PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT PRESS CONFERENCE9 SEOUL 6 FEBRUARY 1984 AT SHILLA
HOTEL
E AND 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST : CAN WE DEAL WITH THIS GMH THING AND THE REACTION TO
THAT ARE YOU SURPRISED AT THE LEVEL OF THE REACTION THAT HAS
OCCURRED SO FAR FROM NOT ONLY FROM THE OPPOSITION BUT ALSO FROM -THE
TRADE UNIONS. I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED AT THE WAY WHAT I'VE SAID HAS BEEN
PRESENTED. AND I THINK YOU'' APPRECIATE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION
I NEED TO GIVE A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE ANSWER AND I HOPE IN DOING THAT
THAT I'LL MEET ALL THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT MAY BE IN YOUR MINDS.
THE FIRST POINT THAT I. WOULD MAKE IS THAT IT COMES AS A* LITTLE
SURPRISING TO ME THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOME SUGGESTION GIVEN*
MY BACKGROUND AND HISTORY THAT WH-AT I WOULD BE ABOUT IS THE
DESTRUCTION OF JOBS. IN ALL OF MY PUBLIC COMMITMENTs IN THE ACTU
AND SINCE I'VE BEEN IN PARLIAMENTi IS TOWARDS THE CREATION
OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND PERHAPS MOST SPECIFICALLY I CAN
PICK UP MY SURPRISE AT TK~ E MISUNDERSTANDING BY JUST LOOKING AT THE
STEEL INDUSTRY.
IN THE REPORTING AND REACTION THERE HAS BEEN SOME REFERENCE TO THE
LOSS OF JOBS IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. NOW LET'S REMEMBER THE FACTS.
THE FACTS ARE THAT WHEN MY GOVERNMENT CAME TO OFFICE WE WERE
CONFRONTED AS YOU ALL K~ OW AND AS THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY KNOWS
WITH THE DISTINCT LIKELIHOOD THAT AUSTRALIA COULD FACE THE
DISAPPEARANCE OF ITS STEEL INDUSTRY. THAT WAS AN OPTION WHICH
WAS SERIOUSLY BEING CONTEMPLATED. I SAID ON BEHALF OF THE LABOR
MOVEMENT THAT THAT WAS A CONTEMPLATION WHICH WAS NOT TO BE CANVASSED.
AND WAS ONE THAT WE WOULD NOT PUT UP WITH AT ALL.
POSITIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT THAT WE WOULD* IN FACT,
WE IN A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME OF BEING IN GOVERNMENT, BRING3 IN A
STEEL INDUSTRY PLAN FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSES OF ENSURING THAT
AUSTRALIA WOULD RETAIN A HEALTHY AND VIABLE AND COMPETITIVE STEEL
INDUSTRY. AND IN FACT THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPE-NED. IT IS A IMATTER I
BELIEVE OF UNIVERSAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT AS A RESULT OF TH4E PLANNINIG
CONSULTATIVELY THAT WE UND) ERT( OK' THAT WE SAVED THE AUSTRALIAN STEEL
INDUSTRY AND WE SAVED THOUSANDS OF JOBS IN SAVQING THE STEEL INDUSTRY.
NOW IT'S INSTRUCTIVE, I SUGGEST, TO RECALL JUST WHAT WE DID.
WE CALLED THE COMPANY, WE CALLED THE UNIONS AND WE CALLED THE
GOVERNMENTS TOGETHER. AND TOGETHER WE SET ABOUT WORKING OUT WHAT
SORTS OF DECISIONS NEEDED TO BE MADE IN THE LIGHT OF CURRENT AND
FORESEEABLE CIRCUMSTANCES TO ACHIEVE THE RESULT OF SAVING THE
INDUSTRY AND SAVING EMPLOYMENT. THAT WAS NOT RUSHED INTO BUT IN
THE RESULT, OUT OF ALL THAT CONSULTATIONi WE HAVE, AS I SAY, SAVED
THE INDUSTRY AND SAVED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS DIRECTLY AND
INDIRECTLY.
