AA UST X1., L1IA
PRIME MINISTER
CHECKAINST IE V~ Y
EXTRACTS FROM AN ADDRESS BY 1HE PRIME MINISTER,
MR BOB HAKE, AT THE BRUCE BY-EL-ECTION CAMPAIGN LAUNCH,
SUNDAY 15 MAY, 1983
THE PEOPLE OF BRUCE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO VOTE IN A
BY-ELECTION AT A CRUCiAL POINT IN AUSiRALIAN HISTORY,
IT IS JUST TEN WEEKS SINCE THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA VOTFU
TO END THE SEVEN DIVISIVE YEARS OF LIBERAL GO\' ERIVIENI,
AND ENTRUSTED TO A NEw LAWO GOVERNMENT THE TASK OF
BRINGING; AUSTRALIA TOGETHER,
THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALI A TE WEEKS AGO DEMONS'T RATCD THAT,
VERY CLEARLY THAT THEY BELIEVEDO ONLY A N4EW (. 0OVFN[ SEl1, WI TH
FAITH IN THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE AND ALL I1 IS E'S, CCOW) 0
RESTORE OUR NATION IS DEP!,: TED FORIUNFS.
WE KNEW ! HAT WE FACED A HUGE TASK I N RETSTOR INN 1 AT IOA
CONFI DENGE ANDI PR09PEI TY, WE KNEWY THAT AUSTRAL. 1IA' PAIV
OF I NFLATI ON WAS TWICE A, HI GH AS OTHi R I Gll--I rK COUll ! I
AND THAT UIJLMP LOYME~ N 1 WAS R I SI NG MORE RAP IDI Y ! HAN' III
OR NORTH AImI HI A WE KNrAI 1H AT fHIE CON FRON TA IIO N Wllf C
HAD M~ ARKED THEL RCLATI GUS O AUiSTRALIAN GOLVEPNN> rl RI'' IUq"
AND ONiONS WITH EACH C IULF " AS; DFFPIY I N& AI1. F; AhiD W0WI
BE DI FF1 CUL* l TO CINi
IFOIBLEIN, ANT" IlOY, 1BE FL ONO K HL K11'"' TL1f ' IILHL.
WAS A LONG CAHi A Li AD AH Ai
RECENT I NEA L ELECT ioN CAMPPI C I D3Il ~ FD ) i TRA'I AL
PEOPLE TO APPL-TO NA I10O 0N AL EC NO i 1C HC0VE RY TII SA! I
UN ITrY OF PU RPO E TH E SA NE E FFU2 H E SAME C m T! MTFTr: T
TO AUSTRALIA, 1HA 1 TirIY GAVE TO TiE. PRLSERVA I O1, 0'
AUSTRALIA' S NAl I OIAL SE CRI TY IN " ART I E I IL HI
PRIME MINILSTER CUR IAN,
NY GOVERRNM" ENT KiNE. 1 TPA THERHE NNOIA SA LTERIJAT lvr: TO uLWTED
EFFORT OVER MANY YEARS, 11E DID NOT SEEK TO AVOID
THIS EFFORT. I'lE WELCOMiED ' THE RESPOiNSIBILITY THAT THE
AUSTRALIAN PEOPLC CONFERRED ON US ON MARCH
WITHIN A DAY OF TAKING OFFICE, WE WERE IIFORMED P. Y
THE AUSTRALIAN TREAS; URY, THE MA! 14 OPFl CI AL ADVISERF To
IHE GOVERNMENT ON ECONOMIC POLICY, THAT SEVEN,' YEARC;
OF LIBERAL GOVERNI! MIENT HAD LEFT AUSTRALIA INl A MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT ECONOrI! C SITUAI OIN THAN OR THE
AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE, HAD EVER BEEN TOLD. THE LIBERAL.
