CHECK AGAIIN. 3T DELIVERY / L EMBARGOED UNTIL 10 M.
1 OCTOBER 19 83
ADDRESS BY THE PRIIME MINISTER, MR. BOB HAWKE, AT Ti
OPENING OF THE LAKE MACQUARIE POLICE CITIZENS BOYS' CLUB
1 OCTOBER 1982
I AM DELIGHTED TO BE WITH YOU TODAY TO HELP YOU
CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF YOUR NEW CLUB,
IT GIVES ME PARTICULAR PLEASURE TO BE THE FIRST
PRIME MINISTER TO OPEN SUCH A CLUB Ii'THE 46 YEARS
SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE FEDERATION OF. POLICE
CITIZENS BOYS' CLUBS,
I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THE LAKE MACQUARiE
POLICE CITIZENS BOYS' CLUB HAS TAPPED INTO THE
EXTENSIVE RESOURCES THAT EXIST WITHIN THiS COMMUNITY,
THE PROOF OF THE EFFORTS OF THE LAKE MACQUARIE
COMMUNITY ARE BEFORE US TODAY IN THIS BUILDING
WITH ITS MAGNIFICENT FACILITIES,
THESE EFFORTS PROVIDE A FINE EXAMPLE OF THE
CONSTRUCTIVE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR
THE YOUTH OF LAKE M'ACQUARIE THAT THE REST OF THE
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TI FOLLO.,
IN THE VERY DIFFICULT ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE
RECENT PAST YOUNG PEOPLE AS A GROUP WERE THE
MOST SERIOUSLY HURT,
THEY W,; EPE AMONG THE F IRT GROUPS TO BE AFFECTED BY
THE RECESSION,
THEY IWERE At.', OqG THE HARDEST HIt BY THE $ IHRGE OF
UNEMPLOYMENT DURING RECENT YEARS.
AT MAY 1983 THERE WERE 176,800 UNEMPLOYED
YOUTH IN THE 15-19 AGE GROUP AND 343,900
UNEMPLOYED IN tHE . L%-24 AGE GROUP,.,
THE REDUCTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN ALL CATEGORIES
AND MOST ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUTH IS THE SINGLE MOST
IMPORTANT GOAL OF THE GOVERNMENT S ECONOMIC POLICIES.
WE CAN ILL-AFFORD THE LOSS OF SUCH VAST
PRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL, ./ 3
HIGH RATES YOU,-Tl! UNEMPLOYN1ENT OF THE KIIND
CAUSED~ BY Thr: PREVIOUS GOVERHNMENT'S POLICiEZALSO
CARR~ Y SIGINIFICANI SOCIAkL COSTS FOR OUR
COt4MUN IT I E S.
-A LARGE NUMBER OF ONEl GENER. ATION HAVE
BEEN DEPRIVED OF THE WORK EXPERIENCE NECES. SARY
TO EQUIP THEM TO PLAY A PRODUCTIV'E PART IN OUR
SOCIETY1
THE FRUSTRA TION AND) DISAPPOINTMENT OF AFFECTED
INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALIENATED ISOME FROM THE SYSTFIM'
AND PRODUCIED INTOLERABLE TENSIONS BOTH WITHIN
FAMILIES AND IN THE CO01MUNITY AT LARGE.
VIHI'LE WE CANNOT REASONABLY L> XPECr IN THE FOIRS E * A BL E
FUTURE TO RIETURN TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE POSTWAR
GENERAT ION WHERE THE CONVENT IONAL ECONOMY PROV'IDED
FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR EV'ERYBODY WHO SOUGHT WORKS WE
CAN AND -WILL CREATE MORE JOBSI
THE BEST STIMULUS TO A STROiNG AND SUSTAINED GRO'WT'lH
IN EMPLOYMENT IS THROUGH A GENERAL RECOVERY IN
THE ECONOMY.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS SOUGHT TO PROVIDE THE
FRAM. EVOR. K FOR SUCH A% RECOVERY THROUGHr ITS
ECONOMIC POLICIES, INCLUDING THE 193/ 84
BUDGET.
