SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR E. G, WHITLAM, QC,, M. P.,
TO THE N, SW. COUNTRY PRESS ASSOCIATION, QUEANBEYAN,.-
THURSDAY 24 OCTOBER 1974.
THE REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON AUSTRALIA'S
RURAL POLICY THE GREEN. PAPER DREW ATTENTION TO A
VERY REAL DIFFICULTY FACED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
AND BY INFERENCE POINTED TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
COUNTRY PRESS. THE REPORT SAID: " EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF POLICY MAKING
IN ANY SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITYX THERE ARE PARTICULAR
FACTORS IN THE CASE OF THE FARM SECTOR THAT OUGHT TO BE
GIVEN CAREFUL CONSIDERATION SINCE THEY SUGGEST RATHER
SPECIAL NEEDSm FARMERS AND OTHERS IN RURAL AREAS ARE
RELATIVELY ISOLATED IN TERMS OF THE NORMAL COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS, THE MAIN DIFFICULTIES IN GETTING A BALANCED
VIEW OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES ARE COMPOUNDED BY THEIR
DEPENDENCE ON A SMALLER NUMBER OF COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS.
AT TIMES PRESENTING ISSUES FROM A PARTICULAR VIEWPOINTx",
ONE OF THE AIMS OF THE GREENPAPER ITSELF WAS
TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
AND THE RURAL COMMUNITYx WHEN I WROTE ON 14 DECEMBER
LAST YEAR TO DR STUART HARRIS AND ESTABLISHED THE WORKING
GROUP I SAID: " I HOPE THE REPORT WILL PROVIDE A BASIS
FOR WIDESPREAD DIALOGUE IN THE PARLIAMENT, IN RURAL
ORGANISATIONS AND IN THE COMMUNITY GENERALLYx".
IN PROMOTING THAT DIALOGUE, COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS HAVE AN
INDISPENSABLE ROLEX I EMPHASISE THAT WHAT WE SEEK IS
A DIALOGUEe: THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, SENATOR
WRIEDT, HAS BEEN ASSIDUOUS IN PROMOTING ITx SOME OF
THE DIFFICULTIES IN MAINTAINING A DIALOGUE WILL BE
APPARENT TO THOSE OF YOU WHO SAW SENATOR WRIEDT ON
THIS WEEK'S " MONDAY CONFERENCE" FROM-TooWOOMBAx IT
IS VERY DIFFICULT INDEED TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH THOSE
WHO ARE JUST DETERMINED NOT TO LISTENx BE THAT AS IT
MAY, THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO
CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL, CONSTRUCTIVE
DIALOGUE WITH THE RURAL COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY THOSE WHO
LIVE ON. FARMS BUT THE FAR LARGER SECTION OF COUNTRYDWELLERS
WHO LIVE IN COUNTRY TOWNSK
THE QUOTATION I GAVE FROM THE GREEN PAPER
REFERS TO THE PHYSICAL DIFFICULTIES OF COMMUNICATIONSi
IT MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED, HOWEVER, THAT THE PRESENT
GOVERNMENT FACES AN ADDITIONAL DIFFICULTY NOT ENCOUNTERED
BY ITS PREDECESSORK' IT STEMS FROM A BELIEF A FALSE
BELIEF THAT THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY AND THE
AUSTRALIAN LABOR GOVERNMENT IS EXCLUSIVELY URBAN-BASED
THAT WE ARE ANTI-RURAL, THAT WE ARE DOWN ON THE FARMERx
THE MYTH IS SEDULOUSLY FOSTERED BY OUR OPPONENTSr 3/
-3-
IT IS REINFORCED TO SOME EXTENT BY THE UNDOUBTED FACT
THAT THE MARGIN OF OUR VICTORY IN 1972 CAME PRINCIPALLY
FROM SEATS WE WERE ABLE TO WIN IN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNEK
THE FACT THAT OUR SUPPORT CONTINUED FIRM IN THOSE AREAS
