AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED AGAINST DELIVERY AT 8. OOP'
SPEECH TO THE STATE COUNCIL OF THE ALP, ADELAIDE, 13 SEPTEMBER 1984
MR PRESIDENT,, MR PREMIER, DELEGATES, FELLOW MEMBERS,
I NOTICE.. DELEGATES; THAT ONE OF THE ITEMS ON
THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S COUNCIL. IS INFORMATION REGARDING
THE CLOSE OF NOMINATION AND PRESELECTION DATES FOR THE
THRITEEN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SEATS FOR THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES; AND I NOTE THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY ENDORSED
YOUR SENATE TEAM.
NOW DELEGATES, I REGARD THAT AS ANOTHER SPLENDID
EXAMPLE OF THE FORESIGHTEDNESS AND READINESS ON BEHALF
OF OUR CAUSE WHICH HAS LONG MADE THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN
BRANCH ONE OF LABOR'S STRONGEST IN AUSTRALIA.
AND I KNOW, THAT WHENEVER THE NEXT FEDERAL
ELECTION COMES, SOUTH -AUSTRALIA WILL MAKE ANOTHER GREAT
CONTRIBUTION TO WHAT I AM CONVINCED WILL BE ANOTHER
GREAT AND HISTORIC VICTORY FOR OUR LABOR PARTY AND OUR
LABOR GOVERNMENT THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA. ,/ 2
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AN'D THAT CONTRIBUTION WILL DERIVE ITS STRENGTH
FROM THREE MAIN SOURCES:
THE CALIBRE OF THE MEMBERS AND CANDIDATES;
SECOND, THE SUPPORT AND LOYALTY AND HARD WORK
OF THIS BRANCH AT EVERY LEVEL;
AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, THE RECOGNITION BY
THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA 0OF WHAT HAS BEEN
ACHIEVED, AND WHAT CAN BE ACHIEV/ ED, BY A STRONG
FEDERAL LABOR GOVERNMENT, A STRONG STATE LABOR
GOVERNMENT, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP FOR RECOVERY,
RECONSTRLUCTION AND REFORM, NOT ONLY FOR
SOUTH AUSTRALIA, BUT FOR ALL AUSTRALIA.
I SAID, DELEGATES, THAT THIS WILL BE AN HISTORIC
\ VICTORY FOR OUR PARTY AND OUR GOVERNMENT.
AN4D I DON'T USE THOSE WORDS AS A BIT OF RHETORIC,
BECAUSE DELEGATES, THESE ELECTIONS, WHENEVER THEY
ARE HELD, WILL CERTAINLY SET THE COURSE FOR AUSTRALIA FOR
THE REST OF THIS DECADE; AND BECAUSE CF THE CRUCIAL NATURE
OF THE NEXT THREE YEARS, AND THE CRITICAL NATURE OF THE
DECISIONS OUR GOVER[ NMENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL HAVE TO MAKE
IN THOSE YEARS, THE OUTCOMIE WILL REALLY SET THE COURSE OF
Au1STRALIA RIGHT INTO THE 21ST CEN4TURlY. s_,/ 3
AND IT WILL BE OUR TASK, AS A PARTY AND
GOVERNMENT DURING THE NEXT CAMPAIGN, TO REINFORCE THAT
REALISATION THE REALISATION OF THEIR HISTORIC AND
CRITICAL CHOICE IN THE MINDS AND CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF
EVERY AUSTRALIAN, AND I WAN4T TO SAY, DELEGATES, THAT IN THAT TASK
THE TASK OF RAISING TO THE FULLEST POSSIBLE AWARENESS AN: D
COMPREHENSION, O1N THE PART OF THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA,
ABOUT WHAT IS REALLY AT STAKE IN THE: SE ELECTION4S
I WANT TO TELL YOU DELEGATES, THAT VIE HAVE FOUND POWERFUL
ALLIES ALLIES WHO ARE ALREADY ASSISTING OUR CAUSE AND
OUR CAMPAIGN BY THEIR EVERY ACTION AND THEIR EVERY UTTERANCE.