AND THAT WAS DONE IN A WAY WHICH INVOLVED AN INPUT
FROM THE COMPANY, A COMMITMENT TO HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN NEW INVESTMENT, A COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF THE UNIONS TO ADOPT
NEW WORK PRACTICES TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND A COMMITMENT OF THE
GOVERNMENT TO A FORM OF ASSISTANCE WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT DOWN TFE
LINE USERS OF STEEL WOULD BE PROTECTED. TO BE PRECISE THE BOUNTY
FORM OF ASSISTANCE WAS INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN.
NOW WHEN YOU HAVE THAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE HAVE IN FACT DONE IN THE
STEEL INDUSTRY WHICH SAVED THE INDUSTRY AND SAVED TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF JOBS DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY YOU CAN PERHAPS UNDERSTAND THAT SO
FAR AS I FEEL TO SEE REFERENCE TO PLANNING INVOLVING A LOSS OF JOBS
IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY, WHAT WE WERE ABOUT WAS INVOLVING CONSULTATIVE,
CO-OPERATIVE PLANNING TO SAVE JOBS AND TO SAVE THEM INTO THE FUTURE.
SIMILARLY IN REGARD TO THE CAR INDUSTRY WHAT I AM SAYING AND WHAT
THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ABOUT WILL BE TO FACE UP TO THE FACT THAT WE
ALL KNOW THAT THE TASK HAS SEEN A DIMINUTION, A SIGNIFICANT
DIMINUTION, OF EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE MOTOR VEHICLE
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA. THAT HAS HAPPENED. IT'S
HAPPENED IN THE SITUATION WHERE THERE HASNT BEEN SUFFICIENT
CONSTRUCTIVE CONSULTATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE INDUSTRY.
AND I REMIND YOU THAT WHEN I TALK ABOUT INDUSTRY I TALK ABOUT NOT
ONLY EMPLOYERS9 BUT I TALK ABOUT THE WORKERS AND THEIR
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE INDUSTRY. AND SO WE WILL BE AS FAR AS THAT
INDUSTRY IS CONCERNED ADOPTING THE SAME SORT OF PROCESS OF
CONSULTATION TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THROUGH CONSULTATION AND
PLANNING WE CAN SEE THE EMERGENCE OF A TRULY VIABLE INDUSTRY IN
AUSTRALIA. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER POINTS I WANT TO MAKE, BUT I'SHOULD MAKE
THIS POINT TO YOU THAT THERE HAS BEEN, AS YOU WOULD APPRECIATE I
THINK BECAUSE YOU'VE HEARD WHAT I SAID IN OSAKA AND WHAT I SAID IN
JAPAN, I THINK YOU MORE THAN PERHAPS ANYONE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT
THERE HAS BEEN A DEGREE OF MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT I'VE SAID.
