SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR R. J. L. HAWKE AT LAUNCHING
OF NEW VICTA MOWER, SYDNEY, 12 AUGUST 1983.
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
IT IS MY PLEASURE TODAY TO LAUN(; i OFFICIALLY THE NEW VICTA
VORTEX LAWI ( lOWER.
AID WHILE I'M OBVIOUSLY NOT IN THE BUSI'IESS OF PRODUCT
ENDORSEMENT, ITS ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE THAT AN AUSTRALIAN
PRIME MINISTER SHOULD BE ASSOCIATED WiTH SUCH A VERY
AUSTRALIAN NAME AND VERY AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTAND
ESPECIALLY A PRIME MINI:; TER WHO REPRESENTS A MELBOURNE
ELECTORATEAND LEST ANYONE FORGET I AM STILL THE MEMBER FOR WILLS!
IT'S A FACT OFTEN REMARKED UPON BUT STILL A REMARKABLE
FACT THAT, DESPITE OUR NATIONAL SELF-IMAGE, WE ARE THE
MOST URBANISED NATION ON EARTH. A HIGHER PROPORTION OF US
LIVE IN CITIES AND BIG CENTRES THAN ANY OTHER PEOPLE
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLDBUT
IT IS NOT SO OFTEN REALISED THAT WE ARE ALSO THE MOST
SUBURBANISED PEOPLE ON EARTH.
IlILE MO i: UF US LIVE I CITICS, FCW: R OF US LIVE IN L.' iL
rLTYø , AID Nor ONLY THAT WE HAVE THE LARGEST SUBURBS WI1H THE
LOWEST C: ISIIY OF POPULAI ION ON EA, IH.
AND THAT MEANS, ON AVERAGE, WE HAVE THE BIGGESr BACK YARDUS
OR FRONT GARDENS ON EARTH.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE VICTA LAWNMOWER COMES IN.
VICTA IS AN AUSTRALIAN TRADITION. BUT IN FACT THIS
PARTICULAR VERSION THE VORTEX IS REALLY SOMETHING OF A
DEPARTURE FROM THE AUSSIE TRADITION.
BECAUSE THIS IS TO BE A QUIET LAWNMOWER WHICH FOR SUBURBAN
AUSTRALIA SEEMS ALMOST A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS!
So AS AN AUSTRALIAN, A SUBURBANITE, A NEIGHBOUR, HOW COULD I
DO OTHER THAN WISH IT WELL.
BUT SERIOUSLY, I DO WISH THIS PROJECT WELL AS AN EXAMPLE OF
AUSTRALIAN ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION AND, IN PARTICULAR,
AN EXAMPLE . OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN PRIVATE ENTERPRISE AND A
GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
I UNDERSTAND CSIRO PROVIDED ASSr. STANCE IN TpE MASSIVE TASK
OF DEVELOPING AND TESTING THIS PRODUCT.
ANI I ALSO IJNlDEWSTAND THAr THE NEW PowER " TORQU ENGINE WAS
SUBJECTED TO OVER 50,000 HOURS OF TESTING IN ITS COMBINED
DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING PROGRAM.
1: 1I TIII. SE IFFi: CULT rIM. S WIIHEN MANY SECTOR. OF MANUJFAC rtJR IG
INDUSTRY A: E EXPLRIENCING ACUTE PROBLEMS IT IS HEARTENING TO
SEE COMPANIES LIKE VICTA LIMITED WHICH OPT FOR INNOVATION
AND ARE PR-PARED TO SET A STAKE IN THE FUTURE.
MY GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TOWARDS THE CREATION OF ANl
EVNIRONMENT WITHIN WHICH EFFICIENT, INNOVATIVE FIRMS CAN
PROSPER AND EXPAND. THIS IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO MEET AND
REVERSE THE DISASTROUS DECLINE IN EMPLOYMENT IN THE PERIOD
BEFORE THIS YEAR'S ELECTION.
A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH EFFICIENT AND INNOVATIVE
COMPANIES CAN PLAN FOR THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE AND
CERTAINTY, HAS TWO PARTS: STABLE AND EFFECTIVE INDUSTRY
POLICY; AND BUOYANT DEMAND FOR PRODUCTS WITHIN AUSTRALIA.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON BOTH FRONTS.
OUR INDUSTRY POLICY HAS EMPHASISED CONTINUITY AND CERTAINTY
IN POLICY, OVER THE LONG PERIODS NECESSARY FOR INVESTMENT TO
YIELD THE PROFITS THAT ARE ITS JUSTIFICATION. BUSINESS
FACES ENOUGH UNCERTAINTY WITHOUT GOVERNMENT ADDING TO IT.
