J_
.~ J~ AUSTRALIA
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 27 AUGUST l978
EL1ECTURATE TALK
The rank and file members of the Australian Telecommunications
Employees Association are on tihe eve of a momentus decision.
It's a decision that will touch their own lives, and the lives
of their families. It is a decision that will affect every
Australian. It must be weighed with care, calm and reason.
The members of this union have a serious responsibility to
Australia. They work in an utterly vital service industry
which is at the heart of this nation's life.

* PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT 25 AUGUST 1978
INTERVIEW WITH LAURIE UAKES
QUESTION: Prime Minister, your put the nation on notice that this
dispute could go for a month or even more. Why do you
think it will go that long?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I hope very much that it won't and I hope that
commnonsense will prevail over the weekend and that the
votes on Monday and Tuesday unionists will take Commissioner
Clarkson's advice and reject their Executive recommendation. The
Commissioner has worked very hard to get a compromise

PRIME MINISTER
PRESS RELEASE 25TH AUGUST, 1978.
MINISTERIAL CHANGES
The Prime Minister announced today that Senator the Honourable
F. M. Chaney had been sworn as Minister for Administrative
Services, Senator the Honourable Peter Durack, having
resigned that portfolio.
The Prime Minister said that other changes had been made in
relation to the Ministry, as follows:
the Attorney-General, Senator Durack, will be a
member of the Cabinet;
the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs,
the Honourable M. J. R. MacKellar, will also be

24 August 1978
STATEMENT ON THE TELECOM DISPUTE
This morning the discussion between Telecom and the Australian
Telecommunications Employees Association before Commissioner
Clarkson, broke down.
Commissioner Clarkson had been working on a compromise proposal
to settle the Telecom dispute. Telecom had accepted his
proposal, as indeed it had his earlier proposals. The union2e-z-4'-
has rejected the proposal. The proposal was reasonable and
fair, and would have protected the interests of all parties.

PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT
RURAL WRITERS INTERVIEW
23 August 197b
QUESTION:........ are you in a position to tell us what attitude
the Government will take to a strong line by the union if another
situation blows up like last night's.
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't want to elaborate in detail, but let me oniy say that
the Government knows quite well that the sheep export trade
is important to the growers concerned, important forAustralia,
and it is the Government's intention that the trade will
continue. The Government will not, and cannot, accept a

J),, AUSIALI( A
FOR PRESS 23 AUGUST 1978
DEATH OF PRESIDENT KENYATTA OF KENYA
Australians will understand the sorrow of Kenyans at the death
of their President, Jomo Kenyatta.
He had been President of Kenya for 14 years. His office was
marked by a stability and progress which served Kenya well
in an often turbulent continent.
Jomo Kenyatta was more than a President. He was also the
national leader who inspired a people and brought them from
colonialism to independence. As such, he will always have a

PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT 21 AUGUST 1978 ? O
INTERVIEW WITH PAUL DAVEY, ABC
Question: Are you now categorically saying that the Bulletin article
is wrong?
Prime Minister:
It's wrong in its thrust, in its substance and that's
been said all along.
Question: And yet there were discussions on August 7 and 8 which you
said in* your statement, which included the matter of
Mr. Robinson's evidence concerning the evidence of January 17.
Prime Minister:
Eric Robinson raised these matters when he was reporting to

PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT 2 UUT17
PRESS CONFERENCE
Question: You said today you saw this draft for the first time today.
When did you become aware of its existence?
Prime Minister:
I've been aware of the existence of a draft sometime ago,
but I deliberately didn't see it.
Question: Didn't you say this morning that you didn't know of such a
draft? I'm sorry I haven't got the exact words...
Prime Minister:
I said I haven't seen any letter at any time.
Question:
Where does ( inaudible). Mr. Robinson actually wrote it?

' 7fc
PRIME MINISTER' S INTERVIEW WITH DUNCAN FAIRWTEATHER, ABC,
21 AUGUST 1978
PRIME MINISTER
I didn't issue it last week because I had regarded the substance
of The Bulletin article allegations as being answered by the
statements of Eric Robinson and myself in the Parliament.
The matter referred to things that have been discussed
between Ministers and at one point, in part at least, in a
Ministerial meeting. I place a great deal of importance on
confidentiality in discussions between Ministers within the Cabinetwithin

INTERVIEW WITH 0-10
Question: Mr. Robinson, that he make a check of his evidence, to see
if he still believed that was accurate?
Prime Minister:
No, the point was raised in this way; in discussions Eric
Robinson indicated it was the fact of the ' phone conversation
and not the substance of it that had been related in my office
on the 17th. Now one of the things that had puzzled me was
how Eric Robinson could have a clear recollection of it, when
I had none. If a Minister comes into me and says he has spoken