WHEN I'M OVERSEAS REPRESENTING AUSTRALIA I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE
UP MY TIME GOING INTO A DETAILED RESPONSE TO POLITICAL ATTACKS OR
MISREPRESENTATIONS THAT OCCUR AT HOME WHILE I'M AWAY. I CAN ASSURE
EVERYBODY WITHIN AUSTRALIA THAT WHEN I RETURN I WILL PICK UP THE MORE
GROTESQUE OF THOSE MISREPRESENTATIONS. LET ME MAKE ONE POINT THAT
I THINK IS VERY SIGNIFICANT. THERE HAS BEEN SOME SUGGESTION MADE
THAT I HAVE COME OVERSEAS TO MAKE THESE STATEMENTS. NOW I THINK ALL
OF YOU HERE KNOW THAT THAT IS AGAIN A GROTESOUE MISREPRESENTATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SPEECH I MADE IN SYDNEY ON 10 NOVEMBER OF LAST
YEAR TO THE SYDNEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN RESPECT OF THE AUTOMOBILE
INDUSTRY YOU WILL SEE THAT I SAID THERE PRECISELY THE SORTS OF THINGS
THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT IN JAPAN. AND INDEED NOT ONLY IN THAT SPEECH
BUT IN A NUMBER OF SPEECHES THAT I'VE MADE SINCE I'VE BEEN PRIME
MINISTER. I HAVE GIVEN THE SAME SORT OF THRUST THAT I HAVE GIVEN IN
JAPAN. AS I SAY AS FAR AS THE POLITICS OF ALL THAT MISREPRESENTATION
IS CONCERNED I AM LOOKING FORWARD bREATLY TO PICKING UP THAT DEBATE
WHEN I GO BACK TO AUSTRALIA9 BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROPER LOCATION
UNDERTAKE THAT DEBATE. WHILE I'M OVERSEAS I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE
INTERESTS OF AUSTRALIANS AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE INTERESTS OF OUR
COUNTRY. LET ME EMPHASISE THE POINT THAT I AGAIN KNOW ALL OF YOU
UNDERSTOOD THAT I WENT OUT OF MY WAY TO MAKE IN MY SPEECHES IN JAPANON
THE SUBJECT IN SPEECHES AND IN CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU PRIVATELY
YOU KNOW THAT AT ALL POINTS I HAVE GONE OUT OF MY WAY TO EMPHASISE
THESE THINGS. FIRSTLY9 THAT NOTHING-IS GOING TO BE DONE BY
AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT FIAT9 THAT WHAT WE ARE ABOUT IS THE PROCESS OF
CONSULTATION AND IN THE PROCESSES OF CONSULTATION OF MY GOVERNMENT IN
LESS THAN A YEAR IN OFFICE STANDS OUT DRAMATICALLY AS BEING
SUCCESSFUL AND AS BEING A COMMITTED UNDERTAKING AND THEY CONTRAST
STARKLY WITH THE VIRTUAL LACK OF CONSULTATION WHICH HAS CHARACTERISED
GOVERNMENT POLICY MAKING IN THE PAST.
SECONDLYi AGAIN AS I SAID IN THE SPEECHES AND AS I'VE SAID IN
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WITH MANY OF YOUt AT ALL POINTS WHAT WE ARE
LOOKING AT IS THE MEDIUM TO LONGER TERM WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE
MAKING DECISIONS TODAY OR TOMORROW ABOUT A PARTICULAR INDUSTRY OR
ABOUT THE OVERALL. STRUCTURE OF INDUSTRY. WHAT WE'VE GOT TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT IS HAVING A CONSULTATIVE PROCESSi FULLY INVOLVING
GOVERNMENT AND BOTH SIDES OF INDUSTRY AND WHERE RELEVANT, OF COURSE,
THE STATE GOVERNMENTSi SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN ADDRESS OURSELVES TO
THE FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION OF HOW THROUGH THE-MEDIUM AND~
LONGER TERM WE ARE GOING TO INCREASE JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN
AUSTRALIA AND IT WILL BE SELF-DEFEATING IF IN FACT WE WERE TO PROCEED
IN ANY OTHER WAY.
WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONVEY WELL BEFORE I LEFT AUSTRALIA AND GIVE
ADDED EMPHASIS TO IN JAPANJ AND'HERE IS THAT WE DO LIVE IN A REGION
OF DYNAMIC, RAPID GROWTH ANI? THAT WE CANNOT ISOLATE OURSELVES FROM
THAT FACT. AND THE UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENTS IN AUSTRALIA
IN 1984 AND THROUGH THE 1980' S IS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE GREAT ELEMENTS OF OUR SOCIETY WHICH ARE GOING
TO ENSURE THAT WE, AS I SAY AND I'VE SAID BEFORE I'VE USED
THE PHRASE-THROUGH ' ENM1! SHING' OURSELVES WITH THIS DYNAMIC REGION
CAN GET FOR OURSELVES IN AUSTRALIA THE GREATEST BENEFIT OF THE
DYNAMISM OF THE REGION. AND THAT WILL MEAN WHEN SUCCESSFULLY DONE
AND SUCCESSFULLY DO IT WE WILL, THROUGH CONSULTATION, THAT WILL ME AN
NOT JOB LOSSES IN ANY AGGREGATE SENSE, IT WILL MEAN THROUGH TIME
THE CERTAINTY OF CREATING MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTRALIANS.