IMEAN OF COURSE DELEGATES, THE OFFICIAL
OPPOSITION THE PEACOCK-HOWARD-SINCLAIR OPPOSITION:
AND IT WILL PROVE TO BE ONE. OF THE GREAT PARADOXES
OF AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL HISTORY THAT' THIS PATHETIC,,
DIRECTION-LESS OPPOSITION~ THE WORST AND WEAKEST IN LIVING
MEMORY WILL OPERATE BY ITS DEFAULTS AND FAILURES
AS A POSITIVE GOOD FOR AUSTRALIAN AND THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLEr,
I I L
FOR THERE IS NOTHING WHICH COULD BRING HOME
SO CLEARLY AND POWERFULLY TO THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE
JUST HOW MUCH IS AT STAKE AT THESE ELECTIONS,
HOW CLEAR THE CHOICE IS, HOW VITAL THE ISSUES ARE,
HOW APPALLING THE ALTERNATIVE IS, THAN THIS OPPOSITION.
AND DAY BY DAY, BY ~ THEIR CONDUCT,, THEIR TACTICS
AND THEIR POLICY STATEMENTS, THEY ARE MAKING IT
CLEARER AND CLEARER.
IF THERE IS ONE THING MORE HELPFUL TO US AND
OUR GREAT CAUSE THAN THE TORPOR, AND SILENCE, AND ABSENCE
OF POLICY WHICH CHARACTERISED THIS OPPOSITION IN THE
FIRST FIFTEEN MONTHS,, IT IS THE SQUALOR AND CLAMOUR
AND THEIR POLICY STATEM," ENTS OF THE PAST THREE.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY SPECTACLE SO NAUSEATING AS
THE AUSTRALIAN TORY PARTY IN ITS DESPERATE SEARCH FOP
AN ELECTION ISSUE THE UNSPEAI. kABLE IN PURSUIT OF THE
CONTEMPTIBLE. s
UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO WE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT
THAT OUR CHIEF CAMPAIGN WEAPON WOULD) BE THE CONTRAST,,
AT EVERY POINT,, BETWEEN OUR RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT
AND THE FRASER-PEACOCK-HiOWARD-SINCLAIR LEGACY.
BUT THEIR RECENT CONDUCT -NOT LEAST THEIR
DECLARATIONS OF WHAT THEY CALL THEIR POLICY
ADDS A NEW AND SHARPER DIMENSION TO THE STRUGGLE.
NOW THEY ARE NOT JUST SADDLED WITH THE DEAD
WEIGHT OF THEIR OWN PAST RECORD AND WE WILL NEVER
LET THEM ESCAPE FROM IT, NEVER LET THE PEOPLE OF A~ USTRALIA
FORGET IT. [ HEY HAVE SADDLED THEMSELVES WITH A WHOLE NEW
RANGE OF POLICIES AND ATTITUDES WHICH WOULD NOT ONLY
UNDO THE GREAT WORK OF THE PAST EIGHTEEN! MONTHS, BLIT
WOULD FORCE AUSTRALIA BACK INTO-THE COURSE OF DIVISION
AND DISRUPTION WHICH THE PEOPLE REJECTED SO DECISIVELY
IN MARCH 1983, AND WILL ASSUREDLY REJECT AGAIN, EVEN
MORE DECISIVELY,, AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY.
o s/ 6
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BY THEIR OWN ACTIONS, THEY HAVE ENSURED THAT
THE CONTEST, WHEN IT COMES, WILL NOT ONLY BE ABOUT
THEIR APPALLING PAST AGAINST OUR PERFORMANCE AND
ACHIEVEMENTS, AND OUR INTENTION OF BUILDING ON THOSE
ACHIEVEMENTS FOR A BETTER, FAIRER ACSTRALIA, THEY
HAVE ENSURED THE CLEAREST POSSIBLE CHOICE FOR THE
PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA AND FOR THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA.
