PM Transcripts

6 3/ 097
FOR PRESS: P. M. 24/ 1263
RESTRICTIVE TRADE PRACTICES LEGISLATION
Statement-by the Pme Minister. the Rt. Hon, Sir RobertI1enzes
Hysterical statements by the Leader of the
Opposition, Mr. Calwell, such as his comment on my address to
the Dinner of the New South Wales Chamber of Manufactures, serve
only to exhibit his over-excited state of mind.
It was made quite clear, when the first statement
was made on restrictive practices policy in the House of
Representatives, that it was a general description of the kind
of ideas the Government had. That statement was deliberately
designed and timed to give ample opportunity for criticism and
discussion before a bill was drafted for consideration by the
Parliament. Sir Garfield Barwick, the Attorney-Gencral, has
himself carried out this idea with enormous vigour. He has met
organisations and groups of people in every State to 01-icit and
discuss points of criticism, so that the Government might have
them in mind before proceeding to the actual work of precise
dra ftsmans hip. W4hen we recently saw the representatives of the
Manufacturing Industries Advisory Council which, I should
point out, is a standing body set up by the Government to give
it advice those present for the Governnent were the Minister
for Trade, Mr, McEwen, the Treasurer, Mr. Holt, the Minister
for National Developmenu;, Sir William Spooner, the Att%, orney-
Genra, Sir Garfield Barwick, the Minister for Primary
Industry, Mr. Adermann, and myself, We all thought ti1iat the
views presented on behalf of the M. I. A. C.-on the precise nature
of which neither the Government nor the Council has made any
statement were the most balanced and constructive tihat we
had had presented to us. We will undoubtedly find them of great
advantage to us in considering what the final shape of the
legislation should be, As I said in Sydney, I regard this
kind of consultation as of great value in clarifying issues
and helping to achieve a sound and positive result.
In the light of the foregoing it is quite clear
that Mr. Calwellts strange attempt to suggest that Sir Garfield
Barwick has been in some way rebuffed is the product of pure
imagination; or at any rate of imagination.
All Ministers had a hand in designing the
original general statement and all will have a hand in the final
outcome. I repeat that nobody has done half as much in
this matter as has Sir Garfield in seeking out the points of
criticism and in trying to achieve ultimately a result which
will be sensible and fair to the community as a whole.
CANBERRA September, 1963.