E. O. E. PROOF ONLY 41.4
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW, RADIO 8DN TALKBACK, DARWIN, COL KROHN-16/ 10/ 81
CK: Welcome, the PM isn't with us yet He's on the campign trail,
and I gather from what we've been told that it will be a very difficult
job to win the seats in the Territory across to the ALP. The popularity
of the Chief Minister, of course, running against Mr Reeves down there
in Canberra. You may like to ask the PM questions on that subject, in
fact Mr Hawke has just walked into the studio so we'll be with him very
shortly. A few other questions, of course. Mr Geoff Stone, the previous
Secretary to the Treasury, in an address yesterday said that a likely
rnage of new taxes may well be introduced and possibly a mini-budget immediately
after the election providing the Labor Party wins the eleciton. Defence
another question, that has been raised in the last week, specifically that
Australia is not geared to meet even a low level threat, and of course
the ANZUS situation with the NZ Government, Mr Lange, and education another
cne. I understand the PM has recently indicated that he is concerned
with the standard of-education across the nation. These subjects something
you can think about, and we will be back with the PM shortly.
CKs WefCome" a6k. A very-good afternoon to the Prime Minister of Australia,
Mr Bob Hawke.
BH: Good afternoon.
CKs Well I guess @ be could say that it'd4ideal-for politicians, particularly
Prime Ministers to be one-eyed, but you went a little far, didn't you?
BHs ( chuckle, chuckle) Yeah. I was going along so nicely. I had 28
elegant runs under my belt and then I was told there were five overs left,
it was a limited over match, so I thougttevery ball had to be dispatched
for a boundary, so I went for a hook shot and didn't play it well at all.
CKs Well that's very apt because last night on local TV they opened the
series Bodyline. It's almost as if it was arranged.
CK Just before we take our first call, the question of the liklihood
of Labor winning or maintaining the House of Representatives seat. The
Chief.. Minister, of course, Mr Paul Everingham, very popular, the evidence
of that with the-devastating win of the CLP in the last NT election.
How hopeful are you that you can retain this particular seat?
I
BHi I'm confident. John Reeves will retain his seat, Col. There are
a number of reasons for that. Firstly, John Reeves has been an outstandir,:,
member for the Northern Territory I can say this with absolute integrity
to all your listeners. He has been ceaseless in representations to us
about the needs of the Territory. It's obviously much easier for the
interests of the Northern Territory to be represented by a Government
member: Hie has access to us, he's on our hammer the whole time, A member
of the Opposition can't do that., And Mr Everingham has made It quite
clear, he's made public statements, that not only will my Government be
returned, but it will be returned with an increased majority. I believe
that the people of the Northern Territory are intelligent, I believe they
will see that they're most likely to have their interest better represented
by a member of the Government. And certainly, there are many things that
we've done in the Territory that have been done because of the persistence
of John Reeves. So in saying all those things I'm not involved in any
persval attacks on Mr Everingham. He has his views about the interests
of the Territory and as Chief Minister he's tried to do certain things.
But he wouldn't and it's hypothetical because I don't think he'll get
there but as a member of the Opposition of a decreased Opposition
he simply would not be able to do the job for the Northern Territory that
John Reeves could as a member of the Government.
CK: OK. We'll take as many callers as we can this afternoon. Please
keep your calls brief. And Mr Hawke's on the line now. First caller Eddie.
You're through to the* Prime Minister, Eddie.
Caller: My quesiton is simple but it has vast implications: Will the
American constitution trigger the nuclear holocaust?
BH: No, the American constitution wouldn't tri gger it, Eddie. Whether
the ( Eddie interjects)
Caller: I can give you some reasons: Firstly, he is an autocrat, he
has the power of veto over his Parliament, he's efficient to his ministers
who are not responsible to Parliament, he can veto any Bill or simply
let it lay on the table for the three months until it lapses, and he's
also the lead of the army, navy and airforce.
CKs Can you let the PM answer now Eddie?