THE FACT IS DELEGATES, THAT E\' ERY TIME THEY
LURCH IN S[ ARCH OF A PHONEY ISSUE, EVERY TIME THEY
PURPORT TO PRODUCE ANOTHER POLICY, THEY NOT ONLY EXPOSE
THEIR UTTER INADEQUACY, BUT HIGHLIGHT THE MAGNITUDE
OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEV'E IN OUR FIRST TERM
SO FAR, AND THE EVEN GREATER MAGNITUDE OF WHAT WE SHALL
BE ABLE TO ACHIEV'E AND THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA WILL BE
ABLE TO ACHIEVE IN OUR NEXT TERM.
THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA NOW DON'T ONLY
HAVE TO JUDGE AS THEY ASSUREDLY WILL BETWEEN OUR
RECORD AND THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT'S RECORD,
THEY NON KNOW THE ALTFERNATIVE THAT IS OFFERED
FOR THE FUTURE. S17
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i HE PEOPLE N~ ON ' T JUST JUDGING ALTHOUGH
THEY WILL MAKE THAT JUDGMENT:
BETWEEN A GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS CREATED
A QUARTER OF A MILLION NEW JOBS IN LESS THAN
TWO YEARS., AGAINST PARTIES WHOSE POLICIES IN
GOVERNMENT PRODUCED THE LOSS OF A. QUARTER OF
A MILLION JOBS IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR;
BETWEEN A GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS RESTORED
AUSTFRALIAN ECONOMIC GROWTH TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL
FOR FIFTY YEARS THE STRONGEST GROWTH OF ANY
OF THE OECD COUNTRIES AGAINST PARTIES WHO1
ACHIEVED THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR A COUNTRY
LIKE AUSTRALIA -ZERO ECONOMIC GROWTH,
THEY WON'T JUST BE MAKING A JUDGMENT ABOUT
A GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS HALVED rHE INFLATION RATE;
WHICH HAS ACHIEVED A SIGNIFICANT FALL IN
INTEREST RATES;
WHICH HAS REVIV'ED THE HOUSING INDUSTRY,
ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA., AS WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO DO I14 CO-OPERATION WITH THE BANNON
GovE RNME NT. / 8
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THEY WON'T ONLY BE MAKING A JUDGMENT ABOUT
A GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES HAVE BEEN
REDUCED TO THEIR LOWEST LEVEL FOR S:: XTEEN YEARS.
THEIR JUDGMENT WON'T BE BASED ONLY ON THE
COMPARISON AND CONTRAST BETWEEN PRESENT AND PAST.
BECAUSE, DELEGATES, THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA
NOW KNOW THE OPPOSITION HAS TOLD US THAT IF THEY
HAD THE REMOTEST OPPORTUNITY, THEY WOULD DISMANTLE
ALL THE MACHINERY, REVERSE ALL THE POLICIES AND DESTROY
THE WHOLE BASIS NOT ONLY THE NEW STRUCTURES
BUT THE CHANGED ATTITUDES WHICH HAVE PRODUCED
THIS REMARKABLE RECOVERY AND THIS TRANSFORMATION IN
THE PROSPECTS FOR AUSTRALIA. / 9
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THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA KNOW IT, THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY KNOWS IT, THE UNIONS KNOW IT.
THIS OPPOSITION NOW WqANTS TO ABOLISH ALL
THE CONSULTATIVE AND PLANNING MECHANISMS WHICH HAVE
BROUGHT INDUSTRY AND UNIONS AND GOVERNMENTS TOGETHER
IN THE GREAT DRIVE FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND ECONOMIC
GROWTH. THEY WANT TO ABOLISH THE AUSTRALIAN
MANUFACTURING COUNCIL.
