4i AUSI K A
PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 306
21 August 1974
ROYAL COMMISSION INTO HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, today announced
the appointment of the Royal Commission into Human Relationships.
The establishment of this Commission follows a
resolution of the House of Representatives in September 1973
that an inquiry of this nature should be undertaken.
The Chairman of the Commission is the Hon. Elizabeth
Evatt, a Deputy President of the Australian Conciliation and
Arbitration Commission, and the other members are the Most
Rev. Felix Arnott, Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane and
Metropolitan of the Province of Queensland, and Anne Deveson,
a prominent Sydney journalist.
The Commission will commence its task immediately.
However, it is not expected that Justice Evatt's commitment
to the Chairmanship will be full-time until early next year.
Mr. Whitlam said that the Commission's task is to
look into and report upon the external pressures existing in
our society which place a stress upon relationships between
people. The terms of reference include such matters as sex
education and family planning, related medical training and
services and the position of women in relation to these subjects.
." These matters are relevant to the every day life of
Australians and the Government considers that the establishment
of the Commission will allow all interested parties to put their
views freely and frankly. The interim reports to be presented
by this Commission will enable us to identify those stresses
which society places on individuals and relationships and the
ultimate recommendations of the Commission will offer ways and
means for the people of this country to be better able to meet
the greater pressures arising from technological and social
change which we find in the world around us."'
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" The three Commissioners are well suited to consider
the matters under reference and I am confident that considerable
benefit will derive from their inquiries."
A copy of the terms of reference is attached.
CANBERRA, A. C. T.
Royal Commission into Human Relationships
Terms of Reference
To inquire into and report upon the family, social,
educational, legal and sexual aspects of raale and female
relationships, so far as those matters are relevant to the
powers and functions of the Australian Parliament and
Government, including powers and functions in relation to
the Territories: To g-ive particular emphasis to the concept of
. responsible parenthood, to have regard to experience in other
countries and to include in your inquiry the following aspects
of the said matters:-
the extent of relevant existing education programs,
including sex education programs, and their
effectiveness in promoting responsible sexual
behaviour and providing a sound basis in the
fundamentals of male and female relationships in
the Australian social environment;
the extent of relevant existing programs in medical
schools and their adequacy to provide comprehensive
medical training in contraceptive techniques, in the
physical, psychological and sexual problems
experienced by women in adapting to marriage and
before, during and after menstruation, and in matters
relating to pregnancy, fertility control, spontaneous
and induced! nbortions nnd childbirth and to encourage
acceptance by the medical profession of its
responsibilities in the field of contraceptive
counselling;
the provision, pdequacy and effectiveness of existing
family planning facilities, educational and
activational. informa~ tion on family planning,,, and
methods of evaluation of all family planning techniques;
the social., economic, psychological and medical
pressures on women in determining whether to proceed
with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, h-aving regard.
to: Ci) the rdnquacy of hou3ing, child-minding
centres, pre-school centres, domestic
azcsis tance for families and working mothers,
ansi. stance to single parent families, other
form. s of assistnnce'for mothers employed in
industry, and adoption procedures;
( ii) the disabilities of families with handicapped
children; and
( iii) the social status of women in the community;
the social, psychological and medical results
of terination of, or and failure to terminate
such pregnancies;
the adequacy Rnd offectivenes of existing medicolegal
determinations in relation to termination of
pregniancy, Lhe incid] ence of such terminations, the
factors influencin' thei~ r occurrence, the adequacy
of medical. training i~ n and evaluation of methods of
terminition, consultative rights of the family or
other persons concerned and the adequacy and
effectiveness of pregnancy support services; and
any other matters in relation to the family, social,
educational, legal and sexual aspects of male and
female relationships to which the attention of the
Commission is directed by the Prime Minister in the
course of the inquiry.
To make recommendations as to measures that are desirable
with respect to the foregoing matters under existing or future
laws of the Australian Parliament or of the Territories ( including
laws providing for grants to the States) and to indicate whether
these measures should be implemer ted through existing bodies or
through government instrumentalities to be created.
The Comrission may present interim reports on any aspect
of its terms of reference.