PRIME MINISTER MONDAY,. MARCH 17 1980
from the Press Office SUMMARY OF NEWSVOICE N
' Regulations under which the Federal Government may , ipr venrttE~ he
export of wool will be signed into law later this Krnoanwran
come into effect tomorrow. The regulations drawn up er the
Customs Act will effectively close down the wool tra
Ikustralia. The Government's air. is to force wool hand s 41. N-' W
anci Victoria to end their 11 week strike by,, denying~ ther k
relief donated by fellow unionists in other States. To this end,
dismissal notices were today handed to 1400 members of the Storemen
and Packers' Union in wool stores across the country. The notices
hiave effect from tomorrow week. In Melbourne, crucial talks between
the storemen and packers and'the wool brokers, broke up this afternoon.
The wool strike was a major item before Federal Cabinet in* Canberra
this afternoon and, afterwards, Duncan Fairweather spoke t6 the
Minister for Primary Industry, Mr Nixon.
Question: You have just come out of Cabinet, can you tell us what the Government's
attitude it today? Has it changed at all?
Mr Nixon:
No, the Government's attitude has not changed, Indeed, it has hardened.
Yet the Government is determined that this matter ought to be settled.,
The Government hopes it will be settled around the conference table
before the Arbitration Commission as it ought to be but the
Government has set on a course to try and increase the pressure
to go back to work,
Question: But don't you run the risk of jeopardising those talks in the
Arbitration Commission by taking this tough'attitude?
Mr Nixon:
Look. People always accuse us of being too sofl. when we do nothing,
and we start to do things, people start using the words provocative
and things of that nature. The fact is that this strike has been going
on for 11 weeks. The fact also is that this union has refused to
honour a Full Bench decision. Now, I can't recall that having occurred
in history. It may have occurred where a Full Bench decision has been
rejected by a union. I can't recall it, So it is a very serious matter,
and I think we are reaching a new stage in industrial relations in this
country. The Government recognises that, It also recognises the
difficulties for the wool industry and for the wool growers, and for
the exporters of wool, indeed for manufacturers of wool overseas.
So the Government has no options left to it now, but to stand up to
this particular issue,
The Federal Secretary of the Storemen and Packers' Union, Mr Crean,
would not comment on what happened in today's negotiations in
Melbourne but he said that progress was being made,
Mr Crean:
So long as the parties are talking, yes, I am hopeful.
Question: 9./ 2
2-
Question: rid dismissal notices bog the talks down at all today?
Mr Crean:
Yes, they certainly didn't assist, antd I think it is faii -to say
that anyone who is realistically assessing the position waould agree
with that. Dismissal notices don't take effect until Tuesday and,
one would hope if we are talking towards settlement, they won't have
effect anyway.
Question: Do you think ' you have made any progress at all today?
Mr Crean:
In the sense that we are continuing to talk, yes, I think much progress
Following the break up of the meeting, a spokesman for the wool brokers
Mr Barry Purvis, was asked why the dismissal notices were served on thE
unionists. Mr Purvis:
The reasons have been given to the employees and I think that is betweE
their employers and those employees.
Question: Could it be said though, your action is provocative given that talks
are still continuing to try and find solution?
Mr Purvis:
No, it is just inevitable in the situation. The Government has taken
steps to bring in the control over the export of wool, and wool sales,
as you may well know, wool auctions have been at a stand still for
quite some time, and that is a simple commerical reason why the
industry can't*. continue to operate.
Question: When was the decision taken to issue those notices?
Mr Purvis:
I'm not going to discuss that.
Question: So are you in fact saying that the Government forced you to do what
you have done today?
Mr Purvis:
No, I am not saying that at all, We made our own decision.
-3
Federal Cabinet is concerned about Amoco's decision to stop supplying
petrol to the independent distributor, Mr Leon Laidley. Ron Sinclair
in Canberra says Cabinet is also examining the controversial
legislation on secondary Poycotts, known as Section
Ron Sinclair: Today's Cabinet agenda is obviously a busy one but the
-oil dispuite, I am told, is high on the list. A few minutes ago the
' 4inistar for industrial Relations, Mr Street, em'erged brieflyfo
the Cabinet room but had no comment to make on whether any decision
h-ad been made as to Section 45D of the Trade Practices Act. That is
the section under which Mr Leon Laidley, the NSW independent distributor
gained his injunction against the TWU which led to last week's chaos
in Sydney. From what I am told, one of the things worrying the
Government is that Amoco by now refusing to supply Mr Laidley with
petrol has undermined the effectiveness of Section 45D. Mr Street
has today held discussions with Amoco representatives but was unable
to give any promises as to further Government relations. with the
company. Whether that means the Government is considering a boycott
of Amoco tenders for future contracts has not been revealed, but
is it certain is that there is a full scale Government investigation
going on. Senior officials from the Department of National Development
and Energy, the Department of Business and Consumer Affairs, the
Attorney General's Department and the Department of Industrial Relations
itself, are all examining last week's oil dispute in the hope of making
any changes necessary to ensure that the Federal Trade Practices Act
can' t be so easily side stepped next time should a similar dispute
rise again".
