PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER THURSDAY,, APRIL 3 1980
from the Press Office SUMMARY OF 7.45 NEWS I
Chemists in Australia-have been overpaid by the Fede ent
for dispensing by as much as $ 235 million in the pas 1yeht.
The Minister for Health told Parliament last night th t money
paid under the Pharmaceutical Benefit's Scheme could not be recovered
by law. He said the excess payments which could not be estimated
exactly were attributable to an error in 1974 in the translation
of statistical specifications to computer-and in the method of
updating information.
Sir Charles Court says he is prepared to ensure that drilling
will go ahead at Noonkambah, and that if Amax wanted its water
drilling rig back on the station today, his government would make
this possible. Sir Charles said white-stirrers were leading
the Aboriginies to adopt a subversive attitude. Federal opposition
spokesman on Aboriginal Affairs, Mr West and Federal Labor Member
for Fremantle were at Noonkambah yesterday. Mr West said they
saw what he described as the peaceful and negotiated withdrawal
of Amax workers from the station, and that there was no intimidation
or threats of violence.
Senator Chip has sent a cable to President Carter asking him to
persuade Amax not to drill on or near sacred Aboriginal sites. He
said that the WA government was applying pressure to Amax to drill
on or near the sites, and that Amax was responding to the pressure.
Britain is considering the development of chemical weapons.
The government's first policy paper on defence provides for
a big increase in defence spending in the next financial year.
The government also plans to increase the role of-women in the
defence servi-ces, including the possibility of letting them
carry guns.
An amendment to Queensland's Police Act giving police the power
to compile dossiers without their knowledge has been defended by
the Police Commiss-ionerMrCamm. He said the police were already
keeping dossiers and the amendment passed last week would simply
make the action legal. Mr Camm said he knew of many people who
would like the police to keep a dossier on them,-including their
finger prints, to show that they were good upright citizens.
Bank interest, rates in the US has now risen to 20% and other
interest rates are also.-expected to rise.
The Federal Government has denied a visa to a Soviet cosmonaut
who was invited to Australia on a goodwill visit. The Department
of Foreign Affairs said it had refused the visa application, in line
with the Government's policy of preventing-cultural exchanges with
the Soviet Union.
* Widespread rioting has broken out in Bristol, England, following
a police raid on a club in a predominately black part of the city.
Mr Ken Fry has called for an enquiry into the conduct of police
at a 21st birthday party in Canberra three weeks ago. He told
Parliament yesterday that only a full enquiry would restore respect
for the police in Canberra. 000---