7
PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATET,& N
7 December 19
COLOUR TELEVISION
Considerable controversy has arisen recently over
Government action on the question of tariff assistance for the
Australian electronics industry, regarding particularly the
introduction of colour television to Australia.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, today forwarded two
references to the Tariff Board one covering the question of
assistance for colour television receivers and components and
the other a review reference covering electronic and electrical

PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 4
7 December 1972
TAKiEOTR FREEZE
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, has frozen a taceover
offer by a U. K. company for a controlling interest in a Victorian
valve manufacturer. An interim order has been gazetted today to prevent
the transfer of any shared in the Victorian company for three
months. The Victorian co. pany is M. B. John and Hattersley Ltd.
Its main activity is the design and manufacture of valves and
fittings for pipelines and pressure vessels.

SqS ' TATEMENT NO. 3
6 December, 1972
EQUAL PAY CASE
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, this afternoon
authorised a written application to the Industrial Registrar
asking to have the recent hearing on equal pay before the Full
Bench of the Arbitration Commission re-opened.
The application was made after detailed consultations
with Labor's Minister for Industrial Reloations, Mr. C. R. Cameron.
The Commonwealth hopes that its application for a
re-opening will be heard in Melbourne on Friday.
Mr. Whitlam said that if the case were re-opened, the

AUS'rIA PRESS STATEMENT NO. 2
6 December 1972
The Prime Minister, Mr Whitlam, announced tonight tha-u
the 25 cents a gallon excise on wine sales would be removed ab
Irom tomorrow. Mr Whitlam signed a remission of the excise under oy-,
late this afternoon.
The promise for the removal of the excise was made -n
Mr Whitlam's policy speech outlining the Labor platform for
last Saturday's election.
When the charge was originally imposed, a special
provision was made to allow its remission under by-law. w4,

PRESS STATEMENT NO. 1
6 December, 1972
Immediately upon the return of the Labor Government,
Senator Lionel Murphy, set out to arrange for the release
of seven young men serving eighteen-month gaol sentences under
the National Service Act.
Last night, I signed letters to the Governor-General,
Sir Paul Hasluck, recommending remission of the sentences.
In my letters, I said:
" The effect of these decisions is that all
obligations to render national service will cease and that
there will be no further court proceedings against those who

PRESS STATEMENT DECLARATION OF DROUGHT AREAS
Further areas in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland
and Western Australia have been declared drought areas for the
purpose of redeeming Drought Bonds a spokesman for the
Department of Primary Industry announced today. The areas
' i aih~ e Pastures Protection Boards in New South Wales,
Sj.. s s in Victoria and 5 Shires in each of Queensland and
Western Australia. Notice of the new declarations appeared in the
Commonwealth Gazette on 30 November 1972.
" Drought Bonds may be redeemed on account of drought

THE PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE
AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA
TUESDAY, 5 DECEMBER 1972
PRIME MINISTER: Ladies and gentlemen; you were told by way of
a press release at two o'clock this afternoon that I had called
on the Governor-General, at his request, at 12.15 this afternoon
and had accepted his commission to form a Government.
I gave him the reasons why I believe that there should
be an interim Government formed by the Australian Labor Party
and that for the purposes of that Government two persons would

FOR PRESS
STATEMENT BY MR. E, G. WILITLAM, Q. C.
I am informed by the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Ley,
that it may well be the end of next week, i. e. Friday,
December, before the counting can be completed in certain
electorates where the voting is close. In the light of this,
it would not seem possible or proper for the Federal
Parliamentary Labor Party to mee-before Monday, 18 December.
There are certain things which I believe must be put
in hand by the incoming government before then.
One example is action on abolishing conscription.