nmargoed until delivery 4
Ai m.
PRIME MINISTER
TOODOMAQUEENSLAND
This has be-a tmofgreatecnmchrsi: fratle-
From the boom conditions of 1973/ 74, prices in the cattleyards
have fallen disastxously from 93 cents -per-kilogrrami in September;.
1973 to as little as9 24 cents per kilogram ina January 1975. Since-J
then, prices have improved marqinally but they-remain far below-therecord
1973 prices.
While prices have been depressed, farm costs ave risen dramnaticailly.-
In each of the three Labor years, farm costa far -outstr ipped thegenexal'rise
in the Consumer Price. Index. In 1974-75, farm costs
rose over
* Beef producers' nett proceeds have fallen alarmingly in money-terms..
rM real terms the situation is even worse; and-beef producers have
also -been hard bit by continuous industrial disruption 1 limited
access to our most important overseas beef markets, a prolonged
drop in export prices made worse by d-rought conditions ina the..
United-States causing local stock to -flood United States markets,
and by a. cattle suirplus in Australia creating low. prices. fbr
producers. liwreover, the scars left by Labor's policies on the.-
rural. comamity-could not be healed-overnight.
The Labor Government not only produced record inflation it
directly.. attacked the rural communty Tfith the Coombs. Task Force
report as their bible, they withdrew conczession. after concession-
They-abolished tax concessions, abolished the superphospbate bountyand
tried to reduce the wool reserve price by 50 cents a pound-,
They-imposed new imposts suich as the 14eat Insp0ecdion Charge.
They failed to give local government and rural roads the-financial
support so clearly required&'
Labor's attitude was completely summed up by Mr.-Whitlam when be.,
-tldafarmer's rally: ' You'veneverhad Itsogood'-.--i~ t was
TLabor ' delibexate policy to depress rural'industries and that;
they did.
Z4 r16; smght 7ocreat dvisi ; bztreniCty-and " country*
4% y&! bazdshi p a ffe red can not j us t-be vea sured in. MODey teXTD3
-theiW-bave -been human and social. costs. People-are. being.
for~ dto -leave their Xaxms to abandon the life they wne
to Iive. Whole families. are under stress. These facts are
too o~ ten ignored, 6nd it-is time. that theF dif ficulties thatbeef.
i'oroducers face are realistically-reoognised.__ ,/ many
2
M'any people have recognised and been responsive~ to the problems
of disadvantage i-n-cities, but all too often people have been
unknowing and uncaring about the problems, the . disadvantaqes and
financial dif ficulty that exist. in the. farming omuity.
Since coming to office, we have acted to secure the long. term
viability of our rural industries, to secure-their ability to
play a significant. role in Australia's development.. We are
determined to redtess the inequities. and the antd--ural bias and*
distortion of Labor's policies-we are determined to make sutre.
that t-here is an equitable shari-ag of the burdens -in the fight
against inflation. In thi.-task, we have been greatly assisted
by constant submissions and representation% from Libexal and
NatioDal Count-ry-: Party hack-bencbers, -anfommaur't
Orgntoss In-less than two-years we: have developed -a -comprehensive. and
constructive programme of assistance-for the whole rural cOwinUity;.
and specific assistance to, neet. the most urqent needs of induztries. fp~
I would* like to talk-briefly about what has been done for the rural.
conmnity as-, a whole. Our griaatest. contribution to rural' producers
has been to reduce the . inf lation rate. When we came to of fice,
inflation as masured by -the CTI adjusted: for 1Medib.-ank was
running at 16.7%. * At the end of June it 10.-2t. This year,-
the Bureau -of . I. gricultural P). conomicsestimates that farm costs
% Y111 rise by less than 10% for the first time since 1972..
The Government has introduced a whole-range ofitaxation-measures
which greatly benefit primary producers. We have acted to protect
primary prodlucers from paying unduly high rates of tax because of
sharp fluctuations in theirdincome. Last year ' we introduced
_ income equal isation deposits, and we. indexed * tax -so ' that no-one:
was pushed. into higher brackets just because of inflation.
Tbis year we dramatcally reduced and simplified those scalea
with the result that every taxpayer is better off; anciwe reformed
the tax averaging scheme,. lrimary proaucers whilpay-tax at
the rate applicable to their average income, or their actual.
i~ ncome for the. year, whichever is lower.
This baars sharp contriast to the so-called Hayden-tax reforms of
1975, which m~ eant that farm3ers in many cases paid more. tax.. than.. a
wage earner on the -swme average income. The Raydlen ' reforms'
-cost:-farmners -ani extra 5Ozn-illioh in taxhy f iddliniq: the: tx~
aver-aging sys tem...
