STATEI4LNT B3Y THE P'RIME' MRRLii$ ' iPtF;(; HAi1ALW KE, M. P.
The decision to devaluec tho Australian dollar
has be-en takcni against the balckground of continuing
uncertainty rcgdardirig thc-exchange rate. The incoming
Australian Govcrnmont is det~ ermnined to take all necessary
measureG t o end. this iunceprtainty.
In reaching thir, decision, the incoming government
has been facedl with the utvycnt noed to end the damaging and
destabilising effects of speculation against the dollar
deliberately created by loadling maerbers of the Liberal

PARLIAME, 4T OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PAPIAMNT HU-11
CANBE RA ACT 260r
TEL 721211
STATEMENT BY MR. BOB H FAWKE
His Excellency the Governor-General today asked me to
call on him. During our conversation he informed me
that Mr Fraser had offered his resignation as Prime
Minister. He commissioned me to form a new Government.
I shall be moving to do this as soon as possible. In the
meantime the present Ministry will continue on a caretaker
basis. 6 March 1983

f ! t PARLIAMENT OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE, MBOB HAWKE, M. P.
Departmental Changes
In considering the appropriate departmental structure, I have
borne in mind the need to ensure that:
the priorities of the Labor Government can be given effect'
to readily;
S changes from the existing structure are kept to the
minimum necessary, so that the public service is not
distracted from the important tasks facing it; and
problem areas in the existing arrangements are remedied.

PRIME MINISTER
FOR XEFDIA -SNAj6MRH1983
A FIN4AL MSAETO AUSTRALIANS
I congratulate Mr Hawke and the Auetxralian* Labor Party on*
winning the election.
Mr H~ awks has set a nutiber of high goals for Australia in a
time of great economic difficulty around the world. If he and
his party can fulfil the expectations presented to the
electorate then Australia will be advantaged.
Whatever our problems, Australia has been handed to Mr Hawke's
new government in a condition that is equal to or better than
ary other Western country.

FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 6 MARCH 1983
I called today on His Excellency the Governor-General to
acquaint him with the results of the election and to tender
my resignation. I advised the Governor-General to send
for Mr Hawke and comniission him to form a Government.
His Excellency asked me to continue as Prime Minister in
a caretaker capacity until the new Government is sworn
and I have agreed. I I

FOR MEDIA FRIDAY, 4 MARCH 1983
INIT'REST RATES
Labor's interest rate advertisement today is totally dishonest.
Our policies have enabled interest rates for home owners, home
buyers and small businesses to fall over the past four or five
months. In our last budget we gave significant help to
young home buyers and -1-o home o-wners through our Home Loan
Interest Rebate Schemne. As a result of Government policies,
an extra $ 1,200 million has been directed into the housing
industry. Those facts are irrefutable.

PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA FRIDAY 4 MARCH 198 3
LABOR'S POLICIES ARE FALLING APART
This week, the election campaign has focused on the real issues.
And Labor's policies have not stood up to the test.
Labor's policies are falling apart. The rash of contradictions
in recent days show what a fraud those policies really area.
Their prices and incomes policy is supposed to be a strategy
to fight inflation and industrial relations problems. Events
in the last few days have shown not only the policy is

AUST A I. IA t
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA THURSDAY MARCH 3 1983
LABOR'S TAX DECEIT
Labor's tax advertisemenls are a fraud and a cruel deception.
Not only is Mr Hawke now talking about the possibility of not
giving tax cuts at all, but his advertisements neglect the
fact that a hiyhor marginal tax rate would apply to a very
great number of Australians with modest incomes,
In the August Budget, the Government reduced the standard
rate of tax for people carning up to $ 19,500 from 32½ to
in the dollar.

AUSTRAI A
PRIME MINISTER
iF MEDTA WED) NESDAY, 2 MARCH 1983
HOJW MR. HIAWKE. SHTFTS GROUND
Urd; kr PIreSSUrr to Mr. Ha~ wke revealod the sh. 21 lcana.~:
dcc'', ption of! his campaign rhetric.
Thi!; mornizy ho at temptcd. to wriggle ouL of his coi~ rii ILment tco
his massive s perviing binge by claiming there r., ight hcave to
Lc-rodif cction of his prograrune if he found bigger uceficiL~ s
tharn expected.
it. is know that the 1982/ 83 budget deficit will. b( 2 dround
$ 4,000 million. For 1983/ 84 a figure of S6,000 million has beer

AAU~ ' IT ItA IC
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA TUESDAY, 1 MARCH 1983
DR OUGHIT RELIEF FOR SCRUB PUSHING
In recognition of the exceptional severity of the present
drought on farmers throughout Australia, the Commonwealth has,
on the request of Premiers, admitted a number of special
measures normally outside the Natural Disaster Relief
Arrangements to Commonwealth relief subsidies.
Most recently, following a request from the Queensland Premier,
the Commonwealth has agreed to subsidise the cost of