J) AUSTRALIA
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE, CANBERRA, 10.15am,
SUNDAY 3 MARCH 1985
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Well, your initial reaction Mr Hawke?
Well I'm basically pleased with the result. That so
called jewel in the crown of liberalism is still looking rat er
tarnished. It's in our hands federally and still very soil---.-
in Mr Cain's hands at the State level. He's lost some sea: s, and
that wasn't entirely unexpected, but he has a very comfortable
working majority. He has therefore created a record in winning
two elections in a row for Labor. He's created another record
in having control of the Upper House as well. So I congratulate
Mr Cain. I congratulate the people of Victoria in returning a
Labor Government. It's one which will enable us to work toge-: er
for the good of the people of Victoria and the people c, Australia
as a whole.
JOURNALIST: How do you explain the swing away from Mr Cain,
Mr Hawke? Well if you look at elections throughout histcr the
normal pattern is a bit of a swing against governments. If Vsu
want to realise the opposite of that, if governments -7 cw. er
were always getting swings to them you'd never get a ,:: ance Cf
government. Mr Cain had to take some fairly tough decisic.. s in the
area of taxes and charges and I think that probably toLd against
him a little. But you've got to remember he has a cofortable
working majority.
JOURNALIST: Some commentators this morning are saying that t* e
swing should be a concern both to you federally and also to œ outh
Australia and Western Australia with elections coming up.
Well, I repeat the point I've just made. If you think
that governments in power always get swings to them, the lcgi=
of that is quite clear you never get a change of governmrent.
It's governments in power, and particularly in difficult ti-e
like the present the last few years have been tough econc-ic
times and committed responsible governments like those of =-: salf
and Mr Cain have had to take some tough decisions. And* when .7u
take some tough decisions you get some resentment in scre z aar: ers.
In our case we believe that the assets test was something wwahsa=
responsible and needed to be done for the welfare of people ncw
P. M. cant and into the future of this country. Well we got
a bit of a kick for that. So it's governments who do things that
get a bit of a kick. But the important thing is the majority
stayed with us both federally and in Victoria. Now you ask about
Mr Bannon in South Australia and Mr Burke in Western Australia.
I have no doubt at all that in each of those States they will be
returned. When they come up for election, in Mr Bannon's case
this year, Mr Burke doesn't have to go until the beginning of
next year, and that will keep us in a position where % we have
Labor in power federally and in four out of the six States. It's
a very good situation.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke do you think these federal and State swings
against Labor will discourage tough decisions in the second terms
of both these Governments.
We'll take the decisions that have to be taken in the
interests of the people of Australia at our level and i baelieve
Mr Cain will in Victoria. You see it would have been easy if, if
you take our case federally, it would have been easy to take the
course of saying, oh well, if you do something about the assets
test that won't upset people. Well we knew it would upset people
and undoubtedly that cost us some support, not only in the older
age group but in some other age groups.
JOURNALIST: A~ re you still willing to upset people if necessary?
If it's necessary in the interests of the people as a whole
I've consistently shown my preparedness to do that.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke do you think the federal events of the
last few weeks effected the result of Victoria the MX and so
On. No, quite clearly if you look at the polls the problem that
we had there for a brief period federally which wasn't so much
the MX as such but the public airing of differences within the
Party that was soon turned around. No, I don't believe that
had any impact at all.
JOURNALIST: He's made history by doing it twice. Do you think
he can go on and do it three times.
Well, yes. You realise Peter that it's a four year term
this is the first time * that there's a four year term so Mr Cain
won't have to face the electors till ' 89 and that's a long, long
way away. But on the basis of looking at the performance of his
first term which I think was solid and responsible I have no reason
to believe that with another four years with the opportunity to
implement a sensible program, which he can do now with control
of both Houses, I would think at the end of that period he could
be confidently looking forward to a third term.
JOURNALIST: You were talking about tough decisions. Which tough
decisions do you think contributed to the swing away from Mr Cain. / 13
S3.
I referred to the fact that he's had to put up taxes and
charges during this period to enable him to have an appropriate
budgetary setting within which to undertake expansionary policies.
And I think that stuck a bit against him.