-AmP 3
PRIME MINISTER
PARLIAMENTARY STATEMENT 2 MARCH 1978
On 14th July, 1977, Sir John Kerr announced his intention to
relinciuish the office of Governor-General. lie made his decision
because he believed that the events of 1975 and
the position into which he had been forced while serving as
Governor-General of Australia had left some scars on the
Australian body politic, which would be more quickly healed if
he stepped down. Sir John protected the Australian people and
Parliament according to the law, according to the Constitution

U S ThI I( A
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS2 March 1978
SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY SECRETARIAT
Dr. Sidney Sax, formerly Chairman of the Hospitals and Health
Services Commission, has been appointed Head of the new
Social Welfare Policy Secretariat.
Establishment of the Secretariat was announced on 19 December
1977. It will be responsible for the development of plans
and policies and review of existing policies and programs
in the broad field of health and welfare.
Dr. Sax has been a senior adviser to both the Commonwealth

1, jJAUSTRAL1, A(
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 1 1M1ARCH 1978
ETHNIC LIAISON OFFICERS
The Government is taking action to implement a scheme to provide
Ethnic Liaison Officers in Government Departments.
It is envisaged that senior officers from the present staff of
Departments will be appointed Ethnic Liaison Officers.
They will give special attention to all . policy, programme
and services delivery matters affecting'migrants, be directly
involved in inter-departmental consultations on ethnic matters;,

_ IPi
jA US r L IA
K " CRITYIE MIN STER
FOR PRESS 27 FEBRUARY 1978
THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HlOMNE AFFAIRS
Dr. Donald McMichael is to be the first Secretary to the
Department of Home Affairs.
Dr. McMichael is Director of Environmen t in the Department of
Environment, H-ousing and Community Development, and acting
Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
He had been Secretary of the Department of Environment and
Conservation from its creation in February 1973, and subsequently

FOR PRESS 24 FEBRUARY 1978
STATE VISI'f BY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA
His Excellency Sir Tore Lokoloko, GCMG, the Governor-General
of Papua New Guinea, and Lady Lokoloko, will make a State Visit
to Australia from 1 to 15 March, 1978..-
It will be the first official visit to Australia by a
Governor-General of Papua New Guinea and it is being made
at the invitation of His Excellency the Governor-General of
Australia, Sir Zelman Cowan.
During the visit the Governor-General and Lady), Lokoloko will

FOR PRESS 24 FEBRUARY 1978
APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY COMMONWEALTH OMBUDSMAN
Mr Ian Donald Einerton has been appointed Deputy Commonwealth
Ombudsman for a five-year term. The office of Deputy
Ombudsman is a full time statutory position.
Mr Emerton, who has a wide administrative background, currently
hodlds the statutory office of Deputy Chief Australian
Electoral Officer. He previously held a number of senior
positions in the Australian Public Service, more recently in
the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

BMD\ R(' AGAINST DELIVERY
PI W1 E a-VJ N3ST 1
FOR PRESS 23 FIS" BURARY 1978
STATEMENT ON PROTECTIVE SECURITY AND COUNTER-TE RRORI SM
Mr Speaker, all Members of Parliament will be aware of thc tragic
event which occurred on the morning of February the 13th outside
the Sydney Hilton Hotel, where twelve Heads of Government
assembled for the Commonw-ealth Regional Meeting.
It was an event which brought home to every Australian
that acts of terrorism can occur in this normally peaceable country.

4j.. AUSTRALIA
FOR PRESS 19 FEBRUARY 1978
OFFICE. OF NATIONAL. ASSESSMENTS
The Prime Minister,, Mr Malcolm Fraser, announced today the the
Office of National Assessments would begin operations on
February.
The decision to create the Office of National Assessments
( ONA) was announced by Mr Fraser on 5 May last year, and
legislation. to establish the Office was assented to on
19 October ( Act No. 107 of 1977).
Mr Fraser said that the Director-GeneridL of ONA, Mr R. W. Furlonger,
had taken up duty in August and had been engaged since in

FOR PRESS 17 FEBRUARY 1978
TRUST FUND FOR CHILDREN OF SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES
KILLED IN BOMB EXPLOSION
The Prime Minister said today that the Commonwealth Government
will establish a-trust fund for the education and general benefit
of the children of the two Sydney City Council employees who
were tragically killed in the bomb blast which occurred
outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney in the early hours of
Monday, 13 February 1978.
Three children are involved. Alec Raymond Carter was the

FOR PRESS 15 February 1978
DROUGHT
The Prime Minister today said there would be a major review of
drought relief arrangements.
Mr Fraser said he had written. to the Premiers of New South
Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western
Australia asking for their agreement to the holding of a meeting
of Commonwealth and State officials shortly to review the drought
situation throughout mainland Australia.-
While some Premiers had requested extensions of the existing
measures supported under the natural disaster financial assistance