FOR t'SDIA COUNTRY-LIBERAL PAWPT
it is a great pleasure for Tamiie
I gl in Dan-iin tonight. Already ill t
iii the Territory, I have been va
and progressive approach that ar
potential so strongly and rapidi
Yesterday, at Alice Springs, Aye
Isaw4 something of the ex: citing
being devoloped in those places.
aAyers 1, with the $ 100 mill
adthat Uhlr Natial Pdak gil
to the whJora nta ra, AnPam~ de
that Wal. Ffwaabetdyo
proposalsfoth eoainf
at Darwin Airport, details of th
for consideration in the for thco
everyone is loolking forw~ ard to
Thi8 Trorining I opened the newo
As you kn~ ow, Xakradu is now inclu
List, both for its natural and
wiith its fragile and unique beau
places, it -really is one of the
it is a cause for 3real pride tha
looxed after in a way that allow
proper us; e of it.
There is great progresps in the T
hsGov'crrnent are giviing a trem
anfd their sound policies, and U-i
government tO the Territory was
present level of achieverient her
of Territorialls here in Darwin,
is proceeding at a pace which in
continued growtU1 of prosperity i
as a Ywhcle, We see it reflected
has abov. t double. the major proje
onl the basis of its shave of emp
.4 and We s; ee it reflected in thie f
Territor: y in thd yea. r to lkpri1 w,
even th( se which pridea themnsel. e
AustraliLa's developmnent.
A MO4APRGO: 10.00 PM EST
IIONDPAV,' 7-IJUNS 1982
Yi DINNER, DARWIN
arid me to be x. ith you here
he t-wo Or three days I ) lave been
stly impressed with thie drive
e devel~ oping the Territory's
Vs RocO: and Tennant Creek,
plans and initiatives that care
The new Conriellan AirpofL
ion Yulara ToIrist Village
ob) viously give a major boost
lightced, as I an Eure yoo arLe,
release plans concerning
civil aviation activities
Is project %-ill be presentecl
mng Budget, and I aia skuro that
this project moving ahead.
Headquarters at }( ak. adu..
den on the s~ orld H-eritac. 1e
its cultural significance,
ty, anid its sacred site s and
wonders of the world; and
t Xa1; adu. is being manz-ged and
s everyone to enjoy it and make
err itory, Paul Everingham anda
eQncous lead with their energy!
ere is no doubt that selfthe
vital step in getting the
e. Ve see signs of the drive
where private sec tor .0Ceeopment.
dicateB great confidence in the
n Darwin and the Terri-tory
in the faict that the Territo,, y
cts wqhich wotild be e*-: Pected
i oyir. ent in-Austtralia as a whole,
act; that employm-ient_ grow~ th 211-thI
' Isf* a ster' th,-n in ' arty oft the st-. atp~
s as being iii the forefront of? 2
NISATER
As a Party and as a Gox'ernnient, we believe very strongly that
encouraging people to mr i-age their own affairs unleashes their
talents and creativity, it leaas to a dynamiirm that cannot be
abhieved in any othier way. This applies whether we are talkirty
about states or local cormmunities or individuals managitig
their own affairs, and it marks us of more clearly froinf
socialists than almost anything else, By unleas) hnq the talents
of people, we also build up our comnunity and our nzition,
and here again our Liberal approach is vastly different froma
Labor's, because Labor doesn't reall. y be-lieve in buvilding
Australia up, but only in distributing what al. ready exists.
Whenever Labor has had a chance to govern,' whether in Canberrza
from 1972-75, or ill South Australia, or ill Newq South iWales
or until very recently in Tasmania. They heve caused irnmentC
I, daxnage and dest-ruction to the eco-nomy, and the sane thing
would happen again, if they ever got a chance. Iti
Liberal Governments which believe in buildingj Atistralia up,
0laasndt ntohtihxeineg dmecaakdees s, t hwish enp laliivnienrg thsatann dtahree isa chhiaevvee tndeonutb! sl edo f Itnhe
Axistralia Linder Liberal govern-ments. We -will always stick~
to this great objective of building Australia up. Our
policies for Australia as a %; hfole, and also for the special
requiremnents of the Territowy, majke2 this very plain,
and I would like to say that Bernie iFilgariff and Grant
Tambling are strong advocate5 in Canberra for t-he cause and
interests of the Territory,
I want to say something tonight about where Austra lia is going,
114 about the way we see the econo7m. Y, and slso abouL two other
major policy area-s , corr~ umnications an~ d defence. In'recent
years, we have had significant economic success, for in tens
of growth, invest-ment and Eamployt,; ent, we have swibr ' Strongly
against the intern~ tion~ al tiae. Judeed, oTn currently available
statistics, in 1981 Aup-tralia's growqtb rate of 5% was about
a four tiimes the average growth rate in the industxialised
Western economics, and was the highest gro-vth rate of any
of the OECD couh~ tries.
