PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER FRIDAY,-19 OCTOBER ' 1979
From the Press office
SUMMARY OF ABC'S
The Australia Council has announced a major inquiry into
opera in Australia. It follows a series of upheavals in
the Australian Opera with its latest General Manager,
Mr. Peter Hemnmings, leaving the country last night having
served only two years of a three year engagement.
There is still confusion over reports earlier today that
the Soviet President, Mr. Breshnev is critically ill or even
dead. Breshnev has dominated Soviet politics. Krushov's
demise and the West has been concerned for some time at what
effect his death might have on Soviet foreign policy.
Interview with Geoffrey Dukes, Research Fellow at ANU.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, today foreshadowed that the
Commonwealth Government would investigate ways of blocking
State unions who applied for Federal awards as a counter
against State de-registration. The Prime Minister was
speaking at a brief press conference after a meeting in
Canberra today of State Liberal leaders. Mr. Fraser also
launched into a strong political attack on the Opposition.
Excerpt from press conference ( transcript held in Press office).
The biggest demonstration yet in Tasmania's history was held
in Hobart today when 2,000 people gathered to protest against
the Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Commission' s plans to flood the
Franklin and Gordon Rivers in Tasmania's southeast. The
protest was organised by the Tasmanian Wilderness Society.
Interview with the Society's President, Bob Brown.
A voluntary adoption agency in N. S. W. called Jigsaw, which
claims to help adopted children locate their natural parents,
has come under fire from the State Minister for Youth and
Community Services, Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson said his
Department had been flooded with complaints from people who have
had contact with the organisation and that they had been
subjected to harrasment and invasion of privacy.. President
of jigsaw, Lorraine Carrol, interviewed. One man who has
been associated with Jigsaw is Noel Turney, an announcer with
a Sydney commercial television station who was with the
organisation as its publicity officer and who left because he
was disturbed by the organisation's activities: interviewed.
There were reports today that the Church of England has been
shocked by the recommendation of a church committee on
homosexuality. The Committee has virtually sanctioned the
homosexual relationship. Editor of The Church Scene in
Melbourne, Gerard Davis, interviewed. 000---