PIMEMNSE Wednesday April4_ 4 1982
from the Press Office SUMMARY OF NEWSVOICE
The strong surplus in the balance of payments last month
was due to a big increase in the amount borrowed from overseas.
Report.
There has beena a further slump in Australia's home building
industry. Figuares out today show another fall in lending to
home owners by savings and trading banks. Report.
The ANZ Bank today announced it would increase its interest
for large borrowers from this Friday. It said its rate on
advances over $ 100,000 would rise by 1% a year to 17.25%.
The ANZ said the increase had become necessary to offset
inpart recent sharp rises in the cost of deposits.
The US Secretary of State has postponed a second trip to
Buenos Aires to report to President Reagan on the progress
of discussion to resolve the Falklands crisis. After his
return, Mr Haig had little to say except that both countries
were considering new ideas. In a letter to the UN Security
Council, Argentina says it will comply with the council's
demand for the withdrawal of its troops from the Falkland
Islands if Britain recalls its naval task force. It says
Britain would also have to recall what it called attempts
to return the previous colonial situation on the island.
Britain replied that Argentina's failure to comply with the.
UN order to withdraw from the Falklands had made it necessary
for Britain to take self defensive measures. In the meantime,
preparations for a military conflict are going ahead.
The Prime Minister said today there was no question of
Australia being directly involved in the Falkland Island
conflict. Mr Fraser was speaking on the ABE's national Morning
Extra prograrrme. Report. During the hour long phone in programme,
Mr Fraser answered questions from listeners around. Australia
on topics ranging from the price of farm fuel to the standards
of Australian. speech. A number of questions concentrated on
Australia's defence capabilities. On the Falklands crisis,
Mr Fraser said Australia was not bound by decisions made
by the United. Kingdom.
Prime MinistEr:
I am sure thEat the United Kingd. om would not be expecting Australia
to join them in battle in this particular conflict if it
develops that way. Whatever support we can provide them, morally,
and through some trade sanctions and through some financial
sanctions, anid these things have already been announced, of
course we will do. But it is not the kind of circumstances
in which I would expect to see Australians involved, directly.
A Darwin listener, Mr Mason, told the Prime Minisbr of his
concern at the level of defence preparedness of the Northern
Territory. Mr Mason:
We liken Darwin and the Northern Territory to be very, very similar
N ewsvoice14.4.82
Mr Mason: ( cont.)
to the Falkland Islands, with our lack of defence up here
in the Territory.
Prime Minister:
I don't think so.
Mr Mason:
We people up here do think so.
Prime Minister:
Well, if I could make a comment or two about that. The Falkland
Islands are a very long way, about eight or nine thousand
miles from the United Kingdom. They are remote from the main
centres of British power and influence. Now, the Northern
Territory is all part of one island continent, and the Australian
defence effort is based to make sure that we secure the
protection of Australia against any possible threats. I can
understand that there can be a feeling of isolation but really
in military terms, the situations are not the same, they really
aren' t.
The NSW Supreme Court has begun hearing a challenge against
a State government Minister's refusal to allow a State ward
to have an abortion. The decision by the Youth and Community
Service Minister has led to heated arguments inside the cabinet.
Tasmania' s Director of Road Safety has attacked what he calls
the often ridiculous publicity given to the Easter road tolls.
Report. An American expert on new antibiotics today warned Australian
doctors not to0 consider their costs when lives are threatened.
Caltex has deferred some $ 20 million in investment in NSW
because of the State's petrol pricing controls.
Queensland's cabinet ministers will be among those hard hit
by a campaign of bans and limitations imposed by government
blue collars in support of a 35 hour week. At a mass meeting
in Brisbane this morning, over 1,000 menand women from a dozen
different uni~ ons overwhelmingly rejected the government's final
offer of a 38 hour week. Services like air conditioning and
plumbing willi be affected.
Two officials from the BLF in South Australia today refused
to answer questions at the Royal Commission into the union
in Melbourne.. The South Australian Secretary of the union, Mr Owens
and an organiser, Mr Porter, read a prepared statement to the
commission and then remained silent during questioning.
2