PRESS RELEASE
NOT TO BE RELEASED BEFORE 3AM WEDNESDAY 25TH MARCH
COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION CONFERENCE
OXFORD, ENGLAND 15TH-29TH JULY, 1959
(STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER)
The United Kingdom Government released the following statement this morning:-
"All the Governments of the Commonwealth have now accepted an invitation from the United Kingdom Government to attend a Commonwealth Education Conference in Oxford from the 15th to 29th July. The principal Colonial territories will also send representatives. Delegations will be composed of officials and representatives of educational interests including the universities.
Lord Halifax Chancellor of the University of Oxford will be President of the Conference and Sir Philip Morris Vice-Chancellor of Bristol University will be Chairman The United Kingdom Government have invited delegates to spend the week before the Conference visiting educational establishments in the United Kingdom. They will be guests of the United Kingdom Government for the whole period of three weeks.
This Conference stems from a decision of the Commonwealth Ministers at the Commonwealth Trade and Economic Conference held at Montreal in September 1958 that a meeting should be convened by the United Kingdom during 1959 to formulate a new programme of Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships and to review the existing arrangements for cooperation between Commonwealth countries on all aspects of education.
Prime Minister's Comment: Mr. Menzies, in commenting on this announcement, confirmed that Australia has accepted the invitation of the United Kingdom Government to send a delegation to the Education Conference in Oxford next July. He added that the composition of the delegation is now being discussed with State Premiers and various interested authorities.
STRICT EMBARGO. Not for publication, broadcasting or cabling before 1 am E.S.T. Wednesday, 25th March, 1959
NO.9 /195 9
CABINET DISCUSSION ON PARLIAMENTARY SALARIES REPORT
STATEMENT BY the PRIME MINISTER
Ministers have today considered and discussed the report on salaries and allowances of Members of the Commonwealth Parliament made by Sir Frank Richardson, Mr. G.E. Fitzgerald
And Mr. N.L. Cowper.
After an elaborate discussion, we have decided to adopt the recommendations of the report without amendment, and will introduce legislation accordingly.
As we are anxious that the Report should be carefully considered as a whole, since it provides a great deal of important material I do not propose to make any long comment upon it. I say this because I hope that everybody interested will obtain a full copy of the Report and study it. But four particular matters deserve mention:
-
There is sometimes a complaint that Members of Parliament "fix their own pay". The fact is that they are bound to do so under the Constitution which provides Parliamentary Allowances on a certain scale "until the Parliament otherwise provides". As the Committee says: "It was, therefore, clearly contemplated that the remuneration of Members could be altered from time to time, and it was laid down that any alteration should be made by Parliament itself.
My own Government has introduced, for the third time now, the practice of referring the problem for independent advice by an outside committee, making its report after investigation from Parliamentary and non- Parliamentary sources.
-
We have stated our policy that a review of these matters should be made early in the life of each new Parliament and that, subject only to quite abnormal circumstances, the conditions then determined should apply unchanged throughout the life of the Parliament. This, we believe, is a sensible provision.
-
The 1951 Committee covered the whole field, including the salaries and allowances of Ministers. The 1955 committee was specifically asked not to deal with the salaries and allowances of Ministers, or of Parliamentary office-bearers, or of retiring allowances. The position is, therefore, that these matters have remained untouched and unconsidered for over 7 years.
-
In view of constant misrepresentation, I should again point out that the so-called "allowances" paid to Ministers and private Members do not form in the ordinary acceptation of the term, part of their salary. They represent amounts which, if paid out by way of political expenses, are then deductable. Nobody dreams of adding to the salary of some business executive the amount of expenses which he incurs in the business of his company. Yet it has not been uncommon to find some commentators adding to the salary of a Minister or Member an allowance for political expenses which represents no nett gain to himself. This is a matter which I urge people to keep in mind when considering this important document.
-2-
The Report sets out in close detail the nature of the expenditure of a non-private kind which a Member of Parliament is bound under modern circumstances to incur. I would, therefore, urge that the closest attention should be given to the reasoning of the Report. I am sure that, if it is carefully considered, the general public feeling would be that what has been recommended pays proper attention to the labours and responsibilities of Members of Parliament and their wives, and will help to give effect to the Committee's view that, while the emoluments of Members of Parliament should not be extravagant they should be of such a kind as not to deter able men from entering the Parliamentary service of the nation.
CANBERRA, A.C.T.
24th March, 1959.