F. 1rior' ONI.' i
TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE, AUSTRALIAN BICENTENNIAL AUTHORITY
3 OCTOBER 1985
JOURNALIST: Are we any closer to a new Chairman, Prime Minister?
PM: Yes every day brings u-S closer to the new Chairman but
we are very fortunate that in the mean Lime we have an admirable
interim Chairman in John Utz. And not only I, and the Government,
but I think the people of Australia are indebted to him for
moving in in these circumstances. And we appreciate it very
much indeed.
JOURNALST: When will the new Chairman be announced, Sir?
PM: I can't put a date on it. The important thing immediately
is to continue the processes to find a new Chief Executive.
And it is the objective of the Government and of the Authority
to see that these two positions are filled as soon as possible.
JOURNALIST: public accountability.
PM: Well, you already have a sense of public accountability
in the reqUirement of the Auithority t~ o have its accounts cleared
by the Auditor-General and they have, in the past, been so cleared.
In regard to the relationship between the Government and the
Authority we, following discussions with John and the Board,
will have a position where there will be a representative of
the Government sitting in as observer and liaison person at
meetings of the Board. There will be monthly reports coming
to the Government from the Board on progress. And we will
be getting quaterly statements of account from the Board. so,
what we have to do, you see, and what we have succeeded in doing
is to operate under the legislation that we inherited which
separated the Board, the Authority, from the. Government and
the Parliament. Now with~ booc sense discussions with the new
Chairman and the Board, they have accepted that within those
constraints, those legislative constraints that we have inherited,
we will. in this way that I have indicated get the new form of
relationshlip and accountability which I think is necessary.
JOURNALIST: Will Mr Armstrong have to give any of his money
back?
PM: I at this stage only have an interim report from the Solicitor-
General. Perhaps by the end of the day that will be put in
final form. And it is not fair to either Dr Armstrong or anyone
else to make any comment on that until I have had the opportunity
of studying that final document from the Solicitor-General.
JOURNALIST: On another issue
PM: Just before we go to other issues, I am not going to..
If there are any other questions on this issue, let's have them
and then we will go to another one.
JOURNALIST: Are you happy that all other aspects of the ABA
are functioning well?
PMt": Yes well look, in an Authority of this magnitude there
will probably be some elements that could be in a better position.
I think the Authority and the Board itself recognise that.
The important thing to be said is this that a great deal of
good and valuable work is being done. There are over 520 community
committees established around Australia. And I have no doubt
at all, that on the basis of the work that has been done, the
new arrangements that will be made, and the new r--o~
that will be in senior positions, that Australians can be totally
confident that as we come to 1988 we are going to have a great
bicentennial year.
JOURNALIST: What is your impression of the morale in the Board?
PM: Well I had a very useful, friendly constructive interchange
of views with the Board. And I whs certainly left with the
impression two things. One, that they are looking to the
future. They have a total and shared commitment with the Government
that we have a shared responsibility to ensure a great 1988.
And secondly, that they are going, as a Board, to do everything
they can in their power to achieve that objective with us.
JOURNALIST: Any anger up there, Sir, about the sacking of John
Reid? PM: None conveyed to me.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the Authority can still continue
to act effectively while controversy still surrounds Dr Armstrong's
departure.
PM: Well I think that controversy that you refer to is diminishing.
I have made it quite clear that it was a decision that had to
be taken. It has been taken. And there is now another decision
that has flowed from it which means that there has to be a new
Chairman. Now, as Prime Minister it has given me no joy to
have to initiate and take those decisions, but I have a responsibity'
to do it. It has been exercised and I am sure now that in the
event that the Bicentennial is going to be a great success.
And I repeat again that we are singularly fortunate that in
these circumstances Mr Utz has stepped in to fill the role of
Chairman in those circumstances.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, one of the great criticisms of
the older regime was that they were spending a lot of money
and going on overseas junkets. Have there been any concrete
proposals accepted now to reduce that so-called extravagance?
PM: Well there is the allegation about extravagance. I have
referred to the arrangements that are now being made for an
involvement by the Government to see what is going on. And
I repeat, the elements of those are three. Firstly, there will
be a representative of the Government who will be at the meetings
of the Board. Secondly, there will be monthly reports to the
government on the progress. And there will be quarterly statements
of account to the government. Now I believe taking those three
specific measures into account, plus the heightened awareness
that will exist within the Authority of the concern that there
shall be an accoun taib i 1 i n thc usc of puiblIi c Funds, T cnnl
confident thau there will be no cause for concern in regard
to that issue.
JOURNALIST: Did your discussions with the Board today confirm
that they needed a new leader?
PM: Well they have, as I said, I think, accepted what has happened.
And they are looking to tlie future and looking to it with confidence.
So there is no point for anyone in trying to re-hash the past.
That as far as the Board is behind them.
JOURNALIST: Just briefly on the lands issue, the naval lands.
Do you support the transfer of the naval lands in Sydney Harbour
to Jervis Bay?
PM: Well, that is a totally unfair question to ask me whether
I support it. I initiated it when I had to assume the office
of the Prime Minister and come and live in this beautiful city
of Sydney temporarily in the Kirribilli headquarters. I looked
out across Sydney Harbour and it just struck me as an absurdity
in this day and age that you should have a major naval concentration
in the middle of a great populous city like this. It struck
me immediately and I have talked to my colleagues about i t.
And so, what is happening is that a study is being undertaken
of the implications of transferring the navy from Sydney to
Jervis Bay. Now clearly there is a lot of work that has to
be undertaken because we have these considerations to take into
account. Firstly, the defence interests of this country, and
so any change in that way has to be handled in terms that will
not in any sense compromise, but will add to our defence capability.
And secondly you have to take into account then how the released
land will best be made available for the benefit of the people
of Sydney. And I must say in this regard, that from the earliest
point I have shared my thoughts on this matter with the-. Premier
of NSW who totally shares my view that this move is overwhelmingly
in the interests of the people of Sydney and of NSW.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke when is it likely to go ahead?
PM: Well, you can't put ane xact timetable on it, because,
I repeat, there are lots of considerations that have to be taken
into account, but the work has been done now. The Ministers
have initiated enquiries. They are going ahead. And I think
the only thing one can say is that conceptually it is clear
that this ought to happen. When we get the detailed reports
we will then ' consider it in Cabinet, and I hope, on the basis
of the report that we get, we will be able to initiate the moves
in the relatively near future.
JOURNALIST: Inaudible.
PM: I say initiate because You will. appreciate that what is
involved is a lengthy, long-term process.
JOURNALIST: Is the Navy in favour of the move?
PM, 1: Wel. l, I don't know that there is such a thing monolithically
the Navy. I can imagine that some elements of the Navy might
no t1. be en tirel] y enamow r-ec ofF he p rospect. of rmo v inrg, but. I Lh i nk
that those who are concerned, as there overwhelming would be,
with the best interests of the Navy, and getting the most efficient
setting for their operations. And that in the same context
as ensuring the best interests of the civilian community, I
am sure that they would regard it as appropriate.
JOURNALIST: governor-General accepted free overseas
PM: If you were in the Canberra Gallery you would know that
one thing I don't answer is hypothetical questions.