PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 332
19 September 1974
GOVERNMENT TO REASSESS ANL FREIGHT RATES TO AND FROM TASMANIA
The Prime Minister, Mr E. G. Whitlam, announced tonight
that the Australian Government will make an immediate
reassessment of A. N. L. freight rates to and from Tasmania.
This follows strong representations by Tasmania's
federal Members and Senators who met this morning with the
Prime Minister, Mr Whitlam, and the Minister for Transport,
Mr Jones. The Prime Minister has ordered that the reassessment
should be made without delay to see if any interim assistance
to Tasmania is appropriate. The Prime Minister emphasised
that this move did not seek to anticipate the report of the
Nimmo Royal Commission of Inquiry into Transport to and from
Tasmania. This Inquiry is being held to ascertain how Tasmania
is disadvantaged in terms of freight and associated costs
through being the only State which has to depend on a single
form of surface Transport for its links with other States.
Mr Nimmo is at present examining the methods by
which the Canadian Federal Government equalises the rates charged
by Canadian National Railways for its rail services across the
continent and its ferry services to Price Edward Island and
Newfoundland. Mr Whitlam said that in the interim before Mr Nimmo
reported, he considered it essential to ensure that ANL rates
should not go up by a greater percentage than had the charges
applying on similar goods moving by surface transport between
mainland capitals during 1973 and 1974.
Mr Whitlam said he hoped the undertaking he had given
would reassure Tasmanians that their Labor Senators and Members
of the House of Representatives were pursuing vigorously their
representation of Tasmania's interests in Canberra.
Mr Whitlam recalled that a $ 1 million subsidy was paid
in 1973, towards the operations of the ' Empress of Australia'.
The same amount is provided in the 1974/ 75 Budget announced on
Tuesday night.
CANBERRA. A. C. T