L~
PRIME MINISTER
E. O. E. -PROOF ONLY
TODAY SHOW -9 OCTOBER 1984 ( pre-recorded on 8 October)
INTERVIEWER: lnt& o to Inteview
The Prime Minittr says he has som good news for those of us; who
are groaning at the thought of yet another election,
ltUxview
PRIME MINISTER: What I am doing is to try and remove for them
forever in the future the possibility of unnecessary ' elections
because I will be saving them an election by having the ' House! o f
Representatives with the election of a half Senate, which we must
hold by April of next year. So I will be saving an election and
saving them $ 19 million. It will cost $ 30 million to have the
two together rather than $ 49 million to have them separately.
But importantly I will be putting a referendum to them with the
election which will mean that if the people pass that that In
future elections have to be simultaneous and no Prime Minister in
the future will be Able to have unnecessary elections.
INTERVIEWER: And if that referendum gets through what do you see
ha ppening a three year period -a guaranteed three year period?
PRIME MINISTER. Yes.
INTERVIEWER: No ifts or buts?'
PRIME MINISTER: No if s or huts because we want them to go full term.
There are very good reasons for doing it now to avoid an unnocessary
extra election.
IN TERVIEWER: Why should people give you another three years? What
has been done in the past eighteen months to convince anybody of
anything?
PRIME MINISTER: In February/ March during the election campaign
Australians will remember in the beginning of ' 83 that this country
was more divided and diiie confrontationist,, than it had been
in living memory. Unemployment was climbing, inflation was h~ igh,
interest rates were very, very high. I promised to bring Aui3tralia
together we have done'that.
INTERVIEWER: And . what is the promise this time around? Is that
going to continue?
PRIME MINISTER: We are going to keep Australians together. We
are going to work on the basis of industry and unions and
governments working together for the common good of Australia.
E. O. E. PROOF ONLY
PEACOCK ON TODAY SHOW 9 OCTOBER 1984
PEACOCK: Fine way of bringing Australians together by having a
fight, and actually in 1984 and not in 1986 when it was due.
But if there is going to be a contest well let's get into it.
INTERVIEWER: -Do you think you will win?
PEACOCK: Yes I do. It's going to be hard Peter. I don't disguise
that. We're behind in the general polling that's around and to
say that it was going to be easy no one wc~ uld believe, and I don't
believe it myself. But I believe there are a considerable numrber
of Australians, very ordinkry AustrAlians~ in the real sense of the
word, who are being hurt at the moiment:-46/ 47 in the dollar for
persons on average weekly earnings paid in tax; the elderly who
have been attacked by the assets test; and for all those who
believed that -in this country you could save and get ahead and have
a nest egg. you are going to be hit by a capital gains tax anti
death duties.
INTERVIEWER: Don't you think the vast majority of Australians
though are happy with the way things have been run for the past
eighteen months? Unless you totally ignore the public opinion
polls that seems to be the situation.
PEACOCK: I think the vast majority of Australians are happy being
Australians but I think they'd be happier with an alternative form
of government because they can see the extent to which taxation
is impinging not only on their general freedom Jecause they
haven't got the money to-spend, but they can't p lan ahead, and
when you add it to the other concerns their lack of choice of
doctor etc in the field of Medicare you see the sort of issues
that will emerge during the election campaign itself and I belideve
that there will be a strong resurgence back to the Liberal and
National Parties.
INTERVIEWER: Alright a couple of quick questions, do you t; hink
that organised crime is going to be an issue in this electionV
PEACOCK: Well because~ there is a difference between ourselves and
the government and they are running away and winding up Costigaa
too early that clearly will come uip. But I think if I can use the
term It is like a second level issue. The factors like tax,
assets test, lump sum superannuation slug, capital gains, death
duties they'll override organised crime.
ENDS