BHt Wells Eddie you seem to think that the world has gotta fear a nuclear
holocaust frain the democracy of the United States, as though this takes
.17: r~
one to tango. It takces two to tango. And I say to you quite unequivocally
that as far as I'm concerned, I don't attribute to the US under whatever
President, the great threat to the peace of the world. We have the other
super power which is a communist dictatorship, and I'm not here to engage
in some attack upon the Soviet Union, you know that's not my caper to
attack other coutries, but the fact Is that you have no democracy in the
Soviet Union. You have the military industrial complex there, very much
in charge of things, the evidence of the expansion of the Soviet Union
into Afghanistan.... ( Eddie interjects)
Caller: I'm not ringing for the Soviet Union, Bob, I'm ringing for mankind.
EM: You are. You say you're talking for mankind, but you do that by
launching an attack on the US and Its President. All P'm saying is that
what we've got to do as concerned human beings is not to go around attacking
President Reagan or attacking the Soviet Union. We've gotta be positive
and constructive and say that the two superpowers have gotta sit down
together. It's no good standing on dignity. They've gotta sit down together,
Eddie, and talk through. They've gotta realise that the nuclear stockpiles
that they've got now are more than enought to wipe out the world hundreds
of times over and what they've gotta do is to sit down and realise that
the future welfare of every man woman and child in the world depends on
them sitting down constructively and talking together. We're not going
to help that process by attacking one rather than the other.
Caller: I'm not attacking one rather than the other, I'm attacking one
for his actions. Now he's just gaven the Jews a terrific lot of money
and in response they're gunna move out a Lebanon, possibly In six months.
Now he has the game sewn up then-as a peacemaker. ofr Israel that
they vacate the West Bank and cut out the master race business.
CK: Eddie, I'm sorry. We've given you enough time. We do have other.
callers ( cut off). And please folks, one question. There are many, many
folk wating to talk to the PM. Our next caller John, you're through to
the Prime Minister, go ahead John.
Callers Hello Robert.
BeM G'day John.
Caller: Curley, mate.
EM: Ohl G'day Curley.
r7 2* 2 I. l.
Callers Listen, mate, I dunno wheither you get the copies of the local
papers up here down there.
BH: No. I don't.
Callers You probably don't. Well every time something goes wrong up
here you people down there get the blame for it.
BHs Yeah?
Callers Now this is the question. Do you or do you not get a budget
submitted from the Northern Territory? Or let's put itbifl common language.
Do you not or do you get bitten for a bite to cover funding of the Northern
Territory for 12 months?
BHz Yes, we get bites for a whole range of things.
Callers Do they present a budget to you and say ' this Is the money we
want'? BH: Well, it's not put in a total budget form Curley, but what we do
get is a range of demands from the Northern Territory for the elements
which go to make up their total budgetary program, and the fact is Curley
that we provide 86% of their budget. That's the factual situation, and
may I just throw In one statistic which would give you some idea Curley
of how well the Territory does. In this budget, 84/ 85, the tax-sharing
grant to the Territory Increased by 12% whereas the average for the states
was So, they've done, under our government and the representations
of John Reeves, they've done extremely well Indeed.
Callers Well I agree with that. You give ' em a good cook, but you didn't
answer my. question.
BH: Well I did answer your question, Curley. I'm saying that they don't
present a formal budget and say 1bre is our budget'. W1hat they do is
present a series of demands saying ' well we need this amount of money
for this purpose, we need this amount of money for another purpose' and
then they get an indication from us as to what the tex-sharing money
is that they're going to get. Then they have to make some other decisions
In regard to their own fiscal program as to what they're going to do,
and It's very interesting that in this most recent period as a result
of their decision in regard to the Casino where they're foregoing revenue
frmo the Casino by their expropriation of' private property, they've Imposed
very significant increases on the people of the Territory In regard to
liquor and cigarettes. If they hadn't engaged in this unparalleled expropr Ion
of' private property of Federal Hotels, the people of the Northern Territory
wouldn't have had to pay those additional incosta which have been put
upon them.
CK: We must move on ( Ad break). Helen, you're through to Mr Hawke, go
ahead. Caller: Hello. Urn, I'd like to a. ak you about the train. will there
ever be a train service going to Darwin?
