PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE, PERTH, 5 JANUARY 1976
2UESTION: Why was it necessary for the Government to issue an undertaking
by Mr Lynch that Australia won't devalue?
? RIME MINISTER:-Well there have been rumours to this effect and we wanted
to make it quite certain that they remained rumours, that people
would put that sort of attitude well behind them. And the
statement the Treasurer made was a strong, a forthright statement;
it had been fully discussed, not only with myself but also with
Mr Anthony.
NESTION:, Are you very concerned with the drop in Australia's international
reserves?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, I would think that whatever movements that did take
place were' temporary movements and speculative movements.
There had-been a good deal of talk this in te ne-wt spapers
as you kn4, and we felt it was time, and our advisers felt it
was time, for the Treasurer to make the sort of statement that he did.
! UESTION: It's aniunusual occurrence to make such a statement?
' RIME MINISTER: No, not in the circumstances that prevailed, no.
, UESTION: Mr Fraser what consideration is given to the Country Party
in the ! decision not to devalue.
RIME MINISTER: Well the Government is one Government, It is not two
separate Parties and I've never known an issue in which there has
been a division between, on Party lines, in any Cabinet discussion.
This matter was fully discussed by the Treasurer with myself
and with Mr Anthony. I had a number of discussions with Mr Anthony
in relation to it. We all in complete agreement with the statement.
UESTION: There have been suggestions that the Young Liberal Movement
will be pushing for a complete split with the Country Party.
Will you be discussing this with them at all today?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I wouldn't be interested in discussing that with anyone,
and would have no intention of doing so. There is a coalition
that worked very well in Opposition, and it will work very well in
Government and it will work for the advantage of all Australians.
And any suggestions of anything else is just so much nonsense.
People have said that because there is a large majority
in the House of Representatives a coalition is not needed.
Well the people that say that are talking nonsense.--Australia
needs it and there is a firm partnership between the two Parties,
, and between Mr Anthony and-myself. That is going to continue.
' I hope for a long while and for Australia's-advantage.
SUESTION: But if the Young Liberals passed a resolution that all Liberals
should stand against all Country Party candidates would you...
RIME MINISTER: i Oh, look, some States have different views about how they
handle local electoral matters. What I'm talking about is the
coalition in Canberra and that is firm, it is absolute and
nothing will shake it.
QUESTION: You're here to open the Young Liberal Movement's Convention,
how much notice will you take if a resolution is passed?
PRIME MINISTER: We listen closely to what the Young Liberals say,
obviously. They have an important'point of view to put on many
issues of-importance, national issues, local issues, not ones that
just affect young people. : So obviously we pay close attention
to many of the things that they say.
QUESTION:' Mr Prime Minister, another of the resolutions is that there should
be compensation for defeated members of Parliament, so that they
can be sure that they've got money coming in. How does that
idea appeal to you?
PRIME MINISTER: , All branches of the Party, State branches and it is not only
-the Young4Liberal branches, sometimes pass resolutions that
I mightn'i always agree with. I. think that anything that does
, occur in jelation to members . of Parliament ought to flow out of
the Renumeration Tribunal. Any ideas that might be put forward
and that the Tribunal felt were worthwhile, could be looked at,
But losinq your seat is one of the hazards of politics, and I think
it has to be accepted as such.
UESTION: Mr Prime Minister, what Federal powers do you predict will be
handed back to the States?
' RIME MINISTER: Federal powers I think is maybe the wrong way of putting
the question. A meeting is being scheduled for the 4th and
of February to discuss in the major part the initiat implementation
of our new Federalism policy. A-great deal of work will have
to be done and I've got no doubt that we and the States will have
views about the way in which working parties will need to be
established to define some of the finer details of the policy,
such as -the equalisation arrangements as I've said the interests
of States, such as Western Australia or Tasmania, and others
will be completely and absolutely guaranteed, that the rights
and positions of the smaller States will be absolutely protected.
Those equalisation arrangements will take a good deal of working
out between officials in fine detail and this is something that
it just was not possible to do in Opposition. You need the
advice of your officials, advice from Government Departments
and the information that they've got to-enable this work to be
undertaken. . I regard this initial meeting with the Premiers
as an important one in laying the ground work for the work that
has to be * done before the policy can actually be applied.
I hope it'can be applied as soon. as possible.
UESTION: Well Mr Dunstan's described the meeting as a " con job". What
is your r4action to that?
RIPE MINISTER: Well let's see what Mr Dunstan says when he actually gets
to the meeting.
UESTION: Are you prepared to take over the State railways as Mr Whitlam
said he would?
RIME MINISTER: I would have thought that States would basically want to
maintain control over their own railways. One of the things
that hasn't been always understood is that when the Commonwealth
takes over State railways, they take over the States
L
development. While there are some differences between
arrangements to South Australia and to Tasmania, if the Commonwealth
has control over internal transport within a State, it's basically
got contr6l over what can--happen within that State. It is worth
noting, I think in the Tasmanian agreement anyway, there was
power for the Commonwealth to enter into competition with private
road hauliers, virtually power to control the sorts of licences
that might be provided for road hauliers. Now this is giving
complete control to the Commonwealth. I can't really imagine
the State that has a belief and faith in its own capacity to
look after its own affairs wanting to pass that kind of power over
to the Commonwealth.
