V TEL: 4. Rug. 92 18: 23 No. 030 P. 01/
PRIME MINISTER
TRASCIIPr OF THE PRIME MINISTR, THB HOH P 0 KEATING P,.
DOORSTCP, CLARENCE CAMPUS OF TAFV, HOBART, 4 AUGUST 1992
E OE PROOF COPY
PH: I' 1 just say a few words about this tor you. I
tti what we've just seen here, you followed me
axo d this TAFS college, is the value of vocational
eau tion. That is, teaching basic skills to people
a t er in securing employment or in the traineaeships
wich you saw, people who have employment but who
ae getting further training to be of more value to
a mployer and as well as that those who are just
d i trade certificate courses as well. So we've
6( sort of the three streams those who are
g9t ing basic support, that is learning basic
sli Is, those who are adding to skills for work
t e recurrently doing and those who are getting
t a e training certificates and of course there are
1 v -in facilities here as well. The capital for
t i building behind me is supplied by the
aonwealth. The capital for the new building
t a es school will be supplied by the Commonwealth,
te machines you saw in the printing office, the
p 1 ting graphics division was supplied by the
C onwealth. fo vocational education is important
ad that's why we've now developed a National
T aning Authority so that we can grow this system
add grow it in a way which has consistency of
qa ity and application across the country and
t a ' s why it was such a vast reform.
J: One of the significant visits I thought during that
to u was an inapection of Aboriginal designed
A s ralian flags with the Olympic Games. Do you
4. Pug. 92 18: 23 No. 03t P. 02/..
2
t ink this will be the last Olympic's when we'll se
the resent flag!
PMH: I I't know, but we'll wish the graphic artists
we11, I'm sure we'll see many more designs.
J: T is some concern that Tasmania Is not going to
g n adequate share of the funding under your
Y t Package or under ' One Nation'.
PM: T nia will always get Its share. Z made the
in earlier today that fiscal equalisation Is
e red; that the out-lying regions from the larger
st ais of NSW and Victoria have been given funding
tc give their communities levels of services they
migh not themselves otherwise afford. When I was
Te aurer I supported equalisation for eight years,
I t ll1 support It and similarly I support a fair
st rlng of any Commonwealth program.
J: Mi Kating, can you give any guarantees that the
Mq I are levy won't be increased before the next
e cion?
PM: I' ot here to discuss budget changes at curb-side
dc tops.
3: Tc row you are going to Burnie, the Company
y at rday held a press conference and blamed the
r uctions in tariffs as one of the reasons they'll
hve to cut jobs.
PM: I don't think there is any basis for that. If the
Copl y rRm s to b4t moe provctive thst's flt", If
te have an investment program, apparently another
$ 2 0-30 million I'm told, the Company is itself today
a r ncing a new project in NSW indeed, not in
T a nia but still expanding the business. But
here, if they want to make the business more
piductive and competitive and they believe they
mist do that by greater output for fewer people
piov ded that the transition is handled with the
Wri s, with the staff, either by natural attrition
o suitable redundancy arrangements well that's
hew t should be. They should discuss these things
wit the unions and with the workforce.
J: Bit Is It reasonable for them to walk out of
ne otiations on productivity with unions which Is,
well they haven't walked out, but in the midst of
ne otiations to then announce 400 jobs are going?
PM: I'B ot in a position to be familiar with the
clrn t state of their negotiations or arrangements.
T I sCompany did not have a tip top reputation for
Ird trial relations and I just hope it can improve
i self. TEL:
4. Rug. 92 18: 23 No. 030 P. 03/ C
3: Mr K4
! olI(
by p1
PM: I dol
anyol
3: Mr K
Gove the in 3
a ing, do you think the Victorian Government is
M ng the intent of the law by allowing those or
Sucing those New Zealand commercials?
i' know, I mean a law is a law and no doubt If
ie flouts it someone else will blow the whistle.
la ing with resource security, what's your
: nent doing about resource security, I mean if
o lition did vote it down in the Senate you are
rnment, what Is your Government doing about
it ih the mean time?