131: Well, if you say ' ever' it's a very long time, Helen. But I would
think not in the foreseeable future. When we came to government, Helen,
we found that we had a 3.6 billion dollar greater deficit we'd inhereited
than Mr Fraser and Mr Peacock and Mr Howard had told us about, so we had
to review a program that we'd been looking at, so we had an independent
inquiry, conducted by Mr Hill, and it was put to us quite clearly after
a long Inquiry in which everyone was able to put their point of' view,
that that would be an uneconomic use of resources. So what we did then
was to say, and here Mr Beeves the local member was very helpful to
us, we looked at what we could do to improve the existing means of communication.
lie did a number of things, we made about 21 million dollars available
1Vo improve the rail facilities to Alice Springs. That will involve the
purchase of high speed rolling stock and improving the piggy-back loading
f~ acilities there, and then from Alice Springs up to Darwin we've made
in addition to the very significant nmount of money that was already allocated,
we're putting about another $ 27 million through to 1987/ 88 to imprive
the Stuart h~ ghway to make it an all-weather, all-purpose road and starting
off' with $ 2.7 million this year so that in that way, according to the
best advice we've got, we will use taxpayer funds more economically to
proviude you with a service that you need. Now I know some people would
like to see a train, jsut. because it's a train. But what a government
has to do is to use its taxpayuers money in the most efficient way, and
we think that In this way we will more economically provide you with the
transport services that you need.
CK: Thanks very much Helen. Just before we take our next caller, Mr
Hawke$ on that question of the railway. I understand the Canadian Pacific
Investigation, If you like, found It economically viable for a north-south
rail link, and strategic studies by the ANU found it to be almost essential
for defence and Support. Now we're investing in a very expensive defence
T" f~ J4~ f. 41Vp~
base in Tindal. Would it be the only major defence base in the world
without a rail head or at least a railway?
BH: Oh no, it wouldn't. But let's just get this sorted out. You talk
about the Canadian Pacif i inquiry. A very different inquiry to the Hill
inquiry. The Hill Inquiry was open. Everyone who wanted to make submissions
to it could in an open fashion. A very different sort of thing has come
up with this * Canadian... and I'm not attacking the integrity of Canadian
Pacifict but it was a much less open and full inquiry than was the Hill
Inquiry and It says ' break-even' at the very best. It doesn't suggest
it is a sensible use of economic resources. Now I'm not prepared to accept
that, but even if one were to, it's a less economic use of resources than
the alternative that we're doing. Now as far as defence is concerned,
the position is quite clear. The Australian Defence Department and Defence
chiefs were asked about this and they made it quite clear that in terms
of the limited resources available to the Defence Forces of this country
where they had the responsibility of saying ' these are our priorities
for allocating scarce resources for the defence of Australia this is
not a top priority'. Now that's the defence chiefs, your Defence Department.
And that cannot ba gain-sayed and I am not going to as Prime Minister
bye undertaking some flash program because someone says ' oh yeah, that'd
be a good idea from a defence point of view' when your defence advisors
and your Defence Department say that would not be the best way of using
resources. CK: How valid is the situation with defence on the.. across the nation
In view of the reports during the week that we can't even meet a low-level
threat? UsH Well, that; s not an accurate summary of it. Let me say firstly this:
since 1 949, for 35 years, 30 of ' them have been in terms of' Federal Governemnt,
under the conservative parties. And it there is anything wrong with the
state of our defence preparedness which, of course, as you know involves
years and years of lead time, then you know where to point the finger
It's not at us, it's at the conservative party of this country. Thirty
years out of the last 35 they've had the responsibility for preparing
the defence of this country and If there is any inadequacy, that's where
the finger should be pointed. But, having said that, I believe that we
are in a position where as we go ahead now with the increase in defence
expenditure udner this government and I remind you that in our two years
we've had an average of 3.7% increase in real terms in our two budgets
which is higher -than the increases in defence expenditure under the Liberal
~--vr. iwaw ~_ WZ1y
and National parties. 3.7% real terms per annum under us.
CKs Do you believe it's enough?
BHs Well all I can say is that it's more than the Conservatives in the
last seven years. Ours is a higher rate of real increase in defence expenditure
than under them.
CK; Does that necessarily mean that it's enough?