Our success against world trends has not cocme about by cha-nc,
it has come from policies designed to give Austral. ians the
confidence and the capacity) to build up our economic
stxength. Those policies 11ave particulirly einphasised restraint
iii the deinsnds of governoment, on the cor-. runity's resources, not
because restraint is valued for its own sake, but because through
those policies of restxaint Una conditions are oreateda in which)
people anid businesses have the resources they need to build up
Australia ' s prosperity.
Leat there be no mistake about it, out ultimate objective is to heep
real incomes growing, to keep -eal living stan~ dards rising, to
create the capacity to keep giving help where help is needed, and
we have already had substantial success in meeting these
objectiven.
-3-
The biggest threats to our ability to keep moving aheae, Com~ e
from, on the one hand, the contiviucd recession in te kyorld's
major economies, and on the Other, the damage that can be done.-by
inappropriate or irresponsible behaviour by UtajUSts) e.
As Territc'rians, With your grea t sources of income eerived frro~ a
mining, fron tourism, and fro.-. cdttle raisingC you wlbe cLy
A aware of h-ow world economic conditions affect us in Astralia, oL
how COntini~ ed world recession has depressed demand Forv and the
prices of many of our major export coruotities.
As our economic performance of rcen-t yeaxs has shown we are not
totally cZaptive to OVerrseaS economic influenoeS, blt. 3, t is clEtaxr
thekt. the 2Ionger the world remains; in recession, the imore it u* 31
economic I.-roblerms, that in six of the seven major eConomPLieS there
has been negative growth in ind3ustrial production) that. the
v1ai loel do-rad acualy fllin .1981 fortefistmen
over 20 ye ars, that unemployment will pass 30 millioit in the
O. E. C. O. :! ountrie8 during this year and that protect ionism is; being.
intensified and extended in tran, places. The potentially
dantaging implications of all this for PAustxrala, as well as f~ or the
rest of the Western econo'mies led the Cabinet to agree to Australia.
putting forwaird a proposal to the w,, orld leaders who met over
last weakend in Versailles a proposal which focussedI on t-he
imrrportance of trade in generating sustai;, able economic ) recovev',
aind sought to get growth xrestartea in the * na-jor economies by
proposing a standstill, an6 a subsequent winding back of
protecticri devices as well as of export inrentives and subs; idies.
We shall be continuing to press for positive action by all
industria'lised countries in co-operation because the economic
prospects and prosperity of people throughout th~ e world, and of
people tl'. roughout Astralia depend on action being taken.
But it iV equally important a-nd ruost obviously so while overiseas
developments remain unfavourabl. e, that Australians should not
damage th-eir own p~ fopsects and prosperity. There has been an
unfortunate tendency for sone groups of Australians to act i-n a
way thiat damages themselves and others in our corcaunity.
we have seen that all too clearly in thp-effects on activity and
employment that have come about because of the excessive wage cla: ims
and the ixnreasonable levels of industrial disputes and strikes that
occurred in the second half of 1981 and early 1982.
The ; cecent decision in the national wage case has given us time
to digest the effects of wage increases; there are now real
prospects of greater harmony add co-o eration in irIOkustrLia) l
relations,; and we must ca -pital1ise on these opporturities to
re-build the sense of confidence that we should all have in
Australia's prospects.
We are entte ohv ta. fidcnce because Austral. ia
has real srengths in its strong manufacturing base,
in its efficient primary proauce) t-, in its abuniaht
n-atural. resources, in the tnjet lhich has surged
ahead in recent years, and is -, till continuing at~ high
levels, and in the initiativo \ nd enterprise of the
Australian people.
It is important that we continue to develop tbeqe
strenciths, because a strong and growing economry is
esserl; ial for so many of our other~ obnectives.
Defence is equally a m1atter of fundamental and easential
concer'n and i want to discusqs ft particularly tonight
because we live in a troubled and difficult wyorld, in
which it is more important thtrn ever for the western
nations to display strength zinil resolve as well, aq a
willingi'iess to enter into meaningful discussiortF abolit.
issues such as artrs limitations,
The F'alklands crisis has showed very plainly how quickly
trouible spots can emerqe. it is now 40 years since Darw~ in
was bombed -we recently cele) -rai-e d the 40th anniversar),
of the Battl. e of the Coral Sea, and while Astalia's
circumstanices today are very di. fferent froimthove we
face-1 in 1942, we must be pfeparea for any threats and
challenges which couldemr.
As a Governent and party, we h-, ave an urnsWerkling~ COMrntitre. n
to a secure Australia, a Strong defen~ ce for Ce & nd close
co-eperation with our allies amI friends.