AND WHAT WE MUST DO, AND AGAIN THE THEME THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO
EMPHASISE TO YOU AS AGAIN I HAVE IN INUMMERABLE SPEECHES IN
AUSTRALIAi IS TO POINT OUT THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS YOU
CANT TALK ABOUT INDUSTRY ADJUSTMENT IN ISOLATION, YOU'VE
GOT TO SEE IT AS PART OF A WHOLE, A WHOLE WHICH INCLUDES POLICIESi
DIRECTED TO AN APPROPRIATE MACROECONOMIC STRUCTUREi POLICIES DIRECTED
TO AN APPROPRIATE EDUCATION STRUCTURE So THAT WE WILL HAVE A
RELEVANT AND APPROPRIATELY TRAINED AND FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE WHICH
WILL BE ABLE TO ADJUST TO THE CHANGES WHICH OUR CHANGING WORLD WILL
DEMAND OF US.
IT WILL ALSO REQUIRE APPROPRIATE INVESTMENT POLICIES, IT WILL REQUIRE
APPROPRIATE TRAINING AND RETRAINING POLICIES. NOW I REPEAT, AS
AGAIN I THINK EVERYONE OF YOU. IN THIS ROOM KNOWS, THE
WHOLE OF MY PUBLIC RECORD WITHIN THE TRADE UNIONS MOVEMENT AND'
IN PARLIAMENT HAS BEEN DIRECTED TOWARDS THE ISSUE OF HOW DO
WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET AWAY FROM THE AD-HOCERY OF THE PAST
WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE IN THOSE DAYS OF THE LUCKY COUNTRY
SYNDROME WHEN PERHAPS PLANNING AND CONSULTATION WASNT NECESSARY.
TO GET AWAY FROM THAT TOWARDS AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE DELIBERATELY
WILL BE CREATING JOBS AND CREATING MORE SATISFYING JOBS'AND DOING
IT WITHIN AN AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY WHICH MAXIMISES THE OPPORTUNITY COR
ALL AUSTRALIANS TO GET THE BENEFIT OF BEING PART OF THIS DYNAMIC
REGION. BUTCH9 THAT HAS TAKEN SOME TIME T40 ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONi BUT I HOPE
I'VE GONE TO THE RANGE OF ISSUES WHICH I THINK ARE RELEVANT. I
JUST CONCLUDE ON THE POINT THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO DEAL WITH PARTICULAR
CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY MY POLITICAL OPPONENTS IN TH4E
LAST DAY OR SO. BUT I REPEAT I GREATLY LOOK FORWARD TO PICKING * rHEM
UP WHEN I GET BACK TO AUSTRALIA.
JOURNALIST: PRIME MINISTER, YOUR PREDECESSORi HIS GOVERNMENT ALSO
BELIEVED IN LOWERING PROTECTION LEVELS AND* RATIONALISING AUSTRALIAN
INDUSTRYi YET HE DEMONSTRABLY FAILED IN THAT. WHY WOULD YOU
SUCCEED. WELL THE POINTS I'D MAKE ABOUT THAT. * MAY I JUST MAKE
JUST A VERY BRIEF PREPARATORY POINT THAT AS YOU KNOW I HAVEN'S
INDULGED SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE IN THE BUSINESS OF GOING ABOUT
BAGGING MY PREDECESSOR, HE SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF IN A SENSE. BUT I
DO.-MAKE THIS FIRST POINT THAT THE SORT OF THINGS THAT MY
PREDECESSOR WAS TALKING ABOUT ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE WAS A GRAND
SCALE ABOUT THE WORLD WINDING BACK PROTECTION AND AT THE SAME TIME
IN AUSTRALIA BEING IN A POSITION WHERE NOTHING WAS DONE THAT WAS IN
ANY SENSE CONSISTENT WITH OR RELEVANT TO THAT GRAND SORT OF APPROACH.
