PRIME MINISTER TUESDAY 20 NOVEMBER 1979
From the Press Office
The following statements were released to the Press Gallery
up to 6.00 pm tonight:
GOVE RMEN T
1. The Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, Mr. MacKellar,-
advised of Commonwealth grants to help ethnic aged totalling
more than $ 200,000.
2. The Minister for Defence, Mr. Killen announced today that the
Army is to replace ' its fleet of medium duty tracked tractors
at an estimated cost of $ 4,000,000.
3. The Minister for the Capital Territory, Mr. Ellicott, today
announced the engagement of Mr. Neville A. Whiffen as interim
Executive Director of the Canberra Development Board.
4. Address by Mr. MacPhee, Minister for Productivity to the
Annual Conference of the Royal Institute of Public Administratio
The Minister for National Development, Mr. Newman, said
today that the exploration plans announced by Esso were
further evidence of the success of the Government's
policies.
6. The Minister for Health, Mr. Hunt, announced that the
Government had decided against pruning for purely
economic reasons the list of drugs available under
the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
7. Minister for Primary Industry, Mr. Nixon, announced today
that $ 2,951,34 . ld bo pid t. _ e apple export industry
before the end of this month under the Commonwealth's
apple and pear stabilization arrangements.
8. The Minister for Primary Industry, Mr. Nixon, said
the implications of the proposed U. S. Countercyclical
Meat Import Law for management and marketing in the
Australian beef industry would be very carefully examined.
9. The Department of Business and Consumer Affairs announced
the results" of the first passenger motor vehicle import
quota tender held in Canberra today.
Senator D. J. Hamer said while the affluent world has an
obvious duty to provide humanitarian aid to those in need, he
questioned so-called development aid. The Senator said
he was very sceptical of the value of much of this
development aid. / 2
2
OPPOSITION 1. Senator Susan Ryan, Opposition Spokeswoman on
the media, held a press conference on the Murdoch
takeover of Herald Weekly Times Group.
2. Senator Don ChipD said certain news reports have
stated this morning quoting that the Democrats have
" failed" to vote on a clause in the Human Rights
Commission Bill last evening. He said he believed
this misrepresented the Democrats' position.
3. Senator Ken Wriedt said on 8 June this year there was
yet another blatant case of Parlia. ent being misled.
Said on that day, in response to a question on notice
from Senator Button, the Minister for Defence, through
Senator Carrick, told the Senate that " There are no
detailed statistics on the incidence of alcoholism
and drug addiction detected by -Medical Officers in
any of the Services". Said it has now come to light
that that statement was not accurate.
GENERAL 1. The National Farmers' Federation announced that its
President, Mr. Don Eckersley has been selected as the
1979 Man of the Year in Australian Agriculture.
2. Bureau of Agricultural Economics today released the
November issue of the Quarterly Review of the rural economy.
3. Western Australian Local Government Grants Commission.
for 1979/ 80, September 1979.
4. River Murray Commission, Annual Report, 1979.
Department of Science and the Environment, Annual
Report, 1978-79.
6. Health Insurance Commission, Fourth Annual Report
for the period 1 July 1977 to 30 June 1978.
7. Annual Report of the Commissioner for Employees'
Compensation, 1978-1979.
8. Annual Report of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal,
1978-79.
9. Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority, 30th Annual Report,
1978-79.
Criminology Research Council, Seventh Annual Report,
1979.
STATISTICS 1. The Labour Force, Australia, September 1979.
000---