PRIME MINISTER
E. O. E. PROOF ONLY
MIKE CARLTON 2GB TUESDAY, 9 C) CTOBEP,~ 1984
CARLTON: elections whenever-it suits them and their Party.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it may be Itf you want to come to that
conclusion. It is inaccurate because I made it clear from
fairly early in the peace that what I want~ ed'tod * o ' was to
bring an end to unnecessary elections in this country. So distinct
to any other Prime Minister I am going to the electorate now to
save an election. There would have to be a half Senate election
by April of next year. Then there would have had to have been a
House of Representatives within a relatively short time after,
that. So I'm having the House of Representatives and the half
Senate together which will be the 23rd time that that's happened
in the history of this country. It's the normal practice, but
what distinguishes this situation from all that's gone before is
that I will be going to the peopl. e with a referendum at tbe same
time and say~ ag please vote to ensure that in future there must
be simultaneous elections so that no-Prime Minister will be able
to do what my predecessors have done and deliberately create
pee sta. n. d a duplicated elect ions.
CARLTON: Will you be campaigning strongly on that apart from the
-normal
PRIME MINISTER: Indeed I will because 1 think that the people
don't lik~ e unnecessary elections and I am giving the opportunity
through the referendum to ensure that 64an never be done again.
CARLTON: Alright. Why do you need a fresh mandate?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't need a fresh mandate, I am simply saying
that I believe it is appropriate in the circumstances of having this
poll that the opportunity be given to the Government of an
endorsement for a renewal of their mandate. I have explained why
tbe Parliament that this will be an opportunity to give a fresh
mandate because what we have done is to turn the country around
through the operation of the Prices and Incomes Accord. We have
changed it from no growth to the fastest growing economy in the
wo~ rld. Now the Opposition are saying t ' o the people we will destroy
the whole Accord, the whole basis of consensus, all the mechanisms
wbich have brought trade unions and bubdi$ ss and government working
effectively to produce this economic revolution they want to
tbandon that. So I am saying that this will be an opportunity for / 2
the people to say if they want the continuation of the approach
which I have brought to this country, or a reversion to the
disasters of the past.
CARLTON: Yes but you see you are going six months early or so
and you are still asking for this fresh mandate when all the polls
chow that the world is yours, you know, Australia is yours.
PRIME MINISTER: -Well you put it that way but what I'm saying is
that the basic reasons I put for going to the election ar'e there
that we have got to get this duplication of elections out of the
way. There must be a half Senate election by April of next yearearly
next year and the tradition in the past is where you have
got to have that half Senate election is to have it at the end of
the preceding year. I Uam doing that but we must do it too to
get the elections back into kilter and to prevent the possibility
of unnecessary elections in the future. Now I~ am saying quite
clearly It is opportun' e in those circumstances that the people of
Australia refresh the mandate for change that we have brought
the creation of a new spirit in Australia and I believe that the
Australian public will want to do that.
CARLTON: Was there a worry, a consideration, that things might
come unstuck in N~ ew South Wales? Your support for Neville Wran
yesterday in the Parliament seemed pretty lukewarm.
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think it was lukewarm. Listen what you
have got to distinguish is that Neville Wran mDade a statement
overseas and then around that statment and In respect of that
there could be various interpretations I concede as to whether it
was wise or not.
CARLTON: Possibly contemptuous?
PRIME MINISTER: No it was certainly not intended to be contemptuous
in my judgement. But wrapped around the fact of Neville Iran ' s
statement people wanted to put the whole question of whether I was
repudiating Nevill~ e Wran in general. Now I have made it clear that
it has never been my practice in life, whether it's Neville Wran
or anyone else, to abandon friondo oolloaguos on the basis
of smear and innuendo and unsubstantiated allegation. That has
never been my way, It is often the easy way but it is not my way.