QUESTION: Many geople were disappointed that some well-known Liberals
. like Don Chipp, Bill Snedden, Peter Rae, Senator Peter Rae, were
left out df your Cabinet. Would you Comment on why they were left ' out?
IRIME MINISTER: I've got no commerit to make on any individuals in the
Parliamentary Liberal'Party.
UESTION: Mr Prime Minister, what percentage of income tax do you intend
giving to the States?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think you're asking questions that would be better
to ask! at a later point, after there have been discussions with
the States. The policy does state, in broad outlines, the sort
of base level which would apply as the working point, as the
starting point, as the percentage that the States now get for
tax reimbursement reasons, or from the tax reimbursement formula.
But there's a great deal to be done, a great deal to be
worked out and I've got no doubt that there will be a fair amount
of time before the final details are settled between the States
and ourselves.
QUESTION: Will there be . less tied'grants?
? RIME MINISTER: Well that's the objective, yes,-very much the objective
to give the States more independence, more initiative, more capacity
to do what they believe needs to be done for their own people.
And also, having that capacity then they are accountable for what
they do and don't do, and aren't in a situation in which somebody
from Canberra is telling them what they must do. This makes Canberra
accountable for everything, and I think wrongly so.. Because people
closer to Perth must know their interests, and Western Australia's
interests, 4better than people who are i'n Canberra.-The-whole
thrust of the policy was to create circumstances in which there would
be independent capacity, not only for State Governments but also
for local governments.-
UESTION: Have you moved into the Lodge yet, Mr Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
UESTION: Your wife suggested that it might be a bit too small for you.
RIME MINISTER: Well, we didn't know how many beds there were, and I think
it's some while since a Prime Minister's been in the Lodge with
children. And I did case the joint a week or two ago. T here are
enough beds.
QUESTION: Mr Prime Minister, now that the number of the House of
Representatives.-Jias been finalised, do you feel that having such
a large majority well no doubt you're quite happy to have
such a large majority but do you think it's in the best
interests of the country to have such a large majority?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it was in the best interests of the country that
the verdict against Labor and the three years ofLabor was as strong
* as it was. But I also thought it wasn't just a negative vote
against Labor, because we were offering positive and different..
policies that would take Australia into the 1980' s and beyond.
So I believe, it was also a vote for what we were offering and
I'm very glad that the movement was as firm and as vigorous
* as it wasiagainst what we'd said was the worst Governm-ent in
Australial's history, the worst Government since Federation.
Now what lpesin the future depends upon ourselves what we do
. the way we govern, the conta-twe maintain with people outside
in the general community, the contact we maintain, the cooperation
we establish with State Governments, and through State
Governments with local government. One of the things which will be
important is to make sure that all members of Parliament not only
have, but feel they have, and this is very important for new
member's, the useful and constructive role to play. Now this will be
done through our own Party committees, through Parliamentary
committees, and through discussions in the Party room. I'd already
made it plain as Leader of the Opposition-" and earlier that I'd
wanted to see
substantial changes and improvements in the committee system
in the House of Representatives, giving private members a more
meaningful role to fill and to play. There's a great deal to
be done..' . We've" already established a committee of our own
private members who are preparing a paper for me on the role of
private members in Government, and their role in the Party Room.
And there are particular reasons for this. There are a large
number of new members and because the majority is so large.
So out of all of this I believe we'll get not only good Government
for Australia but a parliament in which people believe they're
being usefully used.
QUESTION:, You don't feel that having so many tends to lead to a feeling of
complacency Within the Party?
PRIME MINISTER: 0N, well I think the branches-. of the Party,-State Premiers,
, the Young! Liberal Movement and the Party room itself will certainly
prevent the Government from becoming complacent. I've seen on
previous occasions how vigorous Party room debates have kept
Governme4s on their toes this is going back a fair number of years,
I think that the nature of the Liberal Party and the sense
of purpose we have, what we want to achieve will make sure that we
don't feel complacent, and don't become complacent. I'm certain
that if there is any sign of that there will be a great many people
from within the Party and outside who will start to tell us to
get up and start doing things.
UESTION: It's now three weeks since the election, Mr Prime Minister, and
we still don't know properly what the new composition of the
Parliament will be. Would you like to see the voting procedure
a, I 9.
simplified so that we would have a quicker result, a definite
result more quickly?
PRIME MINISTER: Well Io. think we have a definite result haven't we?
There's a very definite result in the House of Representatives
and there's also a pretty definite result in the Senate.
It's just a question of how large the majority in fact will be in
the Senate.
QUESTION: Wouldn't you like to see the finalisation of it earlier or quicker?
PRIME MINISTER: I would like to see the finalisation of it earlier
but I wouldn't like to see injustices created merely to achieve an
earlier ' result. If you start to change the voting system
you could. lead tO a situation in which injustices might occur,
some of the changes which were suggested in the past could have
led to that sort of injustice. Changes can be suggested that
: can achievre a quicker result but preserve equity for all Parties
and all people. That's obviously something that we'd look at.