7-/ 2
/ 3 EMBARGO: 5: 00* pm
FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 2 0 SEP-, 1B รต 9 81
ELECTORATE TrALK 22; 3 S
The Commonwealth of Nations is a major international institution
and it has a cai~ acitv to make a constructive contribution in
relation t* Lo issues of" world concern and of concern to Australia.
The Commonwev alth uHeads of Government Meeting in Melbourne wi: ll
be the largest and m. os t sigrifricant international conference ever
held. n ths country. The fact that this meeting is being held in
Australia is a tribute to the contribution which successive
Australian Cove rra. en ts have made both in the Commonwealth and in
other internatiOnal forums. The fact that this meeting is held
in Austr--ali-* a w4i enhance Australia's position in the world.
The . cnweith s aunique international organisation. It"
appra:~ prb~ emsclingthrough consensus and its discuss ions
are characterised b-y. mutual respect, tolerance and inforimaliy..
It tes.! on:-t:. e rnasis that quiet discussion and a genuine
meetin: Ct ns w from the glare of publicity arc or
produ -zie thian pu,, blic disputation.
At the ( nmnelhHeads of Government Meeting, there w. aS
the ofz~ ZZJ9~ babw,, e, which proved to be amenable -to Commnowealth
4initiatjv-es. So -that particular meeting had a quite dram-oatic
outco-n. e and' as a resultqRobe-rt '. 1ugall-) will be coming to Melbrourne
as Prime ster of Zimbabwe.
There will b F no such outstanding single issue dominating the
Melbourne Cating, but there are neverthe less issues of profound
and lasting sianif--icance for Australia which will be at the
forefront In t-he discussions. The meeting will be discussing in
a practi-cal and speci* fic way the problem of food, how to improve
production,-storagre and security of supply to those chronically
in neea. 1.1 will be discussing energy supplies and also how trade
between as~ valorpocd and developing countries can be increas. aid and
made or eqit-able We shall1 be discussing how aid can be
increased~ and. adem effective and how the internation,:: 3. financia
and mone.-tary i n tutions can uce improved to serve the interests
of the countries they serve in a more satisfactory TTwca, y . J r e
many highily tLechnical questions involved in all this, but behind
the technicalitics l-e very basic questions not onl. y oE morality
and hurmanitarian concern, but of stable development of pe aceand
h-irFmony between nations.
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The issues to be discussed affect not only the world in which
we live, but will also have an incalculable impact on the kind
of world in which our children will live. All these issues
of development are particularly important for Australia, as
nearly all our neighbours are developing countries.
The Melbourne meeting will be the first. Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting in the Pacific region. Many of the countries
of the region are s: mll, and suffer from particular hardships,
like remoteness, small size, distance from markets and slender
natural resources. Australia is aware that these countries
should be able to draw value from the Commonwealth as do the
larger countries. These countries will not be forgotten in
Melbourne and I expect special attention to be given them at
the meeting.
The meeting will also examine the important area of Commonwealth
functional co-operation the practical programmes of co-operation
that form much of the substance of the Commonwealth's ongoing
business. At a tir. me when the vast potential of the Pacific
region in trade and economic terms is being increasingly recognised,
Australia can only benefit from the opportunity which this
conference offers for wide-ranging discussions of Pacific issues
and for cerenting further our friendship with so many Pacific
nations. During the conference an international spotlight will be turned
on Australia. Overseas journalists will not just report the
confere-ce, th ey wil also report on Australia, what thE-y see of
it and think of its people, what their feelings are about Melbourne
and Canberra.
The conference is a great opportunity for the city of Melbourne.
The ir. re. sion of Australia that our visitors carry away with themn
will reflect the interaction they have had with Australians
from all walks of life. This conference is not therefore just
a matter for Govern. ment. It is a matter for all of us to put
our best foot forward for Australia. Melbourne will be Aulstralia' s
front window during this meeting. I am sure it is a front window.
of which all Australians will be very proud.
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