So I was making the point that until and I don't believe there
can be but until and unless there was
. some evidence which went to the integrity of Neville Wran as a man,
rather than questions about whether it was wise of him to make a
statement ornot, until that's done he has my support, and I don't
believe there is any evidence. There is certainly none, Mike,
that has been brought to my attention. I don't think you are aware
of any which established any questionnark about the integrity of
the man.
CARLTON: Would you rather he hadn't said what he said yesterday?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think it could have been perhaps better
left unsaid but I have made it clear that I am not going to make
judgements about a man in those circumstances where a statement
made in particular circumstances are then used to try and* denigrato
a muan generally. They have latched on to that particular statement
which may have been unwise but that's not the point. / 3
CARLTON: No it probably didn't help you at the timing of an
election announcement does it?
PRIME MINISTER: It had nothing to do with the timing of the
election announcement. If there is one ill-kept secret in Australian
political life if you like it is that I have been going to have art
election for the reasons that I have put. I o~ me to a conclusion Et
short while ago definitely about the date and I** awaited the returnL
of the Governor-General of Australia. He arrived back at 3.30
yesterday afternoon. I went and saw him at 4.30 and that was it.
Mr. Wran's statement had absolutely and demonstrably had nothing
to do with that time.
CARLTON: No, no, but it didn't help you a lot'.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I don't think it helped or didn't help.
The people of Australia, in my judgement, seem very, very much
more sensible than a lot of you commentators are prone to think.
You people in the gallery and the commentators, you latch onto a
statement by Mr. Wran on the other side of the world, you latch
onto some particular thing and you say that's what the Australian
people are thinking about1that's the big issue. Now I just want
to tell you I have been studying politics for a very, very long
time I think pretty successfully and I know what the Australian
people are concerned about. They are concerned about jobs, they
are concerned about inflation, they are concerned about interest
rates, they are concerned about housing and on all these things
which are uppermost in the daily thinking of ordinary Australians
we have delivered the goods and it is an exerdise in, if 1. may
say So, In periphery politics to suggest that a statement by the
Premier of New South Wales on the other side of the world has
anything to do with people's reaction to an election.
CARLTON: Alright, one last question on this subject: does the
grand partnership still exist?
PRIME MINISTER: What grand partnership are you talking about?
CARLTON: Hawke and Wran it was very much in the news at the
laot election.
PRIME MINISTER: And at this election you will have Neville Wran,
the Federal President of the Australian Labor Party, he lvill' be on
the platform when we launch the cumigi. He will introduce me,
I will then take over the delivery of the policy speech and
CARLTON: Yes but beyond that I mean there was talk about that
grand coalition between Wran and Hawke. That was very big here
in New South Wales.
PRIME MINISTER: Well the coalition obviously still exists. He
is still the National President of the Party; : by one of the most
overwhelming vot * es of the New South Wales public earlier this
year, he is Premier of New South Wales.
CARLTON: And still your closest ally?
PRIME MINISTER: And I am the Prime Minister of Australia. Those
are facts. 0 0 / 4
CARLTON: Alri ght., atid Ft111 your nlo. ert ally. in the poltiical
PRIME MINISTER: Who has ever said that Neville Wran is my closest
ally on the political scene. I mean I can't recall having seen
that said.
CAKLTON: I think it was in the last election campaign.
PRIME MINISTER: Well you might point that out to me,
CARLTON: I mean the photographs were there for a start of the two
you. PRIME MINISTER. WellI ' ll ju& t remind you 6f thg fa. e. t, Neville
wran was inen Tne naTional rresldenL uf the Libur PartLy. As ouhls
he introduced me as the leader of the Labor Party in the Sydney
Town Hall. There was the odd photograph.
CARLTON: YAs and you said I need Wran.
Ltl la'riet stl. t. t li, AuAtralia. New Douth Wales io lita'hg'ft.,
mJu. . LiI lblA I. l L I. T ( A VAiy i M VaiLR% thkat
you Lmve LLv ladJA l LL. L -2. tLi ttLhAet , L& ha Part* y.
