PRIME MINISTER MONDAY, 23 MARCH 1981
From the Press Office SUMMARY OF ABC'S " NEWSV0YCE"
Poland's Free Trade Union leaders will be meeting in a few
hours time to discuss the latest moves in their threatened*
national strike. Talks with the Government have broken down
and the union will meet to discuss the issue. Report from.
Mark Colvin.
The National Executive of the Australian Labor Party has been
meeting all day in Canberra in a bid to solve the Party's
internal problems in Queensland. The Exectuive is expected
to release a series of recommendations within the hour.
Report from Barrie Cassidy.
Mrs Flo Bjelke-Petersen arrived in Canberra today intent on
dispelling her image as a scone maker and becoming, as she
put it, a political person. Report from Greg Powell. a
Australia's award winning actress Judy Davis says there is a
great future for Australian films as long as they are made
on universal themes. Judy Davis has won the British Academy
Award for Best Actress and Best Newcomer.
The Annual Thorn, Awards presented in Canberra today saw a
clash between the Minister for Communications and the major
award winner, Mr Laurie Oakes. Report from Heather Ewart.
Heather Ewart
The clash was over Mr Oake's leaking of the last Federal Budget
on which he did a report for channel 10 television news.
Mr Sinclair-had earlier stressed the importance and power
of tel-evision news which he described as a rough draft
of history being caught on the television screen. Despite
Mr Sinclair's praise of the fairness and professionalism
of Australian telek-ñ sion journalists, he did not hestitate
to state that he did not agree with the major Thorn award
being presented to Mr Oakes for his budget report.
Mr Sinclair
Certainly, in all we have a very professional group of people
who are here represented today whom all of us a politicians
or elsewhere in the public forum respect. Certainly, no
one of us would expect any of you to be eunichs in the
political zoo. But there are aspects of political involvement.
that from the Government and Opposition benches alike we
criticise from time to time. Those documents that fall off
the back of the truck from the other side tend to be used
in Parliament and they tend to be used by the media. The
major award is for such an ' occasion. I respect very much
the fact that the panel of,: judges as an independent body
and I really do not envy their task one little bit. I
respect very much the man who has received the award, but
my own assessments of the requirements of television journalism
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would not accord with the judgement they have given..
LaurieQakes I think there are a few things .1I should reply-to. Some
people say what was the point of breaking the Budget story.
two days before delivery. I think the point is obvious.*
There is an old journalistic tradition and that tradition
is being first with the news. That is what this was about. arnd
I regard this award as recognition of that tradition and 0
therefore I am very proud to receive it.
Authors and publishers in Australia will soon get compensation
for works photocopied by schools and universities. Detailsof
the scheme were announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser,
while speaking at the opening of thelnternational Booksellers
Federation Congress.
Prime Minister
I understand that the safe guarding of copyright is one of the
matters you will be discussing at this Congress. My Government
has recently been giving renewed attention to this major issue
as it is affected by photocopying. The changes which we are
making will come into effect on 1. July this year or as soon
as possible after that,-* as soon as time has been allowed for
the necessary preparations : are made. What we are doing
is to establish a system of to Australian authors and publishers
for the muliple copying of their. works in ecucational institutions.
Delegates of this congress can be assured that while this Government'
recognises the importance of the right of freedom to publish,
the Government also recognises the principle of the protection
of copyright.
The Opposition Spokesman on Industrial Relations, Mr Hawke,
has-. agreed in principle with the proposal from the West
Australian Premier, Sir Charles Court, for a national inquir-y
Anto industrial relations. But, Mr Hawke stressed that the
inquiry should hamze a constructive purpose with fair terms
of reference. Sir Charles Court has suggested sweeping
changes to the industrial relations system including the
application of civil law to the industrial process, simultaneous
court control union ballots and a time limit to settlement
of disputes. Report from Naree Creed.
Bob'Hawke There is no doubt there are features of industrial relations
in Australia on the part of trade unions, employers and
governments including Sir Charles Court's own Government
which need improvement and if the inquiry is set up without
in the beginning attributing and saying our industrial
relations,, problemb are all the fault of the trade unions
or if you-like all the fauilt of the employers, then I can
see the possibility of some useful purpose.* But, I do want
to emphasise Naree that it is going to be counter productive 2
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if indeed it is postulated on the premise that the problem
of bad industrial relations is simply a function of attitudes
of trade unionism.
The New South Wales Government today -released an environmental
study that cost them $ 1 million, but is they say ' one
of the most comprehensive'study's every carried out in
Australia. The study will, be carried out on Botany Bay.
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