FOR MEDIA 9 January 1980
The Government today considered a report from the Foreign-
Minister concerning the latest events in ! ran and more specifically
the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister have already condemned
the invas-ion of Afghanistan as totally without justification;
as a violation of everything the United Nations stands for; and as
a mode of behaviour which will make normal relationships between
nations totally impossible.
Soviet explanations of the invasion have been rejected by the

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AUSTRALIA AND SOME WORLD ECONOMIC ISSUES
A SPEECH BY THE PRIME MIIl! STER OF AUSTRALIA,
THE RT. HON. MALCOLM FRASER, M. P.
TO
THE ECONOMIC CLUB OF NEW YORK 0N 4 JANUARY, 197
It is a great pleasure to be In the U. S. again and have the
opportunity to address this very important group of American
business leaders, 7 am also pleased to have the opportunity
to try to collect my bet with Arthur Bu. ns, a bet about which

FOR MEDIA THURSDAY, 3 JANUARY 1980
STANDING COMMITTEES OF CABINET
The Prime Minister today announced changes in the membership
of the Standing Committees of Cabinet. The changes result
from the revised Ministerial arrangements announced on
7 December 1979.
Membership of the Committees is:-
Co-ordination Committee
Mr Fraser ( Chairman)
Mr Anthony
Mr Lynch Mr Nixon
Senator Carrick
Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee
Mr Fraser ( Chairman)
Mr Anthony
Mr Lynch
Mr Nixon
Senator Carrick
Mr Howard Mr Peacock

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH RADIO AUSTRALIA 1 JANUARY 1980
PRIME MINISTER AND RICHARD ANDREWS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS RADIO AUSTRALIA
THE INTERVENTION IS TOTALLY UNJUSTIFIED IT'S QUITE
PLAIN THAT THE FORMER LEADER WHO IS PRO-SOVIET WAS ACTING
IN A WAY THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. AND THE SOVIETS,
AND THEIR FRIENDS WANTED TO REPLACE HIM WITH ANOTHER
PRO-SOVIET LEADER IN AFGHANISTAN. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT
THAT STRATEGY WAS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL, RUSSIAN TROOPS
WERE NEEDED. IT'S NO WONDER THAT THE COUP OF A COUPLE OF YEARS

FOR MEDIA JANUARY 1,'' 1980
NEW YEAR'S DAY MESSAGE
Much has been said in recent times about the ' 70s. A lot of
it has been dominated by an unfounded sense of negativism and
gloom which we must not allow to settle upon Australia
especially as we begin a new decade.
I want to speak to you about some of the positive forces at
work, because I believe Australians are rightly interested in
the prospects that the ' 80s hold.
As we know, the world experienced great problems in the
Our biggest scourge was inflation, fuelling further rises in

JJ ATST~ I
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA MONDAY 31 DECEMBER 17
AFGHAN ISTAN
The Soviet Ambassador today called on the Prime Minister at
Nareen. He did so on instructions from his Government.
The main purpose of the Ambassador's call was to give an official
explanation of the Soviet Union's military intervention in
Afghanistan. The Ambassador said there had been an appeal to his
Government for help, and that help had been granted.
The Prime Minister told the Ambassador that his explanation was

/ C7~
~ A~) JJV
% 1,) AUS T LA 1
FOR MEDIA DECEMBER 30, 1979
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES IN NEW SOUTH WALES
The Commonwealth Government has approved the employment of a
further 2,000 young people in New South Wales State Government
Departments and Instrumentalities, and local government councils
C under the Special Youth Employment Training Programme ( SYETP).
This decision follows a request from the New South Wales Premier
that the Commonwealth continue the co-operative training arrangement

FOR MEDIA FRIDAY 28 DECEMBER 1979
THE BASS STRAIT FIELD
The four year development and exploration programme announced
by Esso-BHP is further evidence that the 1980s hold outstanding
development prospects for Australia.
The cormpanies' proposed $ 1.2 billion investment in Bass Strait
will ensure the ma~ ximum recovery of the most available known
and potential oil and gas reserves in the field.
This will assist the maintenance of the highest practicable
level of self sufficiency in oil which is vitally important to

PRIME MINISTER
New South Wales Bushfires
The Prime Minister today expressed his concern
at the extent to which bushfires had broken out in
New South Wales this summer.
In conveying his sympathy to bereaved families
and to those injured and suffering property loss, Mr Fraser
said that it was a tribute to the efforts of the many
volunte-ers, fire fighters and service personnel who had
been involved in the fire fighting operations that more
damage to property and injury to life had not occurred.
The Prime Minister went on to say that he had

J-j, AUTAI i..
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA TUESDAY, 18 DECEMBER 1979
RHODESIA
The Australian Government warmly welcomes the
announcement from London that final agreement had been reached
between the parties at the Constitutional Conference on all
aspects of a Rhodesian settlement.
The leaders in the talks -Lord Carrington, Bishop
Muzorewa, Mr. Nkomo and Mr. Mugabe -are to be congratulated
for their outstanding dedication to the task of reaching
agreement. In the four successive phases of discussion