Now you can try as much as you like to get me into the mode of my
opponents of denigrating a mpn because people are smearing and
Li.. . ALL U v. unLtll 1liiftis
day and you won't find me falling into that trap. Can I just
make the point Mike, that if there is one thing that has been clear
in Pooont wookc it it the judgement of th Aiustralian ppnp1P ahnlut
the tet. ie Af the Lenninr nf thn Opponition of trying to Mvq thi
smear and unfounded allegation. People don't like it.
CARLTON: Can I ask you this is the broad bucket question
wh& t krM you going to be doing in th: nowt. fniii ynnrr.? Tr there
going to be a big review of taxation? Is there going to be a
capital gains tax?
PRIME MINISTER: That's a quite silly question is there going to
be a capital gains tax. You're talking about a broad question and
then you say I am asking a broad question, is there going to be
a capital gains tax. Look I have made it quite clear in the area
of tax reform, and indeed I think there is no difference between
the Opposition and ourselves on this, and that is that there needs
to be a thoroughgoing review of the tax base in this country.
I have. started the process by discussions in the Economic Planning
Advisory Council with business, the trade unions, and community
organisations. After the election we will expand that process of
consultation and amongst issues that will be looked at will be
the one you mentioned. In the same way as the Liberal Party in
New South Wales recently, it's economic committee, said that capital
gains tax would inevitably from their point of view be looked at in
a thoroughgoing tax review.
CARLTON: Well the Opposition is going to throw that at you.
Peacock will throw it at you.
s $ mas: s as
PRIME MINISTER. Wwll I t61l yni what. T'll r. ntnh it and thrQm
right bach at him buuuuUi; IO O Knows. Xnat x fur -M lit, P11 I. . a
concerned Lhey believe that's something that will h-ave to lw I ;, ed
at in an evcraiJ tax roviow. Thoy hxvw tid it tbieiA11vf.
,. aII. 1 iJ* 1, ; n it'n pnrt nf I. hA rwviww, vom Pre nnt pning to rule It
out? kriltiE IWTNIXTR. I duui I t A ula it A" in, Rnn I nay diroctlv
to the Australian people that there ntzauds Lu be review af the taox
system to see if we can get a more efficient and a more equitable
tax base. That's common ground across the political spectrum.
The difference between the Liberal/ National Party and ourselves
is that we believe in the approach of consultation and attempted
consensus and that approach is what has turned this country around
from the economic disaster that we inherited to making it the fastest
growing economy in Lthe w' r1d that ij on the basic of the approach
that we adopt. We will adopt the same approach to reviewing the
whole question of tax.
CARLTON: Prime Minister can we keep talklinU tLbruu1h ou' news and
drop the news and keep taling?
PRIME MINISTER: You can if you like.
CARLTON: Alright, terrific. The grave question that still worries
many people, and you must concede this, I know you do, is
unemployment and particularly youth unemployment. What have you
got in mind there?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we will continue the attack on unemployment
in a way which has produced a turn-around. In the last twelve
months of our opponents rule unemployment increased by a quarter
of million. We have brought unemployment down and created a quarter
of a million new Jobs and we have done that by adopting sensible
economic policies which produced growth. As I say, the fastest
growth in the world. Now that's what produces jobs and we will
continue the policies which do that.
CARLTON: It is still too high though, isn't it?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course it's too high but can I suggest to you
that it is better to be bringing unemployment down than to having
it growing to record levels as it did under the economic policies
of our opponents. I mean for God's sake are you going to say it is
still too high and not recognise there is a difference between
bringing it down and having it shooting upwards.
CARLTON: Yes, I am just wondering how far you are going to go
what are you going to do to keep it coming down?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we will continue the economic policies which
we have put into place which have produced the fastest growth in
the world, which have produced a quarter of a million new jobs in
a year. Do you think that's the sensible thing to do?
