INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIME MINISTER FOR 3 NOVEMBER 1978
QUESTION: Does this mean that the Government is prepared to
legislate to force the funds to provide/ cover for chronically
ill patients if need be? full
PRIME MINISTER: At the moment it doesn't mean any more
than I have indicated there. I had quite a long talk with
Ralph Hunt this morning and he has been very concerned about it.
We were both concerned that chronically ill people should be
fully protected. The way to go about it, is that he is

PRINE HI-J-S'ER INTERVIEWED IN INETBOURNE OVER HCF ( fl4MRVERSY 3 NOVmBER 1978
Question: Can you guarantee that chronically ill patients will
receive some adequate form of health protection?
Mr. Fraser: The Government is very concerned about this.
Ralph Hunt is concerned and we had talked about it this
morning and we are quite determined that the chronically ill
people should be protected and I have asked the Minister to
prepare an urgent report for Cabinet on the issue. we will be
looking at it next week. I can't go beyond that because I don't

JjAUTRALA
FOR PRESS 3 NOVEMBER 1978
HEALTH INSURANCE FOR CHRONICALLY ILL
This morning I have discussed with Mr. Hunt the situation
of chronically ill patients covered by private health
insurance organizations.
We are both determined that the chronically ill will be
protected. Accordingly, the Minister will be reporting urgently to
Cabinet on this serious matter. 000---

PRESS CONFERENCE ON
INTEREST RATES
Tape begins as follows:
Prime Minister
but we are expecting also that for overdrafts over
$ 100,000 they mightn't all come down by the same amount.
But there will be general expectations that the average of
the reductions would also equal a half percent. It ought
to be noted that in that area, competition over the last
two or three months, as we are advised by the banks, has
already forced reduction of about .2 percent so that in a
sense has led to moves now being announced officially by

F78/ 228lt
PRIME MHAINITE
FOR PRESS 1 NOVEM1BER, 1978
INTEREST RATES
The action of the trading banks this evening in reducing
interest rates on a range of bank loans is welcome. This is
particularly so in the case of the .5 percent reduction in the
maximum overdraft rate on loans of less tnan $ 100,000. 1 am
pleased that this reduction will also apply to new term loans
and to new farm development loans of less than $ 100,000.
Earlier this year the trading banks and savings banks reduced
their interest rates on housing loans by .5 percent.

EMBARGOED AGAINST DELIVERY
( EXPECTED AROUND 9: 30 PM)
3 AUSTRALIA&
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 31 OCTOBER ' 1978
ADDRESS TO THE SECOND INVITATION SYMPOSIUM OF THE. AATS 1978
Mr. President, Fellows of the Academy of Technological
Sciences, ladies and gentlemen. I am very pleased indeed to
be here tonight and to be able to make a contribution to the
Academy's second invitation symposium.
The subject of this symposium our " Land and Water Resources"
is of major importance to Australia. It warrants the impressive

/ 2
P78/ 226 tp 1
FOR PRESS 31 October 1978
HANDICAPPED PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD
I am honoured to have been asked to present the first
Handicapped Person of the Year Award. This is an important
award for many reasons but above all, it is an important
award because by giving public recognition to the
achievement of the first winner of the Award it focusses
not so much on the han~ licap but on the capacity the
capacity to overcome difficulty, the capacity to
achieve, the capacity to make a useful contribution to

F78/ 227 tp
-JJJ. AUSTHALIA
FOR PRESS 31 OCTOBER 1978
FIRST BRAILLE COMPUTER BOOK
I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity to
receive the first Braille book produced in Australia
by means of a computer.
The Royal New South Wales Institute for Deaf and Blind
Children, which has for over a century so lovingly and
effectively served the deaf and blind children of
New South Wales and the has achieved another first.
Recently, there has been considerable debate and controversy

F7 8/ 22 4'
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 31 OCTOBER 1978
MEETING WITH SIR CHARLES COURT AND MR. BJELKE-PETERSEN
I have had a report from the Acting Minister for Trade and
Resources and Minister for Special Trade Representations,
Mr. Garland, after his meeting with Sir Charles Court at
the-weekend.
I have also had a very useful telephone discussion with
Sir Charles Court today.
Following that conversation I have responded positively
to the Premier.' s suggestion that there should be discussions

PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT
Prime Minister's Press Conference at Port Moresby
October 1978
Prime Minister:
This is principally an opportunity to give you a chance ask any
questions related to what I said last night and this morning at
the handing over of the Library. I think the Library is a
particularly fitting gift as an Independence gift, and I hope
very much that there will be an on-going link, and I'm sure there
will be, between the Australian National Library and this
Library, and between other Australian insititutions and this