Earlier today, the Minister for Industrial Relations met Amoco
representatives, and Mr Laidley in Canberra. After the talks broke
up this afternoon, the only comment came from Mr John Bowen who is
president of the NSW Fuel Agencies Association, representing
Mr Laidley. Mr Bowen was asked whether Amoco petrol would soon be
flowing again to Mr Laidley's agency.
Mr Bowen:
No, I don't believe that we could answer that,. but we are hopeful
that our discussion will assist the case.
Quest-ion:
Was there any sugg~ estion that Amoco would at least review its
position? Mr Bowen:
No, none whatsoever at this stage.
Question: It would appear that Mr Laidley may have an action under the Trade
Practices Act leaving aside Section 45D against Amoco for refusing
supplies to him, Is there a possibility that such an action is in
contemplation? Mr Bowen:
I am sorry, but we have to get back to Sydney now, and ' have discussions
with our legal advisors before we can make any further decisions. . q./ 4
-4
Question: So as far as you are concerned, the trip down today proved nothing?
Mr Bowen:
Quite the contrary. The trip down has'. been beneficial, The Minister
now understands much clearer our point of view in the matter, have
been given certain information that will be of-great assistance to us.
Despite the end of the petrol strike, Sydney motorists who can find
a service station with petrol are having to join long queues. Report.
The Australian Olympic Federation says the public is giving strong
support to its appeal to send Australia's team to the Moscow Olympics.
The Federation says the money flow picked up after'-the International
Olympic Commission decided that the Games should go ahead. Report.
Says the Commission has*. to raise more than $ 3/ 4 million. It has
already raised more than million, and the appeal is more or
less on target, despite a lapse of two months when very few people
donated money. Mr Patching says a majority of the letters he has
received contain money and support for an Australian team to go
to Moscow.
The Labor Party's interim administrative committee began moving
into its new offices in Brisbane this afternoon, and Mr Tom Burns
said it was already well on the way to raising $ 100,000 which was
needed to fight the' coming election. After accepting a cheque from
the Shop Assistants Union for $ 9,000, Mr Burns talked with reporters.
Mr Burns:
The enthusiasm is unreal. In fact, it has amazed me the sort of support
that has come forward. The concrete evidence of course this morning
is a $ 9,000 cheque. Another union secretary turned up while we were
meeting here and said I will have $ 2,000 for you tomorrow night. We
have another 10 unions that have. said they will ut money in totalling
about another $ 40,000. We have evidence now of about 95% acceptance
of the Federal rules and the Federal decisions that have-been made
which means that the rank and file in the branches are going to be
forwarding their money to us. We have just got public support. You
can feel it. People ringing up, people bringing in furniture. We
don't even really know where it has come from. We were looking for
typrewriters and then somebody turns up with a typewriter. It* is
remarkable. Question: What sort of -money areyougoingto need to fight elections this year?
Mr Burns:
I think, properly based, and using the two campaigns, hand in hand, so'
that you don't. have a really completely separate federal and State
campaign. I ' reckon that on $ 200,000 I could base a good campaign.
I wouldn't be as rich, like the Bjelke Petersen fund is going to
be able to put' into the National Party, it will be the sort of campaign
that can get votes. And believe you me, when Mr Knox said there is abou
a 4-5% swing to the Labor Party, he wasn't making a mistake, I think he
was being very practical. I think his friends who are attacking him now
ought to look again, because I believe that that is there, and there
is a lot more to come if we are properly organised.
: k*
Australians need not worry about Kangaroos being threatened with
extinction according to the Federal Environment Minister, Mr Thomson.
In fact, he says, three species of ' roo are in plague proportions.
The Australian Conservation Foundation is strongly opposing the
export of Kangaroo products to America, but Mr Thomson told reporters
-the opposition was not well founded, Interviewed.
Ansett Airlines today signed a $ 400 million contract for the purchase
of 21 Boeing aircraft including five 767 wide-bodied planes, The
-president of Boeing who was in Melbourne for the signing of the contractsaid
he thought the TAA airbus against which the 767s had been bought to
compete was too' large to be teconomical for most air route in
the world.