ATe 40% Xhet~ nal~ nehas been utilised by. ; any
producebrs, and estate duty. has. been eased on. assets passing
to a spouse. / In other
Lri ot~ ier asures to as~ t-texia. ccnriityi . Obtain'Anq
.', neba~ been! m~ ade -easier th~ rough. our-actions -toesx J*-
have greater liquidity-to f inance -term and farm developmnent loans.
Substantially. more funds bave-been given to local: governmnent and
for rural roads.. ~ The Government has reintroduced: the superphospbate
bounty. which Labor abolished, and retained the
nitrogenous fertiliser subsidy which the. TAC w~ anted to have
abolished. We have introduced a new. rural . adjustment, scheme
and consistently given assistAnce with drought a-nd other natural.
disaster relief.
We are conraitted-to the establishment of a National Rural Bank I
wo ncrease priunary prodiucers access to Tunas to refinance their.
debts on a more satisfactory long-term basis. Leqialation. to
establish the D3ank will be introduced as soon as possible this
Oession.
lie have also made strenuous and successful efforts to increase
market access. Negotiations, in Japan in. April, . led to -a
decision by the japanese Government not to reduce beef quotas
as had been-thrvoatened, and wL-arparsuinq -negotiation s.. with
INS a. resuxlt
of our ef for"~, the volume ' ot imports permitted en try. to theP _-us.
maket is up-on last-year. K
We have als~ o t-Jcn up with the ) nBC at thie highest lev-el the need
to increase our access to European markets.-Thei European
Coimunity of* 260 million people accounts for 40%: of the world~ s
trade. Aos. recant-ly as 1960,. 40t of our extortq -went to European.
markets. That proportion has been, reduced to 14%-not because
of inefficiency by:-our producers, but to a large extent~ because
of the BB~ C's restrictiv~ e policies. As a result of discussions I
had in Europe last June, the European Commission has agreed to'a.
series * of bilateral trade discussions, and the Minister for-
Special. Trade Negotiations,. John ' Howard,. is currently. engaged
in those discussi~ ons.
in . addition to the measures. for the-. whole rural comrmunity, we
have taken rimerous initiatives to help particular rural
industries w-ool, wheat, sugar, fruit and dairyIng . to. name
a few.
For the. beef i-ndustry, we quickly aboliubhed the Labor-inspired:
M~ eat Inspection charge, lbe-ralised and extenxded the terms-of
carry--on finance, -introduced household support for producers
asseasedl to be non-viable, and contributed subs tan ti al funda totbiu
camrpaign to eradicate brucellosis and tuberculosis in cattle.
The new Australian "~ eat and Livestocl Corporation will shortly
cc~ enc operations. under tits new ( ehairmn, M1r; ceoff Jones.
Pour producers' representatives are mebaxs, and it-is armed
with-significantly broader powers than the present M~ eat Board.
/ As a
As a result of all' 02
mark~ et-prices and thii
value of -meat export# i,'
the benef its of thia-~
There is no doubt. tha
Pig~ res available toñ
that in Queensland' 4&
slaughterman have ine:
77%, the wages-of a,
slaughterman or boner
$ 220 a week. Meat pr'
a dramatic turnaround
producers at cattle :. a
Because of -the-beef
announced a new Pack-~
Let me -again. outline tht
cla~ ssificatif~ it-in ' bao L4tt$
towards the capital: o~
We -are negotiating w ith UI
settlers in the BrigalowAA4-
moratorium -an -the r~ aiet
under the! schbze, ad n
Of lasuerte shm
Prices Justification Tribuza)
meat marketing* anrd processinM
i!) r~ ve the. presfnt liVeatoc. r
ducing a buffer fund scheme,..
7-We wil urg~ mtly re-examine-t
available for carry-on loans
support-. Because of. the inme
cazh flow pogition, we,. are -iAi
for a twelve month period for-X
for a number of disease conti
beef heifers up: to two years-.
be limited to $ 2,000 per Pr
comrpanies as single identitie
charges which producers -in. rQ
to bear. adan encoaaing increase. in.
F.,_ rgss production..-the. total
kM. l icesd. But, by. and large, I
enot reached the beef producer.
,, Lstxy extployees, have done very well.
tnt of Pzihiary -* Industry fIndicate
ie19f 74rma ' lwea gleasb ooaxf e-ar n. h Aav ge raindcer easedI:
*= rer have gone' up. An.. A Grade.
~ rmal'hours will earn-a. minimum of
wd: exportera have also. experienced
ts~ But the prices received'by -beef
emain very depressed.
