j1 UTAI
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 21 February 1984
All State Governments and companies at today's meeting on
prospects for co-operation between the Australian and
Chinese iron and steel industries expressed strong interest
in and support for the initiative.
The point of contact on the initiative between Australia
and China will be a joint working party of the Australia
China Joint Trade Committee..
The Austral * ian contribution to the joint study will be
based on exchanges of viewpoints and information with

PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 19 February 1984
The Prime Minister said today that Queensland taxpayers would
be forced to foot the bill for Mr Bjelke-Petersen's bloodyminded
refusal to sign the Medicare agreement. Queenslanders
who have kept some private insurance are already paying an
extra $ 1.10 a week because of Mr Bjelke-Petersen's folly.
The Queeensland Government cannot stand the loss of $ 6 million
a month in Medicare funding, and they will soon be forced to
significantly increase State Taxes if they persist in not

FOR MEDIA 14 February 1984
Terms of reference for an enquiry by the Commonwualth Grants
Commission into State tax sharing relativities have been
transmitted to the Chairman of the Grants Commission, the
Hon. Mr. Justice Else-Mitchell, CMG. The current arrangements
for the distribution of the tax sharing and identified health
grants expire at the end of June 1985.
I have written to all the Premiers and the Chief Minister of
the Norther: n Territory, in terms of the attached letter,
advising them of the terms of reference.

aAUSI HAl IA
SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER MiR HAWKE AT SINGAPORE/ AUSTRALIA
BUSINESS COUNCIL BREAKFAST, 13 FEBRUARY, 1984
MR CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I WAS VERY PLEASED TO ACCEPT YOUR INVITATXON TO JOIN YOU HERE
TODAY DURING THIS MY FIRST VISIT TO SINGAPORE AS AUSTRAI. IA'S PRIME
MINISIER. I AM, HOW.; EVER, NO STRANGER TO SINGAPORE LIKE MANY BEFORE
ME I HAVe BEEN DEEPLY IMPRESEED BY SINGAPORE'S RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT.
LEE KUAN YEW'S SINGAPORE DEMONSTRATES ALL THE QUALITIES OF A
ROBUST, INDEPENDENT SOCIETY., HERE THERE IS A STRONG ENTERPRENEURIAL

Y^
-lilAUST XLIA
FOR M DIA11/ 2/ 84
THE PRIME MINISTER HAS SENT THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO SOVIET PRIME
MINISTER TIKHONOV:
" PLEASE ACCFPT THE SYMPATHY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND
OF MYSELF ON THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT ANDROPOV."
~ a01i~ iO~ TE~

TRANSCRIPT -PRIME MINISTER AT FRAGRANT HILLS HOTEL, PEKING
FEBRUARY 1Y84
E AND 0 E -PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: PRIME MINISTER THE STEEL PLAN YOU OUTLINED TO PREMIER
ZHAO. HOW REALISTIC IS IT? DO YOU BELIEVE IT CAN SUCCEED?
YES I BELIEVE IT CAN SUCCEED AND THE RA2IC REASON WHY I BEL-
IEVE IT CAN SUCCEED IS THAT THERE ARE MANIFEST ADVANTAGES FOR BOTH
CHINA AND OURSELVELS. IT HAS TO BE UN4DERSTOOD THAT IT'S NOT A TRADE
PLAN AS SUCH, ALTHOUGH IT OBVIOUSLY HAS GREAT ADVANTAGES FOR OUR TRA-
DE. BUT IT REPRESENTS MUCH MORE AN INTEGRATION OF OUR IRON AND STEEL

% jAUSTrAI L
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH AT THE RETURN
BANQUET FOR PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG AT THE JIANLUO HOTEL. AT 7. 00 PM ON
FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY:
MR PREMIER, MR VICE-PREMIER
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GER TEMEN,
WE ARE HONOURED BY YOUR PRESENCE TONIGH-T, AND BID YOU WELCOME.
OUR TALKSP MR PREMIER, HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE AND THOROUGH. , THE
UNDERSTANDING ACHIEVED IS IMPORTANT TO BOTH OUR COUNTRIES.
THE SOUND RELATIONS NOW EXISTING BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES REST
ON A CLEAR APPRECIATION OF THE STRONG COMMON INTERESTS W4E SHARE

TRANSCRIPT -PRIME MINISTER' S PRESS CONFERENCE AT STATE GUEST
HOUSE 9 FEBRUARY 1984
E AND 0 E PROOF ONLY
PJI.: WELL LADIES AND OENTLEMEN I'll VERY PLEASED TO0 BE ABLE TO
ANNOUNCE A SIGNIEFICANT DEVELOPMENT OUT OF OUR DISCUSSIONS T1HIS
MORNING WHICH HAS. VEIRY GREAT P': ITENTIAL FOR AUSTRALIA A* ND ALSO, I
BEL-IEVE, FOR CHINA. I PUT TO PREMIER ZHAO THE POLICIES OF OUR
GOVERNMENT IN THE ECONOMiC FIEL. D NOT ONLY IN : REGARD TO THE IM ' EDIATE
OBJECTIVES THAT WE' D HAD OF TURtliNG OUR !-. CONqOrY' AIRO. U. ND I-U1 OF ALSO

1, AUSTRAIA L,
TRANSCRIPT PRESS CONFERENCE STATE GUEST HOUSE, PEKING 8 FEB, 84
TO PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS OFFICE, PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA
E. AND O. E. PROOF ONLY.
P. M. LET ME SAY THAT I FOUND THE TALKS WITH PREMIER ZHAO AS I
EXPECTED EXTRAORDINARILY USEFUL AS I FOUND THEM IN4 CANBERRA. HE IS I
BELIEVE AN OUTSTANDING LEADER, ARTICULATE AND COMMUNICATIVE AND ONE
WITH WHOM IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE VERY USEFUL AND DIRECT INTER-CHANGE
OF THOUGHTS. TODAY'S SESSION COVERED IKTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND AS

ACTING ~ M T L
FOR MEDIA 8 February 1984
The Acting Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Bowen, announced today
that revised editions of the. Cabinet Handbook and the
Legislation Handbook, and a Federal Executive Council
Handbook, have recently been published by the Department
of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The Handbooks provide a . comprehensive account of
procedures followed in the preparation of legislation
and Cabinet and Executive Council business. They have
been produced for the benefit of officials involved in