THEY WANT TO ABOLISH ALL THE INDUSTRY ADVISORY
COUNCILS. THEY WANT TO ABOLISH THE ECONOMIC PLANNING
ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THEY WANT TO SELL OFF THE COMMONWEALTH BANKING
CORPORATION IGNORING THE INTERESTS OF ITS MORE THAN
TEN AND A HALF MILLION ACCOUNT HOLDERS,
THEY ,' ANT TO SELL OFF THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY
DEVELOPIiENT CORPORATION.
THEY WAiT TO GET Ri2 OF THE-PRICES SURVEILLICE
AUTHORITY.
AND OF COURSE, THEY WOULD PROPOSE To EXTEND
THIS EXERCISE IN MASS VANDALISM TO THE WHOLE RANGE OF
SOCIAL REFORMS, LIKE MEDICARE, WHICH, APART FROM
THEIR INTRINSIC VALUE AS MEASURES OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.,
ARE INTEGRAL TO THE ACHIEV'EMENT OF OUR GOVERNMENT'S
BROADER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OBJECTIVES.
AT THE VERY HEART OF THE RECOVERY, AND AT THE
VERY HEART OF OUR HOPES FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A SUSTAINED
RECOVERY WITHOUT A NEW BURST OF INFLATION, LIES THE
PRICES AND INCOMES ACCORD.
YET EVERYTHING THAT UNDERPINS THE ACCORD
THE MECHANISMS WVHICH I HAVE JUST MENTIONED AND ABOVE ALL., P
CENTRALISED WAGE FIXING ARE SLATED) FOR DESTRLICTION
AT THE HANDS OF THESE ECONOMIC SABOTEURS THESE
DISCREDITED MEN WHO, HOWEVER MUCH THEY MAY WISH THE
AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE TO0 FORGET THE PAST, WOULD DOOM THEM
TO REPEAT THE PAST, AND ENDURE A REPETITION OF THE
PAST, WITH ALL ITS WASTE, INU'USTICE, UNEQUAL HARDSHIP,
AND DIVISIVENESS, 9:,/ 111
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AND I HAVE 110 DOUBT, DELEGATES, THAT THE
HIGHLY FAVOURABLE RESPONSE TO THE BUDGET GOES BEYOND
THE FACT THAT IT IS SIMPLY THE BEST AND FAIREST BUDGET
PRODUCED, CERTAINLY IN MORE THAN A DECADE.
THE RESPONSE GOES BEYOND TH1E FACT THAT THE
BUDGET ENCAPSULATES AND CON รต OLIDATES THE ACHIEVEMENTS
OF THE PAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS.
I AM CONVINCED THAT PART OF: THAT RESPONSE LIES
IN THE GROWING REALISATION AROUND AUSTRALIA NOT LEAST
IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF THE APPALLING AND
DESTRUCTIVE ALTERNATIVE IMPLICIT IN THE POLICIES
7
SO FAR ANNOUNCED BY THE OPPOSITION,
DELEGATES, WHEN YOU SEE OUR SUPPOSED OPPOSITION
TROTTING OUT THESE DISASTROUS POLICI ES ONE BY ONE,
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN, AS I'VE HAD OCCASION TO SAY IN
PARLIAMENT IN RECENT DAYS, YOU CAN HARDLY BELIEVE
YOUR LUCK, BUT THERE ARE OTHER TIMES IWHEN YOU CAN HARDLY
BELIEVE YOUR EARS: / 12
1.2
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WHEN AN IAN SINCLAIR TALKS ABOUT ETHICS
AND PROPRIETY;
OR WHEN A HOWARD THE HOWARD WHO DUMPED
ON US A DEFICIT OF $ 9.6 BILLION WHICH WAS
DELIBERATELY CONCEALED FROM THE AUSTRALIAN
PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE 1983 CAMPAIGN
LECTURES US ABOUT THE DEFICIT;
OR WHEN A PEACOCK OR ANY MEMBER OF THE
PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT HAS THE GALL TO TALK
ABOUT TAX REFORM AND TAX AVOIDANCE,
DELEGATES, LET THERE BE NO DOUBT IN ANYC'NE'S
MIND THAT TAXATION WILL BE AN ISSUE IN THE COMING
ELECTION. WE ARE DETERMINED THAT IT SHALL BE SO.
