FOR MEDIA ' SUNDAY 16* DECEMBER 1979
ELECTORATE TALK
At the end of the decade and as we stand at the doorway to the
next, Australians are entitled to feel every confidence about
the prospects ahead. We have emerged from the 70s with conditions
right for sustained growth in the 1980s. The 70s were not without
their difficulties. We went through a few turbulent years.
In the early part of the decade the economy was placed under
stresses which it was unable to bear. But through all the
setbacks the essential strength and conviction of the Australian
people prevailed. The durability and adaptability of our
institutions was reasserted. In many ways, the 70s was a watershed
decade in the history of this nation. The hard lessons
learned from it were telling ones.
It was brought home to all Australians that raging inflation
attacked and weakened the very fabric of our society; that wage
explosions led to unemployment; that governments could not go on
spending and tossing money around like chaff. The great lesson
was that responsible government had to learn to say " no".
Responsible government should control its spending so it doesn't
have to resort to the printing press. The 70s too saw many of
our traditional values and attitudes come into question. There
was growing disenchantment with our education system. There was.
an awareness that education should be more closely related to the
labour market, and that greater emphasis be placed on technical
skills. our young people asserted themselves and played a more
creative and constructive role than we have seen in the past.
Family life in Australia changed. We saw an increasing
participation by women in the workforce, and a marked decline in
Australia's birth-rate. The family., however, remains central to
our way of life. Family obligations and responsibilities are as
important as ever they were. Indeed, at a time when a number of
young people are finding it difficult to make the transition
from school to work, the family has a greater responsibility and
a greater role.
In welfare, it became clear in the early 70s that failure to
manage the economy effectively had serious long-term effects on
the poor, the sick, the aged, the underprivileged, and the
unemployed. on the credit side, the 70s also saw an increased
consciousness of the need for our aboriginal people to take their
rightful place in Australian society.
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There was too, a new awareness of our heritage and of our history,
and the value to us of the many people from overseas who made
Australia their home. Their cultures and their traditions have
enhanced Australian society. A new balance developed in our
society between the need to conserve, and the need to change.
The 70s saw us grow and mature as a nation. We cemented our place
in the world as an independent, middle-ranking power with good
relations with many countries in the developed and in the
developing world. Over the past four years your Government has
pursued a sound, forward-looking economic policy which has
restored confidence and has put in place a strong and efficient
base from which growth in the 80s can take off.
There is now nothing we as a nation cannot achieve if we play our
cards right. We have created the economic environment for a great
program of national development which will underpin that growth.
Without sustained economic growth, Australia can never build the
kind of nation we all want for our children, and theirs. Without
growth we can't create more jobs; we can't meet our welfare
requirements; we can't support generously the arts, culture and
sports. Without growthl-we can't as a nation provide the way of
life which maximises personal freedom, individualism, opportunity
and self-advancemcent.
With a continuation of our policies and programs, I am confident
that we can march boldly into the 1980s, and get on with the
business of building a great nation.
It is up to Australians, working together, and having confidence
in themselves and in each other, to make the most of this country
for ourselves and for our children. 000---