PM: What very legi
Nat I
J: Will
PM@ And putt POO6 a you asking me? We put up a Bill which is a
i ternally consistent, competent piece of
i1 tion which we couldn't get the Liberal and
rn Il Parties to agree with.
y u revive it before the next election?
it this stage we don't have any intention of
Lnr it back because the Senate has made its
: 1 n clear.
Mr Meeting, Mr Hewson has called for you to back an
apo2oy to New Zealand, are you going to do that?
PM: LooK
evelz Mr Hewson makes strident calls on the hour
hour, you could just ignore most of them.
J: Do gol endorse though the sentiments of those ads?
PM; I hive
con es
and r
J: A 1(
rtd;
on i
PM: Not that resi
Envi nevo resa
3: On 1
did
PM: No, not pro,
J: Can Sup sus n't seen them. If there is any matter in
t here it is between the Victorian Government
yone who takes exception to the ads.
of projects perhaps it could be said are
in mining and as well as for-e y are riding
ource security.
mining. The mining industry is a bit smarter
he forestry inductries I think in this
t. They don't want the Federal Department of
niment lamouring all over them and they have
called for resource security in these
ts. Medicare levy you said that you wouldn't
s Budget changes out in the street, does that
t is a Budget change?
I was asked about Budget changes and I said
prepared to discuss Budget changes or any
pective likely, rumoured, written about. I'm
Ijust ask you then about the meeting you're
0o ed to be having as part of the ecologically
: a nable development process, the ACF are
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the t! n to pull out of that meeting because they
sa t atrhe commendations that have gone off the
ra 1 because of Intervention by State and Federal
bu e ucrats. Are you concerned that they may think
so
PM: I oj' 41t think so, the ACF's a grown up organIstion
t t knows what the tooing and froing is In any of
th 8 sorts of things and they found themselves able
to d al with the bureaucracy and the political
pa t es quiite effectively over the lost couple of
yr
J: Yeit rday APPM for some reason mentioned freight
eq 6 isatio-nof that as a threat to their business
as tO whether it would continue or not. Have they
got ny worries about that?
PM: I Po~' t think you ' could ever do a Tasmanian press
c farenco or a doorstop and I haven't done one
WIlth~ utusomeone asking we about freight equalisatlon,,
S ~ could just give you the sort of prize for the
d* nd say no we're not thinicing about freight
e sT on
J: M i0* ating, what went through your mind when you saw
ti ian with the chain saw this morning7
PM: St 0' Id something have gone through my mind? No, he
wcs~ ouncing around and someone told me there wera.
nc Ilades In it, Is that right? I don't know.
J: TMe burning question Is when will you bowl against
Adziw Denton?
PM: Ililke to play my own weight, I don't want to do any
thilg with Andrew.
3: Tal)~ ing about games, what do you think of our
pr ormance with the 23 medals now at theLOlIip~ ca.
How do you feel?
PM: I tt~ ink it is a great tribute to Australian sport,
t; Oports men and women, to dedication, to endurance
ad'also I think Commonwealth funding hae helpe.
W4 pent $ 11 mifllion on-the preparation of the team
I vosted this year in something which I think has
rtainly helped the Australian Olympic Team prepare
Is~ 1f and It's a tribute to them all that they
cm do so well In the face of the worlds best
3: Th State Government I* planning changes to the
ind~ strial relations act here which the opposition
a yo is similar to those plans that Dr . Howson has
f r Australia generally
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PM: 1' Vrry, 1ve missed the first part of your
J! T first part of the question woe that the State
GO etmment Is planning changes to the industrial
To ations act which & llowscontracts witho~ tuEn.
-n olveme-n Do you think that is the right way to
go fr Australia?