AND HERE AGAIN IT WON'T BE JUST A MATTER OF
COMPARING OUR RECORD WITH THEIR RECORD IN GOVERNMENT.
WE'LL BE EXPOSING THEIR R-CORD IN OPPOSITION.
13
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BECAUSE THEIR PROTECTION OF THE TAX AVOIDANCE
INDUSTRY IN OPPOSITION, THROUGH THEIR NUMBERS IN THE SENATE,
HAS BEEN EVERY BIT AS BAD AS THEIR RECORD IN GOVERNMIENT,
IN RECENT DAYS, WE HAVE HAD IN CANBERRA THE
UNBELIEVABLE SPECTACLE OF THIS OPPOSITION WAVING AROUND
DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORK OF ROYAL COMMISSIONER
COSTIGAN AND SPECIAL PROSECUTOR REDLICH.
AND THE SUGGESTION, BREATHTAKING IN ITS ABSURDITY,
IN ITS INVERSION OF THE TRUTH AND PERVERSION OF REALITY
WAS THAT WE WERE INDIFFERENT, OR WORSE, IO COMPLETING
OR FOLLOWING THROUGH THE WORK OF THOSE INVESTIGATIONS.
NOW WHAT IS THE REALITY?
THE WHOLE THRUST OF THE COSTIGAN REPORTS IS
SUMMED UP IN A SINGLE DEVASTATING PARAGRAPH CONTAINED
IN MiR COSTIGAN'S INTERIM REPORT No. 3, DATED
18 DECEMBER 1981,
AND COMMISSIONER COSTIGAN SAID THIS:
" THE COMMISSION'S INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE FEDERATED
SHIP PAIN'TERS AND DOCKERS' UNION HAS LED IT, TO THE
SURPRISE OF MAr,! Y TO THE TAX AVOIDANCE INDUSTRYo" / iL
-it'-
NOW DELEGATES, LET ME EMPHASISE THE NEXT
SENTENCE AND REMIND YOU AGAIN OF THE DATE DECEMBER 1981:
" THIS INDUSTRY HAS DEVELOPED IN AUSTRALIA,
PARTICULARLY OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AT A
RATE FAR IN EXCESS OF ANY OTHER INDUSTRY AND HAS
BROUGHT WITH IT PROFITS COMPARABLE ONLY TO THE
HEADY DAYS OF THE VICTORIAN COLD RUSH."'
LET ME EMPHASISE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE RYMARKS,
BECAUSE THIS REVELATION IS THE WHOLE FOUNDATION OF THE
SUBSEQUENT WORK BY M'R COSTIGAN AND HIS STAFF AND LET ME
REMIND YOU DELEGATES, OUR GOV'ERNMENT MASSIVELY INCREASED
THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE COMMISSION,
As COMMISSIONER COSTIGAN SAYS, THE TAX AVOIDANCE
INDUSTRY BECAME THE GREATEST GROWTH INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA
IN THE YEARS 1976 TO 1981 THAT IS, EXCLUSIVELY IN THE
YEARS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF WHICH PEACOCK-HOWARD-SINCLAIR
WERE SENIOR MEMBERS.
IT WOULD BE WELL FOR THE REPUTATION AND
CREDIBILITY OF THIS OPPOSITION, IF THEIR PROTECTION OF THE
TAX AVOIDANCE IN~ DUSTRY HAD ENDED WHEN THEIR owi' GOVERNMENT
ENDED IN MARCH 1983.
BUT WORSE WAS TO COME.
