PRESS STATEMENT NO. 563
23 September 1975
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
The non-Labor parties are demonstrating once
again their 4contempt for the democratic system by boycotting
the Constitutional Convention which opens in Melbourne
tomorrow. The cynicism and hypocrisy of the Opposition is
all the more extraordinary because they have chosen the
opening day of the Convention to release details of their
so-called policy on federalism. The Liberal and National
Country Party leaders, Federal and State, will be in
Melbourne tomorrow for that purpose. By boycotting the
Convention they are doing their best to frustrate the
one ' procedure by which a truly modern and creative federal
system can be evolved.
The boycott is another example of the Opposition's
abuse of political proprieties. Not content with blocking
Government legislation in the Senate, not content with
threateneing to block supply, not content with flouting
the rules on Senate vacancies, not content with abusing
these constitutional conventions, the Opposition and the
non-Labor States are now denouncing the Constitutional
Convention itself. They are serving notice that under no
circumstances will they even discuss changes in a
Constitution which their own spokesmen have acknowledged is in
need of reform. They are not only sabotaging the Convention;
they are thumbing their noses at the Constitution.
The Convention has never been solely a Labor
Party concern. The initiative for it came from the Victorian
Parliament. The Australian Labor Government to k up the
suggestion and organised the first meeting of ( he Convention
two years ago in Sydney. Its purpose w~ as to examine self-evident
deficiencies in the Australian., federal system. Every State,
as well as opposition delegates from the Australian Parliament,
attended the Convention. Useftil progress was made. The
Convention established machinery for continuing work on the
Convention with the apparent support of all delegates. / 2
Until a few weeks ago all States and our
opponents in the Australian Parliament were pressing for the
Convention to be reconvened. Senator Greenwood said in a
press statement on 24 March 1975:
" The Federal Opposition wants the Constitutional
Convention to continue its work. The immense amnount
of research, deliberations and really worthwhile
ef fort already contributed should not be wasted...
The Opposition parties accept that there is a
need for constitutional change. Experience
has shown that changes will more readily be
accepted if a consensus can be arrived at as to the
particular changes needed. This is what the
Convention can achieve."
The Leader of the Opposition said in the House of
Representatives only a month ago, on 21 August:
" It is our hope that this Convention will be a
useful forum in which State and Federal
representatives may constructively consider
constitutional reform in a way which will advance
the good government of Australia...
The Constitutional Convention does present an
opportuiiity to identify areas where change is
needed. It will ascertain what sort of consensus
exists for change. It will provide a place where
constructive efforts may be made to work out
constitutional reform. For all of these-reasons,
the Opposition is glad that the Constitutional
Convention will be reconvened in Melbourne in
September."
The timetable and agenda for the resumed conference
were determined, not by the Australian Government, but by the
executive committee of the Convention on which the Australian
Government was represented. There were representatives also
of the Opposition, of every State Parliament, the Legislative
Assemblies of the A. C. T. and the Northern Territory and local
government. The date, place and agenda for the resumed meeting
were all agreed upon by 13 August.
Yet on 28 August I received a telegram from the
Premier of Queensland advising that Queensland Government
delegates would not attend the Convention in Melbourne and
that the Premier would be moving that the Queensland
Parliamentary delegation should not attend. Western Australia,
New South Wales and Victoria subsequently took a similar attitude.
No good reason has been given for their change of view. / 3
A 3.
Despite the obstruction of the non-Labor
parties, the Convention will go ahead. It will meet
tomorrow in the Windsor Hotel since the Victorian Government
has now cancelled its invitation to use Parliament House.
I believe that useful results can still be achieved by the
plenary meeting. For its part, the Australian Government will
press for agreement on amendments to the Constitution
to expand the provisions for the inter-change of
powers and to amend the Constitution to permit the
Australian Parliament to make grants to local government
bodies and raise loans on their behalf.
I believe the Australian Government's attitude
to local government is at the root of the Opposition'ss
boycott. The non-Labor States and the Opposition opposed
even having local government represented at the Convention.
They are now frightened that the Convention will lead to a
proper, developing role for local government in our federal
system. Strong local government has a key role to play
in the provision of needed services. From personal experience
I know the cost of living and working in suburbs long
deprived of proper health, transport, sewerage, housing and
child care services all the things that make for the betterment
and happiness of the Australian people. In my 1972 policy
speech I pledged that local government would be made a
genuine partner in ihe federal system. I declared that direct
representation of local government at the Constitutional
Convention would be a condition of the Australian Government's
participation. In spite of the resistance of our opponents,
we are honouring those pledges. We are determined to have strong
local government properly financed and properly responsive to
local community needs.
F'ar from being centralist, the Australian Government
has proclaimed its determination to bring decision-making closer
to the people. The real centralists are the non-Labor States
who have attempted to frustrate local government. The non-Labor
States want to dominate local government at all costs. They
have even challenged the right of the Territories to
representation and votes in the Federal Parliament. They
have tried to close off our support for local community groups.
This is why the Victorian Government is leading the High
Court challenge to the R. E. D. Scheme and the Australian
Assistance Plan a challenge which imperils a whole range
of local schemes which the Australian Labor Government has
implemented. In รต ' esigning innovative programs like community
health and child care centres, the Australian Government
has been conscious of the need for community groups to plan
and run their own pr; ojects. We want community participation through
community action. T1his will be achieved by vigorous local
government working in harmony-. with Australian Government programs.
These programs will go ahead despite the Opposition's boycott of
tomorrow's Convention.
CANBERRA, A. C. T.