PRESS CONFERENCE AT PARLIAM. ENTARY AZNNEXE, NEW DELHI
28 January 1979
PRIM4E MINISTER:
I would like to make one or two preliminary remarks, but
because I had. some words to say at the arrival ceremony
and a speech at the Prime Minister's dinner has also been
issued together of course with the speech to the Joint
Sitting of Parliament, because of that I don't think there
is a need for me to speak at any length before throwing
the conference open to questions.
I do want to make one or two points. I would like to take
this occasion, publicly, to thank Prime Minister Desai and
the Government of India for the very warm hospitality that
has been given to me and my whole family. It is the first
time my children have been out of Australia, and they have
appreciated the warmth of the hospitality very much indeed.
When the Prime Minister ( Mr Desai) and myself met at the
Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London the best
of two years ago 18 months ago we then determined that
we should both jointly work to bringIndia and Australia
closer together and seek out areas of co-operation. And
I think the discussions that we had when the Prime Minister
came to Australia for the regional meeting built'-on that.
I hope that my visit here has further built on the framework
that had already been laid.
In the bilateral discussions we had concerning India-Australia
issues, we have agreed on a number of matters. We havc agreed
on some practical exchanges in science and technology under
the science,. and technology agreement between India and Australia,
and senior scientists from Australia will be visiting india.
And likewise from India they will be visiting Australia to*
see which areas of agricultural research would be most
profitable for joint endeavours, for co-operative efforts*,
between-our scientists. In addition to that, in relation
to energy, the same will occur. Australian scientists and
technologists will visit India. An Indian team will visit
Australia. After that it is intended that the-re should be
joint programs of co-operation in' these areas.
The Commonwealth Regional Meeting in Sydney last year
established an energy group which India convenes. The
work that w. l1 be undertaken in energy will not only be
under the auspices of the science and technology agreement
between India and Australia, it will also be related to that
energy group of the Commonwealth Rejional Meeting.
We have also agreed in the bilateral matters to establish,
in a sense, an early warning system a consultative group
on trade between India and Australia. Wle have such a group
in relation to the ASEAN countries, and I think it is
starting to work well. The purpose of tk-his will be to have
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a permanent means of communication at a high level so that
if there are any matters which concern India, they can be
raised. on the other hand, if there were matters that
concerned us, we can also raise them. I think having a
consultative committee on trade between India and Australia
will be useful. It will help to point out when there are
sensitivities on one side or the other. And I believe also
it will help to encourage trade between our two countries.
It has also been agreed that we would seek to open the
doors for an Indian mission on coal to investigate the
possibility of joint ventures in coking coal to the mutual
benefit of both countries. I pointed out that on the
Australian side, the Government itself doesn't actively
operate in that area. It would be a question of working
with some of the major organisations in Australia involved
in coal mining and export. But as a Government, we would
certainly very much welcome joint ventures with India.
Over the remainder of the time I will be in India, I will
be looking forward very much to seeing something of InHdian
life in different parts of the country, in particular
rural life and development in country areas together with
seeing some of the great industrial achievements of India.
During the discussions I had with the Prime Minister,
international matters were, of course, canvassed very
deeply. There are areas of concern for all of us at the
present time. But I think I have said enough in opening
this conference, Mr Chairman, and I am going to make it
open to questions.
QUESTION: Have you set'a target for the Committee of sc ientists to
arrive at some specific recommendations?
PRIME MINISTER:
No. There is no specific time limit. But I would hope
that the visits can take place quite quickly and that
recommendations can be made to governments. There is no
intention on our side, and I am sure there is no. intention
on India's side, that there will be. any,,, nnecessary delay.
We intend to proceed, and to proceed in a forthright fashion.
QUESTION: Your Foreign Minister has been in Singlapbre explaining
Australia's new aviation policy under which cheap airfares
are to be introduced from Australia ~ to London from February 1.
Can you tell us about the reasons behind this new policy,
which seems to be causing some& distress in other countries?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think there is a great deal of misunderstanding in relation
to the policy and I welcome the opportunity to explain it. / 3
-3
The Australian Government had been under enormous pressure
to introduce cheap airfares, not only to London but also to
Asia to India to the United States, to Japan. You all
will have heard of Sir Freddie Laker, and people were saying
that Laker must be allowed into Australia. Now we believe
that if Laker did come in with his kind of operation, it
would jeopardise the services to Australia of the regular
airlines, not just Australian airlines but many airlines,
because loading could be very significantly affected.
