I Jj AUJsrHALI,%
PRINU P-I I, S, T R 6 November 1978
LOAN COUNCIL FINANCING OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
The Commonwealth and State Governments, meeting as
the Loan Council, today approved an entirely new borrowing
program which will have a significant impact on Australia's
development. The Loan Council, acting in accordance with guidelines
set at its meeting last June, approved the first projects to
form part of this new program.
The projects approved cover all six States and
provide for a total borrowing program of $ 1767 million over

6 DECEMBER, 1978
PRIME MINISTER'S INTERVIEW WITH HOWARD TYNER OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
QUESTION: Mr Fraser, the firsy thing I wanted to ask you
about is concerning Vietnamese' refugees. Australia is one of
the few countries, and including the United States, that has
been accepting some of these people. There is a United Nations
Conference coming up, but given the historical ineffectiveness
of such actions, what do you think is going to alleviate the
situation? Where does the solution lie?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't see any short-term solution to the

F78/ 252
FOR PRESS 5 DECEMBER 1978
PRIME MINISTER PROPOSES JOINT COMMONWEALTH/ STATES
ACTION TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK
The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, has written to the Premiers
proposing joint Conmnonwealth/ States action in education to help
young people in the transition from school to work.
Mr Fraser announced today he had written to the Premiers to
tell them that the Commonwealth Minister for Education,
Senator Carrick, would raise the issue at the special meeting
of the Australian Education Council .( AEC) in Melbourne on

PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRSS 5 DECEMBER 1978
FOREIGN INVESTMENT POLICY
The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. Y1. Fraser, M. P.,
announced today that he intended approaching the State Premiers
with a view to developing a closer working relationship between
the Foreign Investment Review Board and State Government
authorities.
Mr Fraser said that foreign investment has implications for
State interests as well as national interests and the Government
had always recognised the value of close liaison with the States

F78/ 254
FOR PRESS 5 DECEMBER 1978
ACTING PERMANENT HEADS
The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, announced , oday that Mr M. B. Keogh
and Mr B. J. Tregillis had been appointed as Acting Secretaries
of the newly created Departments of Industrial Relations,
and Employment and Youth Affairs, respectively. Action to fill
the positions on a permament. basis was proceeding in accordance
with the procedures laid down under the Public Service Act.
The Permanent Heads of the renamed Departments of Housing and

PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT 5 DECEMBER, 1978
Prime Minister Interviewed by Swiss Television Team
Question Can Australia's agriculture prosper without the E. E. C.?
Prime Minister
It can prosper without the European Community, yes. At
the same time the European Community is enormously important
to Australia. 80 percent of our exports, agricultural
exports, to Europe have been prohibited by the rules of
the Community. It is not only a question of access but a'-so subsidised
exports while 000 million worth of which compete very directly

PR ErSS OFFI CE T R AINSCR( IPT 5 DECEMtBR, 1978IPrime
Minister Interviewed by Graham Dobell, ABC,
at Belconnen Mall Visual Arts Display by Southwest
Tourist Authority of Victoria.
Question How do you think you are going as a tourist promoter?
Prime Minister
I think Western Victoria is starting to go very well as
a tourist promoter because steadily and surely over the
last, I suppose, 10-15 years a great deal of attention has
been paid to facilities to bring to light and make people
aware of many items of interest in Western Victoria. The

-PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT 5 DECEMBER, 1978
Prime Minister Interviewed on ABC's
by Paul Davey
Report: With 1978 almost at a close, and certainly for Federal
Parliament it already is, how successful has the year
been for the Government? Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser
is keen to point to his Government's success in
sticking to its economic policies which, he says, have
reduced inflation. But on the other hand, Mr. Fraser
was forced to sack one of his senior Ministers during
the year, Senator Reg Withers, the Government Leader

PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT 4 DECEMBER, 1978
Prime Minister Interviewed on ABC'S
by Paul Davey
Report: Last week we reported on the new Department of
Employment and Youth Affairs, set up after
Mr. Fraser's Cabinet re-shuffle and the comments
by Sir William McMahon that the-Liberal backbench
was looking to the new Ministry for results.
Paul Davey asked the Prime Minister if the Government
would be placing more emphasis on the problem of
youth unemployment in 1979.
Prime Minister
Clearly there will be a greater concentration in that particular

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL DELIVERED. F78/ 251
PRIMEUSTRMINIA T
FOR PRESS 3 DECEMBER 1978
ELECTORATE TALK
Since coming to office, your Government has followed policies
consistently designed to sustain economic growth and thus
provide emoloyment opportunities.
There is no easy way. We have not been seduced by demands for
politically expedient, short-term palliatives. Such policies
would do no more than fuel the fires of inflation without
curing the Problem.
Our policies are long-term ones that will put Australian