GOVERNMLN1 THE GOVERNIMENT OF MR, FRASEr, [ 1R, PEACOCK
AND MR, HIOWARD, HAD DELIBERA'IFLY LIED TO THE AUSTRALIAN
PEOPLE A30UT JHmE SIZE OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT,
THEr-PRF I0 11". CG'DVFF~~:~ kHiv; 1 P Pi i~
THAT NE: T YLAP ' S PLOMl T 2FF IC IT Iin, Iir
CHIIA NGES I AAN Y OF Tii,: Di-RA!. W. V, NMiI INT S I'DL I C: If *;,
BE NINE B ILLION DOLLARS OR1 NM) NE AND Yi F PREV I WI0
GOVER NI IN 11 LAST DAY S TLD M1H A LUS[ RALIAP[ -' Et.
THAT, UNI/ LR ITS POLI CIES, THE DLII( -T OULP BE ONLY
SIX BILLION DOLLARS,
WHILE MY COLL ACG E S Al; tT i 17ESURRlSF1) r) LCRN Of
HUGE DEFICIT Wi'HICH -iHE LIBERALS HAD CONCEAILED, WE ' i; EE
NOT SURPRISED THAT THE LDIERAI.. S HAD L) EP IfI AN ATTMPi
TO WIN AN ELECTION. IN THE LAST WEEK OF TlE CAMPAIWII,
IN ANSWER TO A QUES10N AT A PRLSS CONFERENCE, I SAID;
1 HAT WE VWOULD HAVE THE ADJUST TH. E VWAY I N I HCIIH WE
IMPLEEN TED O; JR ELECTION PROMISS If-1T TURNED OUT TI
THE LIBERALS HAD LIED IC THE AUSIRALIAN PEOPLE ABOUT
THE BUDGET DEFICIT,
I DID NOT KNON THA-I THEY HAD LIED AND I HAD NO IDEA
OF THE EXIENIT [ U0 HICH lIHLY HAD LI ED AOUT THE BUDGE
DEFICIT, ALL I KNEW WAS THAT LIBERAL LEADERS LIKE
MR. FRASER, MR. HOWARD AND VI, PEACOCK HAD A BAD
RECORD OF DECEIVINC THE AUsTRAL-IAN PEOPLE WI-IFIEVER 1
SUITED THEM TO WIN VOTES. / 14
THE LIBERAL'S DECEPTION OF THE Aus JiAL IAN r* OP-LE lhAPl
BEGUN LONG BEFORE -; HE ELECTI ON CfWN1-Ar N IN FEBRUARY
AND MARCH THIS YEAR. IT IS WELL KNOWvN THAT THlE LI BHRA:
PARTY WANTED AN ELECTION LAST SEPTEMBER. MTi LIB; EkAl-S
KNEW THAT UNEM~ PLOYMENT 4OULD CONTINHUE TO GROW RAPIDLY
AND THE ECONOMY TO0 STAGNATE UNDER IHEIR LEADERSHIP,
THEY CALCULATED IHAT THEY WERE MORE I. IKELY TO WI N
AN ELECMON THE EARLIER IT WAS HELD,
IN THE IMONTHS LEADING UP TO SEPTEMBER, THE LIBERALS
MIADE PROM ISES AND PASSED NEW LAWS TO I NCREASE GOVERNMENT
SPENDING AND REDUCE TAXES TO BUY VOTES I N THE ELCCI ON,
BUT THE CREATER PART OF ~ HSAPPARENT GENEROSITY WAS
DESIGNED TO BE PAID FOR? LATER, ( ISAY APPARLNT BECAUSE
11 WOULD PROBAIRLY HAVE BEEN SNATCHED BACK AFTER THli FLE CII1
LIKE THE F IST FULL OF DOLLARS I N171)
THEY PUT THE IR SPENDING SPREE ON TI ME PAYME11, T IHEY
DIDN / T TELL THE AUS) TRALI AN PEOPLE, WHO MUSI FOOT TH-E
B ILL, THAT THEY HAD DOINE SO, THE BILLS ARF ARRI VI NO NA
AND MANY MORE llf ELF ARL EXPECTE-D TO CCA-I FFI N
YEAR. 1
THE FAC-11liA, T! Uit P) U 1
COM! NG YFAKP1D-Li'E: t TLICl 4Li* UMC LAPRj [ R
THAN THEL I-LRALi HIAD iVER PUL. H THiE AU ST RA I PF ' l 1.
