FOR MEDIA 3 MARCH 1989
I have today signed an agreement with the Victorian Premier,
Mr Cain, guaranteeing substantially increased Commonwealth
funding for the State's public hospital system over the next
five years.
As a result Commonwealth/ State funding arrangements for
public hospitals have entered a new era.
For the first time, the Federal Government has agreed to
index the grant not only to take account of general cost
increases, but also to reflect ageing and growth of the
State's population.

FOR MEIA 2 MARCH 1989
JOINT SMEMAEN1 WITH THE MINISTR FOR SCINC, CUSTOMS AND SMAL
BUSINESS, THE lKCI BARRY JON~ ES
The Government yesterday considered a submission on Australia's science
and technology capacity from Barry Jones, the minister for Science,
Customs and Small Business.
The Government fully agreed to the Minister's proposals to develop a
major Government statement on science and technology policy. This will
be done as a matter of priority.
The Government supported the broad thrust of the submission and agreed

FA E6 O/? 2,
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, PARLIAMENT HOUSE, 3 MARCH
1989 E 0 E PROOF ONLY
PM: I understand you would like me to make a brief
statement about the housing thing and then any questions
you'd like to put to me. The purpose of the conference I've
already outlined and essentially the simple fact is that you
can't put more people into housing if you haven't got more
houses and the constraint on that situation is obviously on
the supply side, particularly in regard to land. And it's

SPECIAL PREMIERS' CONFERENCE ON HOUSING 3 MARCH 1989
JOINT STATEMENT OF OUTCOME
At the Special Premiers' Conference today, all Premiers, the
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and the
Commonwealth agreed to co-operate in addressing the problems
confronting the housing industry, particularly the supply of
suitable land.
At the Conference, the Commonwealth put forward a major
program of land releases for housing development, amounting
to around 27,000 blocks over the next five years. This is

PARLIAMENTARY STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER
ON HIS VISIT TO THE ROK, THAILAND, PAKISTAN AND INDIA
THURSDAY, 2 MARCH 1989
Madam Speaker
I seek leave to report to the House on my recent visit,
between 29 January and 13 February, to the Republic of
Korea, Thailand, Pakistan and India.
Against the backdrop of the fundamental changes taking place
in global relationships, it was fitting that this visit
should take me to four countries that are not only important
in their own right and important to Australia but that are

PA C -M.
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN WHITE, RADIO 2UE, 2 MARCH
1989 E & 0 E PROOF ONLY
WHITE: Good afternoon to you Sir.
PM: Good afternoon Brian.
WHITE: Good to see you.
PM: Good to see you.
WHITE: You're looking well.
PM: I've never felt better.
WHITE: Have you had a chance yet to look at the report from
the Institute of Family Studies?
PM: No I haven't been able to study it yet but I've had
just a couple of notes put in front of me of what has been

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH JANA WENDT, A CURRENT AFFAIR
27 FEBRUARY 1989
E O E PROOF ONLY
WENDT: The figures are not good are they?
PM: No, some of the figures are disappointing but I must
take issue Jana with an observation you made that we've
heard nothing but bad news. Can I remind you that we've
heard further very good news on the employment front which
gives us the fact now that we have got over one and a
quarter million new jobs, the unemployment rate down very
significantly and that's an employment performance which is

FOR MEDIA 27 FEBRUARY 1989
The Government will be recommending to the Governor-General
the follow-ing senior appointments
Mr Greg Taylor, Chairman of the Industries Assistance
Commission, as Secretary of the Department of
Employment, Education and Training. This follows the
retirement from that position of Dr Vince FitzGerald.
The appointment of Mr Taylor will take effect on 1
March 1989.
Mr Taylor has served in various senior positions with
the large part of his career being spent in the
Treasury. He has subsequently worked in the Office of

4AIA
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, PARLIAMENT HOUSE
26 FEBRUARY 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you sent off the letters to the
States about the housing summit. Are you in a position to
let us know what you told them?
PM: Importantly, we've indicated to the States that over
the next five years we've identified some 2000 hectares of
Commonwealth owned land that we'll make available for
housing. That's the equivalent of the best part of some
30,000 blocks or the equivalent of some 15 to 18 new suburbs

-A7~ Wz/
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, PRINCE OF WALES BAY, HOBART,
FEBRUARY 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, the Directors of International
Catamaran Services asked you for a fair hearing I suppose on
the fuel excise rebate?
PM: They have raised the matter with me and they have left
me with a sumbission. I'll have a look at it. I didn't
make them any promises other than that I would read very
carefully their submission.
JOURNALIST: Do they have a valid argument?