Under these circumstances we thought the regular services
might be put in jeopardy, but at the same time we wanted
to respond to the very strong wish to achieve lower airfares.
We also believed that lower airfares could only be achieved
on the regular airlines if the general loading factor can
be kept at a high level.
Now, it is the intention of Australia and of Qantas to
negotiate not just with Britain, and not just with the
United States, but with India and all the countries with
whom we are conducting air services.
I think there has been misunderstanding because it is felt
that when we announced the Aiustralia-London fares, we
hadn't at that time negotiated other fares along the route,
and I suppose when you are negotiating with many countries,
many different airlines, it is difficult to bring it all to
a conclusion at once, and that wasn't possible.
In relation to India, for example, we will be negotiating
quite shortly on an airline to airline basis, and if it r
is necessary to have discussions between our. Departments of
Aviation, that can be arranged. There was some discussion
of this issue over the last couple of days. As I understand
it, India wants to make sure it maintains the relative
attractiveness in relation to the new fares to Britain that
the current fares had to the old fares to Britain. In other
words, the fares to Britain have come down, therefore to
maintain the relative attractiveness of India as a place for
Australians to visit, the fares to India certainly need to
be reduced. Now that would be our objective, and we believe
overall that tourists from Australia and we hope to Australiaare
going to be increased.
It was my understanding earlier that the-ai~ line to airline
negotiations with Air Garuda, Air Malaysia and Air Thai had
been reasonably satisfactory. I think there were some
problems-with Air Singapore, partly-perhaps because they
weren't a member of IATA and conducted their operations on
different. rules
QUESTION: Did your talks include civil aviation?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was covered in the talks with officials and other ministers
present, yes. And I believe there is an understanding of k
4
the position. Certainly it is not the Australian Government's
intention or will to take any action that would jeopardise
Air India or jeopardise an increasing number of Australian
tourists coming to India.
QUESTION: ( First part inaudible)... do you think you will be able to
maintain the present per capita income in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
The per capita income of Australians will depend very much
on how hard Australians work now and in the future. If
Australians sit back and donit work, the per capita income
will fall. If they get out and work with initiative and
energy, per capita income of Australia can be maintained
or improved. But I think maybe part of the question relates
to something which I believe is very important, and that is
that we need to achieve a greater growth of trade, we need
to achieve a greater growth of world markets, so that the
living standards, especially in a number of developing countries,
can be improved.
One of the things that distrubs me very greatly is the
extent to which a number of industrial countries make it
difficult at times for goods from developing countries to
enter into the old industrial: markets.
During periods of high inflation, high unemployment and low
growth, the problems and difficulties can be, I think,
understood. But it is very important that the world get
gack on a growth path, because if that doesn't happen
I believe that the prospects of increased trade, better
economic relations between north countries and south countries
will be put very much in jeopardy. Australia quite specifically
seeks to conduct policies that do encourage the products of
developing countries into the Australian market. On a per
capita basis, I think, we import more than any other industrial
country. And we certainly import more than much more in
the sensitive employment areas of textiles, apparel and
footwear than any other industrial country.
In relation to ASEAN, for example, dnd'fjust happen to have
those figures in my mind, if North America and Europe
imported as much textiles, apparel and footwear from them
as Australia did per capita, those . countries would be
exporting-an extra thousand million dollars worth a year.
That would obvious. Ly.. an. enormous increase in trade.
But I very firmly believe that we are all interdependent
in these particular issues, and that we need to look ato
the broader international context to advance the interests
of all countries.
QUESTION: ( Inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
We have a high rate of investment in Australia because we
are a capital importing country, and I think one of the
reasons for that is that there are a number of very expensive
resource development projects underway in Australia. The
Northwest Shelf development, which will be mainly a natural
gas project, will take $ 3,000 million Australian to develop,
and that is probably beyond the capacity of Australia to
provide alone. Therefore the joint ventures need to get
capital and support from overseas.
We will use some of the natural gas in Australia for industry
and some will be exported. And it is because of developments
of that kind I think that Australia needs to be a capital
importing country and I think that might account for the
statistics that you mentioned.
QUESTION: Inaudible.., concerning joint ventures for mining and exploration
of coking coal?