OBV I OIlS LY MADE OU R JOb MUC 1-HAP DC R V! E MS IR UJCL I IrI
DEFICIT BELOW rH-E S9.6 [ HILA1Te NW OULD REh LT
FROM Ti iE OLD L I BEPA L Po 1.1CIES CR RI SK I N TF Q E; 1 ICA IIREMAI
N'NU Al THE H11i LLEEEVVEELLS THEY r AC iL
MR PEACoC K'S DEP( TY, I R OWAR Wi TREtNSURER
AT TH E SA ME TI-I E. 16E MU ST STAR T 6 TA TRA. L I A
MOVI NG A 6 A 1N , V ITTH OUR JO0B CR E AT I O A1hD H10U1. iI P f I ( JPA1
WE MUST ALSO DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT DlSADVArJTACUE['
AUSTRALIANS FROM THE DEVASTATI NG EFFECTS OF THE H-UOL
1I1CREASES IN UNEMPLOYMEN1 III RECENT YEARS, I T PAS FOr!
THIS REASON THAT WE IMPLEMENTED OUR PROMISE TO GIVE A
SMALL INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT BENLFITS TO SOME OF THE
MOST DISADVANTAGED AUSTRALIANS IN~ THE FIRST WNEEKS AFTER
THE NEW GOVERNMENT TOOK OFFICE,
AU TRALI A' ICU( IDS CAN BE HEALED ONLY BY A LONG PEROD
OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SIABILIrY AND STEADY ECOmOPiC
GROWTH a WE. WILL ONLY ACHI EVE THIS IF AUSTRALI ANS wori
TOG. THFR FOR NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION'I AND RECOVERY. / 6
WF BEG AN THIS Pki);-EZ Al TlI. NA II On AI [ H C .* TUh! JIUlMMI
WHERIE LEADERS op AtI$ TRALI AN (, O0V1 NF 1TS, ~ IU A( JLJ
UNI ONS WERE ABLE TO REACH-B~ ROAD A(-: RF EllN O( N1 PF. NAFUR'L
OF AUSTRALIA' S t": CON0O--C F2OLE'SAND OF THE PEI! F
THAT WERE REQUI RED 10 OVERCOME ' 11Etl
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKINc CAFF~-ULt. Y Ar A WIERAIiGJEOF
GOVERNMENT EXPEND11TURES, 10 JUDGE wHTETEf? SOMiE SUHOLIi
BE REDUCED, TiH1i' WILL ALLOW' US rO IMPLEIMIENT SOME~ OF OWlf:
PROGRAMS WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO ECO. NOM'' I C RECOVERY, W'iHILE Al
THE SAME TIME REDUCING THE DEFICIT BELOW W-HAT IT W-( OULD H~ AVE
BEEN UNDFER L. IBERAL POLICIES, BUT IN LINE 01I1H CO; 4CLUJSIu:' S
OF THE SUMP. IT, WE A13E TAKING GREAT CARE TO SEE THAT NO
EXPENDI TURES ARE REDUCED THAT WOULD ADVER"' ELY AFFECT
IMPOVERISHED AUSTRALIANS,
ALREADY THERE ARE SIGINS THAT THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY I
RESPONDING FAVOURABLY TO OUR NEW APPROACH, THEFRE IS NUW
MORE OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FUTURE OF AUS[ RALIA, OUR FORE IGIN
RESERVFS NOW STANDT AT RECORD LEVELS, CAPITAL INFLOfW
HAS BEEN HIGH, MIANY INTEREST RATES HAVE BEEN FALLING,
WE KNOW, AND HAVE ALWAYS SAID, THAT IT IS A LONG ROAD
TO NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY, BUT THE EARLY SIGNS ARE
THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
THERE MAfdY W LL: r D: 1C
RECOVERY, W A Tu I DECU I' Y PPLA2tIG " WCHI. I A I/, r
SO THAT WE CAJMN! AV; THLF.
