PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT FRIDAY, 19 OCTOBER 1979
PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED BY MEDIA, OUTSIDE LIBERAL PARTY
SECRETARIAT CANBERRA Prime Minister
A large part of the discussion during the course of the day
centred on the sorts of things that are going to happen during
the 1980s. I think everyone present recognised that the
Federal Coalition is critical to the sound and sensible
and good government of Australia over the next decade. We
are starting to see a very substantial investment in
development in this country now: the $ 4 billion of investment
of the aluminium industry alone, $ 2 billion in coal. That is
just in two major industries. In the aluminium industry it
can occur because not only have we got plentiful supplies of
bauxite, but also we've got very great supplies of relatively
cheap, by world standards, electricity based on coal. What we
need to do and what the Federal Government is examining how
this might be achieved in co-operation with the States, is
to bring together the resources within this country, and our
energy sources such as coal and electricity based on coal, to
the advantage and development of this nation. This is happening
in the a-luminium industry in a very dramatic way. What we
are interested in is to see whether a greater rate of
development in the electricity industry can achieve something
more. It is worth noting that about $ 800 million of the
infrastructure money that has so far been approved, is in
electricity or electricity-based projects and greater rate
of expansions, greater rate of development.
We spoke about a number of these things and how the
Commonwealth and the States can co-operate together to achieve
the sort of development that we wanted. I think that kind of
discussion really took probably the major slice of the pie.
We have developed, or spent a fair amount of time, also on our
concern at the negative and destructive policies of our
political opponents, policies that would place trade-unions
above the law; policies that were confirm very vehemently
at the Adelaide Conference; economic policies which Mr. Hawke
himself called a gutless sell-out to the left; other policies
in relation to uranium which Mr. Hawke called futile and totally
ineffective and implying it is against Australia's interests;
policies that are anti-investment and anti-development because
of the attack on major resource projects through taxation or
other means.
In addition, of course, the small States are very concerned
at the continuing constitutional attack by the Australian Labor
Party an attack which would destroy--leave the Senate in
place--but destroy the powers of the Senate and therefore the
capacity of the Senate to protect the smaller or less popular
States from the majorities of people in Victoria and N. S. W.,
especially in Melbourne and Sydney. / 2
-2
Prime minister ( continued)
I think it is, in a sense, disheartening from a national point
of view, to see that the policies for the Labor Party that
were confirmed at the Adelaide Conference, are as negative
as they have ever been. In a sense, it is different
personalities, but. it is the Whitlam policies all over again,
endorsed without any change whatsoever.
Question You mentioned the significance -of the Federal Coalition, sir,
what about the State Coalition -the problems at that level?
Prime Minister
We were talking about Federal issues, and Federal matters.
Anything relating to the Coalition would have taken almost
seconds, maybe a minute or two. That was the attention that
was given to it.
Question You mean the problems at the State level were in fact ignored
today? Prime Minister
We weren't discussing problems at State levels.
Question Prime Minister, it sounds very much like a rally ' round the flag
exercise. Why has that been necessary given that an election
is a year away?
Prime Minister
Rally ' round the flag exercise no, that's the wrong way of
looking at it. A lot of thingshappen in a quite routine way.
We have this discussion once or twice a year on a pretty
methodical basis. The last meeting was at the time of the
Federal Council Meeting in Perth. We have made a practice
of getting together a couple of times a year. You. don't have.
to look upon it as unusual or extraordinary, or needing some
dramatic event to build a meeting around. It is a meeting of
people committed to the same political philosophy, and broadly
to the same policies.
Question What about industrial legislation, Prime Minister? What was the
general feeling about it, and was there a feeling that it didn't
go far enough, that Canberra should start to get tougher as
Western Australia is. / 3
-3
Prime Minister
I think that you will find, and I think there is an
appreciation of : Lt, that with the Commonwealth's own employees
through the CE( EP) Act and for the legislation that went through
the Senate at 3: 00 o'clock last night, that the Commonwealth
is really taking to itself the kind of armoury that we believe
is needed. We would much prefer not to have to use those
powers, but in the circumstances in which a union, or unions,
are confronting and damaging and attacking the well-being of
the people of Australia, quite obviously governments, whether
it is a State Government or a Federal Government in their
respective areas of responsibility they've got to act to
protect the interests of people. I think there is one area
which the States are interested in and I don't think it could
happen anyway, but we are certainly prepared to look at it if
there is a union that wants to escape the provisions of a
State law, if it gets de-registered in a State for example by
Federal registration, they would hope that that could not
happen so that they couldn't escape the consequences of State
law by jumping jurisdictions as it were. I think on the same
basis, if a union is de-registered in the Federal arena, we
wouldn't want to see it escaping the consequence of that by
achieving State registration. So there is a matter there that
I think we need to look at. I am advised that it is unlikely
that it pould-occur in any case, but we do have the discussion
going on. There has been a meeting, not just from Liberal or
National Party Ministers, but there have been meetings with
Tony Street and Industrial Relations Ministers which is
preparing papers to go before the Premiers and myself in
December at the Premiers' Conference. I hope there will coming
constructive matters coming out of that, involving all governments.
Question Do you feel that there is a risk that ( indaudible) risk of
worsening industrial confrontation. ( Inaudible).
Prime Minister
No, I wouldn't have thought so. I think that there is a feeling
that governments are more determined and that governments know
that they have to stand up and protect the interests of the
average people right throughout this nation. I haven't got the
slightest doubt that that is what people out in the street,
people in their homes, want.
Question Prime Minister, your opening statement was very political. Do
you have an electoral, election timetable in mind?
Prime Minister
No, I don't. ( Break in tape) / 4
4
Prime Minister ( continued)
to go to that Adelaide Conference and know the
total madness of the policies that the Labor Party
committed itself to. I was very modest in my language
when you relate the language to the policies that it
was describing. 000---