ENABLED US TO RETAIN OFFICE IN MAYx NATURALLY I AM
GRATEFUL FOR THAT SUPPORT; BUT IT IS IRRATIONAL TO
DRAW THE CONCLUSION THAT GRATITUDE FOR ONE SECTION IMPLIES
HOSITILITY OR INDIFFERENCE TOWARDS ANY OTHER SECTION OF
THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITYs THE FACT IS THAT THE LABOR
PARTY IS NEITHER AN URBAN NOR A RURAL PARTYx IT IS A
NATIONAL PARTY GUIDED BY NATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS' THE
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
WELFARE OF THE ENTIRE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY, FOR ALL
AUSTRALIANS WHEREVER THEY LIVEK THE BROAD RANGE OF
OUR POLICIES ARE DIRECTED TO THE WELL-BEING'OF ALL
AUSTRALIANSX THE IDEA THAT OUR POLICIES ARE DIRECTED
AGAINST THE RURAL COMMUNITY WILL NOT BEAR EXAMINATIONX
IT IS TRUE THAT ON TAKING OFFICE WE CONSIDERED THAT AS
A MATTER OF URGENT PRIORITY IT WAS NECESSARY TO
REASSESS POLICY OBJECTIVES PURSUED BY PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTSk
IT WAS NECESSARY TO RE-EXAMINE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF
BOTH THE LEVELS AND FORMS OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO
ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY INCLUDING THE RURAL SECTORx 4/
AFTER 23 YEARS WE INHERITED THE CONSEQUENCES OF A
LARGE NUMBER OF DECISIONS AND NON-DECISIONS WHICH
WERE NOT ONLY INCONSISTENT WITH OUR DECLARED GOALS
FOR AUSTRALIA, THE GOALS WHICH HAD BEEN ENDORSED BY
THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE, BUT WHICH INDEED WERE OFTEN
INCONSISTENT WITH THEMSELVES AND COUNTER-PRODUCTIVEx
WE WANTED TO SEE THAT THE NATION'S ECONOMIC RESOURCES
WERE ALLOCATED MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MORE FAIRLYx
THAT IS STILL OUR OBJECTIVEr
IN THE CASE OF THE RURAL SECTOR I ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT WE HAD TO TAKE SOME UNPOPULAR DECISIONS IN THE
INTERESTS OF EFFICIENCY AND IN THE INTERESTS OF
FAIRNESSK IT IS ALWAYS UNPOPULAR TO APPEAR TO BE
TAKING SOMETHING AWAY, HOWEVER ILLUSORY THE PRESUMED
BENEFIT MAY IN FACT BEx IF WE WERE SIMPLY WITHDRAWING
BENEFITS WITHOUT ANY EFFORT TO SUBSTITUTE SOMETHING
MORE SUBSTANTIAL THEN WE WOULD DESERVE ALL CRITICISM,
BUT WE HAVE NOT ACTED IN THAT WAYx
LET ME ILLUSTRATE A GENERAL PRINCIPLE BY
REFERRING TO ONE PARTICULAR GRIPEv THE REDUCTION
IN THE EDUCATION ALLOWANCE IS DEPICTED IN SOME
QUARTERS AS A MEAN TRICK AGAINST THE COUNTRY STUDENTS
OR THEIR PARENTSi THE FACT IS THAT WE ARE THE FIRST
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FULLY TO RECOGNISE THE
DISADVANTAGES SUFFERED BY COUNTRY-STUDENTS AND TO ACT
SERIOUSLY TO REDUCE THEMx WE WERE PARTICULARLY
DISTURBED BY THE FINDINGS OF THE KARMEL COMMITTEE ON
EDUCATION WHICH STATED: " THE LENGTH OF SCHOOLING
AND PARTICIPATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION AMONG COUNTRY
STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA ARE CONSPICUOUSLY LOWER THAN
AMONG CITY ONES THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE
PROBLEM GOES BEYOND RETENTION RATES HIGH TEACHER
TURNOVER, BOARDING DIFFICULTIES AND THE ADDED EXPENSE
OF TERTIARY EDUCATION IN DISTANT CENTRES ARE CLEARLY
SIGNIFICANT IN LOWERING RETENTION; ATTITUDES TO
EDUCATION, LIMITED CULTURAL FACILITIES IN THE COMMUNITY,
