SPEECH BY THE PRIMIE MINISTER EMBARGOED AGAINST
DELIVERY
THE 10rN. HAWKE, f. P,
UNIVERSITY OF THE SOU TH1 PACIFIC
SUVA, 29 AUGUST, 19814
OPENING OF THE TECHNOLOGY BUILDINGS
I AM VERY PLEASED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO VISIT
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, THE UNIVERSITY IS A
STRIKING EXAMPLE OF THE POSITIVE BENEFITS WHICH CAN FLOW FROM
COOPERATION BETWEEN THE NATIONS OF THE REGION,
I AM PROUD THAT AUSTRALIA SHOULD BE AS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED AS
IT IS WITH THIS IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, AND THAT WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO ITS DEVELOPMENT.
AUSTRALIA HAS A GREAT AFFINITY WITH THE NATIONS OF THE SOUTH
PACIFIC REGION. I'E ARE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS; WITH THESE
COUNTRIES WE FEEL AT HOME, I'. E SHARE YOUR INTERESTS AND HAVE
MANY ASPIRATIONS IN COMMON.
l-E ALL, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A KEEN INTEREST IN THE MAINTENANCE OF
CONDITIONS OF PEACE AND STABILITY WITHIN THE REGION, -HENCE
THE PRIORITY WE ATTACH TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE REGION AS A
NUCLEAR FREE ZONE.
I'lE ARE ALSO COMMITTED TO THE REGION'S DEVELOPIMENT, AT ITS OWN
PACE, AND WITH THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF ITS PEOPLE.
1/ 2,
2.
V.' E SEE IT AS BEING IN OUR OWN INTEREST AND THAT OF ALL
COUiTR I ES WI THIN TiH REGION THAiT WE CONTI; IUE TO CONTRIBUTE
WHAT WE CAN TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, A HEALTHY, GROWING
REGIONAL ECONOMY FOR AUSTRALIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS IS THE
BASIS ON WHICH OUR FUTURE DEPENDS.
THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AUSTRALIA HAS
WITHIN THE REGION IS A VISIBLE DEMONSTRATION OF THE INTIMACY
OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS GROWN UP BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND
THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION. THE VERY CONSIDERABLE $ 300 MILLION
WE HAVE COMMITTED THROUGH THAT PROGRAM IS THE OVERALL FIVE YEAR
SUM FROM WHICH ARE DRAWN THE INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY COMMITMENTS,
THE SPECIAL PROJECTS, THE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS, AND THE SPECIAL FLEXIBLE ALLOCATIONS SUCH AS ACCOUNTABLE
CASH GRANTS,
THE CONTINUED FLEXIBILITY OF THE PROGRAM FLEXIBLE TO MEET
THE REGION'S NEEDS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT, THE SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC REQUIRE IT, THE JACKSON
COMMITTEE REPORT ON AUSTRALIA'S OVERSEAS AID PROGRAM MADE SOME
USEFUL RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS REGARD. FLEXIBILITY TO MEET
THE REGION'S NEEDS IS SOMETHING WE PRIZE HIGHLY.
3,
IN THIS SPIRIT MY GOVERNMENT HAS APPOINTED A TEAM OF
PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE, ECONOM. ICS,
EDUCATION AND EN GINERING TO WORK EXCLUSIVELY IN THE
PACIFIC. THE TEAM WILL ENHANCE AUSTRALIA'S CAPACITY TO
PLAN ASSISTANCE FOR KEY SECTORS, AS DESIGNATED BY THE
REGION'S GOVERNMtENTS AND IN CONJUNCTION WIITH OUR AREAS OF
EXPERTISE, AND TO-APPRAISE, MONITOR AND IMPLEMENT PROGRESS
MORE EFFECTIVELY.
W'E HAVE ALSO INITIATED A MULTI-COUNTRY PROGRAM, PROVIDING
FUNDS FOR PROJECTS APPLICABLE TO MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY IN
THE REGION. TO DATE 6 PROJECTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED UNDER
THIS PROGRAM.
SO FAR I HAVE SPOKEN ONLY OF DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION, THE
CLOSENESS THAT HAS DEVELOPED BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE SOUTH
PACIFIC HAS A MUCH WIDER BASIS THAN THIS. IT FLOWS FROM AN
UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHERS' ASPIRATIONS, INTERESTS AND
SENSITIVITIES. AND THAT UNDERSTANDING GROWS FROM PERSONAL
CONTACT AT ALL LEVELS FROM THE PRIME MINISTERIAL DISCUSSION
TO THE TOURIST VISIT, AND ALL MEETINGS IN BETWEEN: ACADEMIC,
JOURNALIST, BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT, CHURCH, SPORTING, STUDENT,
I'E ARE ALL SO NEAR TO EACH OTHER NOW'ADAYS THE MEANS OF
MODERN COIMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT ENSURE IT. THE RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE NATIONS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC HAVE
STOOD THE TEST OF THE CLOSEST CONTACT: AND WE ARE THE BETTER
FOR, IT,
I WAS SPEAKING OF ACADEMIC AND STUDENT CONTACTS A MOiENT
AGO; THE OVERSEAS STUDENT DEBATE IN AUSTRALIA HAS, I BELIEVE,
BEEN A SUBJECT OF INTEREST IN EDUCATION CIRCLES EPRESENTED
HERE TODAY,
IN AUSTRALIA, A SMALL MINORITY HAVE QUERIED THE CONTINUED
ACCESS OF STUDENTS FROM OUR REGION ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
TO PLACES AT OUR UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. W\ ITH SUCH A
FINE FACILITY AS THE USP, THIS DOES NOT OF COURSE CONCERN
THE SOUTH PACIFIC AS MUCH AS IT DOES SOME OF OUR OTHER NEIG'IBOURS,
BUT THERE ARE STILL SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF STUDENTS FROM THE
REGION WHO ARE RELYING NOW ON PLACES AT AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTIONS;
I HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THERE WILL BE SIMILAR NUMBERS OF
STUDENTS IN THE FUTURE.