NOW I SAY THIS THAT WE HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE MODEST IN OUR APPROACH
YOU WILL RECALL THAT THE TWO THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID IN MY
INTERNATION PROJECTION ON THIS ISSUE. FIRSTLY TO WELCOME THE CALL
THAT HAS BEEN MADE BY OTHERS, PRIMARILY BY PRIME MINISTER NAKASONE
AND SPECIAL U. S. TRADE' 1REPRESENTATIVE BOCH WHO HAVE CALLED FOR A NEW
MTN ROUND. THE FIRST THING I'VE DONE IS TO WELCOME THAT , CALL AND
SUPPORT IT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT FOR A GREAT TRADING NATION LIKE
AUSTRALIA IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THAT WE FREE UP THE
INTERNATIONAL TRADING SYSTEM.
SECONDLYi THE SPECIFIC INITIATIVE, IF YOU LIKE9 WITH WHICH I'VE BE--EN
ASSOCIATED IS TO SAY IN THAT CONTEXT WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN
IDENTIFY AS PART OF THE REGION A REGIONAL INTEREST IN THE APPROACH
THAT OUGHT TO BE ADOPTED TO SUCH AN MTN ROUND IF IT IS TO
EVENTUATE. AND SO I HAVE SENT ROUND MY REPRESENTATIVES IN ADVANCE
OF THIS TRIP TO TALK WITH THE COUNTRIES IN THE REGION. WE'VE GOT
A VERY POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THAT AND SO FAR ON MY OWN VISIT TO THE:
TWO COUNTRIES THAT I'VE VISITED JAPAN AND KOREA I CAN SAY THAT
THERE IS A VERY WARM AND POSITIVE RESPONSE. I BELIEVE WE'LL GET
THE SAME RESPONSE IN THE COUNTRIES THAT WE'RE STILL To GO0 TO.
AND THEN FOLLOWING MY VISIT THEN I BELIEVE WE'LL BE AT A
RELATIVELY EARLY STAGE IN THE POSITION FOR OUR OFFICIALS THEN TO
MEET WITH THE COUNTRIES OF THIS REGION SO THAT WE CAN REALLY THEN
GET DOWN TO SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT WILL BE OF INTEREST TO
AUSTRALIA AND THE COUNTRIES OF OUR REGION TO PUT ON THE AGENDA OF
SUCH AN MTN ROUND. SO I THINK THERE YOU HAVE A VERY CLEAR
DISTiNCTION BETWEEN * rHE B3ROAD APPROACH, IF YOU LIKE, A Q~ UITE
UNREALISTIC APPROACH OF MY PREDECESSOR, AND A VERY SPECIFIC WAY IN
WHICH WE'VE GONE ABOUT IT.
