In line with a decision by its Executive last week, the
ACTU will also press for an unspecified catch-up claim to make up
for money lost by previous partial wage indexation hearings. / 2
-2
Authorities in Darwin are having difficulty processing the
number of Taiwanese fishing boats arriving to fish in Australian
territorial waters under the new fisheries agreement. The
boats are arriving at such a rate that officials have run into
unexpected delays into completing formalities because of
communication difficulties.
The CSIRQ is to charter a commercial fishing vessel to carry
out research in the 200 mile Australian fishing zone. The
Minister for Science and the Environment, Senator Webster,
says the vessel will be chartered for 5 years at a cost of
nearly $ 6 million..
A challenge to Commonwealth sovereignty over land in the
Northern Territory will be discussed,, in Canberra today by the
Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Anthony, and the Chief Minister of
the Territory, Mr. Paul Everingham. The meeting stems from
an option by the Territory Government two weeks ago in proclaiming
52 sq. kms. of the Commonwealth-controlled Kakadu National Park
as a town area.
The functions of the former Federal Narcotics Bureau, which
was disbanded on Tuesday by the Government, will be formally
transferred today to the Federal Police Force. The decision to
do away with the Bureau followed a recommendation by a judge
heading the Commonwealth's Royal Commission into Drugs. In a
brief statement last night,' the Minister for-Administrative
Services, Mr. McLeay, said the formalities relating to the
transfer had been completed and the new arrangements would take
effect from today.
Cricket: India has won the series against Australia.
The President of Zambia is flying to London to discuss
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia with Mrs. Thatcher. The British Prime Minister
invited the President to stop in London on his way to a
conference in Rome. 0 00---