BHt No, but it does mean as between alternatives that we're doing better
than they did.. And that's what you've got to choose between. We're doing
woore than they did. Now or course, I would like to be able to spend more
but you've gotto say that you've got claims upon you in the f'ields of
education, in the area of social security, and what you spend in one area
you can't spend in others. Now all I can say is that 1. thinkc we've got
reaosn to be proud of our defence forces. Yesterday I spent with the
Navy out on HMAS Adelaide. I saw them go through their paces, and they
are a highly dedicated, competent and efficient service. We've just made
the decision to provide... to go into the purchase of the Sea Hawk helicopters
which, when provided on our destroyers, will mean that they will have
a very significant anti-submarine warfare capacity which I think Is very
important. We are now, tomorrow going to start the building of the Tindal
air base which will locate out of Katherine a very significant deterrent
capacity in the north-weat of Australia, and we are doing our very best
to ensure that both in terms of equipewnt and in other respects our defence
forces will be equipped to meet what conceivable challenges there may
be to Australia. Of course, when you're talking about defence you're
not only talkcing about what you've gotta do In spending money on your
defence forces, it's also very Important that you keep your alliances
n good shape and I'm very proud to be able to say that now, after some
2 years in government, the relationship of Austrlaia with the Unites States
is in better shape than it's ever been before. And we also have very
good relations with the countries in our region. So, all that this government
is doing Is directed towards the security of this country.
CKs We'll take a break ( ADS). Vincent$ you're through to the PM, go
ahead. Calleri Good afternoon Prime Minister, I'd like to welcome you-to the
Northern Territory. My name's Vincent. I. 9m ringing up about our concerns
and our [ and Rights legislation here in the Northern Territory. Landi
Rlights working. We have $ 500 million uranium mine developments on our
land such as Ranger and Jabiru, we've got $ 500 million more developments
on the IMereenie and Amadeus oil/ gas fields in the Central Australia, and
we've also cleared a line for the phantom railway line to come up to Darwin
on Sacred Sites and all this type of thing, and also we have gold developments
in our country. Also we bring into the Territory's economy over $ 200
million arnd getting a little bit higher, in the tourist Industry with
Ayers Rock, on Aboriginal land, Kakadu on Aboriginal land and Stanley
Chasm on Aboriginal land. Also the fishing Industry uses out land for
development. I'd just like to say that we are worried about our veto,
the Federal Government was brought to power on social reform and one question
I'Od like to ask you is: What is the m two uneiploded atomic bombs in
our coutry down in the South Australian area?
BH: Well, if I can come to the last one. I'm not aware of' two unexploded
atomic bombs down South, Vincent. If' you have some details about unexploded
atomic bombs I hopeyou'll let me know because if they're there no one
else knows about it and no one has told me. And I would have thought
it they knew about it, they would have bought it to the attention of the
Government and the Prime Minister, so if you've got any information about
it, please let me know. In regard to the first part of your question,
I had a press conference earlier, Vincent, and this question about Land
Rights was raised and I wonder If you'd just let me make a few general
observations ab~ out this and I think listeners generally would be interested.
What my Government has been doing in this area is to say that we don't
wanbt to rush into a sensitive area in a way which Is going to have some
apparent short term advantages for people without having to do it In a
way which is going to ensure that through time the whole of the Austrlian
people are going to be satisfi~ ed with what's done. Let me remind you
that it was in 1 967 and by an overwhelming majorit y that the Australian
people decided that the Commonewaith Parliament should have responsibilities
and powers In this area. Now that's nearly 20 years ago and I think that
what the people expect now of this govenrment is that we will go through
the processes of consultation with the Aboriginal people, with miners,
with farmers, with the state and Territory government to try and ensure
that that power and responsibility which the people of Australia gave
to the Federal Government nearly 20 years ago, is exercised in a way which
will bring benefits to the Aboriginal people. That's what the great majorityr
of Australians want. They want it done in a way which they can go along
with and accept and which will mean that it will stick Into the future.
Now that's what Mr Holding and I have therefore been doing. We've been
having negotiations with the Aboriginal Steering Committee, with the Australian
Mining Industry Council, with the National Farmers Federation, and with
the states. We're gonna keep on doing that, and it's my belief that if'
we keep on doing that we can reach a position where the legitimate rights
and aspirations or' the Aboriginal people will be recognised and given
effect to and It will be done in a way which the Australian people will
recongise, accept and be proud of'. Now, that's what we're about, we're
committed to it and that's what will happen.
Caller: Umn, well the Aboriginal people, we own cattle stations in the
Territory here, we've restructured our cattle industry where the industry
here in the Territory and we have taken the lead role in the BTB eradication
program, so there is no need to be afraid of Aboriginal people. There's
be fear built up in the community of not understanding....