LACK OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO
COMPLETE SECONDARY EDUCATION AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT
THE CURRICULUM OFFERED IN THE SCHOOLS IS SEEN AS
HAVING LESS RELEVANCE TO COUNTRY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN I'
SUGGESTED AS EXPLANATIONS FOR LOWER ATTAINMENT. x
So FOR THE FIRST TIME WE ARE MAKING SPECIAL ASSISTANCE
TO ISOLATED CHILDREN ABOUT 5,000 IN NSW, ARE
CURRENTLY RECEIVING GRANTS TOTALLING $ 2 MILLION) .6/
THE KANGAN COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL AND
FURTHER EDUCATION NOTED IN ITS REPORT THAT COUNTRY
PEOPLE HAD PROBLEMS OF ACCESS TO TECHNICAL
EDUCATION AND TO RETRAINING FOR A NEW CAREER AND
CONSEQUENTLY WERE OFTEN OBLIGED TO MOVE TO THE
CITIESX THE NEW STAGE OF OUR EDUCATION POLICY
EMBODIED IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE KARMEL AND
KANGAN COMMITTEES ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT WILL
BRING NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO COUNTRY BOYS AND GIRLS;
AND WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PLACES WHERE THEIR PARENTS
LIVEx EDUCATION IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE
GREAT MOTIVE BEHIND OUR PROGRAM THE DRIVE FOR
NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND MORE EQUAL ACCESS TO THESE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AUSTRALIANSx THIS IS THE
PRINCIPLE BEHIND OUR APPROACH TO REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENTW IT IS JUST NONSENSE TO PUT THIS IN
TERMS OF CITY VERSUS COUNTRYx WE DO NOT THINK IN
THAT WAY AND THE MACHINERY WE ARE CREATING TO
PROMOTE EQUALITY BETWEEN REGIONS IS NOT DESIGNED
TO WORK THAT WAY .7/
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FOR YEARS AND YEARS I HAVE PUT TO THE PEOPLE OF
AUSTRALIA THE PROPOSITION THAT INCREASINGLY A FAMILY' S
STANDARD OF LIVING DEPENDS NOT SO MUCH ON ITS INCOME
AS WHERE IT LIVES$ WE HAVE SET OUT DELIBERATELY TO
REDUCE INEQUALITIES BETWEEN REGIONS AND THEREBY PROMOTE
THE REAL STANDARD OF LIVING OF ALL AUSTRALIANS WHEREVER
THEY CHiOOSE TO LIVE OR ARE OBLIGED TO LIVEK WHEN THE
AUSTRALIAN GRANTS COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1933
IT WAS EMPOWERED TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ON THE FINANCE. NEEDED TO REDUCE
INEQUALITIES BETWEEN STATES^ WE LEGISLATED TO DO
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS FOR REGIONS WITHIN THE
STATES WHAT THE GRANTS COMMISSION USED TO BE'ABLE
TO DO ONLY AS BETWEEN THE STATESX WE HAVE ACCEPTED
A GREAT AND GROWING COMMITMENT ON BEHALF OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENTx WE WANT TO SEE THAT THE STANDARDS OF
ALL REGIONS THE COUNTRY TOWNS JUST AS MUCH AS
THE NEW SUBURBS ARE BROUGHT UP TO THE BEST
STANDARDS ACCEPTABLE MODERN STANDARDS WORTHY OF
THE REAL WEALTH OF OUR NATIONA ,8/
AND AS TO THAT WEALTH, LET THERE BE NO
DOUBT ABOUT OUR RECOGNITION OF THE CONTRIBUTION
TO IT WHICH IS MADE BY THE AUSTRALIAN RURAL COMMUNITYi
OUR BASIC OBJECTIVE FOR RURAL INDUSTRY IS TO PROVIDE
A FIRM AND LASTING BASIS FOR INCREASED TRADE IN
THOSE RURAL COMMODITIES'WHICH WILL PROVIDE ASSURED
LONG TERM MARKETS AT FAIR PRICESx WE HAVE BEEN
VIGOROUS AND SUCCESSFUL IN SECURING TRADE AGREEMENTS,