ON EAJSIJS I ' JG 1HAT rHERE IS BUOYANT DOMESTIC DEMAND FOR
AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS, OUR MAJOR TASK SINCE TAKING OFFICE IIA'i
BEEN TO IULPLACE THE STAGNATION AND DECLINE IN THE AUSTRALIAN
ECONOMY WITH SUSTAINED GROWTH.
THE BUDGET tHAT 4ILL BE INTRODUCED TO THE PARLIAMENT NEXT
TUESDAY WEEK BY THE TREASURER, PAUL KEATING, WILL SEt THE
SCENE FOR A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT GROWTH.
THE DEEP-SEATED PROBLEMS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY CANNOT BE
SOLVED IN ONE YEAR, OR EVEN TWO OR THREE. BUT THIS YEAR WE
WILL MAKE A WORTHWHILE START.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO USING EXPANSIONARY FISCAL AND MONETARY
POLICIES TO GETTING AUSTRALIA MOVING AGAIN. THE PRICES AND
INCOMES ACCORD ALLOW US TO GO FURTHER ON EXPANSION WITHOUT
INFLATIONARY CONSEQUENCES THAN WOULD OTHERWISE BE POSSIBLE.
THE STIMULUS TO BE PROVIDED BY OUR EXPANSIONARY FISCAL AND
MONETARY POLICIES WILL BE CAREFULLY CONTROLLED, TO PREVENT
FIERCE COMPETITION FOR FUNDS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND
PRIVATE INVESTORS. SUCH A COURSE WOULD THREATEN PRIVATE
SECTOR RECOVERY BY PUSHING INTEREST RATES HIGHER THAN THEY
WOULD OTHERWISE-BE.
THIS. YEAR WE HAVE JUDGED THAT A BUDGET DEFICIT UP TO ABOUT
BILLION WILL PROVIDE SULBSrAWTIAL STIMULUS TO GROWTH,
WHILE AVOIDING EXCESSIVE PRESSURES ON FINANCIAL MARKETS.
As THE ECONOMY EXPANDS IN THE YEAR AIIEA'D, WE EXPCOT PRIVATE
INVESTMENT TO RECOVER FROM THE LOW LEVELS OF THE CURRENT
FI. A'ICIAL YFAR. THIS MEANS THAT WE WILL NEED TO REDUCE THE
GOvE; NIMENT BORROWING IN 1984-85 AND SUBSEQUEN1 YEARS.
HOLDING THE BUDGET DEFICIT TO $ 8.5 BILLION THIS YEAR, A! ID
BRINGING IT DOWN IN FUTURE, REQUIRES FIP-i COMMITMENT TO
LIMITING THE GROWTH IN OUTLAYS, AND TO MAINTAINING THE
TAXATION BASE.
FORTUNATELY FOR THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN
PEOPLE RECOGNISE THAT FIRM MEASURES ARE REQUIkED IN THE
INTERESTS OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY. THERE WAS CLEAR
EVIDENCE OF THIS IN THE REACTION OF MOST AUSTRALIANS TO THE
MAY ECONOMIC STATEMENT.
IF WE ARE PREPARED TO WORK TOGETHER IN THE NATIONAL
INTEREST, AND IF THOSE WHO ARE COMFORTABLY OFF IN AUSTRALIA
ARE PREPARED TO BE REASONABLE IN THE DEMANDS FHEY MAKE FOR
HIGHER INCOMES AND BETTER SERVICES, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE
1983-84 THE FIRST YEAR OF A LONG PERIOD OF GROWTH.
THAT WILL HELP ALL AUSTRALIANS, INCLUDING OWNERS AND WORKERS
IN FIRMS SELLING MOTOR MOWERS.
iN THE DYNAMIC WORLD OF BUSINESS, INNOVATIONS OF THE SORT
EPITOMISED BY THIS NEW MOWER REPE'SESENT THE ACHIEVEMENTS
WHICH FIRMS MUST STRIVE FOR IN ORDER TO ENSURE THEIR
COMPETITIVENESS.
BLLI! VL THA f VILIA i AN FXAMiPL E OF A CO M PANY THAr H'Sv 1Lr
r I L; C H A L . Etl'L WI 1r lIAE RF-LEA'' I ( F .' HIS NEW LAWflMOWC
r O Dv W! AIE qI INES SIPI G THE SAME IT OF INNVArION ANJD
t-T C PR1 1; C! XI*' C IF) BY HE FO) UNIWIHl OF ICTA LTD. ? l'Y N
Vi.: T'Jl IRIi ll\ if. 0 UN-