PM Transcripts

6-
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 12 FEBRUARY, 1985
Federal Cabinet today reaffirmed Australian Government
Policy on the basic issues of the Australia/ U. S.
Alliance, ANZUS Treaty and on disarmament and
deterrence. Cabinet took these decisions today after it received and
endorsed a report on my recent overseas visit.
As a result of the discussions, and bearing in mind our
close relations with both the U. S. and New Zealand,
Cabinet will shortly consider a paper on the practical
measures with regard to the U. S. and New Zealand for
giving effect to the ANZUS Alliance following the recent
New Zealand action to ban U. S. ship visits, and another
paper elaborating on the relation between and the
implementation of the Government's policies on
disarmament and support for deterrence.
The first paper will be prepared by the Foreign
Minister, the Hon. Bill Hayden, M. P. and the Minister
for Defence, the Hon. Kim Beazley, M. P. and the second
paper will be prepared by Mr Hayden.
The Cabinet discussion was lengthy, amicable and
conducted in an atmosphere of genuine desire to ensure
continuing unity and cohesion both at the Government and
Party level over these complex and sensitive issues.
There was also general agreement that both the
Australia/ U. S. Alliance and the need to do all in our
power to ensure the maximum possible progress on
disarmament were essential to Australian foreign policy.
All Ministers addressed the issue without rancour and
with a desire to search for the best method of both
implementation and understanding of these policies.
An important theme of the discussion was the need to
ensure that the decision making processes of the
Government were directed most effectively to these ends.