FOR PRESS PM. No. 93/ 1972
RURAL CPREDIT
Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. William
McMihon, CH, MP
For some time past, the Government has been
investigating the availability of longer term credit to the rural
sector and has already taken a number of policy initiatives in
this field. In 1960, it established the Commonwealth Development
Bank, a high proportion of whose lending is to farmers on
long term. To supplei'. ent trading bank lending on overdraft,
Term Loan Funds were established in 1962 and Farm Development

ANNUAL CONFEPENCE, LIBERAL PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE
OF WOMEN'S SECTION
ST. KILDA. VIC.
Speech by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. William. McMahon, CH, MP.
October 1972
Just as the strength of the family rests with
women, so does the strength of the nation depend upon the quality
of its women. And that leads me to say that I believe the same
principles apply to national political parties like the Liberal
Party of Australia. I don't think we could have succeeded as
well over the last twenty-two years, nor could we have endured

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH BY
The Rt Hon. W. McMAHON, M. P.
Prime Minister
ON
Defence Forces Retirement Benefits
Ministerial Statement
[ From the ' Parliamentary Debates', 26 October 1972]
Mr McMAHON ( Lowe-Prime Minister)
-by leave-I am now able to inform the
House of the outcome of the Government's
consideration of the report of the Joint
Select Committee on Defence Forces Retirement
Benefits legislation tabled in the House
on 18th May 1972 by the Chairman of the
Committee, the honourable member for La

PM. No. .92/ 1972
FURLOUGH ( LONG SERVICE3 LEFAVE) FOR COMMONWUEALTH OFFICERS
AI4D EYNLOYEES AND FOR MEMBERS OF THE DEFENCE FORCES
Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. William
. Mciah'EoH CH, M?
The Public Service Board has reviewed furlough-
( long service leave) prov4 sions fcr Commonwealth officers and
employees, having regard to various representations, including
those-from staff associations. The ' 31overnment ha-, a'noroved the Board' s
recommendations for a numiber of legislative amendments. These

STATEIENT BY THE PRIDE MINISTER, THE RT HON.
WILLIAM McMAHON, CH, MP, IN THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES, CANBERRA.
POWERS OVER AND PROTECTION OFFERED TO WITNESSES BEFORE
PARLIAMENTARY COEMITTEES 26 OCTOBER, 1972
Mr Speaker? The paper I have just tabled has been prepared by the
two chief law officers of the Crown, the Attorney-General and the
Solicitor-General. It is entitled " Powers over and protection
offered to witnesses before Parliamentary Committees".
In May 1971, at a time of great public interest in the

FOR PRESS: PM1s 91/ 1972_
AUSTRALIA HOUSE
Statement by the Prime Minister, the RL Hon. William McMahon, CH, MP.
Arrangements are now in hiandi to enable transfer of
responsibility for the administration of the Australian High
Commission, London, to the Department of Foreign Affairs as from
1 November 1.972.
The decision was made some months ago. I discussed it
with the British Prime Minister, MR Heath, during my visit to
London last ycar, and the transfer was referred to by rmy colleague,

MACQUARIE NETWORK WEEKLY BROADCAST
BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE RT, HON.
WILLIAM McMAHON, CH, MP.
THE GOVERNMENT'S RECORD OCTOBER 1972
Interviewer Paul Lynch
Q. Prime Minister, criticism was often voiced of you as
a Prime Minister in your first months in your oresent office,
as being a man who had a good technician's interest in the
process of government and of politics, but not a man who had
a very clear * icture of where Australia would be perhaps
five or ten years from then. Do you think that in recent

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH BY
The Rt Hon. W. McMAHON, M. P.
Prime Minister
ON
Companies ( Foreign Take-overs) Bill 1972
Second Reading
[ From the ' Parliamentary Debates', 24 October 1972]
Mr MMAHON ( Lowe-P. rime Minister)
( 8.55)-This Bill makes provision for
the control of foreign takeovers of companies.
The House will recall that in the
statement I made on 26th September last
concerning overseas investment in Australia
I announced the Government's intention
to legislate for the control of those

LOCAL GOVER. NM'ENT ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE LUNCHEON
CAN BE IRMA
Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. William McMahon, CH, MP.
2.3 October 1972
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come to such
a wonderful meeting as this in Canberra. I think it indicates not only
the approach of the Local Government Authorities themselves, but it also
indicates clearly that you recognise that the Commonwealth Government
must take its part in assisting Local Government Authorities and permitting

FOR PRESS PM. No. 90/ 1972
ACCESS TO WAR-TIME CABINET RECORDS
Statement by the Prime Minister,-the Rt. Hon. William
Mc~ ahon CHi, MP
The first group of Cabinet records from the
war-time period will be available for public access from
Monday, 23 October. In January last, the Government decided that
a 30-year access rule should in future apply to Cabinet
papers as it does to the generality of Departmental documents.
Because of the special interest in them, however, the
remainder of the Cabinet papers for the war years 1942-1945