PRIME MINISTER:
This was a subject raised during the discussions, and there
has been a significant sale of 600,000 tonnes from Australia
to India. As I understand it, India would like to get continuity
of supply of access for coking coal on a regular basis. And
to make sure of that, as I understand it, India wanted to get
in on the base development in relation to coking coal. Now
that can be done in partnership with Australian enterprises,
in partnership with Australia's coal exporters, and it could
be in relation to exploration; it could be in relation to
development. It is very much at the early stage, and what I have undertaken
to do is to make sure that an Indian mission would be
put in touch with the right people in-Australia and would be
given every encouragement. And from a Government point of
view we would certainly welcome that kind of joint venture,
because one of the things we belidveF-1~ important in this
trade is reliability of access to markets for countries that
are seeking to sell. And if there is a joint venture between
Australian concerns and India in something such as coking
coal, or for that in other areas of % resource development,
then that gives India guaranteed access, guaranteed supply,
and it gives us a reliable market., Xt is therefore in the
interests of both nations. But it is at the momcent in a
very preliminary stage. I was responding to a request put
to me on the Indian side of -the bilateral discussions, and I
was very happy to do so.
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QUESTION: TOTALLY INAUDIBLE.
PRIME MINISTER:
The problem with immigration at the moment is the unemployment
that there is in Australia and wa have as you know a policy
that is non-discriminatory, but it is necessary to have a
job to go to, and there are lists of skills which are in
short supply in Australia.*
That list is being changed and updated as the po sition varies,
but I do know that a large number of doctors from India have
gone -to Australia in recent times, and they are contributing
very greatly to the communities in which they are working
in Australia.
QUESTION: Australia has cut aid to Vietnam as a result of the Vietnamese
backed invasion of Kampuchea. How extensive was this question
discussed with the leaders of India and were there differences
between the Australian and the Indian positions?
PRIME MINISTER:
No; the question of whether aid should or shouldn't continue
wasn't discussed at all. I think we understand each other's
position in relation to it. A statement will be made on
behalf of the Australian Government, and I note that a number
of other countries have either stopped aid or said that no
new aid commitments would be begun under the current
cirucmstances. The British Government is in that position,
and I think a number of European Governments and some governments
in Southeast Asia have certainly welcomed the Australian
position in relation to it. We did that for two simple reasons:
we believed it was wrong to give aid to a country that had
embarked on an invasion and also that was pursuing a particular
policy in relation into its own people concerning refugees.
That's causing a great problem in Thailand and Malaysia, and
to an extent it's causing a problem in lutralia. also, even
though we have taken in relation to our size and population
a large number of refugees from Vietnam and any other nation.
But those ~ were the reasons for it. But a more important element,
which I discussed at length and which P can only advert to
here very briefly, is the concern we must all feel about the
possibilities of escalation in relation to Vietnam and
Kampuchea as a result of the actions that have taken place.
We all know the possibilities of escalation, and I think it
would be very disturbing in Sougheast Asia and the Asian
region generally if that were to occur. It was really in
relation to that aspect of the situation that the discussions
I had were very full and very extensive.
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QUESTION:
Mr Prime Minister, as a result of your visit to India, do
you see greater co-operation between India and Australia
on the Indian Ocean?
PRIME MINISTER:
I believe there can be greater co-operation between India
and Australia on a whole range of issues, including the
Indian Ocean. I have stressed very strongly the need for
countries that want to pursue a moderate path, in their
domestic and also their international affairs, to speak
out with the voice of moderation and to speak strongly.
As I understand it, that has been much of India's role as a
leader of the non-aligned movement over a long period. But
the voice of moderation is going to be enormously strengthened
if countries with different positions some aligned, as
Australia is, some non-aligned, as India is all speak for
moderation with great strength and vigour moderation as
opposed to confrontation. And the substance of what I had
to say at the joint sitting was on that theme as you would know.
I believe really that there are few areas of significant
difference between India and Australia. Sometimes there is
a difference of needs, but the objective we have is very
often the same. And in the Indian Ocean our objective is
the same. Our objective is to make sure that the Indian
Ocean does not become an area of great power rivalry. India
wants to achieve that by a Zone of Peace, and I have said
that if that could be achieved it would be most likely to
bring about the desired result. But you have got to get other
people to agree to that, other major powers. We have adopted
a concept of balance balance at the lowest level possible
but our objective is the samue, to prevent the Indian Ocean
from becoming a sphi'ere of great power rivalry and, having the
same objective, I am sure India and Australia can work
together.