Dli: Yeah, Vincent we are not afraid of the Aboriginal people and I don't
think the great majority of Australians are. Unfortunately, I think there's
a fair bit of prejudice, the talk has been developed in some quarters
I think for very narrow political advantage or percieved advantage
but what my government is about Is to try and dissipate fear and prejudice,
to get people talking together and to get people talking in WA at the
present time, you're seeing the advantages emerging of discussions between
the various groups, There'll be significant developments there for the
Aboriginal people. I'M going to be seeing Mr Burke, the Premier of WA,
later on this week, and I think you'll see that there in a context which
will be accepted by the community as a whole Including the farmners, miners*
you're going to see some announcements on friday in WA which will be of'
significant advantage to the Aboriginal people, and in a way which will
have broad community acceptance. And that's the sort of thing that we've
got to try and do.
CK: We must move on. Sarah, you're through to the PM, go ahead.
Caller: Good afternoon Mr Hawke, It's a pleasure to talk to you. Mr
Hawke I'd like to say first of all that I think you're the greatest Prime
Minister Australia's ever had. But what I'm concerned about'is, the John
Reeves and him image up here as compared with perhaps I could say the
rather bombastic style oS' Mr Everingham. I don't know exactly where the
problem lies, but I've been a Labor supporter for many, many years and
I feel that what John Reeves has been doing down in Canberra just hasn't
been coming back to Territorians and I'm Just interested in your comments
as to how Labor can get the word around when Labor's up against such a
strong personality as Paul Everingham.
BG: Yeah, well thank you very much Sarah for your observations and your
question. Let me say these things. It's inevitable in an area like the
Territory which has 8 small population of about 140,000 people, that the
Chief Minister of the Government is going to get alot of exposure and
I'mi not complaining about that, it's inevitable, it's going to be the
case and so Mr Everingham is going to be able to get that exposure, publicity
and certainly I pay him credit, he's very, very good very good at
getting that exposure. I pay him unqualified tribute for jhis capacity
in that respect. Now with John, of course, he's down there in Canberra
and the sort of things he has consistently been doing in the interest
of the Territory just don't, in the nature of things, get that daily exposure.
But letme say this to you, that john Reeves, since he's been In there
and since we've been in Government from March of last year, has been incessant
in his approaches to me and to the relevent ministers saying day after
day ' these are the real needs of the Territory, these are the things that
you ought to do'. Just let me give you an example. We had this question
about whether there was going to be the rail link between Alice Springs
and Darwin. Now, I had to re-consider that in the light of the $ 3.6 billion
additional deficit which we inhereited. So we had a look at it, had the
independent Inquiry. Now Mr Everingham just said In the discussion
I had discussions with him in my office in Canberra and In Sydney I
said ' well look, if the independent inquiry is to come out and say no
it's not appropriate, what will we do additionally to spend money on upgrading
the Stuart Highway'. Now the Chief Minister said ' No, the Stuart HIghway
is all right, we don't need to spend any more money on that. That's all
right, there's no problem'. Now that was the Chief Minister trying to
get his headlines, It had to be the railway line or nothing. Now John
Reeves quietly and effectively said ' all right, well, if it does come
out that way that the railway can't go ahead, of course the Stuart Highway
should have more money spent on it. It should be upgraded into an all-
:. purpose all-weather road'. And as a result of his quiet and effective
and undemonstrative representation, we;' ve moved to the position where
in addition to the money which has already been allocated, we'll be spending
an additional $ 27 million during the rest of this decade, up until about
1988, starting with $ 2.7 million in this year to bring up that Stuart
Highway to an imprived standard which will help to meet the Transport
needs of the Territory. Now, Sarah, you see that's the sort of contrast.
Effective, quiet representation which produces the goods, and in the nature
of things you don't get the same publicity about that. Now I just happen
to think, Sarah, that people of the Territory are intelligent people who
will udnerstand the difference, as I said earlier. they will see that
their interests are much better served by having that effective John Reeves
down there as a member of the Government because Mr Everingham has
said himself that he expects my Government to be returned and probably
with an Increased majority the people of the Northern Territory are
going to be much better of f having John Reeves, a government member there,
continuing to do the job he done for them.