WE ARE ALSO TAKING INITIATIVES SPECIFICALLY
INTENDED TO LEAD TO PERMANENT JOBS OR TO PROVIDE
SERVICES OF PERMANENT COMMUNITY VALUE,
AN EXTRA $ 300 MILLION IS BEING MADE
AVAILABLE FOR DIRECT JOB CREATION
IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE STATES UNDER THE
COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, THIS ! S
EXPECTED TO CREATE UP TO 40., 000 JOBS THIS
FINANCIAL YEAR AND UP TO 70,000 NEW JOBS IN
A YEAR WHEN IT IS FULLY OPERATIONAL,
A PARTICULAR MATTER WVIE IN AUSTRALIA SHOULD BE
ADDRESSING IS THE FACT THAT TOO FEW OF OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE STAYING ON IN EDUCATION. OUR RECORD
BY COMPARISON WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IS POOR,
THE PARTICIPATION AND EQUITY PROGRAM WE ARE
STARTING IN 1984 WILL HELP, AS ALSO WILL THE
3000 EXTRA PLACES THE GOVERNMENT IS FINANCING AT
UNIVERSITIES AND CAE's NEXT YEAR.
THESE STEPS AREj HOWEVER, ONLY A BF. GINNINU, THE
GOVERNMENT I'S G:' YVINIG 0S[ E CONS I 0ElAT ION TO 11O1W BUST
* IT MIGHT FURTHE0" ENCOURA-GE YOUNG PEOPLE TO CON1TINIUE
EDUCATION AND TRAINING,
œ WE INTEND TO DE. VE-LOrP ANl INTEGRATED APPROACH TO0 YOUTH
POLICIES THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA,
THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR YOUTH ARE NEITHER
ENTIRELY COMMON01WEALTH NOCR STATE RESPONSIBIL1TIESI
THEY ARE COMPLEX AND INTERRELATED. Ti-is WIL. L. REQUIRE
EXTENSIVE CONSULIATIONS
As PART OF THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS, SENATOR RYAN HAS
CALLED A MEETING OF ALL STATE AN4D TERRITORIAL YOUTH AFFAIRS
MINISTERS FOR NOVEMBER THIS YE--AR,
This* IS THE FIRST MEETING OF THOSE MINISTERS.
THE YOUTH-AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF AuSTRALIA4 WHICH IS A
REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE, HAS RECENTLY
PUBLISHED A REPORT COMPILED ON BEHALF OF THE
COMMON WEALTHA
IT DEALS WITH EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND UN1EMPLOYMENT,
ACCOM& MODATION, HEALTH, LAW AND INCC) ME SECURITY. ITS
PUBLICATION FOLLOWED EXTENSIVE CONSULTATION WITH YOUNG PEOPLE,
THE REPORT MADE A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTINT H COSLA I
PROCESS BY BRINGING THE VIEWS OF YOUTH DIRECTLY To GON/ E R'llM E N'T
SAFF MEMBERS AND V0l,. JNTEERSJ tIANAGEMENT COb Ii T TEES
AND IIRECTORS OF POL: ClE CiiIZESs CLUBS HAVE SHOWN
THEiR " ITRO! JG PERSONAL C0, MMITr4ENT ' TO THE IERESTS
* OF YOUNG PEOPLE FOR : iANY YEARS,
As You CAN. SEE, le, IN T! E COIMMONWEALTH
GOVERM-11iWT SHARE THAT COMMI, 1TMENT AND SUPPORT YOU
IN THE EXCELL-ENT W~ ORK YOU AFRE;-DOING.
