EMBARGO:
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA MONDAY, 15 MARCH 1982
" THIS WEEK IN CANBERRA" BTV6
The Premier of Victoria, Lindsay Thompson, last week outlined
his policies for the next three years of Liberal Government
in this State. He was able to present an impressive record
of Liberal achievement in Victoria, and his policies for this
election are the right ones for the l980s.
For decades Victoria has been a great productive centre for
the whole of Australia. Despite its comparative smallness,
Victoria produces about a quarter of the total value of
Australia's agricultural output, and one third of Australia's
manufacturing employment is in Victoria. Victoria has long
been developing its great resources, especially brown coal
and oil, and other states are now following the paths of
progress which are often taken for granted in Victoria.
Over the last three decades, living standards in this country
and in this St'ate have virtually doubled and Victorians now
enjoy the highest average household income of any state, and
the highest rate of home ownership of any state.
Lindsay Thom: pson's policy package is economically responsible
and it is addressed to people's real hopes and concerns.
It is a policy aimed towards continued economic growth, which
is the basis of future improvements in living standards. It
will provide great help to many people in achieving homie
ownership, and it will maintain the Victorian Government's
firm stance on industrial relations. It will address real needs
in education and in training for jobs, and will continue to
build up tourism in Victoria. It will maintain high health
care standards in Victoria and it will provide further practical
help for the aged..-.-
State Governments are immensely important. Their * influence on
people's lifestyles and prosperity is direct and immediate.
The Labor Party is committed to a number of policies which are
out of touch with the needs and wants of people today. Labor
has said they would repeal some vital industrial relations
legislation. They have said they would ii ose probate duty; they have said
they would abolish poer capita grants to non-Goverrnent schools
and require such s'chools to accen~ t new Government requirements
as a condition of receiving any State aid. ./ 2
-2-
Policies such as these would turn back the clock. They
illustrate how wrong any socialist objective is for this
State and this nation.
What Victoria needs is the kind of policies which the Premier
put forward last week. Policies which will encourage opportunity
and freedom of choice, and which will enable production and
economic growth to go ahead. oOo---