CK: ANd we must move on. ( Ads). Penny, you're through, go ahead.
Caller: Good afternoon, Mr Hawke. Like many other AU-voters, I applauded
the government when you rebutted the racist misinformation over Asian
immigration. However I've been profoundly disappointed by the almost
total lack of defence over Aboriginal Land Rights In the face of the massive
propaganda campaign by the mining Industry and pastoralists. The Government
passivity, I believe, has allowed the campaign to tak~ e hold and there
is now a community backlash. Now when you said to an earlier caller that
you'll do what's acceptable to the Australian people, aren't you really
saying that Land Rights are now negotiable? That's my first question,
and secondly I want to know why don't you lend your considerably popularity
to the defence of Australia's most disadvantaged people?
MI~ Well Penny let me go into the first question by answering the second
one first. But I must say that I don't accept that criticism. I will
put my record up in regard to the Aboriginal people against anyone In
this country and it goes back it's not a matter of this month, last
month, it goes back over a twenty years or more in public life. It hasn't
been jsut words, It's action. And I haven't changed In that respect.
What I'm saying is to you, and the people of Australia, that if we are
going to make our contribution to the Aboriginal people of this country
stick and not somehting that's just going to be a. transient show, then
we have to make sure that the Australian people are going along with what's
done. Now I believe that we can do that. I believe that it is legitimate
In talking about how we're going to move in regard to Aboriginal Land
Rights, that we do have consultation with the states and the Territory
Government with the mining Industry, with the farmers and with other interested
or'ganisations. So that we can shape the understanding or this issue in
Australia. It's not going to be any good simply saying ' look I've got
the numbers In the Federal Parliament' wham, bang, here it goes, if in
doing it that way you're going to create in the Australian community generally
some fairly solid opposition. It's much better to move through consultation
with the Aboriginal people and others so that what comes onto the Statute
books of this country through the Federal Government and through state
governments is a lasting, durable, constructive reform. Now that's what
we're going to do, and I haven't seen any indication In my discussions
with the Aboriginal people that they quesiton our integrity. They might
have some doubts about the wisdom of certain things that are said here
and there, but they don't question out Integrity.
CK: We must move on ( this is a recording) and our next caller, Corralee.
BH: Good afternoon Bob. Like to welcome you to the Territory. I should
think being an Important figurehead as what you are, it beenis to bring
about alot of quick condemnation and negative criticism from other politicians
and the media. It's not very often up here In the Territory that we hear
of any positive criticism or encouragement, so I'd just like to say to
you that considering the economic situation that this country was in with
the former Prime Minister, in my opinion, you are doing a wonderful job
and I'd just like to say thank you.
BR: Well Corralee that's very kind of you and I certainly appreciate
It. It does seem to be the case that the majority of Australian people
share your view, perhaps they're not all as thoughtful as you are to come
out and say openly and directly that. But I simply want to say this briefly,
Corralee, that during the last Federal election, at the beginning of last
year, February, March, I made one basic promise to the people of Australia
and that was that I would try and bring an end to the confrontation and
the devisiveness in this country and I said that if we can do that, then
everything else will flow from it, we can have economic recovery and
reconstruction If we can have national reconciliation. We started on
that in our national summit in % April, of last year, we bought Australia
together and in the event we've changed things from economic stagnation
to having the fastest growing economy in the world now.. Now those things
are not just the result of my government or the decisions I've taken,
they're really the result of the Australian people all of us, working
together in the way I wanted us to. So if there are bouquets to go to
me, there really are bouquets to go to all of us.
CK: We must take a break and we'll1 be back ( ADS) Our next caller Zel.
Callers Good afternoon Mz' Hawke. I'd like to speak to you on the two
airline policies. It appears that under a Liberal Government we couldn't
get the break Out.-of it, and with your government now been in this length
-S
of time we've heard nothing that they intend doing anything. And I feel
Australia needs it very badly. All Australians, and particularly us here
in the Territory. What is your view on it?
