STATEMENT BY THlE PRIME MINISTER, THE RT. HON.
IN THlE HOUSE OF R~ EPhiESENTAT IVES,
TUESDAY. 28TH SEPTEMBER 1 96'
WOOL RESERVE PRICE PLAN 1965
My attention has been directed to the terms of
a nation-wide broadcast to woolgrowers by Mr. 5.5. Nevile,
Chairman of the Australian Wool Board's Marketing Committee.
In this broadcast, the following statement
occurs " Finally, the Prime Minister has clearly revealed
the views concerning the reserve price arrangement of
his Government, and I quote ' Besides protecting the
individual grower, the Plan will help stabilise the
industry and the national economy. These objects will
be achieved without any of the elements of controlled
marketing by Government control associated with most
primary industry marketing arrangements, to which the
characteristically independent woolgrower objects.
The use of this quotation is grossly misleading4
How misleading ( to use no stronger word) will at once appear
when 1L tell the House that the words, attributed to me as if
they related to the Plan now under consideration by woolgrowers,
were part of a statement made on behalf of the Government no
less than fourteen years ago. At that time there was another
Reserve Price Plan, of an international character, negotiated
among and supported by the Australian, New Zealand, South
African, and British Governments. The British Government had
already agreed to contribute substantial capital to the f'und
necessary to establish it.
That scheme was designed to represent a
continuance of the Joint Organization reserve price arrangement
after the winding up of the J. 0.
In anticipation of that plan going into operation,
the Australian Government, with the concurrence of woolgrower
organizations imposed a levy of 7eoj on the gross proceeds or
wool sold in 1950-51. This yielded about œ C45M., which was
very near to the fœ 1+ 8M. which Australian woolgrowers were
expected to contribute for the capital of the Scheme.
My Government supported the Scheme, which had'
been negotiated internationally. My statement was made on
behalf of the Government. Today, fourteen years later, another scheme has
been propounded for wool-marketing in Australia. What my
Government has done is to agree with the representatives of
the industry that
The woolgrowers will make their own decision at
a referendum.
If the scheme is approved, the Government will
play its part according to the terms of the
prepared plan.
That the Government will not take sides in a
matter which it thinks proper for decision by
the woolgrowers themselves.
2
Under these circumstances, to claim the Prime
Minister as a public partisan is to accuse him of
violating the principle which on behalf of his own
Government he has tried to make clear.
This I greatly resent. The facts I have
recited will justify that resentment to the full.