BECAUSE DELECATES, WHATEVER THEY MIGHT
ATTEMPT TO SAY ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERIOD
FROM 1976 TO 1981, THIS OPPOSITION CAN NEVER ESCAPE
ONE PARTICLE OF ITS ABSOLUTE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
USING ITS NUMBERS IN THE SE1\ ATE, IN COLLABORATION WITH
SOME OF THE DEMOCRATS, TO THWART AND FRUSTRATE
KEY ELEMENTS OF OUR ANTI-TAX AVOIDANCE LEGISLATION,
IN IARCH 1983 WE UNDERTOOK, IN THESE WORDS,
TO " WIPE OUT THE TAX EVASION AND AVOIDANCE INDUSTRY
IN THIS COUNTRY". AND WE HAVE HONOURED THAT PLEDGE TO THE LIMIT
OF OUR POWERS ONLY THIS WEEK, PAUL KEATING ANNOUNCED THE
RESULTS OF THE FIRST REAL REVIEW AND REFORM OF PENALTIES
AND PROCEDURES TO PREVENT TAX EVASION AND AVOIDANCE
SINCE BEFORE WORLD WAR II,
BUT IN THE SENATE, A COMBINATION OF LIBERALS,
NATIONALS AND SOME OF THE DEMOCRATS, HAVE FOUR TIMES
REJECTED OUR CRUCIAL LEGISLATION AGAINST TAX AVOIDANCE,
.,/ 16
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THE RESULT IS THAT ' THE AUSTRALIAN TAXPAYERSTHE
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF ORDINARY, DECENT,
LAW-ABIDING AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS HAVE BEEN CHEATED
OF $ 500 MILLION. LET THEM NEVER FORGET THAT.
AND LET THE TAXPAYERS AND THE PENSIONERS OF
AUSTRALIA NEVER FORGET IT; AND NEVER FORGET THAT
THIS COMBINATION OF LIBERALS, NATIONALS AND SOME OF
THE DEMOCRATS, HAVE ALLOWED A HANDFUL OF MALEFACTORS
OF GREAT WEALTH TO MILK THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY
OF AT LEAST $ 500 MiLLION.
IN THE BUDGET, WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE TAX
CUTS OF $ 7.60 A W,, EEK FOR THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER,
BUT THAT LOST $ 500 MILLION WOULD HAVE
ALLOWED A TAX CUT ! N ONE YEAR OF A FURTHER $ 412.
17
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AND DELEGATES/ I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE
A CLEARER ILLUSTRATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ELECTION
FOR HALF THE SENATE WHICH HAS, BY THE CONSTITUTION,
TO TAKE PLACE SOON AND WHICH, FOR ALL THE MOST LOGICAL
AND PERSUASIVE REASONS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST, WILL BE
HELD CONJOINTLY WITH AN ELECTION FOR THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE MAXIMISE OUR VOTE IN
THE SENATE ELECTIONS; AND ENSURE THAT THE VOTE FOR THE
SENATE REFLECTS AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE, AS NEARLY AS
POSSIBLE UNDER OUR SYSTEM, THE VOTE AND THIE WILL OF THE
PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA, AS REFLECTED IN THE ELECTIONS FOR THE
PEOPLE'S HOUSE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
AND THAT IS A SPECIAL TASK THE TASK OF
MAXIMISING THE SENATE VOTE WHICH WILL DEVOLVE UPON THE
ORGANISATION, THE BRANCHES, THE RANK AND FILE OF OUR
PARTY. BECAUSE WE KNOW, WE OF THE LABOR PARTY KNOW,
FROM LONG EXPERIENCE., JUST HOW MUCH IS AT STAKE IN THE
BEST POSSIBLE SENATE RESULT. / 18
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DELEGATES, DO NOT THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT THERE
IS ANYTHING COINCIDENTAL OR ACCIDENTAL ABOUT THE NEW
TACTICS BEING ADOPTED BY THIS DESPERATE AND DISCREDITED
OPPOSITION. INDEED, THERE IS NOTHING NEW AT ALL ABOUT
THESE TACTICS. WE HAVE SEEN IT ALL BEFORE, WHENEVER OUR
GREAT CAUSE HAS VNONDBY FAIR, OPEN AN4D DEMOCRATIC MEANS,
THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA AGAINST THE
FORCES OF REACTION AND CONSERVATISM.