BH: Well Zel the fact is that the two airlines' agreement was negotiated
in the period of the previous government and goes through til later in
the 1980s and it's not something that it we wish to I don't go to the
merits of it but it is there and it goes to, I think.-this is subject
to correction to 1986. It's negotiated, it's in place. And there is
nothing that can be done to un-negotiate that if you wanted to. But in
the area of aviation generally, I think what's recognised is that this
government has now done more than any government to develop new initiatives
in this area. That's applied not only from the-activitie3 of my Minister
for Civil Aviation, Mr Beazley, but for Sport, Recreation and Tourism,
Mr Brown, has also been responsible for many new initiatives there which
have been calculated to make travel within Australia cheaper under particular
circumstances. Cailler: I'm sorry, would you like to see more airlines travelling within
Australia? Bit.-Well, it's a very complex issue, this, because what you find is if'
you de-regulate the airline industry and sort of give almost open slather
it is very, very much more difficult, Zel, to have your safety regulations
operating efficiently. Now one of.. you may say rightly that there are
certain limitations involved with having the two airline agreement, but
i would point out to you that one feature of the existence of the two
airline agreement has been that we have in Australia probably the best
airline safety record of any country in the world. And if I can sort
of use paradoxical language, it's no accident that you've had the co-incidence
of a two airline policy and the world's best safety record. And I think
therefore when you're talking about what sort of airline policy we're
going to have in this country you've got to take all these factors into
account. CKs We must leave It there, folk. If you're calling fromn Alice SPrings,
please remember to turn your radio down because we get a massive feedback
problem. ( Ads)
7f-Lr
talk dzk
CKI Before we take the next caller, I understand, Mr Prime Minister,
. you want to clarify an issue.
BHz Yeah, I was talking to that last caller, Zel, about the two airlines
agreement and I observed that I said subject to correction about the life
of the two airline agreement, I mentioned 1986. That's not when it ends.
It's at the end of ' 86 or the very beginning of ' 87 that notice can be
given 3 years' notice can be given about review. But the agreement
goes through until 1990. And it's the end of ' 86 or the beginning of
' 87 that you can give the notice of reivew. In fact the Minister, Mr
Beazley, will be initiating the beginning of that review next year and
through 85/ 86.
CK: We'll take our next caller Ron, you're through to Mr Hawke, go
ahead. Caller: Hello Mr Hawke. The question I want to ask is... I'm a Labor
voter from way back, but what I want to ask you is that earlier on you
said that you regarded the Territorian electorate as quite intelligent,
the thing is that I remember when you came up here last time you made
quite an effective case of why you couldn't afford to fund the-railway
up here. And the result was that in the local election up here that
the result was, In the local eleciton up here, was a landslide to the
CLP. Now I just can't see how you can reconcile those two facts.
BHs Well, there are two things... I was talking specifically, Ron, as
you'll appeciate, as to what... I wps asked what did I think the Territorians
would do in regard to the decision they have to take in this Federal election.
And I made the point that I think they will see that John Reeves has been
an excellent member for them and, , you get down to this bottom line, I
think, Pon, and I think which is why I believe that they are intelligent
and will make the sensible decision. Mr Everingham has said... it's not
me saying it... Mr Everingham has said that the Hawke Labor Government
will be returned at this election and he thinks with an increased majority.
And I'm simply saying, Ron, that I think that the majority of Territorians
will say that it's much more sensible for us in Federal politics to have
a Labor member there so that he has direct access to the GOvernment and
can represent the interests of Territorians. Now there are other considerations
which obviously came into play in regard to the election for the NT Government.
They made judgements, obviously, as to who they preferred to Labor and
WMr;
non-Labor there. There were a different set of considerations. I would
hiave hoped, of course, that they would have supported Labor. They didn't,
But I'm certain that they will sef that their best interests are surved
by having John Reeves, a Labor member, In the Hawke Labor Government.
CK: OK we'll move along. Paul, go ahead.
Caller: Hello Mr Hawke. First I'd like to say that I admire you courage
in allowing yourself to be questioned by the poeple like this.
Us: Ohs it's a pleasure.
Caller: I'm a blue collar worker and a member _ of the local trade union
and I'd like to say that I'm quite dismayed about the way that your Government
has continued the Fraser Government's policy of triple-dipping into the
pockets of the average workers for your tax revenues.
BH: Yeah, what's that triple dipping, Paul?
Callers Well, first we have to pay for the priviledge of producing by
income tax. Then we have to pay more by heavy petrol taxes to get back
and forth to work. And to top It all off we have to pay a very heavy
tax for our beer at the end of the work day.
