PUBLIC MEETING AT MACKAY, QUEENSLAND
DAWSON ELECTION CAMPAIGN 16th FEBRUARY, 1966
Speech by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
Mr. Chairman, Ministerial and Parliamentary Colleagues:
Mr. Fordyce and Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am, as my colleagues have expressed themselves to be, very glad
to be able to take a personal and active part here in this electorate of Dawson
in the by-election which is being contested on behalf of the Government parties
by a splendid candidate to whom you were listening a little earlier in the

FOR PRESS: P. M. No. 14/ 1966
REFERENDUM~
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
The Prime Minister, Mr. Holt, said today that
Cabinet had further considered the course to be followed in
relation to the holding of a referendum on the two proposals to
amend the Constitution which were passed by both Houses of
Parliament towards the end of last year.
The major purpose of the first of these proposals
was to remove the requirement in the Constitution that any
increase in the number of Members of the House of Representatives

FOR PRESS P. M4. No. 12/ 1966
SUCCESS OF DAY
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
Australia has taken decimals in its stride
and Australians can feel proud of the way in which they
have co-operated to make this a smooth transition.
I have been receiving reports today from the
Chairman of the Decimal Currency Board, Sir J,. Valter Scott,
the Reserve Bank and the Commonwealth Treasury. The
enquiries made by these three sources have covered a very
wide field and they have all been able to report to me that

FOR PRESS P. M. No. 11/ 966
CHANGEOVER TO DECIMAL CURRENCY
Statement by the Prime Minister. Mr. Harold Holt
Tomorrow we arrive, after years of discussion, planning
and organisation, at a landmark in our financial and commercial
history. It marks the introduction of a new system of money
dollars and cents which will finally bring this country into
line with the vast majority of the world's people, 95 per cent.
of whom already use decimal currency.
The change will be closely watched by official

FOR PRESS P. M. No. 10/ 1966
CHAKGE IN VICE-PRESIDEiT HUMPHRIEY'S ARRIVAL TIME
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Helt, said tonight
that lice-President Humphrey would not now be arriving in
Australia next ednesday.
There has been a review of dates for the Vice-
President's visit involving a delay of two or three days.
C NBERRA, February, 1966.

c~
C, I
~ E 1)> P. M. No. 9/ 1966
VISIT BY U. S. VICE-PRESIDEET
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
The Vice-President of the United States, Mr.
Hubert Humphrey, will make a short visit to Australia during
an extensive tour of this part of the world.
The visit will take place in the course of
the next week or so but final details are still being
discussed. , e warmly welcome this opportunity for direct
discussions with the Vice-President.
CAINBERRA, 9th February, 1966
FOR PRESS

FOR PRESS tY P. M. No. 8/ 1966
PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT QUEENSLAND
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
It has been my intention to make an early visit
to Queensland as Prime Minister and I propose to do this next
week. I shall take advantage of the opportunity to participate
in the Dawson byelection. I will be flying to Brisbane from Canberra on
Wednesday 16th, and it was my intention to make a call on the
Premier, r. Frank Nicklin. He has now been good enough to
arrange to meet me at the airport.

66/ 02 1
FOR PRESS: STATEIvNT ISSUED FOLiO.-ING THE CON~ CLUSION OF
DEFENCE CONSULTATIONS IN CANBERRA
Consultations in the light of the British defence
review have been taking place in Canberra during the last
two days between Australian Ministers, Mr. Dean Eyre, New
Zealand Minister of Defence and Mr. Denis Healey, British
Defence Minister. The British Government's provisional conclusions
were explained by Mr. Healey. They provided the basis for
a full, and helpful, discussion in which Australian and

FOR PRESS-: 66/ 0
P. M. 1, o. 7/ 1966
RESUMPTION OF BOM~ BING IN NORTH VIET NAM
Statement by the Prime Minister. Mr. Harold Holt
President Johnson has made a statement about the
resumption of bombing in North Viet Na,, a directed against
installations and transport routes used for the conduct of
warfare in South Viet Nam.
The bombing was suspended in December, even though
an earlier pause in bombing last May had evoked no positive
response, and even though there were strong military reasons

66/ 018
FOR PRESS P. M. No. 6/ 1966
VISIT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF THAILAND
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
The Prime Minister of Thailand, His Excellency
Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, has accepted the Government's
invitation to visit Australia. He will make the visit
from . ednesday, 23rd February to Thursday, 3rd March.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by his
wife and by an official party including the Minister of
Foreign Affairs ( His Excellency ir. Thanat Khoman) and the