RECOGNISING THIS, MY GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED THAT AUSTRALIA
SHOULD CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THIS REGIONAL DEMAND. THIS
COMMITMENT WILL BE MAINTAINED NO MATTER WHICH SYSTEM THAT
RECOMMENDED BY PROFESSOR GOLDRING IN HIS STUDY, THAT OF THE
JACKSON COMMITTEE, OR ANY OTHER APPROACH, MAY BE CHOSEN BY
THE GOVERNMENT. DECISIONS ON THESE IMPORTANT MATTERS WiLL BE
MADE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
ALL COUNTRIES, BOTH DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING, FACE THE BURDEN
OF THE HIGH COSTS OF EDUCATION. AUSTRALIA ACKNOWLEDGES THE
NATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF GOVERNMENTS IN THE REGION TO DEVELOP
THEIR POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS, OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE
PROVIDED SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE TO REGIONAL COUNTRIES IN THE
ESTABLISHM-ENT OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS, THROUGH CAPiTAl_ WORKS,
THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHER TRAINING AND TECHNICAL OR
TRADE-RELATED PROGRAMS AND THROUGH THE PROVISION OF A RANGE OF
SCHOLARSHIPS.
THE TASK FACING THE AUTHORITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE
SOUTml P\ AC IFIC I; i CURR ICULUM LDEViELOP.; ENT, ASSEM.' LI NG TEACHING
STAFF, FULFILLING THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS OF
ELEVEN NATIONS IS IMMENSE. IT IS TO THE CREDIT OF THE UNIVERSITY
AUTHORITIES THAT IT HAS MANAGED TO MEET DEMANDS PLACED UPON IT,
IT DESERVES SUPPORT FROM THE REGION AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASSJRE
YOU HERE THAT AUSTRALIA WILL REMAIN WILLING TO CONTINUE TO
ASSIST THE UNIVERSITY IN MEETING THE PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED
BY REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS.
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE UNIVERSITY IS REFLECTED IN OUR LEVEL OF
SUPPORT., WHICH HAS BEEN ESTIMATED TO AMOUNT TO $ 18 MILLION : IN
THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD TO JUNE 1988, AUSTRALIA IS THE LARGEST
DONOR TO THE USP AND IN 1983/ 811 PROVIDED $ 2.62M FOR STAFFING
ASSISTANCE, ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, CAMPUS
UPGRADING, PHYSICAL PLANNING AND CAPITAL WORKS.
THIS TECHNOLOGY BUILDINGS COMPLEX, WHICH I AM HONOURED TO
OPEN TODAY, PROVIDES A NEW HOME FOR THE DISCIPLINE OF
INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, HERE TEACHERS
WILL BE TRAINED, SO THAT IN TURN THEY CAN GO OUT INTO THE
LOCAL CLASSROOMS OF THE REGION AND PASS ON THE SKILLS OF
WORKING WITH WOOD, METAL, AND THE ARTS AND SCIENCE OF DRAUGHTING,
RURAL TECHNOLOGY AND ASSOCIATED FIELDS. THEY WILL BE WELL
EQUIPPED TO TEACH IN BOTH SECONDARY AND TERTIARY INSTITUTES,
I UN: DERS, TAND THAT PLANS ARE-NOW BEIG DISCUSSED, TOO, FOR
THE USP TO UNDERTA: KE NW TRAINING POGRAS IN IECHAN ICAL,
CIVIL AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES AND OTHER AREAS REQUIRING
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT OR SEMI-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, THE
IMPORTANCE WHICH ALL COUNTRIES ATTACH TO TRAINING SUFFICIENT
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THESE FIELDS IS WELL KNOWN, I AM VERY
PLEASED THAT AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THIS
AREA AT USP,
MR CHANCELLOR, IN CONCLUSION, MAY I SAY THAT IT GIVES ME
PARTICULAR SATISFACTION TO DECLARE THESE BUILDINGS OPEN,
AND TO WISH ALL WHO WORK IN THEM EVERY SUCCESS AND SATISFACTION.
THESE BUILDINGS ARE I BELIEVE A STANDING DEMONSTRATION OF
AUSTRALIA'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH ITS FRIENDS
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION.
THAT COMMITMENT IS AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT AUSTRALIA HAS ANYWHERE.