PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 1 APRIL 1987
NO EARLY ELECTION
I have sta~ ted consistently that I prefer the Parliament to
run its full term.
The leadership vacuum and chaos within and between the
opposition Parties, together with their imminent rejection
of the Aucitralia Card legislation for a second time, have'
presented the option and may I say frankly, the temptation,
of an early election.
I am confident that Labor would wenan early election. I
have decided, however, that the election will be held
towards the end of this year or early next year.
The Australian people want continued strong leadership and a
Government that will continue to guide them through
difficult economic times into renewed prosperity. To have
an early election may have brought into question the
Government~ s resolve to make the tough decisions needed to
meet the economic challenge facing this country.
Let me repeat the dimension of this challenge. Through
paying drastically lower prices for many of our exports the
world has cut more than $ 6 billion off the nation's income;
that is, we are poorer to the tune of $ 1500 per Australian
family. As a nation we have no responsible alternative to
adjusting to that reality.
I want to tell the Australian people that we will not shirk
our responsibilities in making the unpalatable, though
necessary aconomic decisions: the may Statement will be
tough but Zair.
The Australian people overwhelmingly reject the deceptive
voodoo economics being espoused by the opposition Partiesbigger
handouts, bigger deficits; that is, a certain recipe
for highcr interest rates, higher inflation, massive
increases in unemnploym'ent total economic disaster.
When the opposition Parties reject the Australia Card
legislation in the Senate later this week, they will stand
condemned by the Australian people for denying to the nation
this fundamental instrument for dealing decisively with tax
cheats and welfare frauds. This denial of more than $ 800m a
year to the public purse from those who should be paying is
simply a continuiation of the traditional
Howard/ Sirclair/ Bjelke Petersen philosophy protect the
privilegedc and increase the burden on the great honest
majority of the Australian people.