MANY OF THEM WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH HITHERTO WE
HAD HARDLY ANY COMMERCIAL CONTACTX
ABOVE ALL WE HAVE SHOWN THE GREATEST
DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY IN OUR EFFORTS TO HELP THE
RURAL COMMUNITY TO ADJUST TO OUR DRIVE FOR GREATER
EFFICIENCY AND EQUALITYx WE HAVE HAD TO TAKE
MANY DECISIONS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST AS PART OF
THE FIGHT AGAINST INFLATION AND PART OF THE CAMPAIGN
FOR GREATER PRODUCTIVITY; BUT WE HAVE BEEN SENSITIVE
AND SYMPATHETIC IN DEALING WITH THE IMMEDIATE
PROBLEMS CREATED BY THESE MEASURESy FOR INSTANCE,
ALTHOUGH THE 25 PER CENT TARIFF CUT IS ADVANTAGEOUS
TO THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE LIVING IN
THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE RECOGNISED THAT THERE ARE
COUNTRY CITIES AND TOWNS WHICH HAVE FOUND IT DIFFICULT
TO COPE IMMEDIATELY WITH THE CONSEQUENCESX .9/
_ 9-
UNLY THIS WEEK WE APPROVED A NEW SCHEME OF
ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRY TOWNS ADVERSELY AFFECTED
BY OUR STRUCTURAL CHANGES) THIS ASSISTANCE IS
BASED ON THE INABILITY OF COUNTRY TOWNS WITH A
LIMITED RANGE OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO ABSORB
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF EMPLOYMENTx
I AM INDEBTED TO MY COLLEAGUE BOB WHAN,
M. P, FOR EDEN-MONARO THIS ELECTORATE FOR
DRAWING TO MY ATTENTION TWO SETS OF FIGURES WHICH.
I THINK PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE THE POLICIES OF THE
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND THEIR CONSEQUENCESX
THE BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS STATES THAT IN
1971, 775-7AUSTRALIAN FARMERS APPLIED FOR
AS 1IS'iCE F; OK; THE RURAL RECONSTRUCTION BOARD)
THIS YEAR, THE FIGURE IS DOWN TO-52 APPLICATIONSk
SECONDLY, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROVIDES FOR $ 487.6 MILLION.
IN RURAL ASSISTANCE, AN INCREASE OF $ 158 MILLION ON
1972/ 73x THIS SURELY IS NOT THE RECORD OF A
GOVERNMENT INDIFFERENT TO RURAL INTERESTS OR iNADEQt; ATE
TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF RURAL INDUSTRYx I DON'T
BRUSH ASIDE THOSE PROBLEMSX BUT WE HAVE TO RECOGNISE
THAT THOSE PROBLEMS, LIKE SO MUCH OF OUR CURRENT
ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES, SPRING FROM AN INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX WORLD SITUATIONg
THEY CAN'T BE SOLVED BY HYSTERIA OR FEAR OR PANICX
THEY CAN'T BE SOLVED BY CREATING NATIONAL DIVISION
AND BITTERNESS, PARTICULARLY THE MOST ARTIFICIAL
OF ALL DIVISIONS THAT BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRYx
WHEN I ADDRESSED THE UNITED NATIONS I EMPHASISED
THE INTERDEPENDENCE AND DEPENDENCE OF THE WORLD
COMMUNITYx IF THIS IS TRUE ON THE INTERNATIONAL
LEVEL, HOW MUCH GREATER FORCE IT HAS WITHIN THE
NATIONX I REPEAT, WE ARE DETERMINED AS A GOVERNMENT
TO MAINTAIN A GENUINE, A RATIONAL DIALOGUE WITH THE
RURAL COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH RATIONAL
POLICIES WHICH WILL PLACE AUSTRALIA'S GREAT RURAL
INDUSTRIES ON A SECURE AND SOUND COURSEx AS THE
POSSESSORS OF A VERY VALUABLE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION,
YOU CAN PLAY A CRUCIAL PART IN PROMOTING THAT DIALOGUE
AND I SEEK YOUR CO-OPERATION IN ACHIEVING ITX