PRESS STATEMENT NO. 74
6 April 1973
ABORIGINALS AND~ SOCIETY
Statement by the Prime Minister, the
Hon. E. G. Whitlam, M. P.,
circulated to a conference of Commonwealth and State
Ministers concerned with Aboriginal Affairs in Adelaide,
Friday, 6 April, 1973
The referendum of 1967, by an overwhelming majority, gave to
the Commonwealth concurrent powers with the States in respect of
Aboriginals. The constitution provides that in matters where concurrent
powers are held Commonwealth legislation will prevail. It is my

AF ARA
-if A AF
NQ DATE
M/ 69 5 April 1973
AUSTRALIAN DELECTATION TO ECAFE
The Special Minister of State a. nd Minister assisting
the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Willesee, announced
today that he would leave for Tokyo tomorrow ( 6 April) to lead
Sthe Australian Delegation to the 29th Session of the Economic
Commission for Asia and the Far East ( ECAFE),
The 29th Session of ECAFE, from 11 23 April, will
review the work of the Commission during the nast year and
Sdecide on policy and programs of work for ECAE for the coming

PRESS STATEMENT NO. 71
April 1973
PORTRAIT OF PRIME MINISTER
It was announced today that Mr. Clifton Pughts Archibald
Prize winning painting of Mr. Whitlam had been acquired by the
Historic Memorials Committee as the Prime Minister's official
portrait. The painting is presently on exhibition in a Melbourne
gallery. It will be sent to Canberra after the exhibition and will
go on display in Kings Hall, Parliament Hous. e
The Historic Memorials Committee, consisting of the
Prime Minister, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the

NQ DATE
M/ 68 4 April 1973
RELATIONS WITH FRANCE
The Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Mr Whitlam, announced today that the Attorney-General, Senator
Lionel Murphy, will represent the Australian Government at the
Ministerial talks to be held with the French Government in Paris
O on 18 and 19 April.
Mr Whitlam said that Senator Murphy's visit to Paris
and the discussions he would have there with French Ministers
were important in the Government's continuing and strenuous

NO DATE
M767 4 April 19' 73
INTERNATIONAL CON'FERENCE ON
COLOWIA1ISV -ANI) APARTHEID
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Whitlam, announced
today that Au~ stralia would be represented at an International
Conference of Experts for the Support of Victims of Colonialism
and Apartheid in Southern Africa to be held in Oslo from 9 to
14 April. Mr John Petherbridge, Australian Ambassador to Sweden,
Norway and Finland and Mr J. Trotter, Counsellor at the Australian
Embassy in B'onn, will attend the Conference which is being

THE PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS, CONFERENCE
AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA
TUESDAY, 3 APRIL, 1973
PRIME MINISTER: There are a very considerable number of
decisions which the Cabinet made this morning. Most of them
you can get details about from my colleagues, and I've told
them that you might be asking them details.. There are some
however which come within my responsibility so I'll give a
bit further detail about them.
We decided on two significant improvements'in the
conditions of service for Australian Government employees.

, U ST R LIA Press Statement No. 69
3 April 1973
FURLOUGH LONG SERVICE LEAVE
Cabinet today decided that the basic qualification
period for furlough in Australian Government employment
will be reduced from 15 to 10 years.
Pro rata furlough entitlement shall be payable to
officers and employees on cessation after 5 years of service,
providing that in cases where employment ceased through
death, ill health, retrenchment or retirement on account of
age, pro rata furlough entitlements shall be payable after
one year of service.

J,, U S T R IA Press Statement No. 68
3 April 1973
MATERNTTY LEAVE
Cabinet today decided that all pregnant officers
and employees, irrespective of whether they are married or
unmarried, and irrespective of whether they were pregnant
or not when first employed by the Commonwealth, shall have
the right to receive at least 12 weeks' maternity leave
on full pay. This leave is to commence six weeks before the
expected date of confinement and shall continue for six
weeks after the date of confinement.
Each permanent officer proceeding on leave of

NQ DATE
M/ 66 3 April 1973
AUSTRALIA TO ATTEND~ O. A. S. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Special Minister of State and Minister Assisting
the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Willesee, announced
today that Australia had accepted an invitation to attend the
third regular session of the General Assembly of the Organisation
of American States ( OAS) to be held in Washington between 4 and
14 April. Senator Willesee said that Australia would attend in
an observer capacity and would be represented by Mr M. G. Williams,

NQ DATE
IvI/ 652 April 1973
AID TO FIJI
Australia is to give Fiji two large mobile rock
crushing plants, costing a total of $ 190,000.
Announcing this today, the Special Minister of
State and Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Senator Willesee, said that the rock crushers
are required by the Ministry of Communications, Works and
Tourism which is responsible for the construction and
maintenance of major roads throughout the islands.
With Fiji placing increasing emphasis on construction