PM: I oft't know that they're planning that. I don't
th nk, look we have come so far through a proceSs of
Co SUltation and consensus in Australia In economic
ity change and in Industrial relations. The
p of the pudding was In the eating, I think in
t 980s we had decelerating inflation even though
W had high economic growth and we've now got
tent Inflation which shows that the wage claims
h a, been entirely moderate. I think average weekly
Ing$ for the year was around three per cent so
tIdea that this sort of straw man proposition
t t'thers's something wrong with unions and pay
r es when In fact we're looking at an inflation
r e of 1.5 per cent and we've got a wage share In
t ' economy at around 1960s levels, what are they
t king about? To inject such rancour as we saw
a mouth or so ago at Burnie and to the Industrial
r lapiens system of Australia will do nobody any
g The thing GOvernments have to do is talk to
ple anid people who want to be In Government but
n t take the responsibilities of Government of
d c~. ssing complex Issues with interest groups
Uld not bother, leave it to the rest of us who do
w t to talk to them to run the place. And if they
d ' t want to talk to people and engage unions or
plioyees about matters of industrial relations or
w geis or conditions, It they think they can simply
d it by trying to throw people out under common law
c ntracts and take benefits away that have taken a
c nt~ ory to put together well You'll have Industrial
d $ harmony and we can do Without that.
J: it t~ is a message you are going to be taking to App1I
t m~ row?
PM: Wi11 it's a message I made last night, it's a
sgeI'd give any where. The thing Is this sort
a strident -It's a very funny thing about Dr
If Wson and people like him, they want to run the
vernment but they don't want the Government doing
Ythiing. They want to be in Government but don'It
at Wi but they don't want the thing to do anything.
Tt ey want to step back and let the sort of meyham of
t1 a market take place where the worst excesses and
iras tincts of People will have free reign.
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V
J: Are ypu going to have any specific advice to APPM
co lidering its industrial relations problems?
PM; No.
3: Mr Ketilng, how do you rate Joan Kirner's chances at
the pblls?
PM: Well, how do you? I don't know, I will wait and
see. It's not far away the election) one way or the
otler, October is not that far off.
3: 1 hink what he was asking was why have you chosen
to gJ to Burnlie tomorrow to speak to APPM workers?
PM We 1 I'm down here and I think that I have every
re son to visit Burnie as any other place and the
di pdte is now over, the place is now starting to
ti iover again and I thought that was a reasonable
th n4 to do.
J: ndustrial relations system a major difference
be wden yourself and the Liberals?
PM: Ab olutely, look Dr Hewson's got one policy with two
pr ngs, he wants to lift prices and cut wages. Lift
pr ces with the consumption tax by 15 per cent and
cu wages. That's his policy, he thinks that will
ch ge Australia. The fact is that the wage share
in Avstralla is not high. The profit share has been
ve -yhigh and will be high again as soon as some
vo uRe coMes back in the market. There is no need
to g6 slashing wages, we will not improve
Au tralle's prospects by ripping away at people's
wa t or trying to give them a peasant wage economy.
Th s is not a sensible thing to do.
J: Is New Zeland doing better than us
PM: W ell its immaterial whether they're doing better
than us. The fact of the matter is we had in the
19O a lot of growth in this country and a lot of
eloyment, many countries didn't and we've got to
g back to that growth and back to that employment
a the way toA it will be always with a consensus,
getting the business community end the unions
t gether and not this silly sort of sterile view
t at you can stand back and let people just have
teix wages cut, award conditions thrown away and in
t at sort of injustice people will accept it and
t en do sensible things in the economy, they won't.
J: Gtting back to your visit to Burnie tomorrow, you
a e going under fairly unusual circumstances in that
B rnie has been in the lime light, your visit is
g ig to be seen as quite significant. Why are you
g9 ing there?
PM: I'd I k to think whenever I visit anywhere it's
significant, and if I didn't think that you wouldn't
be h rel would you.
ENDS