BH: Ab ha.
Callers If you could answer this question. Will you ask the voters
for a mandate to introduce an equitable capital gains tax? I mean that's
one that takes inflation over the years that the capital is held into
account. Ust Well Paul, let me go to the first part of your observations and then
I'll go the the latter part and I'll try to do it quickly. You referred
to income tax, petrol tax and beer tax. Well, some people have observed
over the years that there are only two things that are certain in life
and that's taxes and death. Well, I guess in some senses that's right.
It's funnyt you know, Paul, when people talk about taxes and they don't
like to pay taxes, they never say that they don't Government; to spend
money no defence, they never say that they don't want them to spend money
on roads, they never say they don't want government to spend money on
hospitals on pensions, unemployment benefits. There's never any suggestion
~~ v
that Government should stop spending on the things that people need and
-want. Now It's a simple, certain fact of life that if governments are
going to provide what the citizens require, and that only governments
can provide in terms of defence and so on and these sorts of things, then
governments have to have revenue. Now the secret, Paul, is to try and'
have a tax system which satisfies the two requirements of efficiency and
equity and that's what we're about. Now, you talk about a capital gains
tax. It's the Liberals who have said that a capital gains tax is an inevitable
part of the reformed tax system. If you look at what their economic
committee said In NSW, they said that you'd have to have a capital gains
tax. We haven't said that, we've said that we will have a reivew of the
tax system and we will do what'we've done since we've been in government.
The reason why we've had such a successful economic policy is that we
didn't impose decisions from Canberra. We talked to the trade unions,
we talked to the business community, we talked to the welfare organisations,
and out of that approach we developed successful economic policies. We'll
do the same with regard with regard to tax. We w~ ill sit down and talk
with the community and try and out of that process get a system which
Is fair and equitable. We're not going to preempt that discussion by
sying we'll do this or we won't do that.
CK: We must move on ( ADS). Our next caller through to Mr Hawke, Thomas.
Go ahead Thomas.
Caller: Good afternoon, Bob. My situation is that alot of staunch ALP
voters, Including myself, were absolutely shattered by the way your party
adopted the abortion virtually on demand as part of the platform of the
last conference. And I don't udnerstand how your party could even purport
to grant as a right an even more extensive licence to kill, which
Is basically what the party is doing. The question I've got is would
you undertake to rescind, or revokei or repeal or whatever the word is
the provisions of that platform of fertility control and abortion to
delete that phrase ' and abortion' from the policy statement.
BH: Thomas, what you've got to recognise and I'm sure you do, is that
you're taling about an Issue on which there are very, very deep feelings.
1 recognise and respect yours. There are others who, with equal integrity.
to you and I hope that you will recognise that.... ycu're obviously a Christian
beliver and I think you'll recognise that part or the Christian faith
is that the Good Lord, If you believe in the Good Lords hasn't given wisdom
and proof to one group only. That you've got to recognise integrIty in
other people as well as in yourself. And if we don't start from that
basis that you repog nise integrity in others as well as yourself, then
; j. i~ A
we are in a very sterile and barren society. Now I accept the integrity
-of yourself, I accept the integrity of people who have a different view
to yourself. Speaking for myself, I would not be in favour of creating
a society in which there was just an unlimited freedom in this area, but
I do believe that ultimately it is the right of individuals to make their
own choice In this situation. And I have said in respect to my own party
that I would never be party to abrigating the conscience vote in this
are. And I made that quite clear In the conference of the party. I have
no right as an Individual to determine what the policy of the party will
be, but I will certainly fight as hard as I can to fight off those within
my party who would try and take away the freedom of conscience vote In
this matter because I think that if you got to the stage where members
of the Parliamentary Party didn't have the right of conscience vote in
this situation, then that would be totally unacceptable. So, Thomas,
.1 could easily just to satisfy you, say yes I will try to tip this over
and have the policy that you agree with. But it wouldn't be honest if
I said it, so I'm not going to say that.
CK: Mr H~ awke, we have run out of time. I'd like to thank you very much
for being guest on the program, and no doubt we can look forward to you
coming through again In the near future.
BH: Yes, I hope so, too, Col. Thank you very much to you personally
and to your listeners. It was very worthwhile, thank you.
ends-
YA Y III