QUESTION: Sir, we have had a famous Australian -Germaine Greer, the
Women's Lib leader with us recently.-Do women have equal
opportunity in employment and other spheres as mnin. Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
I believe so, yes. -I do think women do have equal
opportunity, but there are some things which historically
I think have made it more difficult fort wc~ men in certain
careers than for men. For example, the political party
which I lead in Victoria has guaranteed-equality of
positions between men and women, and has had since the
foundation of the Party. In the branches of the Party, if
you had a male Vice-President, you had to have a female
Vice--President, and the office bearers were split equally
between men and women. In the higher councils of the Party
in my State, you had equa. numbers of men and equal num~ bers
/ 8
8-
of women. There was one President of the Party, and you
couldn't have two Presidents, but for every other position.
There was a male Vice-President and there was a female
Vice-President. So the concept of equality of opportunity
for women is something that is very deeply rooted in my own
political Party. We have taken a number of Parliamentary
actions to try and make sure that there is complete equality
for all people in Australia and that peoples' rights are
maintained. There are anti-discrimination committees, in the
Department of Employment, operated by the Department of
Employment. In spite of this general philosophy, in some
careers, in some professions I think perhaps for traditional
and historic reasons, there aren't as many women active in the
professions as there are men. I would be very happy to see that
position changed over time.
QUESTION: Australia and India are exporters of iron ore, and I believe
there were discussions between you and Mr Desai on some of the
market trends in iron ore so that your export earnings are
protected. Could you give us some details about these
discussions. PRIME MINISTER:
The marketing position for iron ore, as you will all know, has
been very difficult over the last two or three years, and I
think India, Australia and Brazil are probably three of the
major exporters. Up to the present time of negotiations
Brazil, as I am advised, has generally gone into the market
being prepared to undercut the price, and that is one of the
things which has led to a continual pressure on prices. This
time there has been a significant change Brazil has gone
into the Japanese market, and I think the European market,
suggesting a considerably higher price. Now, that is a changed
attitude for Brazil, and I think that gives other exporters such
as Australia and India a better opportunity to maintain or to
improve prices, and 1 agree with the Indian view that prices
need some upward movement. They have been at depressed levels
for quite some time, and if there, wer ' e new projects to be
developed, I don't think they could be at current price levels.
Against that general supply situation, we know. that prices set
by Japan tend to take a leading placa. in-, setting prices for
Iron Ore, and we also know that Japan really organises herself
very effectively and very efficiently, so that the sellers
are really selling to one buyer. If-there are several
Australian companies and Brazilian companies and India, they
are operating as independent units, 4but Japan has operated as
a unified buyer. It was against that backqround that we
were having some discussions, and I'believe that there can
be some advantage both for India and Australia if there can
be some interchanges so that we have a general understanding
and knowledge of what our objectives and attitudes are.
There is no suggestion of firm and fixed arrangements, but
there is a suggestion and I believe it is a good one, that
consultations in this area would be beneficial both the India
and to Australia. And those consul. tations will take place. 9
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QUESTION: What difficulty do you foresee in your ( inaudible) commodity
( remainder inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER:
I think that's probably a philosophical difference, or a
philosophical difficulty. I don't believe it is healthy
if groups of suppliers ban themselves into a firm hard
group and say we are only going to supply under these
circumstances, just as I don't believe it is healthy if
a group of buyers in a country, or between countries,
ban themselves together and say this is what we are
going to do, and try and use a degree of monopoly power.
I don't think monopoly power is a healthy power to have,
whoever exercises it. And there was never any suggestion
that that should take place. the suggestion was one for
consultation, and I think that can be beneficial, and I have
undertaken to make sure that on our side it occurs.
QUESTION: As I understand, did you suggest India and Australia should
consult on the prices that they will be seeking from Japan
on Iron Ore?
PRIME MINISTER:
I didn't suggest. The suggestion came from the Indian side,
and I acceded to it. No, there will just be general
consultations about the marketing situation. The proposition
is not as specific as the question you put.
QUESTION: You mentioned earlier that unemployment was at historically
high levels. Do you see this level going down, or do
Australians have to accept the fact that it will remrain at
this level or even go higher for ano. ther 12 months or so.