BUT DELEGATES, IN 19814 A QUITE NEW DESPERATION
NOW MOTIVATES THIS OPPOSITION,
FOR THE PAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO UNITE THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA AROUND CERTAIN4 GREAT
GOALS AND COMMON OBJECTIVES IN A WAY THAT HAS. NEVER -REFORE
BEEN ACHIEV'ED BEFORE IN PEACETIME,
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRIN4G KEY SECTIONS OF THE
COMMUNITY TOGETHER, TO WORK TOGETHER, TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOA"'^ LS:
./ 19
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PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MEASURE
OF SUCCESS IN ACHIEVING TOGETHER THESE SPECIFIC
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL GOALS, HAS BEEN THE CREATION OF
A NEW-FOUND SPIRIT OF CC-OPERATION, CONFIDENCE AND
SELF-CONFIDENCE IN THE NATION A NATION NEWLY-CONFIDENT
IN ITSELF, CONFIDENT IN ITS DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS,
CONFIDENT IN ITS LEADERSHIP, NEWLY-CONFIDENT IN ITS
FUTURE, 1T IS ON THE BASIS OF THIS CO-OPERATION AND
MUTUAL CONFIDENCE, THAT LABOR LABOR IN THE NATION AND
LABOR IN THE STATES IS BUILDING A BETTER, FAIRER
FUTURE FOR AUSTRALIA,
AND OUR POLITICAL ADVERSARIES WELL KNOW THAT IF
THEY ARE TO MAKE ANY HEADWAY AT ALL, EITHER IN THE SHORT
TERM OR THE LONGER TERM, THEY MUST UNDERMINE THIS NEW
SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION, CONCILIATION AND CONFIDENCE,
WHICH WE ARE CREATING IN THIS NATION,
THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT AND PURPOSE OF THE
POLICIES WHICH THEY ARE NOW PUTTINS FOkWARD POLICIES
WHICH, AS 1 HAVE SAID,. COULD ON~ LY VESULT IN THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE WHOLE FABiRIC OF NATIONAL RECOVERY,
NATI ONAL RECONCI1LI AT ION AND NATI ONAL R~ ECONSTRU1CTI ON,
120
AND THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT AND PURPOSE OF
THE TACTICS OF DENIGRATION WHICH THEY HAV'E NOW ADOPTED)
IN THESE LATTER DAYS OF THEIR DESPERATION,
NOT, AS I SAY, TACTICS WHICH THEY HAVE ADOPTED
FOR THE FIRST TIME. BUT WE MUST MAKE SURE IT IS
FOR THE LAST TIME.
DELEGATES BY OUR UNREMITTING EFFORTS BETWEEN
NOW AND ELECTION DAY, BY EXPOSING THEM FOR WHAT * rHEY ARE,
IN THE EYES, THE MINDS, THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEOPLE
OF AUSTRALIA WE MUST ENSURE THAT THESE TACTICS AND
THEIR PERPETRATORS NEVER AGAIN HAVE A PLACE IN THE
GREAT AFFAIRS OF THIS NATION.
IN THAT TASK, I KNOW WITH ABSOLUTE CONVICTION,
THAT I CAN RELY ON THE SUPPORT, LOYALTY AND DEDICATION
OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOV'ERNMENT, THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN
BRANCH, THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN UNIONS, THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN
RANK AND FILE, WITHOUT STIN4T BECAUSE YOU KNOW,
YOU ALL KNOW, AS I KNOW, THAT UPON OUR SUCCESS IN THIS TASK,
DEPENDS ALL THE BEST HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS OF OUR GREAT
CAUSE,, AND IN A W1AY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SO TRUE IN THE
HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA, THE CAUSE AND ' THE HOPES OF THE
AUSTRALIAN NATIO14 AND PEOPLE.