THE SECOND POINT THAT I WOULD MAKE TO DISTINGUISH OUR GOVERNMENT
FROM THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT IS THAT WE RECOGNISE THAT YOU CANT TALK
ABOUT THESE ISSUES OF AUSTRALIA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REST OF THE
WORLD IN THE TRADING CONTEXT AS THOUGH THAT IS ONE ISSUE. I'VE
TRIED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TOTALLY
INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THESE THINGS IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT WORK
WITHIN AUSTRALIA IN POLITICAL AND IN ECONOMIC TERMS. IN OTHER WORDS
WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF OUR INDUSTRY, WE HAVE TO TALK
ABOUT OUR MACROECONOMIC POLICIES, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT OUR
EDCUATION POLICIES IN A WAY WHICH OUT OF CONSULTATION WITH ALL THE
RELEVANT ELEMENTS MEANS THAT WE CAN GET A DEGREE OF PUBLIC
UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE NEED FOR CHANGE CAN NEVER
BE IMPOSED BY GOVERNMENTS FROM ON TOP. THE ROLE AND THE FUNCTION OF
GOVERNMENT, AND A CONCERNED GOVERNMENT, IS IF YOU LIKE TO EXPOSE THE
FACTS OF THE WORLD TO THE PEOPLE. WE STARTED TO DO THAT IN THE
SUMMIT AND WE WERE PROFOUNDLY SUCCESSFUL. AS FAR AS OUR
AUSTRALIAN SITUATION IS CONCERNED. WE STARTED THERE THE PROCESS OF
PUTTING THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC SITUATION INTO A WORLD CONTEXT AND
WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLAIN, TO CONSULT, SO THAT THE AUSTRALIAN
ELECTORATE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IF FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR
CHILDREN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SORT OF ECONOMY WHICH OFFERS THE
BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND FOR EMPLOYMENT, THAT CHANGES WILL
HAVE TO OCCUR OUT OF CONSULTATION. AND THAT WHAT YOU'RE DO IN
REGARD TO THE STRUCTURE OF INDUSTRY OR TARIFFS IS BUT A PART OF A
WHOLE AND THAT IS A BASIC DISTINCTION IN OUR APPROACH TO THAT OF
OUR PREDECESSORS.
JOURNALISTI MR HAWKE ARE YOU CLAIMING THAT THERE WONT EVEN BE
ANY SHORT TERM JOB LOSS AS THE ECONOMY RESTRUCTURES UNDER THE NEW
PROPOS ALS.
P. M: NO, IM NOT SAYING " nAT. I REFERRED TO THE STEEL INDUSTRY
THAT THERE WERE JOB LOSSES HISTORICALLY. BUT WHAT I SAID IS THAT
IF YOU APPROACH THE SITUATION SENSIBLY THAT YOU CAN ARREST VERY OFTEN
BY STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENTS, YOU CAN ARREST THE PROCESS OF JOB LOSS.
YOU DONT HAVE TO THINK OF ADJUSTMENTS AS BEING ASSOCIATED WITH JOB
LOSS. IT MEANS THAT WHAT WE DID IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY SHOWS THAI
SENSIBLE ADJUSTMENT PRf'CESSES, CONSULTATIVELY UNDERTAKEN, CAN BE
ASSOCIATED WITH THE SALVATION OF JOBS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXPERIENCE OF JAPAN, THERE IS A COUNTRY WHICH
RIGHT THROUGH THE PERIOD OF RECESSIONi HAS MAINTAINED AMONGST THE
LQWESr LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE WORLD. AND THAT HASNT MEANT
IHil Al lIMES IN IHE JAPANESE EXPERIENCE THERE HASNT BEEN JOB CHANGE
AlHU JUG I RAI4SFER PARTICULAR ENTERPRISE OR PARF OF THE
ENTERPRISE MAY CEASE TO BE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WAY OF DOING THINGS
BUT THE WHOLE APPROACH IS TO MAKE SUE THAT THROUGH OVERALL PROCESSES
OF CONSULTATION AND UNDERSTANDING AND RESTRUCTURING THAT IN NET TERMS
YOU SAVE JOBS. UT IT IS THE HEIGHT OF IRRESPONSIBLITY IF WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT THE PROFOUND SORT OF THINGS THAT WE ARE, THE FUTURE