PRIME MINISTER:
A number of factors will determine that. One of them is the
level of wage increases. I'm quite certain that the last
wage increase we had in Australia before Christmas would not
have helped that. Another factor is~ the growth in world
trade because that effects all countries. As you know, we
have 28 percent of our GDP represented by trade, and therefore
Australia is sensitive and any improvement in world trade
will obviously help all countries, but it will obviously help
Australia because trade represents a large part of our Gross
Domestic Product. Because of institutional arrangements irn
Australia, the wages decisions are not decisions for
government. Although we can determine them, we can't influence
them, because the level of inflation is too high in North
America, too hiqh in many countries of Europe. I am delighted
1,
10
to see recent U. S. actions which are obviously direcred at
combating that. But for a while inflation may go up a~ nd recent
events in Great Britain are not encouraging that. And while
inflation is too high, market growth will be too low, and
growth of world trade will be too low. I make those points
just to say that in that environment, countries have to rest
on their own energies, their own initiatives. Therefore the
improvement we can achieve we will have to achieve from our
own resources, not looking for assistance outside. We therefore
have to keep our inflation level below that of our major
trading partners, so that our industries become more competitive.
I think over the last 18 months they have.
exports are starting to increase and our own people are
starting to get a better share of our domestic markets.
Over the past two months there has been a great deal of
enthusiasm in Australian manufacturing industry for the
prospects for 1979. Whether that will translate itself
into an increase in employment I can't yet predict. I do
know that manufacturers are starting to look to a much better
future. Overtime has started to increase. If that carries
forward there ought to be some increase on the unemployment
question. I think we are getting to the stage where
policies of the last three years are starting to demonstrate
their effects quite widely within Australia. On top of that,
something which hasn't occurred in Australia for maybe up to
years, we have had good seasons, we haven't had drought over
the past year, and our prices for our products are all good
at the one time. that, coming with a good season, hasn't
happened for a long while. For quite some time the Australian
rural community has been, in a sense, dragging down the rest
of the economy because their incomes have been so low and many
of them were getting into debt and very great difficulty.
But this year the rural sector will be contributing to the
economy instead of detracting from it. That will. have an impact
on country towns and also will be having an impact on orders
and manufacturing industry who supply products needed in
the rural industries. I'm sorry this is such a domestic
answer I'm sorry for those who are not interested in these
matters, but I'm told wire production and steel fence post
production has already, or increased demand has already, hit
BHP and production for these mat ters is already starting to
lift. If that happens in one are'a,** it will happen across
the braod spectrum of the farms of rural Australia. What
I am saying is that coupled wi th,. th. Q, 4Jet ter position of
manufacturing industry, this is a very healthy sign within
the Australian economy. How it will translate itself into the
employment situation is something that I think we have to wait
and see for a little while. There is some cause for a degree
of optimisin whereas before there wsi't.
QUESTION: How active are the Ananda Marg in your country now? / 11
11
PRIME MINISTER:
It is difficult to tell. They have been active. They have been
active against representatives of India in Australia. We know
something of the organisation perhaps not as much as we would
like to know. Over the last month or two they have been perhaps
a little quieter than they were earlier, and I hope it continues
that way.
QUESTION: The Government here in Inida is committed to giving autonomy
in broadcasting and television. You have been experimenting with
this thing for quite some time now. What has been your experience?
PRIME MINISTER:
We have an independent Australian broadcasting commission which runs
radio and television. That is a government funded organisation
but it is run by an independent statutory commission. In addition
to that we have commercial broadcasting and television. Because
of the importance of the general public arena, because of the power
of the Media, and especially the power of television, it is subject
to some degree of control by an independent tribunal. I believe
that the mixture of public ownership and private ownership of the
broadcasting and television area works well in Australia. It is
an Australian solution to a problem. I wouldn't try and export it.
I think countries should work out their own particular ways of
solving these things.
QUESTION: In your speech yesterday you mentioned the forces of extremism.
Cani you identify some of these extremist countries?
PRIME MINISTER:
Countries can be extremist on particular issues without being
extremist on further issues. I think you see many forms of
extremism in southern Africa. It is another form of extremism that
places Vietnamese troops in Kampuchea;,.. There are many different
forms of extremism. There have been problems in the Middle East
of a continuing kind. Some progress made, but not-yet enough
progress. Problems of race which I menti~ arned in South Africa still
bedevil that continent. And it is not generally understood that
one of my Australian predecessors, Sir Robert Menzies, as early as
1960 or 1961, on behalf of Australia, condemned apartheid and all
that it stood for. He believed then tht it was doomed to failure
and disaster if it was not changed. And I can remember at the last
CHOGM an expectation and hope that Zimbabwe is to be seated at the
next conference. The next conference'is going to be at Lusak,-a in
a little more than eight months time, and I do not think we are
going to see Zimbabwe seated as a fully-fledged member within that
time span. The forces for change, the forces for an acceptable
movement to majority rule seem to have stalled -to an extent. I
would hope that these issues could be picked up again and moved
forward, because it will be a source of turmoil, tension and
tragedy while it continues.
