PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF DOORSTOP, SYDNEY CONVENTION CENTRE, DARLING
HARBOUR, 17 SEPTEMBER 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the cannon fire interrupted
your speech a little bit there# but what do you think will
attract most Australians to this campaign?
PM: I think the obviously increasing concern of Australians
with environmental issues gener~ ally and, at times, I think
Australians wonder ' well, what is there that we can do about
protecting our environment'. This program offers each
individual Australian a direct opportunity of being part of
helping to protect the environment. I think that's what
they'll find attractive.
JOURNALIST: Prime minister, have you had any response from
the pilots from your letter to them last week?
PM: No, I haven't had any response yet, but of course I've
written to them. r noticed in one of the programs this
morning that the Federation is preparing a reply. Well,
that's a bit disappointing. My letter was to individual
pilots, I would have hoped that individual pilots, I thought
they would regard themselves as individuals, enterprising,
and that each one of them would be able to prepare their own
reply. I would hope that's what would happen.
JOURNALIST: they want an independent negotiator
PM: Yes, they want an independent negotiator. That's been
their position from the beginning. They want to be
different from everyone else, everyone else. Everyone else
in Australia who's employed in the workforce are operating
within a system which has protected Australia, which has
created one and a half million new jobs, which has brought
the wage restraint which is allowing the great surge of
investment and employment that's taken place. That's how
it's happened by everyone exercising restraint. Now they
say ' no, that's not good enough for us, give us someone
else. Give us an independent negotiator, an independent
arbitrator'. There's been no change from the beginning.
what has to happen is that the Pilots' Federation must
understand that they will not be treated differently from
the rest of the work force.
-2-
JOURNALIST: what's your reaction to George Campbell's
comments, M4r Hawke?
PM: I've got no comment onl George Campbell.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned by
PM: *.. Ive said I've got no comment on George Campbell.
JOURNALIST: Your comments about an independent negotiator
have followed through to the nomination by the pilots of Sir
Laurence Street as a mediator-
PH: Well yes, I mean, it's quite clear from what I've said,
is that they have said from the beginning, when they started
in February. You remember in February they drew up what
they called their battle plan their words. A battle plan
in which they said ' we are going to be faced with a
situation where we'll be fighting the airlines, the
Government, the trade union movement and everyone'. That's
what they said in February of this year. They drew up their
battle plan to isolate themselves from everyone else. Now,
when it's clear that we, representing the community, are not
going to allow them to be different from everyone else,
we're not trying to impose something special upon them.
we're saying you can't draw up your battle plan in February
to destroy your industry, destroy this country and then, at
the end of it, say ' oh no, please give us an independent
negotiator'. it is not on. The pilots must simply do what
everyone else does, accept the guidelines. That's what's
happening now. Under the individual contracts that are
being signed by pilots that are joining up, they are getting
their increases, they are getting changes in their
conditions, but it is being done in accordance with the
S principles that apply to everyone else.
ends