PRIME MINISTER V
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FOR MEDIA
ROYAL COMNI'ISSION INTO THEI ACTIVITIES OF T1-1E FEDERATED
SHIP PAINTERS AND DOCKERS UNION
joint Statement by the Prime Minister and the Victorian Premier
The Royal Commission into the Activities of the Fecderated Ship
Painters and Dockers Union, established by the Commonwealth and
Victorian Governments, will begin its inquiry on 1 October, 1980.
iMr. Francis Xavier Costigan, will head the Royal
Commission. Mr. Costigan is a former Chairman of the Victorian
Bar Council and President of the Australian Bar Association.
The Royal Commission will inquire into the alleged illegal
activities of the Union, and will satisfy the public demand for the
facts about alleged corruption on the waterfront.
The Commission is to present an interim report not later thian 31
March 1981, followed by its final report and recomrmendations not
later than 30 September, 1981.
( Terms of reference attached) 000---p
1-eq " eV ' Ote e
1. Terms of Refe" ence
To inquire:
" whether the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union
( herinafter referred to as " the Union") or any officer or member
of the Union has engaged in illegal activities in relation to Shipping
engaged in trade and commerce between Australia and places outside
Australia or among the States or ships operated by, or on behalf
of, the Commonwealth or in relation to any naval establishment
within the meaning of the Naval Defence Act 1910.
Without restricting the scope of its inquiry, the Commission
is to give particular attention to the following questions:
whether any executive, administrative or other body
forming part of, or established by, the ' nio: n has
been used, or is being used, for the purposes of
illegal activities, other than activities involving
only breaches of laws, whether of the Commonwealth,
or a State, relating to trade unions;
whether the Union or any of its officials or members
has been or is engaged in demanding cr :-eceiv'in
payments ( other than payments of an ordinary commercial
nature or payments in accordance with an industrial
award or agreement in respect of work actually performed
or to be performed) from employers or other persons
in relation to ships engaged in trade and commerce
between Australia and places outside Australia or
among the States, in relation to ships operated by,
or on behalf of, the Commonwealth or in relation
to any naval establishment within the meaning of
the Naval Defence Act 1910 and, if any such payments
have been made
the persons by whom and to whom any such
payments have been made;
( ii) the reasons for, or the purpose of, any such
payments; / 2
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( iii) the subsequent or proposed use or disposal
of any such payments;
whethEr the Union or any officers or members of the
Union have engaged in illegal activities in relation
to the election or appointment of officers of the Union
or the conduct or purported conduct of the Union's
affairs; if the Union or any officers or miembers of the Union
have engaged in activities of any of the kinds referred
to in. this or the preceding paragraphs, whether
the employment conditions applying to the work of
ship painters and dockers have contributed to the
development of those activities."