WE SEE Ai DANGE. R WHA-Ri5COVERi' NEXTI YE AR UOU11 KIII( 1 P.)
RI1S IN G 1INT ER ES I RATES I F L I FFR AL FB DGF I F0.1C I IWI RF
ALLOWED TO CONlI HUE, AS WAS AtGPLELr) Al--111F SIJ1MI WE HW'L
THAT ALL AUSTR; LI 41IS, FXIEPT THE IPVI HOW C I
[ HE IR SHARE OF THE RLS i PQl tT INU COVE RNhEM EXPEND!' r rlF
THAT WILL bE NECESSARY TO KEEP IIITERES V RAl ES ON A
DOWNWARD PATH AS FCO1N-il( C RECOVERY GEiTS UNDFRP ' AY.
WE SEE A DANGER THAT RECOVERY NEXT YEAR WOULD, BEE ! LD
BY EXCESSIVE WAGE INCREASES IF WE ALLOWED WHE ' SORT OF
FREE-FOR--ALL IN WAGES POLICY THAT WAS EI4COIJRAC-EI WiY i-i
LIERLSIN 1q31 AND 193?, OUR PRI CES AND MCINCUS AC -1-
IS DESIGNED TO AVO) ID THIS DANGER. fUCH BETTER THE
CERTAI NTY OF A SMALL. WAGE I HCREASE L-ATE THIlS YEAR AND WA I,,
INDEXATION AFTER THAT, THAN AN Ar-TEIIPT TO FREEZE WA( Th.)
COMPLETELY UNTIL IHE FREEZE BREAKS wNa IN INDLJSTRIAI.
DISPUTES AND A NEW WAG-E EXPLOSION
THUS ALTHOUGH THE DECEPTION OF THEc LIBERALS P. EFORE. THE
ELECTION HAS MADE OUR TASK MUCH HARPER, I CAN REPOF( I
SUBSTANTIAL PROGRES'S TOWARDS NAl IONAL RECONCI [. IATIO! I,
RECONSTRUCTION AND RECOVEPY, .13
T[-I1S B F I -CT! UN CIVI Jt L C 0T f ; U . f
TO ENCOURAGE ] HAT PROflJQESS,
THE ALTER'. iAT IVE IS A CNIdATUNo-THE CO-NFRUNTA Iik U
AND DECEII Of: THE YE ARS li-iHllEN 11R. Fr~ iR, lTll f, ! QWA i v! AND
IR, PEACOCK 6FRE FWES OF THiE LAlliINET, Hr. R PLA( S
BEHAVIOUR 1IN THU PAST EEK SHOWS I'Al HE HAs LEARfT
NOTHING FROM 7, f; HE AUSTRALIAN PEO'i. E'S RFJECT 1() IN CF
CONFRONTATION AND DECE IT ON fl" ARCH 1L, A ST WEEK li:
ABUSED THE PRIVILEGED POSI TION OF LEADER OF TliV
OPPOSITION BY PARTICiPATIN IN THE PUBLIC AIRIN6 OF
NATIONAL SECURiT Y MATIERS F: OR"' HE NN ARRO0V . E: 1-OF PARTY
POLITICAL MOTIVES, IN HIS SPEECH TO iHE Ft ECEORS OF
BRUCE LAST FRIDAY, IR. PEACOCK FAILED TO FACE UP TO T,! E
IMPLICATIONS OF THE DUDGETAPY MESS THAT THE LIBERALS
CREATED BEFORE 1ARCH 5, HE DID NOT SAY A WrD ABOUT ' IOU1
HE WOULD PAY THE BItLS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED FROTKI I. AST
YEAR'S IBERAL SPENDING SPREE.