THE NEED FOR CONTINUING EFFORTS AN4D GROWTH BY
ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS YOURS IS OBVIOUS,
YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR ROLE TO PLAY AS A MAJOR
PROVIDER OF LEISURE ACTiVITIES AND TRAINING AN4D THAT
ROLE IS LIKELY TO BECOME INCREASINGLY liMPORTANT
AS SOCIETAL CHANGES IN4FLUENCE THE WAYS AUSTRALIANS
WORNK AND PLAY,
IN RECOGNITION OF THAT ROLE THE COMMON1W'EALTH
GOVERNMIENT H-AS GRANTED THE AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION
OF POLICE CITIZENS YOUTH CLUBS $ 27,000 FOR
1% 83/ 8LIk
LEISURE ACTIVITIES Al'% E: IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US,
THEY IMPROVE OUR ABILIT TO COE T SRES S
IMPROVE FITNESS, REDUCE THE. INCIDENCE OF CHRONIC
DISEASES AND LOW4ER THE HEALTH COSTS OF INDIVIDUALS
AND GOVE RNI EN IS. THEY CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO
FAMILY COHESIVENESS, s i 1~ 7
* AS THE POLICE CIT12ZENS CLU13S liAVE RECOGNISED) FOR.
MANY YLARSj THE PAPT! CULAR FO-RMl' OF LEIS;' URL ACTIVITY
~. WHICH ATTRACTS A PERSON IS NOT IMPORTA'T,
WHAT IS I'MPORTA; J--IS-THAT THE I0IIDA DOS r
ONE OR MOR. E LEISURE ACTIVITIFS AND THE CHANCE T 0 LEARN
AND DL-VELOP THE SKILLS WHIiCH WILL MAKE THAT ACTIVITY
SATISFYING.
THE POLICE CITIZENS CLUBS IN VARITOUS PARTS OF AUSTRALIA
WOULD NOT HAVE W, O N THE LONG-STANIDING SUPPORT THEY HAVE
IF THEY DID NOT RECOGNISE THAT THE. RE IS A NEED FOR A
WIDE RANGE OF LEISURE TRAINING AND THE PROVISION OF
GOOD FACILITIES,
My GOV'ERNMENT WA1LL CONTINUE TO CONSULT STATE GOVERNM'IENTS
ON THE PROVISION OF SPORT AND RECREATION FACILITIES AT
C OMM UtI T Y LEVEL TO ENSURE THAT WHAT IS DONE ACHIEVES
MUTUAL GOALS AND SAT-i SF IES LOCAL. NEEDS.
THE CREATION BY THE LAEOR GOVERNI'lENT OF A MNIiSTRY
OF SPORT, RECREATION AND TOURISM IS UNPRECEDENUTED.
IT ALSO RE FLECTS THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO THIS ASPECT
OF COMMUNITY LIFE,
JOHN BROWIN AS MINISTER IS, I BELIEVE, VERY EFFECTIVELY
TRANSL. ATING THE GOVERNMIENT'S-: I NTEREST I NTO COINCRETE
PROGRAMS OF ACTION.
THF 11.3 PER CE2, T IN. CREASEi IN FUNDS FOR YOIJ1H1 SPc~ i AU:
R CREATION IMAD E AVA sLAB LE I N TE I3 -8 4 2U DGT IS A FURiHER
PDEIIONSTPATION OF WHAT WE V.' ANT TO ACHIEVE IN THIS f: lP( RTA N T
AREA, LIKE YOUR OINN ORGAN1-4ITSATION, nHE GOv. R. N't-h1ENT WANTS TO
GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN HEALTHY
. RECREATION, TO PRO. M1OTE THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AIND SOCIAL
WELFARE OF THE CONIMUNITY WITH SPECIAL Ei'MPHASIS ON
MEETING GROUPS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND TO PR'OMOTE THH
WELFARE OF THE COtlMMIUNITY GENERALLY.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TODAY. I AM SURE YOUR NEW
CLUB WILL MEET ALL YOUR HOPES AND SERVE THE LAKE
MACQUARIE REGION WELL FOR MANY YEARS#
I HAVE blUCH PLEASURE IN DECLARING THE-CLUB OPEN AiD
ON BEHALF OF THE CO1MONWEALTH GOVERINM: t-IEN I WIsnH You
WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVOURS,
* t 0