The Government%:' s defencie spending has been increasing
substantially; outlays this fin, roia. year arc up by
nea'-: ly 20r on ast year, well above the general price
inc-reases of between 10 anid 11. percsnt; we are in the
mi. ddle of a V. billion 6efence re-equipment. proqrarze
and in~ the tqords of the recently retired Chief of thme
Defence Force staff, we have now the best-eguipped and
best-trainied force we. have ever had'in p! eace time.
* The Governmcint is enlarging our delenoce deployment in
nort-hern and north-wast Australia th) rough an e> xparision
of the IA. A X basfe here to 8upport the tac-tical fightc-r
force, including. the new FA/ 18s through the creation of
NOUFORCE to expand 5trategic survaillance and
rec-ortnaissanoce capabilities; through increased survei) lance
oc er the Inaian Ocean; through Progressively modernisecl
eo~ munications and through the base for six patrol boats
which has been constructed anc) which the first defencf:
personnel actually moved into today.
Defence co-operation with allies and neighbours is aliao
growing in depth and impo.-rce.. There is the deployr; ent
of the fl52' s, co-operation in exerc'ises with tlhe United
States, and also with Malaysia, Singapore, 14, Z. and tbe
U. Xh. undtr the Five Power Defence arrangerents.
I would like to comment about access to our ports of naval
ships, bcloDngillg to our allies and friends, whichi may be
nuclear-armed even if conventional . y powered because this
issue is a matter -for the gravest concern. The facts
are that in the three years of Labcor office in Canberra,
somelS nax'al ships of the United st; Ates, the United KrIcjdorn
and r-rance visited Auistralian ports, including the port of
* I'eloure. Since then, some 390 visits have taken place.
These visits could niot have taken place withoUt the esLiablishc-e p~ a1icies.
British naval ships would not be allowed into Australia's
ports without them.
In 1976 lir IWhi~ tai drew attention to the consider~ able confusiort
about nuclear ships and his statement made it plain that it
was impossible to expect our allies to specify for public
consumption which of their ships were nuclear-armed and which
were not. For them to do so viould be to give important
military information to possible eniemies. fir W-hitlartils arqjLunE. nt_-
were impeccable. ' They parallel thjose of the Government
-policy exactly. The Labor Government practicesed this-policy
A when it was in office in Canberra. -Ouir policy since 1975 has
0been the Earne. it is an essential policy if we are to be
able to co-operate with our allies on vital defencce mtatters
and it plzay8 a significant paxrt in the effective operation of
a policy of nuclear deterrence. For these reasons, the policy
must continue and it will continue. Australia's defenceS.
are strong and relevant to today, and under this Government,
that posiion -wll 1) e Tiaintained.
I also %,, ant to sexy something about coinrunicat ions which are
important to people in the Territory in ways which many Au-sttalians
would find it hard to gjrasp or onderstand. The next few years
will see cireat irr., rove. ments in a number of areas. of co., 1 tnic Ations.
The sateliite is going ahead, with a projected launch inl 19,85.
It Will not only bring T. V. and radio services to a number of:
xemote areas for the first time, but % will also have a major
* iTOpact on Australia's whole cormmunications network through to the
enld of this century.
flThere are several addit ional commwunications developments in t; rain.
A new terrestrial system for remote telephone subscribers9 haS
been designed anid new exchange equipmnent. for Darwin is planned,
4 remote area television program stations have been opened this
year, and the Government is active in pioMoting a number of
other initiatives and improvements in broadcasting serv. ic. es 1-or
Darwin and other pprts of the Territory Communications hias always
been a great chalne for Australia bjt a great deal is being
achieved, and some of the current initiativeS really Will b--
historic advances.>
1in focussing tonight on the economy, defence anid communications,
I have : not only been dealing with p) olicy aroas which are importanit
in their own right, but also with ones whZhcharacterise the
fundamental. strengths of Liberalism. ? nor it is our Government
! t w~ hich seeks to build up a strong arid pr. osparous Australia in
which peocple have the incentive and confidence to live their own
lives in their ovm way.
6.
Australia. in the 1980' s is Olle rof the most vibrant and Vital.
countries in the world in a cultural) sense; one of tho' most
harrnonious,, free and stable count-ries . In a political s'nse;
it is onle. of the best mtanag-d anO'* D.. ckiest countries in all
economic, sense; one of the wost concerned and energetic
countries in humnritarian tcrrns; one of th~ e most. rea) Ji; tic,
responsible and far-sighted Countrics in the part it pl' 3ays; i-r
internat~ onal affairs; an~ d it is one of the most self -confidenL
and friendly countries in tei-ms of the way in which Other pE-Op~ ct
vje%-7US. By working together as one people and One flatioil alic
by the continuation of policies which unleash people's ener9y
and inlitiLative, % qe can keep Amstralia ahead in til. i. nterests of
our fam'i. lies and our children. o~ OOOooo---