OF AUSTRALIA IN THIS RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD, THE HEIGHT OF FOLLY,
TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND THAT BY SAYING, OH WELL IF YOU ADOPT THIS
APPROACH DOES IT MEAN THAT A A PARTICULAR POINT THERE MAY BE A LOSS
OF JOB AND THE NEED FOR RETRAINING AND EDUCATION. OF COURSE IT MAY
MEAN THAT. BUT WHAT YOU'VE GOT LOOK AT IS THE AGGREGATE. ARE
YOU GOING TO BY ADOPTING THIS OVERALL APPROACH INCREASE THROUGH
TIME THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT. FUNDAMENTALLY WE'VE GOT TO
REALISE WE ARE A COUNTRY OF 15 1/ 2 MILLION PEOPLE, 15 1/ 2 MILLION
PEOPLE IN A WORLD OF 4.7 BILLION, AND IN A REGION OF HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN A DYNAMIC GROWTH SITUATION. NOW THE IMPERATIVE
FOR GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA IS TO UNDERSTAND THOSE FACTS AND IN
DISCUSSION WITH AND IN FULL CONSULTATION WITH-AND NOT BY IMPOSITION
IS TO ALL US TO WORK TOGETHER TO SEE HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET THE
BEST ADVANTAGE FOR AUSTRALIA OF THE DYNAMISM OF THAT REGION. NOW
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BY SITTING BACK AND SAYING, OH WELL WE
DONT HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS, WE DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. WE
DO HAVE TO, NOT SEE IT AS A GREAT PROOBLEMv WE'VE GOT TO SEE IT AS
A CHALLENGE WITH GREAT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
JOURNALIST: MR HAWKE YOU STRESSED THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE
MIDDLE AND LONG TERM AND THAT WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS-THE
GOVERNMENT MAY BE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF THE CAR INDUSTRY FROM 1985
ON. HOW DO THOSE TWO THINGS FIT TOGETHER, AND SECONDLYi YOU'VE
ALREADY HAD FAIRLY EXTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS IN. THE CAR
INDUSTRY THROUGH THE CAR INDUSTRY COUNCIL HOW FAR DO YOU SEE
THE CAR -INDUSTRY AS HAVING ALREADY GONE IN THAT CONSULTATIVE
PROCESS AS BROADENING A NEED FOR FURTHER CONSULTATIONS.
YES, OF COURSE THERE WILL BE NEED FOR MUCH MORE
CONSULTATION. YOU MAY HAVE INFERRED FROM SOME EARLIER COMMENTS THAT
I WAS EXPRESSING DISSATISFACTION WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE DISCUSSIONS
THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE. IT'S NOT REALLY MY POSITION.
I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS WENT
IN IT WITH THE BEST WILL AND IT WAS PROBABLY INEVITABLE THAT
THEY WERE NOT OF THEMSELVES GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH ANSWERS
THAT WERE ACCEPTABLE TO EVERYONE EVEN TO ALL THE COMPONENTS ( WHEN
I SAY COMPONENTS IN THAT SENSE I'M USING THE WORD COMPONENTS
OF THE INDUSTRY) BECAUSE SOME-OF THEM HAD COMPETING INTERESTS.
SOME COMPANIES OBVIOUSLY HAD A DIFFERENT INTEREST TO OTHER
MANUFACTURING COMPANIES AND SO ON.
SO OBVIOUSLY MORE WORK HAS TO BE DONE AND THAT WILL BE DONE.. I
BELIEVE THAT OUT OF THOSE PROCESSES WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE IN 1985
TO A POSITION WHICH WILL MORE ACCEPTABLE TO THE INDUSTRY AND THE
COMMUNITY. BUT I WANT TO REPEAT W'P ARE NOT GOING TO BE SITTING DOWN AND SAYING
WELL LOOK, WE'VE GIVEN YOU THE OPPORTUNITY FOR TALK ? NOW~ THE
GOVERNMENT'S GOING TO IMPOSE SOMETHING ON YOU. THATS NOT THE WAY
WE OPERATE.
JOURNALIST: SO WILL THE DECISION ITSELF BE DEFERRED TO
P. M: WELL THE EXISTING PLAN TAKES US THROUGH 1984. IT'S NOW
FEBRAURY OF 1984. THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME FOR MUCH MORE DISCUSSION
AND THAT WILL TAKE PLACE.