THIS WAS DISHONEST ENOUGH I N ITSELF, UT HF WEINT ON1 1O
TELL A NUMBER OF CLEAR, SPECIFIC LIES MMYD OUOTW N VILVIS.
MiR, PEACOCK SAID THAT I ELILVE THAT THE FA.-i LY ALLOW4AN( CI
SHOULD BE ABOLISHED, I HAVE NO] SAID OR WRITTEIN
OR THOUGHT THAT THE FAI1 LY ALLOW'i'AlNCE SHOULD BE A5EJ L I ! Hi) / 9
MR. PEACOCK SAID THAT I BELIEVE iHAT DFPCNDAN'l SPOUW
REBATES SHOULD BE ENDED,
THAT CLAIM IS NOT TRUE.
MR. PEACOCK SAID THAT I BELIEVE THAT STATE AmID N EDUCATION
SHOULD B~ E PHASED OUT. IHAVE NOT SAID OR WRITTEN OR THOUGHT
THAT STATE AID IN EDUCATION SHOULD BE PHASED) OUT, MR, PEACOCK
SAID THAT I BELIEVE THAT FAMILIES SHOULD NO LONGER RECEIVE
ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR HOME LOAN REPAYMENTS, HAVE NOT SAID
OR WRITTEN OR THOUGHTr THAT FAMILIES SHOULD NO LONGER RECEIVE
ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR HOME LOAN REPAYMENTS,
THESE CLAIMS ARE SIMPLY LIES. TO TELL THESE LIES.. MR, PEACOCK
MUST BE A DESPERATE MAN.
MANY OTHER STATEMENTS IN MR PEACOCK'S ADDRESS TO THE ELECTORS
OF BRUCE ARE SIMPLY LIES, MR. PEACOCK'S SPEECH TO THE PEOPLE
OF BRUCE CONTAINED AS MUCH DECEPTION AS THE CAMPAIGN MR, FRASER,
MR. ANTHONY, MR, HOWARD AND MR. PEACOCK PRESENTED TO THE
AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE EARLIER IN THE YEAR. HE HAS LEARNT NOTHING.
AUSTRALIA. CANNOT AFFORD DECEPTION BY ITS POLITICAL LEADERS,
AuSTRALIA HAS HUGE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, AUSTRALIA WILL NOT
OVERCOME ITS PROBLEMS UNLESS WE RECOGNISE TH1EM FOR WHAT THEY
ARE, AND CAREFULLY DEVELOP LONG-TERM PROGRAMS TO COMBAT THEM. / lo
My GOV EmmN T DOES NO 1 H iS I 0t HI LW'f Fj R'Clf le'JI 1% I AAi" '
THE HARD REAL-ITY, THAI THE A'' H EI V MEN OF 1: C ONO( Wl . l
RECOVERY ' 4I. REQUIRE iNJS1 RAI NT BY At. L lJ0NA; l i Al'i
CAN AFFORD 17T
I AM ENCOURAGED BY THE WAY THAT AUS3RAL I ANS HAVE ACCiFfiEr)
JHE RESPONSIBILITY TH AT THE r4TIOS IICUL T IE HALF
UPON US ALL. 0N AY 23, THE PFCFOLE Or ' RuCE Wil I HAVI
THE CHANCE TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR COMMITthIENT 10 IHE
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION) RECOiNSTRUCTIOIN AND RECOVLRY
THAT HAS BEGUN. IF YOU ACCEPT THAT CHANCE, AND F LECT
HEATHER O'CCNOR THE THE N44TIO& 4AL PARLIAMFNIT, YOU WILL HAVE
TOLD US ALL THAT AUSTRALIAN, S ARE EQUAL-TO T1l I C! IAI . tJl
OF THE PRESENT CRISIS, 9*