CARLTON: Yes. Will there be a special effort for youth unemployment,
and that is still very high. / 6
' I'iLAMUj%. itA A A % A L,
PRIME MINISTER: Well of course it is high but young people have
benefitted from the growth we've brought in in creating general
jobs. We will continue the Community Employment Program to look
after those who have the longest periods of unemployment. But
more f undamentall y what we are doing is to review the whole
education system to try and make our education system more relevant
so that it will provide our kids with the sort of training in the
skills which are going to equip them better for jobs. It's no
good just increasing funding for education as we have, you have
got to make their education system more relevant so they are better
able to offer themselves for jobs which we are needing, and we
are also reviewing the whole area of training and re-training
programs to make sure that the money that we spend on programs that
we've inherited and some of our own new ones are the most relevant
to equip young people for the changing structure of the economy.
So we're not just having general macro-economic polities. Our
policies in the sphere of education, training-and re-training will
gradually improve this situation.
CARLTON: I read the other day BHP is going to heave out most of
its apprentices at the end of the year, that sort of thing. How
do you get over lumps like that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well let me go to the steel industryand we have
made it infinitely better for the steel industry than it was
before. When we came to office the steel industry was going to
be abolished in this country. They were going to give it away.
Now we brought in the Steel Industry Plan which has saved the steel
industry and made jobs there existent which were going to be
destroyed. So those are the sorts of things you do to gradually
improve the position.
CARLTON: Alright. The Cabinet, the Ministry would you see
any changes after the election?
PRIME MINISTER: Well Mike what you appreciate is that the Caucus
after the election elects those who will be in the Ministry. Now
my judgement is Mike that they will elect substantially the
same people because I think the Caucus makes the same judgement
as does the electorate generally that the Ministers have done a
good job. So I think I will have basically the same people to
be appointing.
CARLTON: To the same portfolios?
PRIME MINISTER:* As to portfolio I would think there would be
very little change -some but not a great deal because they have
done well.
CARLTON: Would you indicate where those changes might come?
PRIME MINISTER: I wouldn't.
CARLTON: Would they come within senior ranks of the Cabinet or
more minor changes lower down?
PRIME MINISTER: I think basically at the relatively lower levels
I mean looking at the senior portfolios all the Ministers there
have done very well -as by the way has the Ministry generally.
CARLTON: Yes,. alright. Immigration: is it going to be an isz
the whole race thing the Prof essor Geof frey Blainey argument 11
that? PRIME MINISTER: I don't think it will be the sort of issue people
feared some time ago because I think the facts have emerged quite
clearly and that is that there has been no change in policy, that
we have done * what we did when we were in Opposition followed the
policies of our predecessors and that is that the criteria of
family reunion and it has meant that as a result of the number of
refugees that camne into this country under the deliberate policy
of the previous government, which we supported,* well those people
who have recently come are entitled to bring close members of their
families in, and that together with tbe unsolicited relative
run-down in applicants which started at the latter years of our
predecessors from European sources, has given a temporary lift in
tbe proportion coming from the Asian region. -But that is on the
basis of the policies of our predecessors and we are not criticisng
them for them. We join them in those-policies. Now the saner
heads in the Liberal Party have recognised to their credit that
those are the facts and I don't believe it will be a basic issue
of the campaign.
CARLTON: Alright. Prime Minister I know you have got to go now
but one last quickie that is going to be hurled at you every day
how much are you going to win by and will you have control of the
Senate?
PRIME MINISTER: I am not saying how * much we will win by. I think
the Australian people will give us a convincing victory. We will
earn it, we will not take the campaign for granted. The Senate
will be tough, . we will be trying to win it but l -et me say this:
if we don'. t well, I,, hope to-but if we don't then we wil work with,,
the elements . In the * Se nate to try and ensure that the program that
the Australian people want is implemented.
CARLTrON: Prime Minister thanks . for your tii.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Mike.
ENDS