Lersto-assist the. be, f industrxy.-'_
t4.. tie -earlyimlet o brlaag
i~ t; w u~ Pri'inqfi-up to, = il-icqt
Wiensland Government to, grant~ tt
. theme on average a two-year
r. I-hir. financial olgtos--
~ Jrier: seven years; ' th
~ be holding an. inquiry into
ices.-Wareainn ways t
r3etin~~~ St,. s~ a -nr-
'* ernB and conditions and-funds
ro ducers, and for bouseh~ L4.,
W ; tPeed to improve beef producers
( 1j'Ing a cash grant of $ 10 ehed-:-
t__ eZcattle. excluding: dairy rd,-
~ 1' rcessesj or for spaying of -young
~ feb Necessarily, the sbsidy.-wifl
_ cer-counting partnerships and
fti-~ eare re-examining Governmient----.
isolated pastorial; areas. have-,
This pac) kage of measures a' b~ ew taxiaveraging measures amply.'-.
demonstrate our acute awareneaa 4.' f the need-to assist Australialsvital
beef industry durim the., present abnormal conditions.
There is one-other-matter ofvtlinterest to beef producers / that
that I would like to talk about brief ly -industrial relations.
This Government is absolutealy determined that the law shall apply
in the area of industrial relations. No commn-ity can tolerate
a situation where one area is exempt from the law -this Goverrment
and thie Australian community certainly will not tolerate it. 0
Since we were elected,? we have passed the secret ballot legislation i.
we Promised. We have established the. Industrial Rltions Bureau.
lie have wiiended the Trade Practices Act to ban damagilig secondary,
boycotts. We have legislated to give the Governinent the necessary
powers7 to suspend, dismiss and stand down Coimnwealth employees in
particular circumtancer,. Our indlustrial policy has had considerable
success.-in+ the first six imonths of this year, Australia has bad-the lowestS
level of Industrial disputes, and the lea-st'number of working days.
lest during this decade'.
Because of our secret ballot legislation, xmions-are inaking greater
use of the electoral office to rwi their elections. In the twelve
inoitts since the legislation was introauced, there were 244 such
applications. The Arbitration lnspecto); ate has found evidzence of
recent breaches of the law-by two unions, the Amalgaxnated 1. jetal
Wor3 ers, and Shipwrights Union, and thie Builders Labourers -Pederation+.
If the Industrial' lieg9istrar confirms that breaches have+ occurred
new elections -fully. conforming with.. -the Act-. will-be-hialdi-or-the
unions concerned will face prosecution.
Despite'ttheseimprovements, there are+ ntill' Problems -in iprat
areas.-You-. krsow the Problems union-diisputes are Ft-ill causinq the
bee! f iindustry,. In., the, year+ to 30 June 1977, tens,-of t-housands-I
of man days-were lest-in Queensl. and meat, processing works. h
export of chilled beef f rom Brisbane . was-brought to a halt.
earlier this year because of a demarcation dispute. 1-t is%-
estimated that tbe dispute cost beef producers-$ 5O0,0O00 a -week. w
On-: one. day alone 52, containers of -chilled beef .' iorth over amillion
dollarg were held up -~ and -the shippers:-had to maintain
refrigeration witb dry Ice.
One + report to the Minister, for Rrimaxyi ndun try estimates the cost
to central Queenslzuid-cattlemen of industrial troubles in thbe-+.
ineat industry to be be-tween and $ 30 a head in respeot of-ec
beast sold. r~ There: are other areas where industrial dispntes are
causing major problems the construction and Mining industries
for example. Despite the. 1iproved statistics, extremist union
leaders are -getting -naore . skilled at causing maxinnnn disruption while
using fewer vacan, and -they are harming beef + producers, the r-ural
community -art all Australians wit-h their tactics. Vihe Govetrien t+
if; determined not. to let this situation continue. The law will be
upheld in industrial matters. / The Governmnent a
-6-
The Government s. firmess in the air controllers adp~
workers disputes alearly demonstrated this, anid we wllb
brin~ ring down further industrial relations legislAtio*.-tl S.
session of Parliament.
Pr* esident, for the industry's long term recovery, * ziflation
nst be. reduced-furthier anid this-the Government: has well'iwbh-and.-
Accas. to overseas markets must be maintained and. iuprovi2d4 and
the: Government is doing everything weitihin its power. O-db~ so,
particularly in Japanese, American and European markets.* y -_.-The:
industrial relations record must be further improved:-.-neither
tbe.:. industxy noqr Australia can af ford unnecessary. andaaging
! Mh~ strial. disputes. Anid i must all . be willing. to-look., constantly
atways of improving efficiency and quality-in beef '. production. and
vmrketing.. I look. for your wholehearted co-opex~ ain nte.
ai' lac' iih respect ni~ tii
arrangements and a buffer fund.
We6 have demonstrated by-our actions thi!: Government2s real-con . c~ ern
foru ralindustry. -We recognise -rual indusry. importance fo
our decentralised towns, for our export earnings.: and for: the,
Australian. way -of life. We are determined to see oux great
rural industry through this time of stress anid difficulty.
I And. to work. with the beef industry to see -that its -long term
future is-secured..