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QUESTION: ( Inaudible)*. Concerning Muslims in Pakistan and Kashmir.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I don't know that it is proper for me to comment on that.
Australia is not a Muslim country, although Muslims live in
Australia, and it is pre-eminently a matter I would have thought,
for this sub-continent. I would have thought it might be impertinent
for me to try to intrude an Australian view on the matter.
QUESTION: Getting back to the iron ore question, you said that there are to
be consultations between India and Australia on the general
marketing situation which are likely to include discussions of
guideline proces. It should follow that both India and Australia
( remainer inaudible) Is that the intention of the Indian side
in this regard? A second question, it seems that Australia might
improve economically and is starting to move to an upturn. Is there
any chance that quotas'and tariff barriers might come down?
PRIME MINISTER:
Letinme take the iron ore question first. There will be discussions
about the general market situation, but I think it would be wrong
ti imply from that that there would be any suggestion of joint
guidelines. That would be going beyond the scope of joint
discussions as I understand it. I think it more an exchange of
information. I don't think there is any intention of establishing
joint action, as I understand the position. I think Australia's
position and I'm glad the question was asked on quotas and imports
is sometimes misunderstood. We are 14 million people on the edge
of Southeast Asia, and it is quite natural that many countries look
to Australia as a market. But we clearly can't take all the goods
from ASEAN countries, from Asian countries.
PRIME MINISTER:
It is necessary for ASEAN countries to look beyonO Australia, as
of course they do. * But we have treid to have our markets as
open as possible. There are some things which make it difficult
for us to move at a faster pace. But on the historical record,
the ASEAN countries have increased their exports to Australia
by over 30 percent for the past several years, and that's a
very significant rate of increase.-the-y~ f~ ave increased their
exports to Australia in industries where employment in Australia
has fallen dramatically and significantly. I have said to ASEAN
countries many times that I think it is quite unrealistic to
expect a faster rate of growth into the'-Australian market than you
have had, because quite clearly a country that's exporting needs to
be aware of the sensitivity in the target country. It needs to
be aware of the concern that happens when people are put out of jobs
as a result of imports, and quite clearly that has happened in
the ASEAN context. But despite that, we have sought to maintain
the circumstances in which ASEAN exports to Australia, and I
mention themn because they are a group and very close to Australia / 13
-V I -13
geographically. They continue to expand their exports to Australia
by over 30 percent a year for the last several years. Looking at
it from another point ov view, if we take items that are employment
sensitive textiles, apparels and footware we import from ASEAN
countries much more than nay other developed country, and I think
I might have mentioned earlier that if they have the same access
on a per capita basis to North America and Europe as they have to
Australia, they would be exporting another $ 1,000 million annually.
But we do in fact import more manufactured goods from developing
countries than any other industrial country. I said earlier that
I think there will be, or I know there is, increasing optimism
about prospects for manufacturing industry. But I don't see
any prospects of a dramatic change or of a situation that will
enable Australia's trade position, import position, be substantially
altered over the short term. These things don't change quickly.
And again it needs to be against the historical background of what
has happened in relation ti imports from developing countries.
There is one thing of course that would help Australia enormously.
We have quantitative restrictions on 40% to 50% of Australia's
exports. Quantitative restrictions imposed by Europe North
America and by Japan, and it is those quantitative restrictLions
that prevent Australia doing more of what Australia can do best
and cheapest. Plainly, if those quantitative restrictions did not
exist or if they were minimised, we would be able to open our
markets more to goods from other countries who can do some things
better or more cheaply than we can. So the trade question is involved.
It is complex, it involves many different aspects, and I think in
the consultative group that has been established between ourselves
and ASEAN for example, the general position is ' pretty well understood.
I-have found in Malaysia, for example, understanding for Australia's
position and point of view as we have tried to have of theirs.
I don't think there can be dramatic changes or sudden changes.
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